The 3-day 13th Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) ended in Dhaka on Thursday with the final remarks by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.
He appreciated the IOC WESTPAC for its admirable initiatives amid the trying times of pandemic, the foreign ministry said.
He conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to all participants for their wholehearted cooperation in arranging this successful session.
The Foreign Secretary thanked the IOC WESTPAC for undertaking programmes and activities in recent times. Also, he urged for prioritising capacity development of the Member States and coming up with specially tailored capacity-building programmes based on the realities of this region.
He appreciated the IOC WESTPAC for their completed studies and reiterated the immense importance of utilizing this scientific knowledge for the sustainable uses of oceanic resources. He extended hope that all suggestions, advice, and directives generated throughout the 3-day Session would be well-reflected in all future undertakings of the IOC WESTPAC.
The foreign secretary underscored the needs to create a database containing detailed information on ocean experts and their researches from different regions; collaborate with different international, national, and regional research organisations; generate a network among different universities; build liaison with private companies for the commercialisation of the research outcomes; construct a platform for encouraging private investment in research and development and most importantly build the overall capacity of this region.
He congratulated the newly elected Co-Chairs - Kentaro Ando from Japan and Professor Dr. Fangli QIAO from China - and the newly elected Vice-Chair - Professor Dato’ Dr. Aileen Tan Shau Hwai from Malaysia - and wished them for a credible continued engagement and a successful tenure.
The 3-day Session successfully concluded with the participation of more than hundred representatives and a number of future programmes/projects related to ocean health and UN Decade of Ocean Science.
