Turkey, Malaysia agree to lead efforts for global halal standards in OIC

The move can pave the way for the Organization of Islamic Conference countries to tap the growing halal market which currently is dominated by non-Muslim countries.

Turkey and Malaysia have agreed to lead OIC members in developing uniform halal global standards, Bernama news agency said.

The move can pave the way for the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) countries to tap the growing halal market which currently is dominated by non-Muslim countries.

The report quoted Deputy Minister for International Trade and Industry Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir as saying "this consensus was reached by trade ministers at the end of the ministerial meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) Saturday.

"We have proposed to lead member countries in developing uniform halal standards and this has been supported by a few influential member countries like Saudi Arabia," he told the report.

"After much deliberations between member countries, they have decided to let Malaysia and Turkey work together by leveraging on their experiences to develop uniform halal standards for OIC countries," he told Malaysian reporters after the COMCEC ministerial meeting in Istanbul.

The ministerial meeting is being held prior to the inaugural COMCEC Economic Summit on Monday which is being held in conjunction with the 25th Anniversary of COMCEC and the 40th anniversary of the OIC.

Mukhriz said with the outbreak of H1N1, there has been an increasing awareness about how halal food products are hygienically processed, thereby boosting demand for halal products from non-Muslim countries.

"OIC member countries realize there is a vast potential to venture into the global halal food industry and that they will be left out if they are not fast enough to implement global uniform halal standards," he said.

Halal foods currently account for 17 percent of the global food market and the global halal food market is expected to increase to US$642 billion in 2010.

Mukhriz said the global halal industry was not only for halal foods but includes cosmetics, logistics as well as Islamic banking and financial services.

"We hope to come out with some kind of framework of the standards at the COMCEC meeting next year, which likely will be the first draft that will outline a timeframe," he said.

Muhyiddin, who arrived early Sunday morning, is expected to deliver a statement on the achievement of COMCEC, the enhancement of intra-OIC trade and investment, promotion of Halal standards as well as provide a review of the world financial system and role of Islamic Finance at the summit.

Diplomats said they were hoping for the implementation of the Trade Preferential System Among the OIC (TPS-OIC), which could further increase intra-trade among OIC countries by 2015.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=49650.