{"id":348547,"date":"2025-10-23T18:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T12:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=348547"},"modified":"2025-10-23T18:00:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T12:30:43","slug":"bimstec-significance-challenges-explained-pointwise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/bimstec-significance-challenges-explained-pointwise\/","title":{"rendered":"BIMSTEC &#8211; Significance &#038; Challenges &#8211; Explained Pointwise"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization that was established on 06 June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; text-align: center;\"><strong>Table of Content\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><a href=\"#h1\">Introduction<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h2\">Key Organs of BIMSTEC<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h4\">Achievements of BIMSTEC<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h3\">Significance of BIMSTEC<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h5\">Challenges faced by BIMSTEC<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#h6\">Way forward<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b><a id=\"h1\"><\/a>Introduction:<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organization is now known as BIMSTEC.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It comprises seven Member States with the admission of Myanmar on 22 December 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in February 2004. It is headquartered at Dhaka, Bangladesh.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It not only connects South and Southeast Asia, but also the ecologies of the Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal. It aims to create an enabling environment for economic development; accelerate social progress and promote collaboration on matters of common interest in the region.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Aim:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To create an enabling environment for economic development; accelerate social progress and promote collaboration on matters of common interest in the region.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Significance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Nearly 1.5 billion people or 22% of the global population comes under the BIMSTEC. Together, it has a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $2.7 trillion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-348548 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/bimstec.jpg?resize=600%2C784&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"BIMSTEC\" width=\"600\" height=\"784\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/bimstec.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/bimstec.jpg?resize=230%2C300&amp;ssl=1 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b><a id=\"h2\"><\/a>Key Organs of BIMSTEC:<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><b>BIMSTEC Summit:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The highest decision-making body, comprising heads of state or government from member countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Ministerial Meetings:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Focused on specific sectors such as trade, energy, and transportation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Senior Officials\u2019 Meetings (SOM):<\/strong> Prepare agendas and facilitate coordination.<\/li>\n<li><b>BIMSTEC Secretariat:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the Secretariat oversees day-to-day activities and implements decisions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b><a id=\"h4\"><\/a>Achievements of BIMSTEC:<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><b>BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Memorandum of Association (MoA) on the establishment of this centre was signed in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar on 4 March 2014 at the Third BIMSTEC Summit. Currently the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate Change functions from the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>BIMSTEC Energy Centre (BEC):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The First BIMSTEC Energy Ministers Conference held on 04 October 2005, agreed to the setting up of a BIMSTEC Energy Centre (BEC). It aims to share experience in reforms, restructuring, regulation and best practice in the energy sector.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat was opened in 2014 at Dhaka. It helps in better management of regional issues.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC Permanent Working Committee (BPWC) to deal with administrative and financial matters of the Secretariat was set up post the 4th Kathmandu summit of 2018. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC convention on cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking has come into force in March 2021. It encourages data sharing and intelligence gathering on criminal activities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b><a id=\"h3\"><\/a>Significance of BIMSTEC:<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><b>Huge untapped potential<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A study by the Asian Development Bank has identified 167 projects within the BIMSTEC region that can boost connectivity. However, the grouping has to date only focused on 66 of them. The remaining have not yet received enough attention.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Alternative to SAARC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has largely become defunct because of differences between New Delhi and Islamabad. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Strategic Location:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Bay region is a key transit route between the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. Therefore BIMSTEC as a grouping can help in ensuring freedom of navigation in the waters. It can also help in harnessing and sharing the Bay\u2019s natural wealth.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Combating the web of uncertainties:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The institution can help member states tackle future uncertainties that will arise due to climate change, COVID &#8211; 19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine conflict.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Tackling Security Challenges:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Members of the grouping face several traditional and non-traditional security challenges that can be duly addressed with enhanced cooperation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Development of North East:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> BIMSTEC can boost the development of the northeast region by providing greater interaction with Bangladesh and Myanmar. For instance, the master plan of connectivity includes the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and Kolkata-Siliguri-Guwahati-Imphal link.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Better cooperation with ASEAN:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India has already come out of RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) agreement that may hinder its trade potential. Therefore a more robust cooperation with Thailand and Myanmar can help in resolving India &#8211; ASEAN differences and ensure better implementation of \u2018Act East Policy\u2019. For instance, the BIMSTEC master plan will also promote synergy with other connectivity frameworks such as the ASEAN master plan on connectivity 2025.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Countering China:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> BIMSTEC can help in countering China\u2019s Cheque Book diplomacy. Further, it can strengthen India\u2019s position as a responsible regional power in the Indo-Pacific.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b><a id=\"h5\"><\/a>Challenges faced by BIMSTEC:<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><b>Stalemate on Agreements:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Free Trade Agreement (FTA), coastal shipping agreement and motor vehicles agreement have undergone numerous negotiations but no consensus is developed over them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Priority to Bilateralism:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The focus remains primarily on enhancing bilateral ties, with multilateralism yet to gain ground despite common ecological concerns and a shared past.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Big brother attitude:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Allegations are made on India for playing a dominant role in the organization and neglecting the agendas of small states.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Irregularity in working:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The summits are not held on regular intervals and slow pace is observed in working. For instance, it took almost 17 years to establish a permanent secretariat.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Preference to other organizations:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Countries like Myanmar and Thailand show more enthusiasm towards ASEAN and neglects the vision of BIMSTEC.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Resource Deficit:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Lack of adequate financial and manpower resources is impairing the performance of the body. Although, India is the largest contributor and contributes annually about 32% of the budget.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b><a id=\"h6\"><\/a>Way forward:<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><b>Economic development:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The members must accelerate our efforts to boost intra BIMSTEC trade and economic ties. They should focus on developing a network of regional supply chains that will reduce our vulnerability to external shocks and give their economies greater resilience and transparency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Disaster resilience:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India must encourage other member states to consider joining the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). This will enhance disaster cooperation as all the BIMSTEC members live in one of the most disaster prone regions of the world.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Controlling Transnational Organised Crime:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The member states cannot ignore the challenges that transnational crime, terrorism, violent extremism or indeed new challenges such as cyber-attacks, pose to them. Considering this, they need to put in place the remaining elements of the legal architecture that will enable their law enforcement agencies to collaborate more closely and more effectively. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Institutional Hedging: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the group should move forward by doing \u2018institutional hedging\u2019. This means focus should be on developing collective soft as well as hard power for the group. Thereby\u00a0 protecting individual interests and shaping up a regional order that works for all the members involved.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>India\u2019s Role:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India should project itself as a compatriot and an equal partner to other BIMSTEC member-countries. This will help reduce its trust deficit and ensure better integration in the region.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Conclusion:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> BIMSTEC over the years has emerged as a promising sub-regional grouping with growing strategic and economic interests of the member states as well as of the international community in the Bay of Bengal region. India remains committed to further building the momentum of regional cooperation under the BIMSTEC framework and make the organization stronger, vibrant, more effective and result-oriented.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>UPSC GS-2: International Relations<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Read More: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2142894\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PIB<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization that was established on 06 June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.\u00a0 Table of Content\u00a0 Introduction Key Organs of BIMSTEC Achievements of BIMSTEC Significance of BIMSTEC Challenges faced by BIMSTEC Way forward Introduction: Initially known as BIST-EC&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/bimstec-significance-challenges-explained-pointwise\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">BIMSTEC &#8211; Significance &#038; Challenges &#8211; Explained Pointwise<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10391,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[130],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-348547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7-pm","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10391"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=348547"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348547\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=348547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=348547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=348547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}