Bangladesh elected International Seabed Authority council member

Bangladesh has been elected member of the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for a four-year term from January 01, 2021, to December 31, 2024. 

Headquartered in Kingston of Jamaica, the ISA is mandated under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to organize, regulate, and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area for the benefit of mankind as a whole. Its council is composed of 37 members. 

Being elected member of the council, Bangladesh will get the opportunity to better protect its interest in the organization in future, according to the Bangladesh Permanent Mission in the United Nations in New York on Friday. 

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 Bangladesh's maritime boundaries with neighbouring Myanmar and India, the country is prioritizing on unleashing the full potentials of its ocean resources and has made the Blue Economy the new frontier.

To fully realize the potentials of the Blue Economy for the socio-economic development, Bangladesh 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 is worth mentioning that Bangladesh is also the current president of the council of the International Seabed Authority.