Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday laid emphasis on the need for responsible and sustainable ocean management.
He was speaking to the high level panel of foreign ministers in the 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens, an official release said here.
Dr Hasan, who is also an environmentalist, pointed out the need for adopting a holistic approach to balance between sustainable management of the ocean for environmental conservation and the socioeconomic development of people living in the proximity of the ocean.
He highlighted the initiatives taken by Bangladesh, a country with a long Maritime border and history, under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to ensure sustainable ocean management and utilization of maritime resources to uplift people's socioeconomic condition.
The minister also called upon the world community to ratify the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty and allocate funds for the restoration of the bio-diversity of the Oceans.
The foreign minister also reminded that various countries had promised about $10 billion for the overall development of the ecosystem and green shipping, but that has not yet been disbursed.
In this panel discussion, foreign ministers of Greece, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe also made interventions and made national commitments.
