The Conference is expected to formulate the first OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW) that will inaugurate a new phase for the OIC endeavors to foster the role of women in the development of the Member States. The First Ministerial Conference on the Role of Women in the Development of the OIC Member States was held in Istanbul, Turkey, in November 2006. It provided a forum for the discussion on ways and means of articulating the strategies, goals and programs for the advancement of women in the OIC Member States. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/611011