1. In line with the initiation of Task Forces under WGIC, the proposal to identify the TFs was raised during the Fourth Meeting of D-8 Working Group on Industrial Cooperation (WGIC) on 10-12 November 2008, Bali-Indonesia.

After having and intensive discussion and exchange of views, the meeting agreed to strengthen future cooperation through Task Forces:

1. Automotive (Coordinator: Iran, Egypt, and Indonesia)
2. Energy, Power Sector and Conservation (Coordinator: Turkey, Nigeria)
3. Food production through Mechanization (Coordinator: Malaysia)
4. Cooperation/Transfer of Technology (Coordinator: Turkey, Iran)
5. Petrochemicals and Fertilizer (Coordinator: Indonesia, Iran)
6. Cement (Coordinator: Iran)
7. Steel (Coordinator: Iran)
8. Textile (Coordinator: Egypt, Indonesia)
9. Standardization and Intellectual Property Rights (Coordinator: Turkey, Iran)
10. SMEs (Coordinator: Turkey, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria)
11. Electronics and IT (Coordinator: Malaysia)

During this meeting, the private sector of Indonesia, Turkey and Iran has signed a Minute of Meeting to facilitate cooperation through a long-term program on Automotive Industry. A joint working group will be established to develop the long-term cooperation.

2. The Fifth Meeting of D-8 Working Group on Industrial Cooperation (WGIC) was held in Tehran, Iran, on February 28 – March 02 2010, back-to-back meeting with the First D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Industry.

During WGIC meeting, all the delegations discussed and approved all the Terms of Reference (ToR) of 11 Task Forces as recommended on previous D-8 WGIC meeting. In addition, Plan of Action: Cooperation on Industry & Tehran Declaration on D-8 Industrial Cooperation was adopted by WGIC meeting. Meanwhile, at ministerial meeting, The Ministers adopted Tehran Declaration.

3. As the one of coordinator Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) under 11 Task Forces of D-8 WGIC, Iran Small Industries & Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO) hosted the First D-8 SMEs Governmental Bodies Meeting of D-8 Member Countries on 06-07 December 2010 in Tehran-Iran with the idea to examine how to implement the agreements and deepen the ties between D-8 Member Countries. In addition, the meeting has also considered that it is also timely opportune for D-8 governmental bodies to meet and discuss common efforts in responding towards the current potential market of D-8 SMEs.

4. As a follow up activity of the First D-8 SMEs Governmental Bodies Meeting of D-8 Member Countries on 06-07 December 2010 in Tehran-Iran, Iranian government held the SME Cluster Development Best Practice Workshop on 8-9 February 2011 in Tehran-Iran, which intended to familiarize the related persons from Member Countries with the concept and experiences of SME Cluster Development in Iran. The workshop commenced successfully with full participation from D-8 Member Countries and ECO.

5. The Sixth Meeting of D-8 Working Group on Industrial Cooperation (WGIC) and Second D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Industry was held on 4-6 October 2011 in Istanbul-Turkey. Excluding Task Force on Textile and Garment, all Task Forces were discussed. Turkish delegation also proposed to add one more Task Force, namely Task Force on Machinery.

At Ministerial level meeting, the Ministers adopted Istanbul Declaration. In addition, at agenda item: exchange of views on Industry Meeting, Minister of Industry of Indonesia and Minister of Industry of Iran emphasized on the discrepancy in the level of performance of various Task Forces of the WGIC and called of an objective review and analysis, with regards to optimization of the number of TFs.

6. The First D-8 Task Force Meeting on Textile and Garment successfully held on 27-28 October 2011 in Jakarta-Indonesia. The meeting decided that the Member Countries would submit their respective set of concrete proposals for cooperation to D-8 Secretariat within 45 days. In addition, Indonesian delegation proposed a matrix for the articulation of a plan of action for the future of the Task Force, which can also serve as a mechanism for further articulation of the activities of the Task Force.

D-8 Organization has successfully held the 2nd Industrial Ministerial Meeting and 6th Working Group on Industrial Cooperation (WGIC) during 4-6 October 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey, to strengthen its industrial cooperation among member countries in order to find and secure opportunities for new investment and markets, with the recovery of the global economy continued robustly during the final months of 2010 and into early 2011.

D-8 has previously held its 1st Industrial Ministerial Meeting and the 5th Working Group on Industrial Cooperation (WGIC) in early 2010 in Tehran. At the Tehran Meeting D-8 has tried to utilize existing capacities in order to increase industrial cooperation within its ranks and improve its collective relative weight in the global industry. The “Tehran Declaration” provides a quite pragmatic approach to move in the direction of expanding industrial and technological cooperation amongst us. It also lays out a number of practical policies and measures towards increasing industrial and market opportunities as well as financial resources.

This meeting designed to take stock of D-8’s collective performance thus far, analyze the situation with each and every Task Force it holds under the Working Group on Industry, and adopt a very objective and realistic approach to their future work, including with respect to the current mechanism of the coordination of Task Forces shared between and among a number of countries – which, in certain cases, might have not proved conducive to achieving the desired pace of dynamism and progress. The emphasize is being put on a number of Task Forces, for example Petrochemical/Fertilizer and Food Production Task Forces, which need to be accorded special attention, since they directly serve to increase food security for and within the D-8 community with almost 1 billion population and quite serious pockets of challenge in this field.

D-8 has had agreement with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on a Memorandum of Understanding covering a wide range of areas of development-related activities, with special emphasis on agriculture and food security. In this special meeting in Istanbul, and at the margins of the Ministerial Meeting, D-8 has also signed M.O.U. with ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization).

Outcomes of the Task Force on Textile of the 4th Ministerial Meeting on Industrial Cooperation 26-27 January 2015, Tehran, Iran are as follows:

• The meeting agreed on establishing a special and common association including textile & garment private/unions. For year 2015, the place of the Textile Association will be in Iran.
• Promotion of training programs, transferring experts and personnel for R&D projects and textile evaluation.
• Organization of joint cooperation in textile industry in R&D and transfer technology among the D-8 Member States.
• Easing and development of trade in textile products among the D-8 Member States in terms of regulations and standards.
• Iran and Turkey expressed their readiness to invest in the textile industry mainly in the process of dyeing, finishing, printing fabrics, producing garment, apparel and home textile.

Outcomes of the Task Force on Textile and Garments of the 5th Ministerial Meeting on Industrial
Cooperation held on 09- 11 May 2016  in Cairo, Egypt are as follows:

• To make cotton based production chain between D-8 countries duty free quota free market
  within D-8 will be examined to get benefit of low cost quality garments products;
•  To facilitate investments in D-8 countries having raw materials and high market opportunities
  especially in developing industrial parks for textile & garments;
•  To facilitate investments particularly on manufacturing of dying- finishing machinery, spare
  parts and accessories for textile;
•  To designate of a focal point in each country as a matter of priority;
•  To promote Harmonization of Textile Testing Standards and Pre-Shipment Inspection among
  D8 Countries;
•  To make the best use of www.d8coop.com for each member state to encourage the SMEs to
  cooperate and to take the advantage of the portal;
•  Turkey is willing to lead and share experience on the constitution of internationally accredited
  test center as in ECOTEX in Turkey;
•  Turkey wants to share information about strategic plan on textile between D-8 countries;
•  To encourage public and private sectors for sharing experience, best practices and promoting
  market access and to work on common projects in all areas of textile and garments;

Outcomes of the Task Force on Textile and Garments of the 6th Ministerial Meeting on Industrial
Cooperation held on 14- 16 November 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria are as follows:

• To facilitate investments in D-8 countries having raw materials and high market
opportunities especially in developing industrial parks for textile & garments;
• To facilitate investments particularly on manufacturing of dyeing- finishing machinery,
spare parts and accessories for textile;
• To designate of a focal point in each country as a matter of priority;
• To promote Harmonization of Textile Testing Standards and Pre-Shipment Inspection
among D8 Countries;
• To make the best use of www.d8coop.com for each member state to encourage the
SMEs to cooperate and to take the advantage of the portal;
• Turkey is willing to lead and share experience on the constitution of internationally
accredited test center as in ECOTEX in Turkey;
• To encourage public and private sectors for sharing experience, best practices and
promoting market access and to work on common projects in all areas of textile and
garments;