The 1st Meeting of the Steering Committee for the Implementation of the STI Agenda 2026 successfully concluded at the COMSTECH Secretariat Islamabad

• 
  The 1^st Meeting of the Steering Committee for the Implementation of the STI Agenda 2026 successfully concluded at the COMSTECH Secretariat Islamabad, 18-19 March 2019.
• The meeting adopted the terms of reference for the Steering Committee.

• After a thorough deliberation on the Draft Implementation Workplan prepared by COMSTECH, the Steering Committee adopted the Workplan after the incorporation of suggestions from the various participating OIC institutions.
• The adopted Workplan addresses each of the ten major priority areas identified in the 1^st OIC Summit on Science and Technology and described as such in the Astana Declaration.
• For each priority area, the Steering Committee adopted a set of programs and implementable activities that were assigned, generally, to one Implementing Institution, and to one or more Partner Institutions who would complement the efforts of the Implementing Institutions.
• The Priority Areas in which the Steering Committee has identified the Programs are:

Priority #1	Creating Thinking Minds
Priority #2	Making People Employable: Education & Skills
Priority #3a	Water Security & Implementation of OIC Water Vision
Priority #3b	Safety of Water, Food and the Environment
Priority #4	Ensure healthy Lives for all citizens
Priority #5	Improve the quality of Higher Education and Research
Priority #6	The case for Math, Physics, Biotechnology and the Chemical Sciences
Priority #7	Managing Big Data with Security in the Digital Economy
Priority #8	Managing Energy Requirements
Priority #9	Environment, Climate Change & Sustainability
Priority #10	Enhancing Intra-OIC Cooperation

• In addition to identifying the activities in the above Priority Areas, the Steering Committee authorized COMSTECH to contact Member States for collective actions on the proposed multi-national Big Science Programs of the STI Agenda 2026.
• One session of the Meeting was dedicated to brainstorming on the theme, activities and side events for the 2^nd OIC STI Summit scheduled for 2020 in Uzbekistan. The ideas generated at the meeting would be shared with the organizers of the 2^nd Summit. 
• This meeting of the Steering Committee would be followed up by COMSTECH organizing a meeting of the Science and Technology officials of the OIC countries leading in S&T, to develop cooperative mechanisms and to seek Member States’ commitments towards the various initiatives approved by the Steering Committee.
• The following OIC Institutions participated in the Steering Committee meeting as the Members, and were represented by the delegates identified below:

1.   COMSTECH, Islamabad, Pakistan

–  H.E. Dr. Tariq Banuri, Coordinator General (COMSTECH)            Chair
–  Prof. Dr. S. Khurshid Hasanain Adviser (COMSTECH)
–  Prof. Dr. M. Qasim Jan,  Adviser (COMSTECH) 
–  Syed Aftab Hussain Zaidi, Director HR & Administration (COMSTECH)

2.   Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), General Secretariat, Saudi Arabia

–  H.E. Amb. Muhammad Naeem Khan, Assistant Secretary General OIC
–  Mr. Irfan Shaukat, Director General (S&T) OIC
–  Mr. Arsalan Hasan Basri, Professional Officer OIC

3.   Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC), Turkey

–  H.E. Mr. Mehmet Metin EKER, Director General (COMCEC)
–  Mr. Fatih ÜNLÜ, Senior Expert (COMCEC)

4.  Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB), Saudi Arabia

–  H.E. Dr. Hayat Sulaiman H. Sindi, Senior Advisor to the President for Science, Technology,
   and Innovation 
–  Mr. Mohamed Abida,  Manager Executive Management Support &  Protocol Division, Office of
    the President

5.  Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Morocco

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Adviser to the Director General and Supervisor of the Cabinet (ISESCO)

6. Statistical, Economic, Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), Turkey

Mr. Mehmet Fatih Serenli, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department (SESRIC)

7.   Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS), Jordan

 Prof. Dr. N.M. Butt, Vice President, (IAS)

8.   Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), Turkey

–  H.E. Mr. Ihsan OVUT, Secretary General (SMIIC)
–  Mr. Cagri CANKURTARAN,  Expert (SMIIC)

9.   The Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), Turkey

       H.E. Mr. Taha Ayhan, President (ICYF)