Islamic Chamber Research & Information Center ( ICRIC )
Today, economy is known as the main wing of economic and cultural development in all over the world. Nevertheless, every country tries to take a step in the road towards the industrial and economic development and promote its trade and commerce in the national, regional and international levels. OIC in line with the abovementioned goal and through inspiration from the idea of the "Unity of Muslim World", aiming at the promotion of regional, religious, economic and political convergences has launched its activity since 1962. From the very beginning, the organization has continuously taken into consideration the promotion of the commercial and economic relations among Member States in line with providing the possibility of stable and multi-lateral development. Therefore, the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has been established as the economic wing of the OIC since 1977. The Islamic Chamber from the very beginning of its establishment has concentrated on strengthening closer collaboration among OIC countries in fields of trade, commerce, insurance, shipping, banking and promotion of joint ventures in the Member States. The Chamber is composed of three main bodies: 1- General Assembly 2- Executive Committee 3- Secretariat, among which the General Assembly is the supreme authority.
Objectives:
· To provide businessmen, industrialists and manufacturers with information in identifying joint venture projects within the framework of priorities defined by OIC Action Plan;
· To deploy economic delegations to Member Countries to contribute businessmen to bridge information and communication gap and to achieve up to date and distinct knowledge about socio-economic potential of Member States. Moreover; to discuss ways and means for pooling all resources available in their countries;
· To organize meetings of private sector in line with bringing representatives from private sector to strengthen cooperation among Member States;
· To make effort in order to develop the Intra-Islamic Trade through disseminating information on commercial and industrial opportunities available in such countries by providing them an integrated, computerized network.
· To assist project sponsors of developmental plans in Member States in order to identify the potential cooperation partners from other Member States and to prepare the Feasibility Report;
· To coordinate with Islamic and other international financial institutions for technical and financial contribution to be provided to feasible joint venture projects agreed on;
· To provide arbitration, reconciliation and satisfactory settlement of misunderstanding and disputes among businessmen and enterprises in Member States;
· To encourage the exchange of expertise and transfer of technology and knowledge among Islamic Countries;
· To hold workshops and training programs in the less developed Islamic countries with cooperation of Associations, Funds, and relevant governmental Agencies in Member States through Memorandum of Understanding, signed with them;
· To Extend services to introduce business communities in through arranging the exchange of visits among Member States; In view of the importance of regional cooperation within economic blocs and considering the role of such collaborations to move wheels of global economy, today Islamic countries that have devoted more than one-fifth out of the world population and a considerable amount of global natural resources enjoy a vast potential to change to an economy power in international level.
In order to promote intra-governmental and regional convergences among Member States of Islamic Chamber and in conformity with decisions made in the 8th Session of Heads of OIC Countries held in1997 in Tehran and following the Doha deliberation 37/9 ?E (15 ) held in Qatar on creation of an Islamic Common Market as agreed upon between H.E. Ali Naghi Sayed Khamoushi , President of the Iran Chamber of Commerce ,Industries and Mines and H.E.Aqeel A. Al-Jassem , Secretary General of the Islamic Chamber , arrangements have been taken to establish "The Islamic Chamber Research And Information Center " and later on the relevant agreement has been signed in between of two parties on October 6,2003 .
The mentioned Center has been established to tackle one of the existing problems in Islamic communities which makes slow down the development of joint cooperation in economic , commercial and industrial fields caused by shortage of information on commercial opportunities , Cods of Trade and Commerce , potential partners and proper fields to investments in Member States .
In line with the establishment of successful communication in commercial and economic field both in regional and global scale , today Information and Communication Technology (ICT) considered as one of the basic strategy to achieve this objective in a way that without having the feasibility and knowledge of the application of hard wares and soft wares of IT, the stable economic-commercial development in a rapid atmosphere of global competition can not be achieved . Therefore one of the objectives of ICRIC is to promote the application of ICT and e-commerce in Islamic Countries .
The Islamic Chamber Research And Information Center is the first member family of Organization of Islamic Conference ( OIC ) and its affiliated organizations which its Headquarter is hosted by/in Tehran , IR of IRAN .
Boards of Directors :
The Boards of Directors of the center is composed of the following 9 representatives:
Chairman : President of Iran chamber
Vice Chairman : Secretary General of Islamic chamber
Vice Chairman : Director General of the Center from ICCIM
Members : Three representatives from IR of Iran chamber and three from National Chambers of OIC
Member States appointed by the General Assembly of the Islamic Chamber .
The representatives from Malaysia , Egypt , Jordan , have been appointed for a four-year term as members of Boards of Directors in the meeting of General Assembly held in Abu-Dhabi .
The center shall undertake researches and all efforts in the following areas :
1- To identify and analyze challenges and opportunities in the domain of trade and investment ,information technology and e-commerce ;
2- To support small and medium size enterprises in Islamic countries in order to overcome such
3- To organize seminars , workshops and training programs on changes related to new trends in the World Trade System ;
4- To design training programs for ICCI in different sectors based on the actual needs and requirements of Member States to improve efficiencies of small medium size enterprises ;
5- To collect , compile , analyze and disseminate trade data among Islamic Countries as well as setting up an economic data bank in such countries ;
6- To develop and consolidate the relation ship between the Center and training institutions , consultancy centers , universities and other relevant institutions to benefit from their experiences in various fields of research and education ;
7- To publish and disseminate reports , booklets and books on various mentioned subjects ;
8- To study , analyze Rules of Membership in WTO and active participation in relevant discussions in order to take a unified strategy among OIC and other developing countries in this regard ;
9- To perform assignments suggested by the Secretary General of Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry according to the approved budget of The Center ;
10- To undertake studies and researches for project sponsors and entrepreneurs in OIC Countries for implementation of their joint venture projects by inter-alia , preparing the necessary documents and feasibility studies in conformity with guidelines of IDB ;
11- To undertake studies and researches on the strategies for the establishment of Islamic Common Market ;
12- To contribute to studies on the potential areas for development of cooperation in tourism in OIC Countries ;
13- To prepare studies on proposals to apply modern research methods to tackle economic problems in OIC Countries and provide them with solutions ;
14- To help entrepreneurs through ICCI , to equip with technical skills and knowledge on marketing in different fields of industry ;
15- To conduct surveys to determine potential areas of competitive advantage in different sectors in OIC Countries for contributing to socio-economic growth of Islamic Countries;
16- To publish and disseminate results of the Center in OIC Countries .The Center shall establish close linkage with economic organs of Islamic Countries to further its objectives.