In end Oct 2015 in the city of Padang in Indonesia, a group of ministers from Indian Ocean states met for the 15th Council Meeting of Indian Ocean Regional Association, the group of twenty Indian Ocean littoral states with extra regional observers. This IORA council meet was unique, in that, there was a Maritime Cooperation Declaration, in addition to the usual Communique that the IORA releases after the meet. There was a clearer recognition of maritime security in this meeting as evident in the declaration. The declaration indicated a resolve to support and strengthen regional cooperation in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, to address maritime challenges such as Illegal Unreported and Unregulated fishing, piracy, irregular movement of people, marine pollution, drugs trafficking, illegal trafficking in wild life, disasters and climate change by: – Enhancing coordination and communication between and among national maritime agencies and authorities and other relevant fora; – Promoting the region’s capacity for disaster risk management and search and rescue operations, Enhance cooperation on maritime safety, marine environmental protection and maritime security.
The larger question is how we take this intention forward.
IORA has a separate, but complimentary organisation in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium or IONS. This is a body of IOR navies which has the potential to become the working end of any security issues in the region. IONS has currently limited itself to workshops, seminars and conferences to promote meaningful exchange of ideas between regional navies or equivalents. It is yet to hold an exercise between navies. Whereas its Eastern counterpart- the West Pacific Naval Symposium has moved a step ahead with exercises and confidence building procedures such as CUES. The Perth Communique of IORA significantly envisaged a linkage between IORA and IONS.
As Asia rises economically, there will be a need for indigenous Indian Ocean structures to deal with maritime security issues. Given the diversity of the IOR, a pan region organisation where countries find a shared traditional threat a challenge. However, a vast majority of security threats occur in the non-traditional realm as illustrated by piracy off Somalia. Given high likelihood of threats in non-traditional realm, IORA and IONS together has the potential to contribute to Maritime Security in that domain. Both are inclusive organisations which have high participation from the region. The emerging powers in pole position in IOR namely, India, Australia, Indonesia and South Africa will have to infuse greater energies in terms of creation of consensus, funds, capacity building and initiative to take IORA-IONS forward. Whilst it is important that both exist as separate entities as the membership and mandates are different, there should be greater linkages between the two pan Indian Ocean organisations if the spirit of Padang is to be taken forward