Providing assistance for Halal initiatives in several countries

After presenting five modules of its global Halal standard at the 4th World Halal Forum (WHF), there is no rest for IHI Alliance. Soon after the conclusion of the WHF 2009, IHI Alliance was called upon to assist and be involved in the Halal initiatives of several countries.

IHI Alliance’s Visit to Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia

IHI Alliance recently made its official visit to Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia, on 15 June 2009.

Darhim Hashim, CEO of IHI Alliance, and Dino Khalid, Senior Manager of Halal Standards and Systems, had the opportunity to meet Cambodian Senior Minister of Commerce at the Ministry of Commerce and Taskforce of Halal Project, H.E. Dr. Cham Prasid, to discuss several matters pertaining to Cambodia’s Halal industry development framework. The objective of the meeting was to introduce IHI Alliance’s global Halal initiatives and the role it could play in Cambodia’s Halal initiative. Cambodia’s population of 14.5 million are predominantly Buddhist with a 2.1 per cent Muslim minority and currently does not have a Halal certification authority. 

The Senior Minister emphasised the importance of the Halal economy for Cambodia as a new territory that should be explored in a systematic way. Apart from tourism, Cambodia’s export of rice, fish, timber, garments and rubber are also among major contributors to its economy.

This effort will be the Cambodian government’s first step towards realising the “Cambodian Halal Institute” – a Halal authority body envisaged to coordinate and monitor the country’s Halal-related trade activities.

An Evening with Malaysian Honorary Consuls

On 19 June 2009, 52 Malaysian Honorary Consuls enjoyed a dinner at Eden Restaurant, Chulan Square, hosted and organised by IHI Alliance. The Honorary Consuls were in town attending the 7th Heads of Mission Conference and 4th Honorary Consuls Meeting themed “Malaysian Foreign Policy: Future Direction for 2009-2015” with the Government of Malaysia in Putrajaya.

The dinner was held to provide an overview of the global Halal industry in line with IHI Alliance’s international role in developing and harmonising the sector. Led by Darhim Hashim, CEO of IHI Alliance, the evening also saw the presence of some  familiar figures in the Malaysian Halal industry, namely Mr. Rafaiq Bakri Zakaria, Director of Strategic Management Division of Standards Malaysia; Mr. Ahmad Jazri Mohd Johar, Undersecretary of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC); Dr. Nor Azman Ngah, General Manager of Halal Park of Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) and Mr. Irfan Sungkar, Associate Director for Global Food Research and Advisory.

In his welcome remarks, Darhim thanked all the honorary guests for taking time out of their busy conference schedule for the evening. He further explained that IHI Alliance, being an international organisation under the OIC, understands the importance of reaching out to every country in gaining support to increase the level of awareness towards building a harmonised Halal industry.

The dinner was concluded with a short speech from a representative of the Consuls delegate, Mr. Hassan Salleh, the Honorary Consul of Consulate of Malaysia in South Australia, who later presented a token of appreciation to the dinner host for a successful evening.

IHI Alliance and Pakistan – Media Launch of the Global Halal Expo and Global Halal Congress 2010 in Karachi, Pakistan

Pakistan’s first ever major Halal event, Global Halal Expo and Global Halal Congress, have been slated to be held in Karachi from 12 to 14 February 2010 at the Karachi Expo Centre. Expected to be held back-to-back in Karachi, Global Halal Congress is an international conference for leading Halal industry players, Halal certification bodies and other major stakeholders to discuss the latest trends and issues in the Global Halal industry and to identify the opportunities available for Halal suppliers. The Global Halal Expo will be an international Halal exhibition showcasing Halal products and services from all over the world.

Making a presence at the launching ceremony on 28 July 2009 was the CEO of IHI Alliance, Darhim Hashim, who delivered a speech on global Halal standards development. Darhim in his speech highlighted that Pakistan could overcome the trade deficit by exporting Halal products to over 1.8 billion Muslim population in the world. “Pakistan can play a key role in the supply of Halal food with the help of available raw material including meat, milk, poultry and grains,” he added.

The event will mark the inauguration of Pakistan’s Halal initiatives in the Islamic republic that has the second largest Muslim population after Indonesia. IHI Alliance’s presence at the launching ceremony is the latest development of its collaboration with MESSE Pakistan after signing a Memorandum of Understanding in support of the event on July 2009. The MOU establishes a new collaborative effort between the two organisations whereby IHI Alliance supports the initiatives by MESSE Pakistan to promote and boost Halal industry development in Pakistan. The cooperation focuses on several aspects such as IHI Alliance’s assistance in promoting the Global Halal Expo and Global Halal Congress, Halal industry workshops and training towards the development of the Halal industry in Pakistan. 

One day before the ceremony, Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce had announced that the government will support the cost of certification by 50 per cent. The initiative is part of Pakistan Trade Policy 2009-10 recently presented by the Minister of Commerce, H.E. Makhdoom Amin Fahim.

The absence of Halal certification in the country is seen as an obstacle for local Halal goods producers in penetrating a global market worth USD2.1 trillion. IHI Alliance will play a major role in assisting the set up of a complete Halal certification system in Pakistan and provide training and workshops to ensure a proper compliance system is in place.

Event Participation of IHI Alliance around the Globe

·         28 September – 2 October 2009

OIC HALAL STANDARDS MEETING, ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Event profile:  This is the second session of the 10th meeting of OIC Standardisation Expert Group (SEG) with the task of studying and developing the OIC Halal Food Standards. IHI Alliance will be represented in this meeting.

·         11 October 2009

ANUGA, GERMANY

Event profile:  International Trade Fair for food & beverages for exhibitors and visitors to conduct cross-border business and participate in international networking. Darhim Hashim, CEO of IHI Alliance, will be a moderator at Anuga’s International Conference on World Halal Science, Industry and Business - Significance of Science & Technology in Assuring Halal Food Products Integrity and Safety.

 

·         11-16 October 2009

OIC EXPO 2009, CAIRO, EGYPT

Event profile:  The 12th Trade Fair of OIC Member Countries – OIC Expo 2009 - is organized by the General Organization for International Exhibitions & Fairs (GOIEF) and the Islamic Center for Development of Trade (ICDT).  It aims to create favourable conditions for local and foreign enterprises and trade organizations to search for business partners; expand markets; develop production, business and import-export activities; as well as showcasing new products and services.

 

·         8-9 November 2009

GLOBAL ISLAMIC SUMMIT 2009, DUBAI

Event profile:  Featuring premier keynote address from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates, the event will discuss issues, future directions and best practices of Islamic finance, international trade and human capital development in the current economic environment. Darhim Hashim, CEO of IHI Alliance, has been invited to speak on global Halal trade

 

·         17-18 November 2009

WORLD HALAL FORUM EUROPE

Event profile:  Following the resolution of the 4th World Halal Forum, which was held in Kuala Lumpur in May 2009, World Halal Forum Europe will be the first ever regional edition of this premier event. Slated to be held at World Forum Convention Centre in The Hague, Netherlands, the forum is themed “Halal Potential – A regional Focus”

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·         15-18 December 2009

THE 4TH CAMBODIA IMPORT-EXPORT & ONE PROVINCE ONE PRODUCT EXHIBITION

Event profile:  The 4th Cambodia Import-Export & One Province One Product Exhibition will be held at Mondial Exhibition Center, Phnom Penh. Organised by Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce, this annual event will be incorporating three sub-events: Keynote Business & Investment Forum, Seminar & Workshop on One Province One Product Strategy, and relevant Business Matching.