COMCEC
The Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) is one of four standing committees of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It was established in 1981 at the Third Islamic Summit Conference held in Mecca/Ta'if and serves as a multilateral economic and commercial cooperation forum in the Islamic world. The committee convenes annually at ministerial level in Istanbul under the Chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Turkey. The organization defines its scope of cooperation by trade, transport, agriculture, tourism, poverty alleviation, and financial as well as private sector cooperation.
Objectives
The COMCEC lists following objectives on its website:[1]
- To address the economic challenges of the Islamic Ummah and to contribute to the development efforts of the Member States.
- To produce and disseminate knowledge, share experience and best-practices, develop a common understanding, and approximate policies among the Member States in line with the vision and principles of its Strategy.[2]
- To serve as the central forum for the Member States to discuss international economic and commercial issues.
- To study all possible means of strengthening economic and commercial cooperation among the Member States.
- To draw up programs and submit proposals designed to increase the welfare of the Member States.
- To ensure the overall coordination of the activities of the OIC relating to economic and commercial cooperation among the Member States.
History
- November 14–16, 1984: First session of the COMCEC in Istanbul
- September 4–7, 1988: At the fourth session of the COMCEC in Istanbul, the states adopted basic guiding principles to set up a trade preferential system among OIC Member States (Declaration of Intent).[3]
- October 7–10, 1990: At its sixth summit, COMCEC is presented a draft framework agreement on the Trade Preferential System which will be adopted afterwards.[4]
Membership
Member states
- File:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Libya.svg Libya (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Togo (3-2).svg Togo (Joining date: 1997)
- File:Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso (Joining date: 1974)
- File:Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq (Joining date: 1975)
- File:Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana (Joining date: 1998)
- File:Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan (Joining date: 1995)
- File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh (Joining date: 1974)
- File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan (Joining date: 1992)
- File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria (Joining date: 1986)
- File:Flag of Albania.svg Albania (Joining date: 1992)
- File:Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives (Joining date: 1976)
- File:Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda (Joining date: 1974)
- File:Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan (Joining date: 1969 )
- File:Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan (Joining date: 1992)
- File:Flag of Mali.svg Mali (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan (Joining date: 1996)
- File:Flag of Iran.svg Iran (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Benin.svg Benin (Joining date: 1983)
- File:Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique (Joining date: 1994)
- File:Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Mauritania.svg Mauritania (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon (Joining date: 1974)
- File:Flag of Niger.svg Niger (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar (Joining date: 1972)
- File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Chad.svg Chad (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Brunei.svg Brunei
- File:Flag of the Taliban.svg Afghanistan (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast (Joining date: 2001)
- File:Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone (Joining date: 1972)
- File:Flag of Oman.svg Oman (Joining date: 1972)
- File:Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain (Joining date: 1972)
- File:Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti (Joining date: 1978)
- File:Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan (Joining date: 1992)
- File:Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Gabon.svg Gabon (Joining date: 1974)
- File:Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia (Joining date: 1974)
- File:Flag of Palestine.svg Palestine (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan (Joining date: 1969)
- File:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates (Joining date: 1972)
- File:Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan (Joining date: 1992)
- File:Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau (Joining date: 1974)
- File:Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname (Joining date: 1996)
- File:Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros (Joining date: 1976)
Observers
- File:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina
- File:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand
- File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia
- File:Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Central African Republic
- File:Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg Northern Cyprus
The Trade Preferential System (TPS-OIC)
The Trade Preferential System aims to promote trade among the Member States of the OIC by means of exchanging preferences. It includes a Most-Favored Nation clause, providing that all states participating in the TPS-OIC receive equal trade advantages as the "most favoured nation" by the country granting such treatment.
Trade among OIC countries
The official website indicates a goal of 20% intra-OIC trade by the year 2015. However, some economists consider this goal to be unrealistic.[5]
Year | intra-OIC trade (as % of total trade) |
---|---|
2009 | 16,7%[5] |
2010 | 17,0%[6] |
2011 | 17,8%[6] |
2012 | N.A. |
2013 | 18,2%[6] |
Legal documents
- TPS-OIC Framework Agreement (entry into force: 2002)
- Protocol on Preferential Tariff Scheme (PRETAS) (entry into force: February 2010)
- TPS-OIC Rules of Origin (entry into force: August 2011)
- Rules of procedures of the Committee
References
- ↑ "COMCEC". Archived from the original on 2014-11-25. Retrieved 2014-11-25.
- ↑ 4th Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference (14–15 August 2012) "COMCEC Strategy for Building an Interdependent Islamic World" (PDF). COMCEC Coordination Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-18. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Report and Resolutions of the Fourth Session of the COMCEC" (PDF). COMCEC. September 7, 1988. Retrieved December 31, 2014.[permanent dead link ]
- ↑ "Report and Resolutions of the Sixth Session of the COMCEC" (PDF). COMCEC. October 10, 1990. Retrieved December 31, 2014.[permanent dead link ]
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Facilitating trade among muslim nations". DAWN MEDIA GROUP. 23 April 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Trade". Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved November 25, 2014.