The 12th biennial meeting of the OIC's General Assembly Ministerial Standing Committee on Science and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) will be held on February 21-23, according to an official statement. The science and technology ministers of the member states will attend the meeting. So far, over 30 delegations have confirmed their participation of which 22 are being led by the ministers or deputy ministers. In absence of President General Pervez Musharraf from Pakistan (for being on his China visit), who is the COMSTECH Chairman, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will inaugurate the event as the ex-officio co-chairman. Pakistan's Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Nauraiz Shakoor Khan will lead the Pakistan delegation. The Third Islamic Summit Conference held in Saudi Arabia in January 1981 brought COMSTECH into existence. The committee is entrusted with follow-up of the implementation of resolutions adopted by the Islamic Conference in scientific and technological fields. It will examine all means of strengthening cooperation among the OIC member states in those areas of science and technology that are crucial for the scientific development of the OIC region, and putting forward programmes and proposals likely to improve the scientific and technological capabilities of the OIC member states.
