The complexity of today’s global economic environment, globalization and inter-dependence are imperative to be considered as important issues for developing countries. In this line, having invitation from the Government of Republic of Iraq, Iraqi Prime Group for Strategic Studies and Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM), D-8 Secretary General, Dr. Seyed Ali Mohammad Mousavi, attended “5th Think Tanks Forum of the OIC Countries”, on 21-22 February 2014, Baghdad – the Republic of Iraq.

  

In his statement at opening session of the Forum, Dr. Mousavi enlightened the role of D-8 as one of Intergovernmental Organizations, including the history background, objectives, a number potential for development (i.e. resources, market size/population, etc.) as well as areas of cooperation. 

In addition, Dr. Mousavi also emphasized D-8’s perspectives on unity in diversity among its Member States. The reality of diversity in many respects among the D-8 Member States was, somehow, taken for granted, including in the state of natural resource endowment, infrastructure, technical/technological advancement, etc.  In this context, the D-8 members should engage in cooperative efforts to ensure that the entire D-8 community benefits – collectively – from such capacities and capabilities and arrives at a higher level of development and prosperity, including in ameliorating the state of extreme wealth and rampant poverty.

Dr. Mousavi also underlined the role of D-8 Organization towards globalization. He emphasized that the D-8 Organization – through its principal organs and technical meetings – has been experimenting, with the best possible ideas and formulas, to present an overall picture of the significant changes taking place at the global level with important implications and repercussions for the future of the cooperation. With the political significance of the upcoming 9th Summit in 2014 in Turkey, the Organization is bound to seize this momentum to enter its second life-cycle phase, and strategically devise effective way to achieve its entire goals, in accordance with the principles of its great founders.

Finally, in his concluding statement, he added that D-8 and its Member States has commenced to prepare a vision for the future of the Organization, including the importance of competitiveness and partnership. The pressures stemmed from the current economic and political situation in the world had directly challenged D-8 to seek innovative ways to sustain their economies. The vision needs to address concerns for macroeconomic stability – both domestically and internationally – and for competitiveness, domestically. All these dimensions need to be organized in a coherent agenda of the Organization.

Statement of this event can be downloaded from the following link: [Statement]

Photos of this event can be viewed from the link below: 

[www.flickr.com/photos/developing8/sets/72157641795549373/]