Excellencies,
Honourable Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Heads of Delegation,
Secretary General Ambassador Sri Sanjiv Ranjan,
Distinguished Delegates,
Good morning and a warm welcome to each of you attending the 24th Council of Ministers Meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association.
It is an honour for me to address you today as the Chair of this important forum.
The Indian Ocean is a shared legacy, a cradle of civilizations, an important path for global trade, and a reservoir of rich biodiversity and cultural heritage. It supports the livelihoods of billions and connects our people, our economies, and our aspirations.
Today, as beneficiaries of this ocean, we stand at a crossroad. Climate change, marine pollution, unsustainable resource exploitation, and geopolitical tensions challenge the future we seek to safeguard. Yet, within these challenges lies an opportunity for us to strengthen our resolve and shared commitment — to regional cooperation, inclusive development, and the protection of our marine environment.
This meeting serves as an important forum to harness this opportunity, to collaborate and build a resilient, secure, and sustainable Indian Ocean region for generations to come.
As we begin our deliberations, let us be guided by unity and shared responsibility. Let us reaffirm our belief in the values of IORA — dialogue, inclusiveness, and respect for sovereignty — while working towards our common goals: the Blue Economy, maritime safety and security, climate resilience, and empowering women and youth.
We are all aware of the mounting pressures our ocean faces: rising sea levels, extreme weather events, illegal fishing, marine plastic pollution, and degradation of coastal ecosystems. These are not future threats — they are current realities. They demand a united and urgent response.
Overexploitation of marine resources due to unsustainable fishing practices, as well as illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, have depleted fish stocks and now threaten our livelihoods and food security. Our agenda today includes a discussion on a comprehensive set of guidelines to combat IUU fishing, which has been developed and adopted by the Senior Officials.
I propose that we take concrete steps toward transforming these guidelines into a firm commitment — one supported by capacity building, information sharing, and cooperative monitoring mechanisms. Such an initiative would demonstrate our collective resolve to safeguard marine biodiversity, promote equitable access to ocean resources, and uphold a rules-based maritime order in the Indian Ocean. Let us work together through consensus and collaboration toward this goal.
Sri Lanka remains fully committed to the goals of IORA and will continue to support cooperation across all priority areas. We believe the Indian Ocean should be a zone of peace, prosperity, and partnership. We encourage all Member States to deepen collaboration, share best practices, and invest in research and capacity building to make further progress.
As Chair, Sri Lanka is committed to steering IORA with transparency, inclusivity, and ambition. We will continue to build bridges across regions and engage Dialogue Partners meaningfully.
Let us work together not only for today but for the generations to come.
I thank each of you for your presence, commitment, and the vision you bring to this forum. I look forward to fruitful discussions and concrete outcomes during our deliberations today.
Thank you.
