E c o n o m i c C o o p e r a t i o n Review Economic Cooperation a n d a n d D evelopment D eve l o p m e n t VOL . 7 NO. 1 APRIL 2014 R ev i ew K Y M C C M Y K Vol .7 N o . 1 April 2014 1 April Organisation of Islamic Cooperation STATISTICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH Statistical Economic and Social Research AND TRAINING CENTRE FOR ISLAMIC COUNTRIES and Training Centre for Islamic Countries Kudüs Cad. No:9 Diplomatik Site 06450 ORAN-Ankara, Turkey (SESRIC) Tel: (90-312) 468 61 72-76 Fax: (90-312) 468 57 26 Email: [email protected] Web: www.sesric.org E conomic C ooperation and Development Review VOL.7 NO.1 APRIL 2014 Statistical Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) SESRIC Economic Cooperation and Development Review worthy partner in the promotion of world peace, development and security. Considering this fact, he put a special emphasis on areas such as preventing, managing, and resolving conflicts; fostering sustainable economic growth and development; combating xenophobia and Islamophobia through promoting tolerance and understanding; and intensifying international partnerships for development as the top priorities on the OIC agenda. Another critical priority for the OIC was pointed out to be the liberation of occupied Palestinian and Arab territories from Israel and the restoration of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. He added that progress in all these areas is essential to enable the OIC Member States address their developmental Prof. Savaş Alpay challenges such as poverty, unemployment, Director General, SESRIC public health, environmental degradation and climate change. n the present issue of the Economic Today, empowerment of women in all fields of Cooperation and Development Review, we social and economic life is gaining importance Ihave the privilege of publishing a timely from the perspectives of both socio-economic interview with H.E. Iyad Ameen Madani, development and human rights. Following Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic international commitments and guidelines, most Cooperation (OIC). H.E. Iyad Madani, who had of the development policies have already been been unanimously elected by all OIC Member based on the principle of incorporating the Countries as the new Secretary General, assumed priorities and needs of both women and men. In his duty on 1st January 2014. The interview particular, development policies emphasize the focused on the views of the Secretary General on enhancement of the involvement of women in a wide range of contemporary political, economic, cultural, social and political fields of economic, social and cultural challenges faced by life in order to offer equal opportunity for access the OIC Member Countries as well as the issues to all the benefits and services in the society. The that have high priority in his agenda in the short 12 Critical Areas of Concern identified in the and medium term. Among others, the interview Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, reflects the views of His Excellency Madani on which was adopted by the UN 4th World the issue of Palestine and the city of Al-Quds Al- Conference on Women in 1995 in China, Sharif, Islamophobia, and the role of the OIC in provided an international framework for action supporting and encouraging civil society on the advancement and empowerment of organizations to increase their effectiveness in women. Despite the efforts which have been coping with multifarious challenges and problems exerted so far, there is still a long way to go facing the Member Countries. regarding empowerment of women and integration of relevant policies at the operational His Excellency the Secretary General stated that level across all countries, particularly in the the OIC has today become a veritable actor and a developing regions. Economic Cooperation and Development Review SESRIC In this context, the article by Dr. Jim Yong Kim, governance environment. The report shows that, the President of the World Bank Group titled on average, the OIC member countries lag “Four Myths about Gender and Development” behind the average of both other developing and co-authored with Ms. Jeni Klugman, countries and the world in each of these three Director of Gender and Development at the main dimensions. The EEI overall average score World Bank, looks at a series of key myths of the OIC group is far below the averages of around girls’ education, female labour force other developing countries and the world. This participation, glass ceilings in the corporate implies that OIC member countries need to make world, and violence against women. It underlines more efforts towards improving their socio- the importance of reliable empirical evidence and economic, socio-cultural and governance studies, and argues that stronger and sustained environment to ensure a more enabling efforts are still needed to ensure that women and environment for enhancing the functionality of girls have equal access to health services, civil society organizations and, thus, their education, technology, jobs and other services positive impact on our societies. and rights. This, according to the article, could help end hunger and poverty for millions of The contemporary practice of Islamic banking people. and finance is now over 30 years old. Islamic Finance has rapidly transformed in the last The impact of civil society organizations on decade to become internationally recognised and governments and citizens has become recently accepted as a competitive and robust form of more significant worldwide. Well-structured civil financial intermediation across the world. The society organizations provide benefit to societies global Islamic finance industry continues to in different ways such as providing constructive experience double digit growth rates of around criticisms to governments in reshaping their 17%, with global Islamic finance assets being policies or being a platform for delivering the estimated at USD1.8 trillion in 2013 compared to message of underrepresented citizens (such as USD$1.5 trillion in 2012. As the Islamic Finance women and the elderly) on different issues. Over industry continues its fast-track growth the last few decades, civil society organizations trajectory, an increasing number of academic have played an important role in increasing aid institutions as well as centres of excellence take effectiveness in least-developed and developing interest in this emerging area and contribute to its countries by complementing and enhancing the development through high-quality research. interactions between donor countries/institutions and aid receiving countries/institutions. The In this context, the present issue of Economic overall environment for civil society Cooperation and Development Review includes organizations are more favourable today, both at an article titled “Islamic Finance at Harvard” by national and international level, compared to the Dr. S. Nazim Ali, Director of the Islamic Finance 1980s and 1990s. Project at Harvard University. In his article, Dr. Ali draws attention to the growing involvement In a study conducted by SESRIC, the stance of of Harvard University in the development civil societies in 57 OIC member countries has process of Islamic finance. His article focuses on been examined through the analyses of the 2013 the Islamic Finance Project (IFP) which was version of the Enabling Environment Index (EEI) initiated by the Harvard University in 1995 of CIVICUS. According to the EEI, three main through its Center for Middle Eastern Studies factors affect citizens’ engagement in civil society (CMES). The article offers an overview of the activities and organizations: socio-economic major initiatives of the IFP since its environment, socio-cultural environment and establishment, including the IFP DataBank, SESRIC Economic Cooperation and Development Review Harvard University Forums on Islamic Finance, Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Jim Yong Kim, and Harvard-LSE Workshops. As he points out, President of the World Bank Group, Dr. S. the IFP, afforded the credibility by the academic Nazim Ali, Director of the Islamic Finance richness of Harvard, is ideally placed to Project at Harvard University, and to all other coordinate the research efforts in Islamic finance contributors to this issue of the Economic and to serve as a focal point for researchers from Cooperation and Development Review. all around the world. While wishing a pleasant and useful reading to all the readers, I would like to express my deep Prof. Savaş Alpay thanks and appreciation to H.E. Iyad Ameen Director General Madani, Secretary General of the Organisation of S E S R I C Economic Cooperation and Development Review SESRIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND FACE TO FACE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW Interview with H.E. Iyad Ameen Madani April 2014 Secretary General of the OIC Volume 7 No. 1 Editor-in-Chief Prof. Savaş Alpay Editorial Committee Nabil Dabour Hüseyin Hakan Eryetli Kenan Bağc ARTICLES Atilla Karaman Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk Dr. Jim Yong Kim President of the World Bank Graphics Editor Savaş Pehlivan ISSN 1308-7819 Photo Credits worldbank.org wikimedia.org, flickr.com, unctad.org, undp.org, satrapia.com, un.org.al, Dr. S. Nazim Ali news.az, wikipedia.org, Arab News, Director, Islamic Finance Project, Islamic Legal worldbulletin.net, AFP, New Vision Studies Program, Harvard Law School, Harvard comsaudigazette.com, The Maghreb Daily, University African Manager, New York Times, Asian Arab News, afriquejet.com, New Europe, Issuu.com,