Dr. Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento, Director for Trade and Investment of the United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO) visited the ECO Secretariat on 1st June 2017 and met with Mr. Kanan Nazarov, the ECO Deputy Secretary General, and other officials from the Directorate of Trade and Investment.

The Government of Turkmenistan in its capacity as the Chair of the Energy Charter Conference in 2017 and the International Energy Charter jointly organized “Ashgabat International Energy Charter Forum: Towards a Multilateral Framework Agreement on Transit of Energy Resources" on 30-31 May 2017 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The Forum provided a platform for policy dialogue on energy transit among high-level government officials, representatives of international organizations, businesses and academia with a view to promoting open energy markets, diversification of supply sources and routes.

The 16th annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the ECO Trade and Development Bank was held on May 23, 2017 at Istanbul, Turkey. On invitation of the ECO Trade & Development Bank, ECO Secretary General H.E. Ambassador Halil Ibrahim Akca participated in the plenary session of the Meeting and delivered a statement.

The 5th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction was held from 21-26 May 2017 in Cancun, Mexico. The Meeting was the first global event since the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction at the UN World Conference in March 2015 in Sendai, Japan. The High Level segment of the Global Platform was attended by delegates from 189 countries including Heads of State/Government, Ministers and high level officials as well as authorities from the UN System, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs and other stakeholders. At the invitation by UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), ECO delegation composed of Mr. Ugur Kilicarslan, ECO Director for Human Resources and Sustainable Development (HRSD) and Mr. Javad Heidari, HRSD Programme Officer also attended the Event.

The “2nd Islamic Development Bank Consultative Forum with Regional Cooperation Organizations in the OIC Region” was held on 14-16 May 2017 on the sidelines of the 42nd Islamic Development Bank Group's Annual Meeting in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The third “International ECO-Silk Road Food Festival” was held in Zanjan, Iran on 10-12 May 2017, celebrating also the International Year of Tourism For Sustainable Development.

A high level delegation from United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO) visited the ECO Secretariat on 27 February 2017 and held consultations with the relevant ECO officials.

The ECO Workshop on Industrial Property Rights was held on 21-22 February 2017 in Tehran, hosted by the Center for Intellectual Property Rights of Iran. The Workshop was attended by participants from Iran, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

The 13th ECO Summit was held on 1 March 2017 in Islamabad, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

At the request of the DRR authorities of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, a joint mission by ECO and UNESCAP is now in Kabul for a needs assessment and training exercise.