The ECO Secretary General Ambassador Khusrav Noziri and the Director of UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UN-OSSC) Ms. Dima Al-Khatib met on September 21, 2023. Held on the sidelines of the 78th UNGA Session in New York, the bilateral meeting discussed ways and means to enhance ECO-OSSC cooperation in all mutually possible areas and activities.
Expressing ECO’s ambition to expand its global working partnerships, Ambassador Noziri underlined the significance of a biennial UN Resolution on ECO-UN cooperation adopted by UNGA on August 25, 2023. The document presents a comprehensively outlined framework, encouraging continued advancements in relations between ECO and UN Agencies, he added. Ambassador Noziri stated that ECO attaches great importance to UN-SDGs and is actively engaged with all stakeholders to ensure their smooth implementation in the ECO Region. He also briefed the UN dignitary about the Organization’s efforts towards increasing ECO’s share in the global trade, as well as boosting region’s trade profile through trade liberation/facilitation and smoothing customs procedures. Realizing the magnitude of South-South and Triangular Cooperation in fueling multiple socioeconomic activities, he proposed ECO-UNOSSC collaboration for further capacity building of the ECO Member States and the ECO Secretariat.
Ms. Dima expressed receptivity for enhancing OSSC’s relationship with ECO, summarizing their working scope and mandate. She mentioned that OSSC is entrusted to maintain cooperation with important ECO countries which include Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Regarding expansion of OSSC-ECO ties, she suggested the Organization’s registration on the South-South Galaxy online platform, noting that the ECO has been contributing to the Office’s Global Report on SSC.
