The Fourth Bay of Bengal Maritime Dialogue was convened on 7-8 May 2024 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Organized by the Pathfinder Foundation and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, this dialogue provided an informal yet strategic space for discussion on maritime affairs in the Bay of Bengal sub-region.

IORA's participation in this dialogue was instrumental in linking sub-regional perspectives to the wider Indian Ocean context. The dialogue explored synergies for further regional collaboration on issues such as maritime security, blue economy development, and disaster risk management. Discussions aimed to identify practical areas for confidence-building and cooperative action among the littoral states.

The outcome was a constructive dialogue and an Outcome Document. IORA's engagement ensured that the discussions within the Bay of Bengal were informed by and contributed to the broader IORA framework. This participation exemplified IORA's role in fostering complementary and nested regional dialogues, strengthening the overall coherence and effectiveness of maritime cooperation across the entire Indian Ocean Region.