BIMSTEC Home Ministers Approve Five Regional Security Initiatives

The first BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting took place in New Delhi on 13 October 2026. India’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the meeting, attended by delegations from all seven member states: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The ministers approved five regional security initiatives and adopted the Delhi Declaration.

BIMSTEC and its member states

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organisation established through the 1997 Bangkok Declaration. Its seven members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The BIMSTEC Secretariat is based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and began operations in 2014. The BIMSTEC Charter was adopted at the organisation’s fifth summit in 2022 and entered into force on 20 May 2024. BIMSTEC’s areas of cooperation include security, trade, transport, energy, technology, agriculture and disaster management.

Five regional security initiatives

The approved measures cover trafficking in persons, drug control, financial crime and disaster preparedness. They comprise the BIMSTEC Convention against Trafficking in Persons; a plan of action on drug control; and a Memorandum of Understanding on capacity building to combat money laundering and terror financing. The remaining measures are a plan of action to prevent illicit financial flows and a plan of action to improve preparedness and coordination for natural disasters in the Bay of Bengal region. These initiatives address both criminal activity across borders and regional emergency coordination.

Security cooperation under the Delhi Declaration

The Delhi Declaration records commitments to regional security, trust and cooperation. It addresses cross-border terrorism, terror financing, radicalisation and cybercrime. India reiterated its commitment to sharing expertise in police training, counter-terrorism operations and forensic investigations with other BIMSTEC members. The meeting also addressed timely intelligence sharing, mutual legal assistance and extradition. These forms of cooperation support investigations and the legal transfer of suspects between jurisdictions.

Important Facts for Exams

• BIMSTEC was established in 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
• The BIMSTEC Secretariat is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• The BIMSTEC Charter entered into force on 20 May 2024.
• BIMSTEC comprises seven members bordering or situated near the Bay of Bengal.

BIMSTEC’s seven members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Its regional cooperation includes security and disaster management.