BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting: first edition adopts Delhi Declaration
Why in the news
India hosted the first-ever meeting of BIMSTEC Home Ministers in New Delhi on 13 October 2026. Chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, it ended with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration.
Key facts
- Delhi Declaration: 25 numbered paragraphs on regional security cooperation.
- Terrorism: Condemns terrorism and violent extremism in all forms, including cross-border terrorism, and backs UN Security Council sanctions, including the 1267 Committee regime.
- Scam centres: Notes that trafficked people are forced into online fraud and seeks cooperation among origin, transit, destination and operating states.
- Drugs: Notes the need to build the BIMSTEC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk and asks members for timely annual drug reports.
- Cybercrime and human trafficking are listed among shared security challenges; a Convention Against Trafficking in Persons is to be finalised early.
- Follow-up: The Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime will track implementation.
- The BIMSTEC Secretariat has observer status at the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering.
Summit milestones
| Summit | Place and date | Link to this meeting |
|---|---|---|
| 4th | Kathmandu, August 2018 | Decided to hold Home Ministers’ meetings |
| 5th | Colombo, March 2022 | Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters signed |
| 6th | Bangkok, 4 April 2025 | Welcomed the Home Ministers’ mechanism |
About BIMSTEC
BIMSTEC has seven members around the Bay of Bengal: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Its convention on combating terrorism and transnational crime has been in force since March 2021.
Exam angle
- First BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting: New Delhi, chaired by Amit Shah.
- Seven members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand.
- Mechanism origin: 4th Summit, Kathmandu, 2018.