BY DAYO ADESULU
JEDDAH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, March 3, 2021/ — The Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA) and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) through THIQAH (IsDB Group Business Forum) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on the achievement of common objectives and serving the issues that facilitate cooperation and enhance integration between the two parties.
The MoC was co-signed virtually today by the CEO of the ICD, Mr. Ayman Amin Sejiny, and Acting UNA Director-General, Mr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Qarni.
The agreement aims to lay the foundations for cooperation between the two parties in the field of media and news coverage of the activities and initiatives of the IsDB Group Private Sector entities, as well as coordinating with national news agencies in the OIC countries to publish news and assure media coverage in the three official languages (Arabic, English and French).
It is also meant for exchanging information and consultations in the areas of joint action, coordinating related activities and events, and cooperating in organizing workshops, training sessions and specialized media forums.
The MoC further provides for transfer of knowledge and information and exchange of experiences between the two parties, where THIQAH (a function managed by ICD, as delegated by the IsDB Group) shall provide the Union with various reports and studies prepared by the IsDB Group Private Sector entities on their activities. In turn, the Union shall prepare media reports and news stories based on the contents and materials provided by THIQAH.
Mr. Sejiny welcomed the establishment of this strategic partnership with the Union and strengthening cooperation in the field of media and news coverage, which will contribute to publicizing the activities and services of the IsDB Group and promote trade, investment and insurance in the member countries.
For his part, Mr. Al-Qarni highlighted that the MoC contributes to laying the ground for cooperation between the two parties in the areas of media, improving the developmental and economic skills of media professionals, news coverage of the activities and initiatives of the IsDB Group Private Sector entities. He added that the agreement also contributes to forging cooperation in producing reports and media content that shed light on the development activities in the OIC countries.
The two institutions also agreed to assess progress made in achieving the overall objective of the MoC and to consider ways to effectively and efficiently implement its provisions, to harness the capabilities of both parties in serving the private sector in the member states.
