1st Muslim Diaspora Forum of the OIC Member States

Organisers

The Forum is jointly organised by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye and the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC).

Purpose

The Forum provides a high-level platform for the national institutions of the OIC Member States to exchange views, experiences and good practices on diaspora-related policies, programmes and institutional frameworks. It focuses on enhancing national approaches to diaspora engagement and public service delivery; addressing the common challenges diaspora communities face; and promoting networking and cooperation among Member States with a view to long-term, coordinated and sustainable partnerships.

Its rationale is the need to move beyond fragmented, often finance-centric approaches to a collaborative framework that strengthens institutional capacities, shares best practices and fosters lasting cooperation.

Objectives

• Share success stories on policies and best practices: enabling national institutions to present diaspora-related policies, programmes and activities, from youth engagement initiatives to cultural preservation and integration support.
• Address common challenges through collaborative strategies: exploring policies on social cohesion, family welfare, labour rights and discrimination including Islamophobia, with an emphasis on protective frameworks that go beyond financial remittances.
• Promote holistic development contributions: examining how diaspora networks contribute through knowledge transfer, ideational exchange and community-building, aligned with SDG 8, SDG 10 and SDG 17.
• Foster network-building and long-term partnerships: working towards a more structured platform for national institutions and recognised non-governmental organisations to collaborate on joint programmes, policy harmonisation and mutual support.

Participants

The Forum targets high-level participants responsible for diaspora affairs, policies and engagement (Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Presidents and Directors General of the relevant national institutions), so that discussions stay focused and interactive.

Presentations from Member States

Participating Member States are invited to share experiences, perspectives, initiatives and success stories in one or more of the working sessions. Those wishing to deliver a presentation are asked to communicate its title together with the relevant session name to the Organisation Committee at diaspora@sesric.org.