The UAE hosted the virtual 10th biannual meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).The event, which will be held over the course of three days from 29 June to 1 July, aims to follow up on topics raised during the last IORA Committee of Senior Officials and Council of Ministers meetings held in Abu Dhabi from 5 to 7 November 2019.
The meeting agenda also includes discussion on IORA operational and financial matters, as well as a comprehensive review of action plans to achieve IORA’s strategic objectives in the coming years. Moreover, the Committee of Senior Officials will finalize topics to be discussed during the upcoming Committee of Senior Officials and Council of Ministers meetings, which will be held at the end of November this year and chaired by the UAE.
The virtual meeting was chaired by Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, His Excellency Abdulnasser Alshaali, as part of the UAE’s chairship of IORA for 2019-2021.The UAE, as chair, is working to realize the common aspirations of member states, and enhance the effectiveness of the IORA Secretariat to service the needs of the Association.
As part of efforts to strengthen cooperation among IORA member states in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UAE hosted the IORA Virtual Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials and Dialogue Partners on 21 May 2020. This meeting served to unify regional efforts to address the pandemic and reduce its socioeconomic impact on Indian Ocean Rim countries.
The UAE joined IORA in 1999 and assumed chairship of the association during the 19th IORA Council of Ministers meeting, which was held in Abu Dhabi on 7 November 2019, under the theme of "Promoting a Shared Destiny and Path to Prosperity in the Indian Ocean."
Founded in 1997, IORA is a dynamic intergovernmental organization aimed at strengthening regional cooperation within the key priorities and focus areas of: maritime safety and security; trade and investment facilitation; fisheries management; disaster risk management; academic, science and technology cooperation; tourism and cultural exchange; women’s economic empowerment; and the Blue Economy.
