Visit by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Second Minister for Education Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman to the People's Republic of Bangladesh, 10 to 13 May 2023

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Second Minister for Education, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman is in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to attend the sixth Indian Ocean Conference (IOC).

Minister Maliki delivered remarks at the sixth IOC on 13 May. In his remarks, Minister Maliki emphasised the tremendous importance of the Indian Ocean region, and the need for countries within the region to work together to address pressing challenges such as climate change to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. The full transcript of Minister Maliki’s remarks at the IOC is at Annex. 

Minister Maliki also met Bangladesh’s Education Minister Dipu Moni, Private Industry and Investment Advisor to the Prime Minister Salman Fazlur Rahman, and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam. During their meetings, they reaffirmed the strong ties between Bangladesh and Singapore, and discussed avenues through which cooperation could be further strengthened, including in education, agriculture, shipping and trade. Minister Maliki also took the opportunity to underscore the enormous and long-standing contributions of Bangladeshi workers in Singapore.

Minister Maliki also met Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Bhutan Dr Tandi Dorji and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal Narayan Prakash Saud on the sidelines of the IOC. During these meetings, Minister Maliki and the respective Foreign Ministers took stock of bilateral ties and discussed ways to deepen cooperation in new areas.

Minister Maliki returns to Singapore this evening.

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TRANSCRIPT OF MINISTER IN THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE, SECOND MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECOND MINISTER FOR EDUCATION DR MALIKI BIN OSMAN’S REMARKS AT THE SIXTH INDIAN OCEAN CONFERENCE, 13 MAY 2023

Minister of National Defence Mr Josoa Rakotoarijaona of Madagascar

Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Mr Nirmal Siripala de Silva of Sri Lanka

Chairman of the Governing Council of India Foundation Mr Suresh Prabhu

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1 Thank you for inviting me to speak at the 6^th Indian Ocean Conference or IOC. As one of the IOC’s founding co-partners, Singapore had hosted the inaugural IOC in 2016. Since then, the IOC has emerged as a key consultative forum for states and principal maritime partners of the region to engage and deliberate on cooperation, security, and growth in the region.

2  Over the last three thousand years, the Indian Ocean has been an essential conduit for trade, culture, religion, knowledge, language, and geostrategic influence. Thus, this year’s theme of “Peace, Prosperity and Partnership for a Resilient Future” is indeed very salient. In particular, South Asian influences in heritage, language, and religion, borne across the waves of the Indian Ocean, are evident in Southeast Asia. Even today, Sanskrit remains a legacy in our languages, and influences of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam remain in our belief systems.

3 The Indian Ocean region holds tremendous geopolitical, economic, and strategic importance. Extending from the eastern coast of Africa to the western coast of Australia, the Indian Ocean accounts for one-fifth of the water on the Earth’s surface. A significant portion of global maritime traffic flows through the Indian Ocean from Asia’s industrialised nations to the rest of the world. More than 70% of the world’s oil shipments pass through the Indian Ocean, as does 50% of container traffic. There is no question that the Indian Ocean is of strategic importance for all of us.

Global challenges

4  The COVID-19 pandemic impacted countries around the world, including those in the Indian Ocean region. We all faced disruptions to our economies, supply chains, connectivity networks, border management, regional security, critical health infrastructure and tourism, just to name a few. We saw how international connectivity is a double-edged sword – while it enhanced international trade, it can also disable trade links. But the crisis also provided an opportunity for countries to work together in both traditional and non-traditional areas, relook existing institutions and regional mechanisms, and revamp them in order to better serve today’s needs. It reminds us even more how important it is to work together, uphold multilateral trading systems and resist protectionist policies. I am heartened that today, we can once again meet in person. This is in no small part due to the collective effort and resilience of all countries in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic.

5 Amidst the background of other international crises such as the Russia-Ukraine war, there have been major disruptions to trade and critical supply chains, and deep uncertainty has arisen about the future of multilateral institutions. As the world’s major powers become increasingly assertive of their own interests, the hitherto hard-won consensus on international rules and norms is breaking down before our very eyes.

Impact of Climate Change

6 On top of the disruptions I just mentioned, countries in the Indian Ocean region are also grappling with the existential challenge of climate change. The Sixth Assessment Report or AR6 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently concluded “with very high confidence” that the Indian Ocean’s surface has warmed faster than the global average. This presents a host of challenges for the Indian Ocean states, including the intensification of monsoon rains, marine biodiversity loss and sea-level rise.

7 In particular, rising sea-levels have serious cascading effects on many other areas, such as the economy, livelihoods, health and well-being, as well as food and water security. As a low-lying state, with more than 50% of our population living within 3.5 kilometres off the coast, Singapore feels this as acutely as other small island states in the Indian Ocean. Given that AR6 has concluded that it is “virtually certain” that global mean sea levels will continue to rise until at least 2100, we will have to grapple with this problem. Countries in the Indian Ocean region must work together urgently to support the full implementation of the Paris Agreement and strengthen our collective resilience against rising sea levels. From November to December 2023, the UNFCCC COP-28 in Dubai will aim to make progress on raising mitigation ambition and implementation, scaling up adaptation efforts, operationalising the new funding arrangements, as well as boosting climate finance, technology, and capacity building support for developing countries.

Bangladesh and Its Role

8 It is therefore timely that the Bangladesh government is hosting this important conference. Bangladesh’s early history, culture and legacy are closely intertwined with the ebb and flow of its 700 rivers into the Bay of Bengal at the mouth of the Indian Ocean. The silt-rich waters from the Himalayas flowing through Bangladesh made it one of the most fertile lands in the sub-continent famed for its agricultural resources. Ancient Bengal achieved remarkable influence through a web of riverine and maritime lanes extending through the Bay of Bengal and to points further east. Today, modern Bangladesh is a strategic maritime nation promoting sustainable and equitable utilisation of oceanic resources.

9 As one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, Bangladesh plays an increasingly significant role in the Indian Ocean. Major projects are underway in Bangladesh which will improve the overall connectivity in the Indian Ocean region. Among them are the development of the Matarbari deep seaport in Cox’s Bazar, and upgrades to Chittagong Port as the principal seaport handling 92% of the country’s trade. This will put Bangladesh in good stead to provide maritime trade routes and facilities to the land-locked Northeast of India, as well as to Nepal and Bhutan. At the same time, we appreciate Bangladesh’s contributions to regional and subregional cooperation. It played a pivotal role in the formation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation or BIMSTEC and the Indian Ocean Rim Association. 

Singapore’s interest in the Indian Ocean

10 As a small island state situated at the crossroads of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Singapore’s survival and prosperity have always been inextricably linked to the oceans. Sea-freight accounts for a large proportion of our imports, including of essential supplies.  With trade more than thrice our GDP, ensuring the safety and security of key trade routes such as the Straits of Malacca and Singapore is of vital importance to Singapore.

11 Singapore is therefore firmly committed to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out.  UNCLOS is fundamental for upholding the right of all States to freedom of navigation and overflight, maintaining open trade routes and sea lines of communication, and promoting the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources.  Singapore is strongly committed to working with like-minded partners to ensure that all maritime activities in the Indian Ocean are carried out in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS.

12 UNCLOS has also proven to be dynamic and highly adaptable in responding to emerging issues. On 4 March 2023, the Intergovernmental Conference presided over by Singapore’s Ambassador for Oceans and Law of the Sea Issues Rena Lee successfully concluded negotiations on a new international agreement under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, or BBNJ. The BBNJ Agreement is a landmark achievement in oceans law and will provide a critical boost to global efforts to protect the marine environment. We look forward to the universal adoption and swift implementation of the BBNJ Agreement.

13 Let me also take this opportunity to offer a perspective as an ASEAN Member State. Southeast Asia lies in the centre of the Asia Pacific and the Indian Ocean, and serves as a very important conduit and portal to the two regions. We have consistently advocated for an open and inclusive regional architecture and engaging external partners, to give everyone a greater stake in the region’s peace, stability, and development. As the international order increasingly comes under strain, it is even more important that all of us redouble efforts to engage constructively, and uphold the ASEAN-led open, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture. In 2019, ASEAN Leaders agreed on an ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, which outlines ASEAN’s perspectives on how external partners should engage the region on its own merits. We look forward to partnering the countries in the Indian Ocean region in this regard.

Conclusion

14 Let me conclude. Six conferences on, we are all in agreement that we want an Indian Ocean built on peace, stability, and prosperity. As leaders, we owe it to our people and the future generation to ensure we succeed in doing so. We have remained committed to enhancing dialogue, building trust, and upholding a rules-based international order. We must also continue to engage our counterparts from other regions. I hope this conference will generate concrete solutions so that we can respond to global challenges cohesively, collectively, and creatively. I look forward to a constructive dialogue on how we can further collaborate in the Indian Ocean for the future of our peoples. Thank you very much.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

13 MAY 2023

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Photo caption: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Second Minister for Education, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman speaking at the sixth Indian Ocean Conference.

Photo credit: India Foundation