Foreign ministry’s secretary for maritime affairs unit Khurshed Alam, also a retired Rear Admiral, has been elected chairperson of the Regional Committee for the Central Indian Ocean of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission for a two-year term.
Saif Mohammed Al-Ghais of the United Arab Emirates and Maryam Ghaemi of Iran were elected vice-chairpersons of the regional committee, said a press release.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry found the appointment a true recognition of the international community’s trust in Khurshid Alam to chair the regional committee.
The IOCINDIO-VIII meeting, held on May 17-19 discussed on new projects and programmes. It also agreed that there was increasing recognition and understanding of the reliance of humankind on the vital life-supporting services provided by the ocean.
The high-level panel on Sustainable Ocean Economy at the meeting considered the ocean a source of solutions for climate change mitigation and for many dimensions of a sustainable ocean economy including the future of food and energy, the release read.
Established in 1982, the IOCINDIO now has 19 members Australia, Bangladesh, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UAE and the UK.
