The Second Meeting of the IORA Working Group on Science, Technology and Innovation (WGSTI) was held on 30 September 2022 at The Umrao Hotel, New Delhi, India. The meeting focused on adopting the WGSTI Work Plan for 2022–2027, reviewing implementation progress, and strengthening regional cooperation on science, technology and innovation (STI) in line with IORA priorities.
The meeting was chaired by the Republic of India, in its capacity as WGSTI Chair, with the support of the IORA Secretariat. Representatives from IORA Member States namely, France (Réunion), India, Iran, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa and Sri Lanka participated, alongside the IORA Regional Centre for Science and Technology Transfer (RCSTT). An Interactive Dialogue Session was also held with IORA Dialogue Partners, including Germany and the Russian Federation.
Following opening remarks by the Chair and the IORA Secretariat, the agenda was adopted and a keynote address was delivered by the Director of INCOIS, on the role of the ocean value chain in advancing the Blue Economy. The meeting then considered and agreed on amendments to the draft WGSTI Work Plan (2022–2027), refining coordination responsibilities, thematic priorities and proposed capacity-building activities. Member States agreed on procedures for finalising the Work Plan and submitting it to the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) for endorsement and subsequent approval by the Council of Ministers (COM).
The meeting reviewed the status of implementation of ongoing activities and agreed on follow-up actions for the Secretariat, Member States and RCSTT, including the circulation of revised work plan documents, submission of concept notes, designation of Centres of Excellence, and coordination of training and knowledge-sharing initiatives. Future STI-related activities proposed by Member States, such as fellowships, workshops and regional scientific events, were also noted. Discussions with Dialogue Partners highlighted opportunities for collaboration in ocean science, climate change, the blue economy and disaster risk management.
