The Prime Minister said that the Indian Ocean Region has significant economic, political and strategic influence in the Asia-Pacific and African regions. He said that it shares 64 percent of the global population and 60 percent of the global GDP.
Despite its potential, he said the sector faces several challenges. Therefore, the countries of the Indian Ocean Region need to promote partnership and cooperation to ensure peace and prosperity for all.
Bangladesh’s premier said that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman outlined the optimum utilization of the country’s marine resources for its growth, development and stability.
As a visionary leader, Bangabandhu enacted the “Territorial Waters and Marine Areas Act, 1974” to demarcate the ‘maritime areas’ of Bangladesh; To enable conduct of various activities within the limits and facilitate exploration of marine resources, she said.
Notably, she said, the Act came into force eight years before the “United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982”, at a time when the global community had limited understanding of the matter.
Sheikh Hasina said that the theme of the conference – “Peace, Partnership and Prosperity: Towards a Resilient Future” – is very apt and timely.
The topic has become more relevant in light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the resulting sanctions and counter-sanctions, he said.
“These have presented unprecedented challenges to all countries around the world. Global recession, food, energy and fertilizer crises have made living conditions unbearable for all the people of the world. The Indian Ocean region is also facing challenges like climate change, marine security, terrorism and natural calamities.”
To overcome these, countries in the region should come together to forge partnerships, and make collective efforts to promote peace and prosperity for a brighter region, he said.
He said that in the context of the post-Covid world and the Russia-Ukraine war, a resolution titled “International Year of Peace as a Guarantee, 2023” was unanimously adopted at the United Nations General Assembly in December 2022.
In that resolution, the historical quote from the Father of the Nation’s 1974 UN speech, which is also the principle of Bangladesh’s foreign policy, was inserted in the 14th paragraph, he said.
It reads: “Recognizing the importance of combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and unemployment, and emphasizing friendship towards all and hostility towards none, in a spirit of constructive co-operation, dialogue and mutual understanding, these Will help in achieving the objectives.
He said this is of great relevance to Bangladesh in the Indian Ocean region as the country seeks to prepare actions for a resilient future.
Quoting Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, he said, Bangladesh needs effective ‘partnership’ in the form of meaningful cooperation, dialogue and mutual understanding to achieve its shared objectives of ensuring peace and prosperity in the region.