DUBAI, 19th April, 2017 (WAM) -- Dr. Rashid bin Ahmed bin Fahad,Minister of State, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the EmiratesAuthority for Standardisation and Metrology, and President of theInternational Forum for Halal Certification Bodies, discussed ways ofmutual co-operation with Dr. Yousef Al Othaimeen,Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The meeting addressed the assistance to the OIC from the InternationalForum for Halal Certification Bodies to overcome the technicalobstacles facing the halal trade, and to promote the halal industryand other trade between both their countries. The forum will alsoprovide assistance to the countries that have not adopted a halalindustry certification agenda, which will facilitate commercialexchange and stimulate the economic sector. Dr. Rashid bin Fahad highlighted, in a press release today,that the International Forum for Halal Certification Bodies in the UAEwill join OIC member countries in achieving this goal, especially withthe presence of its 57 Islamic member countries, while they discussedthe forums participation as an observer in the organisation. Theorganisation will also obtain the same status in the forum, which willcontribute to unifying standards and facilitating trade and economicexchange in the halal industry. He added that the types of co-operation to be implemented will alsoinclude the participation of the certification bodies of the Standardsand Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries, SMIIC, in the forum asobservers, while the forum, in turn, will participate in the institutealso as an observing member. He also referred to potentialco-operation with the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade, ICDT,in activities related to the development of the halal industry, aswell as with the Islamic Development Bank by providing technicalassistance to promote foreign trade between member countries,particularly in manufactured goods. He stressed that the organisation includes several specialisedcommittees on economy and trade, while the forum can now focus onestablishing close co-operation with some of its parts andinstitutions, especially those with a pivotal economic role in itsmember-countries and the halal industry, including the ICDT, based inthe Kingdom of Morocco, with an emphasis on developing the privatesector, small and medium enterprises and the halal industry. Dr. Rashid bin Fahad added that reaching such joint agreements willhelp countries which have not developed their halal standards whilehighlighting the fact that the services of certification bodies willbe used to achieve the globalisation of the halal industry.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2017.
