Istanbul, 29 September 2025 – The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) participated in the 7th Meeting of the OIC-COMCEC Central Banks Forum, held in Istanbul on 28-29 September 2025. The IFSB Secretary-General, Dr. Ghiath Shabsigh emphasised the critical need for stronger cooperation and policy alignment across OIC member states to advance shared economic development goals.
The forum convened central bank governors and financial leaders from OIC member countries to assess the global economic outlook, trade fragmentation, geopolitical risks, cross-border payment systems, and progress on the OIC’s roadmap programme.
Discussions focused on key challenges facing the region, including navigating global economic uncertainties, enhancing payment infrastructure, and evaluating the implementation of the OIC-2025 Programme.
Assessing the OIC-2025 Programme
As a panellist in Session III, “10 Years of Action and the Road Ahead: Assessing the OIC-2025 Programme,” Dr. Shabsigh addressed the role of Islamic finance in supporting the programme’s economic development priorities.
His remarks emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation and policy alignment across OIC member states, with Islamic finance serving as a key pillar for mobilising resources, strengthening markets, and supporting private sector growth.
He underscored the IFSB’s readiness to support member countries in building stronger financial infrastructure, institutional capacity, and regulatory frameworks to advance shared economic goals.
The forum’s agenda addressed four core priority areas of the OIC-2025 Programme: poverty alleviation, trade, investment and finance, employment, infrastructure and industrialisation, and agriculture and food security, which align closely with the Sustainable Development Goals and reflect the pressing economic needs of OIC member countries.
