MEETING OF THE SENIOR OFFICIALS OF THE (PROSPECTIVE) D-8 GROUP

First Session
9 November 1996 - Ankara

REPORT OF THE MEETING
1.    The Senior officials of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey have met in Ankara on 9th November 1996, in accordance with the decisions taken at the Conference on “Co-operation for Development” held in Istanbul on 22-23 October 1996. The Senior Officials Meeting started its deliberations with the opening remarks of the Turkish Prime Minister, H.E. Prof Dr. Necinettin Erbakan, who briefly outlined the objectives of the Group and wished than success in their deliberations.
2.    The Senior Officials adopted the agenda of the meeting as attached herewith.
3.    The Senior Officials :
•exchanged views on the world economic situation and its impact on the develop¬ing countries as welt as the obstacles before their economies for a faster and healthier growth,
•recognized the need to overcome the artificial trade barriers against their coun-tries,
*also noted with concern the insufficient role and place of their economies in the global trade and stressed the immediate need and expectations of their respective nations for a higher level of development in all its aspects,
•expressed the resolve of their Governments for a wider use of modem tech-nologies and their effective contribution in their development,
•emphasized the globally indispensable importance of their economic resources and their vital geo-strategic locations in their respective regions with their vast common potential,
* acknowledged that the deep-rooted historical affinities provided a strong basis and framework for mutually beneficial co-operation.

4. RECOMMENDATIONS
The Senior Officials made the following recommendations :
I) Establishment of the D-8
The establishment of a co-operative mechanism to be called D-8, involving the following eight founding member countries :
-    Bangladesh
-    Egypt
-    Indonesia
-    Iran
-    Malaysia
-    Nigeria
-    Pakistan
-    Turkey

II)  Objectives and Principles
The main abjective of the proposed D-8 shall be the socio-economic development of their countries to be achieved through the following principles :
-    peace instead of conflict,
-    dialogue instead of confrontation,
-    co-operation instead of exploitation,
-    justice instead of double-standard,
-    equality instead of discrimination,
-    democracy instead of oppression

III) Areas of Co-operation
Bearing in mind that co-operation will encompass all areas> including political consultations, the Senior Officials identified the following areas :
-    Co-operation among private sectors through the establishment of a joint Business Council,
-    Consultation and collaboration at the international fora,
-    Finance and Banking,
-    Central Banks,
-    Stock Exchange markets,
-    Promotion of investments,
-    Joint investments in third countries,
-    Privatization,
-    Scientific research and development,
-    Technological and industrial co-operaiion
-    Transport and telecommunications,
-    Medium and Small Size Enterprises,
-    Free Trade Zones and ports,
-    Fairs and exhibitions,
-    Tourism,
-    Energy,
-    Environment, -Health,
-    Culture and sports

IV) Membership
The prospective D-8 should be a global organization whose membership will be open to other developing countries, subscribing to the goals, objectives and principles of the Organization and sharing common bonds. The prospective D-8 will not prejudice the bilateral and multilateral commitments of the member countries.

V)    Decision-makine
All decisions will be made by consensus.

VI)    Organizational Structure
D-8 should have the following organizational framework:
- Summit comprising of Heads of Government/State to meet annually as the highest level forum,
- Council of Ministers comprising of Ministers in charge of Foreign Af¬fairs as the principle policy and decision-making body of the D-8, which will also meet annually and report to the Summit of Heads of Government/State.
- Commission comprising of designated Senior Officials which will have a permanent Secretariat and will report to the Council. The Commission may have standing Committees in different areas of cooperation as deemed necessary.
- Member countries will establish a focal point in their Ministries of For¬eign Affairs, for purposes of co-ordination.

VII) Headquarters
The Headquarters of the D-8 will be in Istanbul.

5. TIMETABLE
A meeting of Foreign Ministers to be held in the first week of January 1997 to consider the above recommendations and to finalize the date and the agenda of the first summit meeting to be convened in Istanbul within the first quarter of 1997. The exact date of the Foreign Ministers meeting will be determined within two weeks, through diplomatic channels.
The Meeting of the Foreign Ministers should be preceded by a meeting of the Senior Officials.
The Senior Officials expressed their gratitude to the Government of Turkey for the warm hospitality and excellent arrangements.

The report was unanimously adopted by the Senior Officials.