Istanbul: The second session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Transport Ministers Conference began today in Istanbul with broad participation. The conference aims to modernize the transport sector and enhance connectivity among member states.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized (via video) the need to move from discussions to practical implementation to achieve sustainable development. OIC Secretary General Hussein Ibrahim Taha stressed the importance of building flexible transport networks that serve a community representing a quarter of the world’s population and spanning four continents.
Participants in the two-day conference emphasized the importance of transport in achieving development in OIC member states and its impact on trade and tourism, as well as the challenges facing landlocked OIC member states in the transport sector.
Participants reviewed the pivotal role of transport in achieving economic development, particularly for developing countries. They noted that the transport sector accounts for 64% of global oil demand, 28% of total energy use, and 26% of carbon dioxide emissions. They emphasized the importance of finding sustainable solutions, such as expanding public transport, producing zero-emission vehicles, and reducing reliance on cars, to support economic growth and progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
They stressed the importance of connecting transport networks as essential for enhancing trade, competitiveness, and regional integration. As many OIC member states continue to work on overcoming structural challenges that hinder trade relations among member states and integration into global value chains, progress in this area presents significant opportunities. Reducing shipping costs and improving logistics performance remain top priorities. Developing transport corridors, ports, and multimodal networks, along with improving infrastructure, logistics, border procedures, and corridor management, will significantly contribute to lowering trade costs and supporting sustainable growth.
For his part, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, in his opening address at the conference, affirmed that the transport sector is a fundamental pillar of economic development, humanitarian solidarity, and crisis response, emphasizing the necessity of cooperation among Islamic countries in this field.
He stated, “This cooperation, undertaken under the umbrella of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, represents an important foundation that strengthens solidarity and mutual trust among member states.”
Uraloglu stressed that the transport sector “is no longer merely an element of trade and economic development, but has simultaneously become a fundamental infrastructure for humanitarian solidarity, crisis management, and regional stability.”
He emphasized that what is happening in Palestine, in particular, “deeply wounds everyone’s conscience and raises serious questions about how the international system operates on the basis of justice, equity, and human dignity.” He pointed to the importance of a unified stance from the Islamic world and the strengthening of solidarity among its member states in the face of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine.
He explained that cooperation in the transport and logistics sectors within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation “plays a vital role in delivering humanitarian aid to those in need quickly, safely, and without interruption, and highlights its role as a fundamental pillar not only for economic development but also for human solidarity and overall resilience in the face of crises.”