New Delhi: The charter of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) came into effect Monday — 27 years after the grouping was first envisioned in Bangkok, Thailand.
The seven members of BIMSTEC — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand — first signed the charter on 30 March 2022 at the fifth BIMSTEC summit held virtually in Colombo, Sri Lanka. However, it could come into force only after every country ratified the document, which finally happened in April 2024.
The document also gives the organisation a legal personality, establishes a mechanism for admitting new members and observers, and enables negotiations and agreements with countries and other regional and international groupings.
“The entry into force of the BIMSTEC Charter reaffirms India’s commitment to a prosperous, peaceful and sustainable neighbourhood,” said S. Jaishankar, the Indian minister of external affairs, on the social media platform X.
The entry into force of the BIMSTEC Charter reaffirms 🇮🇳’s commitment to a prosperous, peaceful and sustainable neighbourhood. It is achieved by building on our shared history, culture, vision and mutual respect for each other.
BIMSTEC reflects the synthesis of our Neighbourhood… https://t.co/U86WjRgQ8E
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 21, 2024
The BIMSTEC countries are home to 22 percent of the total world population and have a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of about $3.6 trillion.
Nepal’s SAARC dilemma
The charter, however, did not have an easy pathway to ratification in Nepal, the country that holds the chairmanship of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). SAARC, a regional grouping that has both India and Pakistan among its members, has not held a summit since 2014 and is considered to have been inactive for the past decade.
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According to local media reports in Nepal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha promised that the Nepalese government would not be replacing SAARC with BIMSTEC, after the adoption of the charter last month.
“We do not see BIMSTEC as a replacement of SAARC,” said Shrestha to the Kathmandu Post, on 3 April. The permanent secretariat of SAARC is in Kathmandu, while that of BIMSTEC is located in Dhaka.
Nepalese lawmakers accused India of deactivating SAARC in favour of BIMSTEC due to the membership of Pakistan in the former organisation.
Significant aspects of charter
Among the key facets of the charter is that it highlights the long-term vision and priorities of the member countries. It is an important step towards promoting regional cooperation and allowing for agreements to be signed with other countries and regional organisations.
The charter makes it clear that all decisions will be taken by consensus among current members. The charter gives the institution a clear process for the admission of new members, including adding the criteria of geographical contiguity or “primary” dependence on the Bay of Bengal for trade and transport purposes. It also empowers the BIMSTEC ministerial meeting to set up any further criteria as required.
The charter also highlights that the leaders’ summit will be held every two years and indicates the procedure for the rotational chairmanship of the organisation.
According to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the adoption of the charter allows for “meaningful cooperation and deeper integration” of the Bay of Bengal region.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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