Consider the following statements in respect of BIMSTEC:It is a regional organization consisting of

Question

Consider the following statements in respect of BIMSTEC:It is a regional organization consisting of seven member States till January 2025.It came into existence with the signing of the Dhaka Declaration, 1999.Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal are founding member States of BIMSTEC.In BIMSTEC, the subsector of 'tourism' is being led by IndiaWhich of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization that was established on 06 June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka- Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organisation is now known as BIMSTEC and comprises seven Member States with the admission of Myanmar on 22 December 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in February 2004. On 06 June 1997, representatives of the Governments of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand came together in Bangkok, and signed the ‘Declaration on the Establishment of the Bangladesh–India–Sri Lanka– Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIST-EC)’. Hence, statements 1 is correct and 3 is not correct. BIMSTEC had initially focused on six sectors in 1997 to include trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, and fisheries and expanded in 2008 to incorporate agriculture, public health, poverty alleviation, counterterrorism, environment, culture, people-to- people contact, and climate change.Subsequently, following steps to rationalise and reorganise sectors and sub-sectors, cooperation was reorganised in 2021 under the following sectors and sub-sectors led by the respective Member States: Bangladesh: Trade, Investment and Development Bhutan : Environment & Climate Change India: Security; Sub-sectors: Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime, Disaster Management, Energy Myanmar : Agriculture and Food Security ; Sub-sectors : Agriculture, Fisheries & Livestock Nepal: People-to-People Contact, Sub-sectors: Culture, Tourism, People-to-People Contact (forums of think tanks, media etc.) Sri Lanka : Science, Technology & Innovation, Sub- sectors : Technology, Health, Human Resource Development Thailand: Connectivity Nepal, as the Lead Country of ‘Tourism’ has circulated a draft of “Plan of Action on Tourism” updating on the earlier plans, which has to be discussed and finalized during the upcoming meetings of tourism Sub-sector. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.