The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has the membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensures to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various peoples of the world. Different institutions exist within the OIC family, such as Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA) and Islamic Chamber Research and Information Center (ICRIC). In order to promote and expand Halal culture, Halal World Institute was established in 2007. Halal World Institute is affiliated to Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture which Cooperates with ICRIC and has planned to be active in “Halal food”, “Halal certificate”, “Halal standards”,“Halal regulations”,“Halal Medicine”,“Halal Cosmetics”,“Halal Services”,“Halal Textile”, “Halal Tourism”,“Halal Banking and Insurance”,“Halal Transportation”,“Halal Promotional Activities and “Halal Trade” It helps purchasers to identify Halal products/services and facilitates trading. General information on Halal World Institute is available of www.halalworldinstitute.org. The most important objective of Halal World is the development of Halal culture among Muslims in non-Islamic communities with Muslim minorities. Halal issue is considered both a religious belief and a superior standard. Holy Quran divides foods, beverages, clothing and other products into two groups as Halal and Haram and from the view point of cleanness also treats all products as clean and unclean. Hence the objective of Halal World Institute is preparing the necessary grounds for distinguishing Halal goods and services from non- Halal ones. This objective is realized through setting proper procedures for production control, warehousing, transportation and consumption. To achieve this end, all scientific standards in compliance with Islamic Shariah are employed in order to introduce Halal Standard as a superior standard to the world.
Muslim Excellence Competitiveness Award
MECAward quality scheme was first proposed by a group of senior assessors of Iran’s National Quality Award (INQA) to Islamic Chamber Research and Information Center (ICRIC) in 2006. Following the negotiations made with other members of Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA), the award was finalized in September 2006. ICRIC has been henceforth assigned as the Executive Director of the Award. MECAward Secretariat is located in, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Islamic World Trade Directory
Introduction:
The great Commercial, Industrial and service Directory in the Muslim world (IWTD) is one of the most research and information projects implemented by Islamic Chamber Research and Information Center (ICRIC) .IWTD is expected to play a proper role in expansion of economic cooperation among OIC member states. ICRIC has endeavored to provide this service in order to make the information accessible, because we believe that “Information is the Golden Key to Economic Growth”. The Importance of the Directory: The important factor of Information dissemination is the major basis of each economic and commercial activity in our era. Acquaintance with abilities, capacities and advantages of ourselves and the others in the big family of Islamic countries, facilitates and ascertains the economic interactions and exchanges more benefits among all members of such a great economic and political block in the world. This leads to strengthen the economic capabilities of this great block and finally to rise in the political, social and cultural power of the Muslim nations. Therefore, ICRIC has established IWTD to reach the following main objectives:
* To make the B2B network among OIC countries,
* To help investment in OIC countries through introduction of strategic industrial products of countries,
* To provide merchants and private sector activists with the required information for commercial and economical means,
* To Make intra-OIC regional markets and commercial group,
* To help less-developed countries in OIC to grow economically and financially by activating small business at there,
* To make a constructive competition among OIC countries which improves the quality of production,
* To identify and highlight suppliers and buyers in neighboring countries and help to reduce the costs,
* To provide the financial and consultancy services for improving the organizational and strategic structure of companies,
* To detect the suitable markets for investment and economical growth of OIC countries via absorbing the Foreign Direct Investment.
Information Dissemination Methods:
Website: Disseminating information through internet by www.iwtd.icricinternational.org as the most wide- ranging data bank.
Books: the printed information about economic Operators and their endeavors in Islamic Countries at the national, regional and international levels.
CD: Providing the audio- visual collections containing the specific commercial information at the national, regional and international levels.
The IWTD website is an open webpage in which companies can insert their information freely. Meanwhile, the Chambers of Commerce of OIC countries have introduced their privilege industries and active companies. National chambers have a main role in activating the IWTD by defining the major functions of it and informing the companies of such a great possibility.
Website:
The great commercial, industrial and service directory in the Muslim World (IWTD) is one of the most important projects implemented by Islamic Chamber Research and Information Center (ICRIC). IWTD is expected to play the significant role in expansion of economic cooperation among OIC Member countries. Browsing the website, following features will be found:
- Information of Companies in Each Country
You can find here the appropriate information of companies in the Islamic countries i.e.: telephone No, fax, E- mail, website, address, products, etc.
- Sellers & Buyers
Here any interested person or company can benefit of this opportunity to present its products and also find its demands. The website will facilitate interactions.
- Top companies
Here you will be familiar with the latest grading and evolution Muslim companies regarding their annual revenues.
- Services
There are interesting abilities and facilities here for advertisements, tenders, bids, auctions, occasions, exhibitions, seminars etc.
- Import & Export
Browsing this window you can get acquainted with the import & export capacities and valuable products of Islamic countries.
- Search Tools
Here you can search the information of the companies through
* The name of the company
*The name of the country
* The name of the product
Method of Information Insertion
* The center will collect the information and put them in the website
*The companies and the users can register and put the appropriate information
Afghanistan
Albania
Algerie
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Benin
Brunei
Burkinafaso
Cameroon
Chad
Comoros
Cote dIvoire
Djibouti
Egypt
Gabon
Gambia
Guine-bissau
Guinea
Guyana
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon
Libya
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Morocco
Mozambique
Niger
Nigeria
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra leone
Somalia
Sudan
Suriname
Syria
Tajikistan
Togo
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Yemen
Islamic Countries Credit Rating System (IC-CRS)
The Islamic Countries Credit Rating System has been deemed as a necessity in economic transactions. In order to sign a deal with a corporation, one needs to get to consider the credentials of the institutions on a scientific basis by credit rating institutions in order to have an assured contract.
In this respect as there were no credit rating companies available in Islamic countries, ICRIC started to design and create “Islamic Countries Credit Rating System (IC-CRS)” in order to use the existing credit rating knowledge in the Islamic world’s available rating companies in lieu of similar rating institutions in non Islamic regions so that they can easily emerge in global arenas and assure their economic counterparts.
Exact supervision on companies in accordance with 100 criteria which exist in EFQM system in Europe and adding quality criteria which are set in all countries, prepares this system for credit rating of companies from those with 100 to 1000 employees.
Credit rating is a theory indicating how much a company puts its commitments into practice completely and in proper time. Credit rating reflects financial, performative and legal aspects of a company and determines its capability and tendency in fulfilling its commitments. Credit rating is neither an indicator of transacting with commercial partners nor investing and so on, but an indicator of determining a companies condition in meeting its commitments.
Islamic Countries Tourism Chain (ICTC)
Today, development and promotion of tourism is becoming a global purpose. It has gone beyond the national schedules and has changed to a multinational schedule or even a regional one. Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA), subordinate to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, took measures in holding Tourism Seminars to promote Tourism in Islamic Countries. Islamic Chamber Research & Information Center (ICRIC), with cooperation of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) embarked on an initiative to establish the link in the tourism services in OIC Member countries in order to develop the Muslim Quality Tourism Supply Chain through providing long term planning including conceptual framework, rationale, doctrine, strategy and implementation mechanisms for establishment of this multi-national chain.
The OIC Network of Small and Medium Enterprises Information System (ONSA)
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) development has been given due consideration in the draft of OIC Ten Year Programme of Action (OIC-TYPOA) 2015-2025 (DRAFT/Rev-1, Expert Group Meeting-2015, 23 April 2015) and the aforementioned draft has put emphasis on the effective implementation of the Strategic Plan for the Promotion and Development of SMEs Sector in OIC Member States prepared by the OIC Task force on SMEs. In this respect, “The Sixth and Final OIC Task Force Meeting on SMEs” held in Bangkok-Thailand on August 15-17, 2008, gave the mandate to the Islamic Chamber Research and Information Center (ICRIC), which is an affiliated organ to Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA), to create an “OIC Network of SME Agencies (ONSA)”. It is worth mentioning that, the report of the Final OIC Task Force Meeting on SMEs was taken note by the Thirty-Sixth Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (OIC/36-CFM/ECO/RES/FINAL).
ICRIC has taken some measures and has devoted some financial resources in recent years to establish ONSA; in this respect, ICRIC had designed and set up a website about Islamic countries’ SMEs.