First BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting Concludes With Adoption Of Delhi Declaration

Key Highlights:

• The First BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting concluded in New Delhi, India, on October 13, 2026.
• The meeting adopted the Delhi Declaration, focusing on strengthening regional cooperation in the security sector.
• Member states committed to combating terrorism, transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking, and cybercrimes.
• The declaration emphasized the effective implementation of the BIMSTEC Convention on Combating International Terrorism, Transnational Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking (in force since March 2021).
• It also called for implementing the BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (signed March 2022).
• India hosted the inaugural meeting, marking a significant step in BIMSTEC's security cooperation architecture.

Detailed Insights:

• The Delhi Declaration reaffirms commitment to a secure, resilient, and prosperous BIMSTEC region, respecting sovereign equality and non-interference.
• The decision to establish the Home Ministers’ Meeting mechanism was made at the 4th BIMSTEC Summit (Kathmandu, 2018) and welcomed at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit (Bangkok, 2025).
• The Bay of Bengal region faces shared security challenges including violent extremism, money laundering, human trafficking, and misuse of cyberspace for terrorist activities.
• Member states stressed urgent cooperation against human trafficking for forced criminality in scam centers, adopting a victim-centered approach.
• The declaration strongly condemns terrorism in all forms, including cross-border terrorism, and calls for effective implementation of UN Security Council sanctions.
• Efforts will focus on countering radicalization, financing of terrorism, and preventing the exploitation of new technologies for terrorist purposes.
• The development of the BIMSTEC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk (BDOMD) was noted, along with consultations on a regional information-sharing mechanism for trafficking.
• The BIMSTEC Secretariat has secured Observer status at the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) and is encouraged to partner with international organizations like UNODC, INTERPOL, and FATF.

Key Concepts Involved:

• BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation): A regional organization of seven member states in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal.
• Transnational Organized Crime: Criminal activities planned and carried out across national borders, often involving multiple countries.
• Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT): An agreement between countries for gathering and exchanging information to enforce public or criminal laws.
• Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG): A FATF-style regional body focused on combating money laundering and terrorist financing in the Asia-Pacific region.