D8 Organisation

D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation is an organization for economic cooperation among the following countries:

Brief History of D-8

D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation is an organization for economic cooperation among the following countries: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkiye. Azerbaijan joined the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation in 2025.


The establishment of D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation was announced officially through the Istanbul Declaration of Summit of Heads of State/Government on June 15, 1997.


The objectives of D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation are to improve member states’ position in the global economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at international level, and improve standards of living.


D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation is a global arrangement rather than a regional one, as the composition of its members reflects. D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation is a forum with no adverse impact on bilateral and multi-lateral commitments of the member countries, emanating from their membership to other international or regional organizations.


Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam from Nigeria is currently the Secretary General of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation with its Secretariat based in Istanbul, Turkiye.


Idea Behind D-8 Establishment

The idea of cooperation among major Muslim developing countries was mooted by Prof. Dr. Necmettin Erbakan, the then Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkiye, during a Seminar on “Cooperation in Development” which was held in Istanbul in October 1996. The group envisioned cooperation among countries stretching from South East Asia to Africa. Representatives from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria and Pakistan attended the Seminar.


This conference was the first step towards the establishment of D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation and it was only after a series of preparatory meetings that D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation was set up officially and began its activities with the Istanbul Declaration issued at the end of the summit of Heads of State and Government held in Istanbul on June 15, 1997

New World Idea

Fair Order

Real Peace

Dialogue

D8 Countries

Türkiye

Iran
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Malaysia

Indonesia
Egypt
Nigeria

Purposes & Objectives

According to the first Summit Declaration (Istanbul, 1997), the main objective of D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation is declared to be socio-economic development in accordance with following principles:


  • Peace instead of conflict.
  • Dialogue instead of confrontation.
  • Cooperation instead of exploitation.
  • Justice instead of double-standard.
  • Equality instead of discrimination.
  • Democracy instead of oppression.


Thus objectives of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation are to improve developing countries’ positions in the world economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at the international level, and provide better standard of living.

By the same token, D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation is an organization with no adverse impact on bilateral and multi-lateral commitments of the member countries, emanating from their membership to other regional or international organizations.


The following three phrases are quotations from the D-8 Fifth Summit Declaration (Bali, 2006) which illustrates some application of the principle objectives:


  • We commit ourselves to work together to solve the problem of economic disparities within our countries.


  • We reaffirm our commitment to enhance cooperation in the field of energy to develop alternative and renewable energy resources.


  • We emphasize the importance of D-8 in contributing to the economic development of its member countries and ensure that it promotes global trade.