"The points mentioned in the Yogyakarta Message will be brought to the IORA Summit in March 2017," Head of the Assessment and Policy Development Board at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Siswo Pramono, said here Thursday.
The message consists of eleven points which are divided into three main fields of Economic Cooperation, Indian Ocean Architecture Development, and Social and Cultural Cooperation, he said.
All the points have been agreed upon by 190 government representatives of the 12 IORA member countries.
The economic cooperation in the Yogyakarta Message talks of trade and investment promotion, improvement in connectivity among member countries to reduce logistical costs, harmonization of tariffs and duties, intensification of investment in human capital, and inclusive development and value chain improvement.
In addition, the IORA member countries should prioritize the comprehensive and sustainable blue economy on fisheries, biotechnology, industry, energy, tourism, and transportation.
"As coastal countries, the blue economy is important to increase the collective economy," Siswo said.
Regarding the Indian Ocean Architecture, the IORA countries should keep building open, transparent, inclusive and evolutionary dialogues based on international law.
In the socio-cultural field, the message asserts cultural diplomacy and cross-sectoral synergy among member countries.
IORA should prioritize data collection of women workers and manage every issue related to female employment.
"This point was raised partly because IORA countries have a high number of female workers. It is expected that the female labour quality will be improved for better welfare of their families," Siswo said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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