PM for collaboration outside geographical positioning to harness blue economy

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said countries need to collaborate with countries of other regions for capacity-building, technology sharing, research and to harness blue economy.

"As the idea of blue economy gains momentum, it's clear that countries in various regional groups need to collaborate beyond their regions for capacity-building, sharing of technology, research and best practices of initiatives to harness blue economy avenues," she said.

The Prime Minister said it while addressing a session titled 'A More Sustainable Future (Adoption of Commonwealth Blue Charter)' at the 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at Lancaster House in London, reports UNB.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh fully endorses adoption of the Commonwealth Blue Charter.

"Bangladesh, as a littoral country of the Bay of Bengal and member of Bimstec, Saarc and IORA, has relentlessly been promoting a blue economy for sustainable management of our oceans, seas and marine resources," she said.

"We note that the Charter articulates a number of innovative approaches, including the formation of the Blue Charter Action Fund and the Blue Champions. I believe member states will make the Charter workable soonest possible," she added.

Talking about Commonwealth Cyber Declaration which advocates a more secure future, Hasina said development of the ICT sector is a national priority for Bangladesh which has already achieved the vision of a 'Digital Bangladesh'.

She said access to information and communication technology and related capacity-building are fundamental to reducing digital divide, alleviating poverty, achieving sustainable development and inclusive growth.

"In a world where our economies are becoming increasingly dependent on the free flow of data, we need to promote the 'openness' in the global data ecosystem for a free, dynamic, and secure Internet across nations, sectors, and organisations."

At the same time, the Prime Minister cautioned over threats of cyber-attacks and spread of terrorism through the internet, saying addressing the issues on the basis of 'zero-tolerance' policy is important for the future generations.

Welcoming the Commonwealth Cyber Declaration, she said the principles and guidelines for cooperation in cyber governance, as outlined in the Declaration, are crucial.

She urged the Commonwealth Secretariat to frame appropriate action plans in consultation the with member states for its early implementation.

 "Technology and expertise sharing and capacity-building must remain a priority for our peoples," Sheikh Hasina said.