Bangladesh elected member of International Seabed Authority Council

Bangladesh has been elected member of the Council of the International Seabed Authority for a four-year term until the end of 2024.

The election of Bangladesh to the 37-strong council will bring the opportunity to better protect the country’s interest in the organisation in future, Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations said in a statement on Thursday.

Bangladesh is also the current president of the Council of the International Seabed Authority.

Located in Kingston of Jamaica, the International Seabed Authority is mandated under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to organise, regulate, and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area for the benefit of mankind as a whole.

Bangladesh is a country with a huge population where land-based resources are scarce. Even the resources of the seas are not fully exploited.

“After the settlement of our maritime boundaries with neighbouring Myanmar and India, we are prioritising on unleashing the full potentials of our ocean resources and have made the Blue Economy the new frontier,” the statement said.

To fully realise the potentials of the Blue Economy for Bangladesh’s socio-economic development, the country will 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,” the permanent mission said.