BIMSTEC countries adopted the Delhi Declaration to deepen cooperation against terrorism and transnational crime. The move broadens regional security coordination, while adding stronger disaster and anti-trafficking measures.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting in Delhi on Tuesday. (@AmitShah/X via PTI photo)
BIMSTEC countries on Tuesday approved the Delhi Declaration, reaffirming their commitment to regional peace, security and development, with a focus on tackling "cross-border terrorism, terror financing and radicalisation", narcotics smuggling and other threats affecting the region.
The grouping also strongly condemned "terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism" in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, a government statement said.
At the First BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting, the member countries said they faced shared and evolving security challenges and called for a cooperative response based on shared responsibility.
The statement said, "In the Delhi Declaration adopted at the First BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting, member countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation for regional peace, security, and development. The declaration emphasised combating cross-border terrorism, terror financing, radicalisation, drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, and organised crime."
The grouping reiterated its "determination to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism" in a comprehensive and sustained manner, in line with the UN Charter and international law, and called for effective implementation of UN Security Council sanctions measures, including those of the 1267 Sanctions Committee.
It expressed condolences and solidarity with victims of terrorist attacks in member states, including India, and called for those responsible to be brought to justice under domestic and international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
The declaration also said security cooperation within BIMSTEC would be based on sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in internal affairs, non-aggression, peaceful co-existence, mutual respect and mutual benefit, and would complement other bilateral, sub-regional, regional and multilateral arrangements.
It prioritised information sharing, mutual legal assistance, extradition, capacity building and implementation of existing agreements and plans of action. The grouping also underlined the need to counter radicalisation, terror financing, money laundering, terrorist recruitment and the misuse of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes.
Recognising the Bay of Bengal region as a common security space, BIMSTEC said member countries faced shared threats such as terrorism, violent extremism, drug trafficking, organised crime, cybercrime, money laundering, financing of terrorism, human trafficking, arms smuggling, piracy, poaching, illegal human migration and misuse of cyberspace for terrorist activities.
The ministers approved the Convention against Trafficking in Persons, the BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Drug Control, and a memorandum of understanding on capacity building to combat money laundering and terror financing. The trafficking convention aims to strengthen cooperation in preventing trafficking, criminalising the offence, and protecting and rehabilitating victims.
The drug control plan focusses on combating the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals. The memorandum provides for an exchange of best practices and cooperation in financial crimes, financial intelligence, investigations, asset recovery, anti-money laundering measures, countering the financing of terrorism and countering proliferation financing.
The grouping also approved the BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Illicit Financial Flows and Their Prevention, and a plan to improve preparedness and coordination for natural disasters in the Bay of Bengal region through regional risk planning, joint exercises, early warning systems, disaster mapping, training centres, information sharing, research, technological innovation and tsunami risk reduction.
The declaration appreciated India's leadership in strengthening regional security cooperation and emphasised the protection of victims of human trafficking involved in online scams. India also reiterated its commitment to sharing expertise in police training, counter-terrorism operations and forensic investigations, while the meeting highlighted cooperation in disaster management, including the proposed BIMSTEC Centre for Disaster Management in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
BIMSTEC, which comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, aims to promote economic and technical cooperation among countries bordering the Bay of Bengal and in its neighbourhood.
The meeting ended with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration and a set of agreements and action plans aimed at strengthening regional security cooperation, tackling transnational crime and improving disaster preparedness.
- Ends