Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 30/10/2007
(Casablanca, 30-31 October, 2007) Bismillahi Arrahmani Arrahim In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful Your Excellency, Mr. Abdellatif MAÂZOUZ, Minister of Foreign Trade of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mr. Allal RACHDI, Director General of the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade, Distinguished Delegates and Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Assalamu Aleykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh. I would like, first of all, to extend to all the participants my heartfelt greetings and best wishes for the successful outcome of the 24th Ordinary Session of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT). I would like to seize this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep appreciation to His Majesty King Mohamed VI, for the unwavering support he has continually been extending to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) as well as to the ICDT. I should also like to express my special thanks to His Majesty’s Government and to brotherly people of the Kingdom of Morocco for kindly hosting this meeting and for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to all delegations since their arrival in this beautiful and historic city of Casablanca. As you know, the first and most important pillar for the development of OIC Member States is the expansion of Intra-OIC trade. The “OIC Ten-year Programme of Action to meet the challenges facing the Islamic Ummah in the 21st Century” has set two main objectives: (i) to enhance the share of intra-OIC trade from 14% to 20% by the year 2015 and (ii); to explore the possibility of establishing an intra-OIC Free Trade Area. Since the adoption of the OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action, the OIC Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC), under the Chairmanship of the Republic of Turkey, the OIC General Secretariat, ICDT and other OIC institutions, are working tirelessly to achieve the rapid expansion of intra-OIC Trade. The 24th Session of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade is being convened at a particularly important moment. In fact, the 22nd Session of the COMCEC which was held in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey, from 21 to 24 November 2006, took note of the successful conclusion of the First Round of Trade Negotiations conducted among the participating States of the Framework Agreement on the Trade Preferential System among OIC Member States (TPS-OIC). The said meeting also decided to convene a Second Round of Trade Negotiation. Four Meetings were held in the framework of the Second Round of Trade Negotiation Committee of the Trade Negotiations Committee of the TPS-OIC. The Fourth (last) Meeting of the Second Round of Trade Committee of the Member States was successfully held in Ankara, Republic of Turkey, from 10-12 September 2007. The meeting adopted an Agreement on TPS-OIC Rules of Origin which was signed by 5 Member States namely; Guinea, Jordan, Tunisia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates. More Member States are expected to sign the Agreement during the 23rd Session of the COMCEC scheduled for 14-17 November 2007. In this context, I am also keen to express here my deep appreciation to ICDT and to its Director-General for the significant role played by ICDT and the COMCEC Coordination Office in preparing the process of trade negotiations organized in Antalya, Istanbul and Ankara respectively, within the Framework Agreement on the Trade Preferential System. I believe that Trade Negotiations will immensely contribute to attain the 20 percent level of intra-OIC trade as stipulated by the OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action. It is obvious that all OIC Subsidiary Organs and Specialized and Affiliated Institutions involved in the field of economic cooperation should be mobilized in order to attain these strategic objectives. I am convinced that the ICDT will continue to contribute effectively to the implementation of the OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action. I should make note here of the important assistance extended by ICDT and IDB to the Member States in order to enable them to take greater advantage of their participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO). In the face of the increasing prices of commodities, which constitute the bulk of exports by some of our Member States, this assistance has been very useful and should be continued. I would also like to commend the ICDT’s successful initiatives for organizing trade and tourism Fairs. As you know, trade fairs and exhibitions constitute one of the major tools aiming at promoting intra-OIC trade and they are the most effective market place for buyers and sellers. I also take this opportunity to thank Member States which have contributed to the budget of ICDT and reiterate to other Member States which have not done so to contribute as soon as possible. In particular, I would like to underline the importance for Member States to clear their arrears in the ICDT budget, to allow the Centre to undertake more activities to promote Trade in OIC Countries. I wish to assume you that the OIC General Secretariat will continue to extend all necessary support to ICDT so that this organization could flourish and discharge its duties for the benefit and betterment of the Islamic Ummah. I wish you every success. Wassalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.
