The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is no longer an idea based on "power equations", but rather a natural construct based on principles of “inclusivity, comradery, and multi-stakeholderism,” says a document related to the 6th Indian Ocean Conference being held in Dhaka on May 12, 13. As two responsible states, Bangladesh and India are committed to ensure the rise of a “free, open, inclusive and rules based” IOR, according to the concept note of the conference. The global order is rapidly evolving, power axis is shifting, and the complacency of the past is making way for greater confidence in future, the document reads. The IOR has emerged as a microcosm of partnerships, collaborations, bilateral and multilateral dependence. Also read: Indian Ocean Conference in Dhaka on May 12-13: Myanmar not invited Mauritius President Prithvirajsing Roopun, minister- and state minister-level delegations from 25 countries including Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will attend the conference. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference at a Dhaka hotel on May 12. The Prime Minister will also host a dinner in honour of the guests. The 6th edition of the conference is being organised by India Foundation in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh. Home to the most promising economies, the most populous lands, and the most vulnerable islands, the Indian Ocean Region is a testimony to the multifaceted challenges impacting governance in the 21st century. Read More: Bangladesh urges Indian Ocean nations to work together to promote blue economy With a vast reserve of natural resources and supply chain trade routes, the IOR has become an integral part of global strategic thinking. From Europe to America and Japan to South Korea, all major powers have aligned their global strategic outreach in line with the vision of developing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific Region (FOIP). With a vision towards mutual growth, prosperity and strengthening of the international community, the 6th IOC will bring together stakeholder nations to discuss and deliberate on the theme of “Peace, Prosperity, and Partnership” for a resilient future. In light of recent developments, the global community appreciates the expansion of resilience to go beyond economic strength and military might to include in its ambit the challenges posed by rapid climatic deterioration, and the exponential rise of disruptive technologies. Read More: Ocean health needs proper regional, global attention: Dhaka Peace While the expanse of the IOR makes it a region of infinite potential, it is the same expanse that can lead to damages of unfathomable scale. The region today is faced with not just traditional challenges of security but also non-traditional challenges of biohazards, cyberwarfare, and maritime piracy. The after-effects of such a disruption are unimaginable. Thus, maintaining peace in the region is of paramount importance to ensure the rise of a resilient future. Rise of a peaceful IOR on the principles of a rules-based order will chart a new agenda for prosperity and greater partnership in the region and beyond. Prosperity The IOR is pegged to rise as the most economically prosperous region of the century. It has the economies of scale, mass consumer market, and technical prowess to lead the world into an era of global affluence based on the ethos of sustainable development. The region is home to 3 of the 5 fastest growing economies of the world, 64% of the global population, and 60% of the global GDP while also accounting for 40% of the world’s oil supply and 64% of oil trade. Read More: President of Mauritius in Dhaka to attend 6th Indian Ocean Conference, bilateral programmes As two stakeholder nations of the region, both India and Bangladesh have been traditional advocates of responsible growth and development while living in harmony with nature. Pushing forth the ethos of a lifestyle based on sustainable development, taking climate conscious decisions ranks high on the prosperity agenda of the IOR. Partnerships One lesson that the pandemic taught the world is the importance of collaborative approach to working. Partnerships in the IOR will thus be more forward looking and constructive in their scope. With greater innovation, ample opportunities are opening up for countries to collaborate in multiple formats on carbon planning and green financing, navigating technological hegemony, the development of the blue economy, the rise of alternate forms of financing, and collaboration on public healthcare and education. Read More: Maritime cooperation in Indian Ocean increasingly important in current geopolitical landscape: Discussants Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh's partnership with countries in the Indian Ocean will become stronger through hosting the IOC. External Affairs Minister of India Dr S. Jaishankar will deliver the keynote address of the evening alongside special addresses by the US Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman, and Vice President of Maldives Faisal Naseem. The inaugural session will also be graced by the presence of Foreign Minister Dr Momen and Foreign Minister of Oman Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi. The Foreign Minister of Singapore Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will be represented by Dr Maliki Osman, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. Official delegations led by heads of states/governments, deputy heads, cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and senior officials from 27 countries and multilateral organisations will address the conference on May 13. Read More: PM to inaugurate Indian Ocean Conference in Dhaka May 12 The Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) was started in 2016 and in the last six years it has emerged as the "flagship consultative forum" for countries in the region on regional affairs. The conference endeavours to bring critical states and principal maritime partners of the region together on a common platform to deliberate upon the prospects of regional cooperation for Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). The first edition of the Indian Ocean Conference was held in Singapore in 2016.

Bangladesh's partnership with countries in the Indian Ocean will become stronger through hosting the Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Dhaka on May 12-13, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said on Wednesday. Mauritius President Prithvirajsing Roopun, minister and state minister-level delegation from 25 countries including Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will attend the conference. Briefing reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Momen also said around 150 foreign guests will participate in the conference including representatives from D8, SAARC and BIMSTEC. The participating ministers will also visit Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 to pay respect to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said Bangladesh maintains good relations with Mauritius and the relations will further strengthen through the visit of the country's president. Responding to a question, Dr Momen said Myanmar was not invited to the conference. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference at a Dhaka hotel on May 12. The Prime Minister will also host a dinner in honour of the guests. The 6th edition of the conference is being organised by India Foundation in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh. With the theme of “Peace, Prosperity and Partnership for a Resilient Future”, the conference would bring together a luminary gathering of key stakeholders to chart the roadmap for strengthening the Indian Ocean Region. External Affairs Minister of India Dr S. Jaishankar will deliver the keynote address of the evening alongside special addresses by the Deputy Secretary of State of USA Wendy Sherman and Vice President of Maldives Faisal Naseem. The inaugural session will also be graced by the presence of Foreign Minister Dr Momen and Foreign Minister of Oman Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi. The Foreign Minister of Singapore (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan) will be represented by Dr Maliki Osman, Minister in the Prime Ministers' Office and Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. Official delegations led by Heads of State/Government, Deputy Heads, Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Senior Officials from 27 countries and multilateral organisations will address the conference on May 13. The conference will also bring together a gathering of over 300 social and corporate leaders, policy practitioners, scholars, professionals and media personnel from over 40 countries. The Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) was started in 2016 and in the last six years it has emerged as the "flagship consultative forum" for countries in the region on regional affairs. The conference endeavours to bring critical states and principal maritime partners of the region together on a common platform to deliberate upon the prospects of regional cooperation for Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). The first edition of the conference was held in Singapore in 2016. It was attended by over 300 delegates from 22 countries including ministers, political leaders, diplomats, strategic thinkers, academics, and media.

Bangladesh has said ocean health, like climate change, needs proper regional and international attention and frameworks supported by all stakeholders. “We must ensure that our ocean with its all resources remains healthy under proper surveillance and continue creating equitable opportunities for our people,” said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam. He made the call while delivering a speech at the 5th Indian Ocean Conference 2021 (Plenary Session 3) on Sunday arranged on a virtual platform. Read: Bay of Bengal resources to be tapped in environment-friendly way: Shahriar Alam Minister to the PM and Standing Secretary of State, Cambodia Ouch Borith; State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maldives, Ahmed Khaleel and Deputy Minister, Tanzania Omary Kipanga also spoke at the event. The State Minister said oceans are the homes of opportunities and they are both engines for global economic growth and key sources of food security. He said sustainable harnessing in the Indian Ocean through coordination and joint efforts of the countries in the region can make a groundbreaking impact on socio-economic development creating jobs and opportunities for livelihoods. Doing so offers the possibility of generating new sustainable pathways to rebuild economies recovering from the effects of the global pandemic and sudden economic shock, said the State Minister. “However, we shouldn’t lose focus that the oceans are coming under increased pressure from population growth, abuse of waters, and global competition for raw materials, food demand, water scarcity, maritime security threats, climate change and marine pollution,” Shahriar said. He said these multiple challenges and other geo-economic and geo-strategic factors require an integrated response and an urgent transition of the world economy towards a sustainable, inclusive and resource efficient path through adopting the concept of blue economy. This year’s theme of the Indian Ocean Conference is ‘Indian Ocean: Ecology, Economy, and Epidemic.’ He mentioned that Bangladesh economy has proved to be rather resilient to the shocks brought about by Covid-19 despite the global economic downturn. In early October this year, the World Bank had forecast that Bangladesh's gross domestic product (GDP) would grow by 6.4% in the 2021-22 fiscal year. The government, however, has set a 7.2% growth target for the current fiscal year. The State Minister said Covid-19 has put up inconsistent hindrances for cross national movements and it has posed new threats in international trade and people to people contact. “We, the nation significantly dependent on cross-border trade and man power exports, have become vulnerable to such unequal restrictions. Bangladesh as an ardent proponent of safe and orderly migration urges the Indian Ocean countries to form a unified voice to break the shackles of unusual political puzzles,” Shahriar said. Read: E-passport service at Toronto mission soon: Shahriar He said the challenges created by Covid-19, concerns over future pandemics, supply chain over-dependencies, mobility disruptions – have all brought to the fore new challenges of an interconnected world. They have also focused our attention on building capacities at home. “To make our efforts stronger, there’s no alternative to sharing and collaborating our experiences and expertise,” Shahriar said. The pandemic is a global phenomenon; therefore, he said it necessitates coordinated global response. The State Minister mentioned that Bangladesh Parliament declared climate change to be a “planetary emergency” and called on the world to work “on a war footing” to combat it and reduce its impacts. “We’ve formed Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF) for climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction. We’re going to implement the ‘Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan’ to achieve low carbon economic growth for optimized prosperity and partnership,” he said. The State Minister said the time has come to go for a sustainable approach and nature-based solution for coastal risk reduction.” It would be a great measure to combat the uncertain climate change.”