Staff Reporter: Bangladesh has been elected a member of the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The council will serve a four-year term from January 1 this year to December 31, 2024. The headquarters of the International Seabed Authority are located in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the organization organizes, manages and regulates all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area for the benefit of all peoples of the world. The council has 37 members.Bangladesh will get the opportunity to better protect its interest in the Organization in future. This information has been known from a press release sent by Bangladesh Mission to the United Nations.
Bangladesh is a country with a huge population where land-based resources is scarce. Even the resources of the seas are yet to be fully exploited. After the settlement of our maritime boundaries with neighboring Myanmar and India, we are prioritizing on unleashing the full potentials of our ocean resources and have made the Blue Economy the new frontier.
To fully realize the potentials of the Blue Economy for our socio-economic development, we would require access to equitable sharing of marine resources, especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction and in ISA controlled areas. And that makes the work of ISA important for Bangladesh.
It may be noted that Bangladesh is also the current President of the Council of the International Seabed Authority.
BP/SM
