ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) has launched an “expert service” to foster technological cooperation among OIC member states, the committee said on Friday.
COMSTECH, an intergovernmental organization established by the OIC in 1981, is headquartered in Islamabad and continues to serve as a cornerstone of the OIC’s mission to promote scientific excellence and technological innovation, focusing on sustainable development, poverty reduction, and improvement in quality of life across member states.
The service was launched during OIC Secretary-General Hissein Ibrahim Taha’s visit to the COMSTECH Secretariat in Islamabad along with Pakistan’s Science and Technology Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. The high-profile event was attended by ambassadors of OIC member states, diplomats, vice-chancellors, government officials, scientists, and researchers from various OIC countries.
Launching the COMSTECH Expert Service for Technological Cooperation, Secretary-General Taha emphasized the importance of collaboration among OIC member states in the critical fields of science and technology to overcome the key challenges faced by the Muslim world, according to COMSTECH.
“This strategic initiative is designed to enhance technological self-reliance, foster sustainable development, and mitigate brain drain within OIC member states,” the OIC body said in a statement.
“The program aims to mobilize expertise from across the Muslim world to address pressing challenges in health care, agriculture, energy, and education, embodying the spirit of collaboration and mutual progress among OIC countries.”
The OIC chief said the upcoming 16th COMSTECH General Assembly, scheduled to be held in Islamabad later this year, would be a vital platform to discuss the future of science and technology in the OIC region.
“COMSTECH is a beacon of hope, empowering individuals and communities through groundbreaking initiatives,” he said. “I urge all member states to support and actively engage in these programs to collectively create a brighter and more prosperous future for the OIC community.”
On the occasion, Siddiqui reaffirmed the importance of science and technology as fundamental pillars for sustainable development within the OIC.
He termed the launch of the COMSTECH Expert Service a “pivotal step in uniting expertise across the Muslim world to address shared challenges and build resilience.”
OIC’s COMSTECH launches ‘expert service’ to foster tech cooperation among member states
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OIC’s COMSTECH launches ‘expert service’ to foster tech cooperation among member states
- COMSTECH, an intergovernmental body, aims to promote science and technology, focusing on sustainable development and poverty reduction
- The strategic initiative is designed to enhance technological self-reliance, foster development, and mitigate brain drain in OIC member states
Pakistanis among 44 migrants rescued by aid ship off Libyan coast
- Survivors rescued after days at sea on unseaworthy boat in international waters
- Pakistanis have featured in several deadly Mediterranean migrant disasters in recent years
Crew members of the humanitarian rescue ship Ocean Viking evacuated and provided first aid to 44 migrants stranded aboard a merchant vessel in international waters off the Libyan coast, the NGO SOS Mediterranee said on Monday.
The group, originating mainly from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Egypt, had been rescued earlier from an unseaworthy fiberglass boat and later transferred to the merchant ship before the Ocean Viking intervened, according to the organization.
Libya, about 300 kilometers from Italy, remains one of the main departure points in North Africa for migrants attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing, despite repeated warnings from humanitarian agencies about abuse, exploitation and high fatality rates along the route.
Migrants often depart Libya after months in detention centers or informal holding sites, boarding overcrowded and unsafe vessels operated by smuggling networks. Delays in rescue frequently leave survivors severely weakened, aid groups say.
“These 44 people, they are mainly from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Egypt. They departed reportedly from Benghazi (Libya) some five or six days ago. And they are now safe on board the Ocean Viking, recovering,” Francesco Creazzo, spokesperson for SOS Mediterranee, said.
Creazzo said the migrants were found in severe physical distress when evacuated.
“They were exhausted, coughing of dehydration, extremely weak, some couldn’t walk,” he added.
The Ocean Viking, an ambulance ship operated by SOS Mediterranee, regularly conducts search-and-rescue missions in the central Mediterranean, one of the world’s deadliest migration routes. According to international organizations, thousands of people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean over the past decade while attempting to reach Europe.
The latest rescue comes amid a series of deadly migrant disasters in the Mediterranean in recent years that have involved Pakistani nationals. In June 2023, at least several hundred migrants died when the Adriana, a fishing trawler carrying migrants from Pakistan and other countries, capsized off the coast of Greece in one of the deadliest maritime disasters in the region in a decade.
Earlier incidents have also seen Pakistani migrants perish in shipwrecks off Italy, Tunisia and Libya, highlighting the persistent risks faced by people attempting irregular sea crossings to Europe. Pakistani authorities have repeatedly urged citizens not to undertake the journey, while international agencies warn that smugglers continue to exploit economic hardship and conflict to lure migrants onto unsafe boats.
