OIC economic committee opens in Istanbul ahead of ministers’ meeting on trade finance
Senior officials from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have begun preparatory talks in Istanbul for the 42nd ministerial session of COMCEC, the group’s economic and commercial cooperation committee. The meeting started on Friday, 30 October, and is preparing the agenda and draft resolutions for ministers, who meet on 2 and 3 November.
The preparatory meeting is chaired by Rıdvan Ağaoğlu, Vice President of Türkiye, with an OIC General Secretariat delegation led by Dr Ahmad Sengendo, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs. Officials are reviewing progress on trade, investment, agriculture, transport, tourism, finance, private-sector development and poverty reduction across the OIC’s 57 member countries, Pakistan among them.
The ministerial session opens on Monday, 2 November, with an opening ceremony chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who chairs COMCEC. On the afternoon of 2 November, ministers will hold an exchange of views on “Developing Effective Trade Financing Tools for Increasing Export in the OIC Member Countries”. A business leaders’ summit is also running on the sidelines of the session on 31 October and 1 November.
Why it matters
Trade between OIC countries remains a small share of members’ total trade, and COMCEC is the main forum where the bloc tries to change that. The focus this year is practical: better trade finance tools that help exporters in countries like Pakistan get paid, manage risk and reach new markets. Any resolutions agreed in Istanbul will shape the OIC’s trade agenda for the coming year.
What happens next
Ministers meet on 2 and 3 November and are expected to adopt resolutions drafted by the senior officials. Findivoza will report on the outcomes, including anything affecting Pakistan’s trade and exports, once the session concludes.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://www.oic-oci.org/en/news/9050 (OIC, 30 October 2026)
- https://www.comcec.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/information-booklet-12.pdf (COMCEC, October 2026)
- https://www.comcec.org/history/ (COMCEC, accessed 1 November 2026)
