Dhaka is all set to host the two-day third IORA Blue Economy Ministerial Conference that will begin at a local hotel Wednesday (Sept 3).
Representatives from 22 member states of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and its nine Dialogue Partners will attend the programme, says a foreign ministry press release.
Bangladesh is organising the conference as it will take over the charge of Vice Chair from 2019 and subsequently Chair of IORA from 2021 for two years.
Dhaka IORA Conference is organized under the theme “Promoting Sustainable Blue Economy- making the best use of opportunities from the Indian Ocean”.
The ministerial segment of the conference will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday (Sept 4).
Foreign Ministers from Australia, Iran, Sri Lanka, Comoros and Seychelles, State Minister for Foreign Affairs from Somalia and Thailand, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries from Kenya, Minister for Ocean Economy from Mauritius, Minister for Marine Resources from Maldives and Deputy Minister for Environment and Forest from South Africa are going to participate in the conference.
The secretary general of International Seabed Authority will also be in attendance.
In the Ministerial segment, the IORA secretary general will brief about the progress of 1st and 2nd IORA ministerial conferences on blue economy held in Mauritius and Indonesia in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
At the end of the Conference, Dhaka Declaration will be adopted as a document aimed at illustrating the commitment of IORA member states and dialogue partners to further strengthen and deepen cooperation on blue economy priority areas in the years ahead.