Jeddah: The Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development organized the forum “Combating poverty through solidarity, alliances and partnerships” in conjunction with the 2023 Islamic Development Bank Group Annual Meetings in Jeddah.
The forum focused on highlighting the role of civil society organizations in combating poverty. IsDB Group Chairman Mohammed Al-Jasser in his keynote speech applauded the achievements of CSOs in member countries in designing and implementing innovative programs under the most challenging circumstances to alleviate poverty.
He added that member countries face numerous socioeconomic challenges, including conflicts and disasters, creating substantial humanitarian crises and development gaps. CSOs play a vital role in addressing these problems by delivering humanitarian aid and sustainable development interventions.
The 2019 flagship program launched by the ISFD, the NGO Empowerment for Poverty Reduction Program, “involves mapping, screening, and categorizing national CSOs, building the capacity of selected CSOs, and developing sustainable, innovative financing and partnership mechanisms,” Al-Jasser explained.
CSOs, he added, play “an instrumental role in contributing to the welfare of local communities in the development and humanitarian spheres and address the needed government support to create an enabling environment for them to thrive.”
ISFD Director-General Hiba Ahmed in her opening speech stated that the ISFD is committed not only to reducing poverty but also to providing opportunities through innovative programs in collaboration with IsDB and in partnership with other stakeholders.
Commenting on the role of CSOs, she said that with the complex nature of poverty reduction, it is important for CSOs to deliver development impact, and the ISFD is committed to seeing them flourish.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal, founder of the King Faisal Foundation and chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, was the guest of honor and delivered a keynote speech in which he expressed appreciation for the role played by CSOs in promoting socioeconomic development and combating poverty.
He also thanked the Kingdom for the generous support it provides to poor countries and communities in cooperation with regional and international organizations and in line with Islamic values, citing the activities of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.
Mr. Luky Eko Wuryanto, vice president and chief administrative officer at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, also spoke at the meeting, highlighting the important role of partnerships and cooperation among CSOs.
The forum also featured the CSOs Awards Ceremony, in which winners of the best-performing CSOs were honored.
Following the opening session, a panel discussion addressed the nexus between education and poverty reduction. Speakers included Fahad Al-Sulaiti, CEO of Education Above All; Mohammad Al-Khamis, CEO Al-Rajhi Development Foundation; and Abdulmohsen Al-Turki, vice president of growth and strategy at the National Center for the Non-Profit Sector. The representative of the best-performing CSOs also participated in the panel discussion, sharing their successful experiences across different fields of social development in their countries.
