NEWS: BIMSTEC countries adopted the Delhi Declaration at their first meeting of Home Ministers hosted by India to strengthen regional counter-terrorism cooperation.

ABOUT BIMSTEC

• Established: 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
• Secretariat: Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• Members (7): Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
• Connects South Asia (5 countries) with Southeast Asia (2 countries).

KEY FEATURES OF DELHI DECLARATION

• Counter terrorism, radicalisation and violent extremism.
• Combat terrorist financing, money laundering and cross-border terrorism.
• Implement relevant UN Security Council sanctions, including those linked to the 1267 Sanctions Committee.
• Strengthen victim support and bring perpetrators to justice.
• Address misuse of drones, cryptocurrency, encrypted communication and social media.

KEY AREAS OF COOPERATION

• Drug trafficking and counter-terrorism.
• Cybersecurity and cybercrime investigations.
• Intelligence sharing and border management.
• Legal cooperation, fugitive repatriation and capacity building.
• Tackling human trafficking, cyber slavery and transnational organised crime.

INDIA’S LEAD AREAS

• Transport and Communication.
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• Environment and Disaster Management.

Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime