The Fifth BIMSTEC Summit took place virtually on 30 March 2022 in Colombo. The Summit was hosted in virtual mode by Sri Lanka as the current chair of BIMSTEC. The adoption and signing of the BIMSTEC Charter by the Member States was the main outcome of the 5th Summit.
The theme of the 5th BIMSTEC Summit
The theme for the 5th BIMSTEC Summit is “Towards a Resilient Region, Prosperous Economies, Healthy People“. The theme captures the main current priorities of the Member States.
Key Highlights of the 5th BIMSTEC Summit
BIMSTEC Charter
During the 5th BIMSTEC Summit, the Leaders of BIMSTEC Member States have agreed to the BIMSTEC Charter.
- The BIMSTEC Charter establishes the legal and institutional framework for BIMSTEC.
- The Charter formally stated the purpose and principles to which BIMSTEC is going to adhere.
- As a result of the Charter, BIMSTEC now has an international personality with an emblem and a flag.
- BIMSTEC Charter formalizes the grouping into an organization made up of the Member States that are littoral to, and dependent upon, the Bay of Bengal.
Therefore, the key outcome of the fifth BIMSTEC Summit was the adoption and signing of the BIMSTEC Charter.
BIMSTEC priority sectors
In this virtual BIMSTEC Summit, the decision was taken to reduce, reconstitute and reconstruct the number of sectors of cooperation from an unwieldy 14 to a more manageable 7 sectors. Each Member State provides leadership in one of these sectors.
| Sectors | Country |
|---|---|
| Trade, Investment and Development | Bangladesh |
| Environment and Climate Change | Bhutan |
| Security and Energy | India |
| Agriculture and Food Security | Myanmar |
| People-to-People Contact | Nepal |
| Science, Technology and Innovation | Sri Lanka |
| Connectivity | Thailand |
Master Plan for Transport Connectivity
This virtual BIMSTEC Summit saw the declaration of the Master Plan for Transport Connectivity, which would provide a framework for regional and domestic connectivity.
Other Agreements
The Leaders of the BIMSTEC Member States also witnessed the signing of the following three legal instruments:
- The BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters;
- The Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Cooperation between Diplomatic Academies/Training Institutions of BIMSTEC Member States;
- The Memorandum of Association on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Colombo.