The Dhaka Global Dialogue was co-hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), India, and the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Bangladesh, was held in 2019 as a pivotal platform to catalyse conversations around one of the most vital and dynamic political and economic geographies of the contemporary world.
Placed in the Indo-Pacific region — already central to global responses on critical fronts — the dialogue addressed two major unfolding processes. First, it recognised the urgent need for a collective reimagining of human development, environmental stewardship, and shared prosperity, viewing the Indo-Pacific as a potential birthplace of new alignments between nature and humanity, and as a space where inclusive economic pathways for billions could be forged. Second, the forum examined the fragility and contestation within existing global governance structures, noting how the Indo-Pacific’s emerging institutions and arrangements remained nascent amidst the unfolding Asian Century. The dialogue acknowledged the pressing need to identify and establish new rules, actors, and regulatory frameworks within the region alongside global partners.
The forum facilitated deep discussions, ideation, and debates focused on emerging regional and global political orders and the institutional frameworks required to support them. A core objective was to explore and promote a human-first growth and development paradigm, seeking innovative ideas and actionable solutions that could underpin a human-centric world order emerging from the Indo-Pacific.