Indian Ocean Power Competition

Quad members vow to work vigorously towards a free, open, and stable Indo-Pacific

Explained | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Mains level: Importance of QUAD;

Why in the News?

Recently, the Foreign Ministers of the Quad countries issued a joint statement to mark 20 years of their partnership.

What are the Highlights of the Joint Statement?

  • Commitment to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific: The Quad nations reaffirmed their vision of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, emphasizing the importance of effective regional institutions.
  • Support for ASEAN: The ministers expressed unwavering support for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its central role in the region, endorsing the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
  • Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief: They reiterated their commitment to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, noting ongoing efforts to enhance disaster preparedness and response across the Indo-Pacific.
  • Collective Response to Challenges: The joint statement emphasized collaboration in addressing complex challenges such as climate change, pandemics, maritime security, and emerging technologies.

What are the Strategic Significance of Quad?

  • Regional Stability: The Quad serves as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific, promoting a rules-based international order that respects sovereignty.
  • Multilateral Cooperation: It fosters cooperation among member nations in various sectors including security, infrastructure development, and technological advancement.
  • Disaster Response Framework: Originating from a joint response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Quad has evolved into a robust partnership capable of coordinating humanitarian efforts during crises.

What are the achievements of QUAD? 

  • Expanded Areas of Cooperation: The Quad has evolved from a security dialogue into a multifaceted partnership, establishing six working groups focused on diverse areas such as climate change, cybersecurity, health security, infrastructure development, critical technologies, and space cooperation.
  • Vaccine Distribution and Health Initiatives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Quad successfully coordinated efforts to distribute vaccines, particularly through the Quad Vaccine Partnership.
    • The Quad committed to delivering over 1.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to countries in the region by 2022.
  • Maritime Security and Regional Stability: The Quad has actively engaged in enhancing maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, conducting joint exercises like  Malabar naval exercises, which include all four member nations (India, Japan, Australia, and the US) and launching initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA).

What are the Challenges Faced by the Quad?

  • Geopolitical Tensions: China’s increasing assertiveness poses significant challenges to the Quad’s objectives in maintaining regional stability.
  • Diverse Interests Among Members: Each member nation has its own national interests and priorities, which can complicate unified action on various issues.
  • Implementation of Initiatives: While there is strong rhetoric around cooperation, effectively implementing initiatives across diverse political landscapes remains a challenge.

What Should Quad Members Do? (Way forward)

  • Strengthen Institutional Frameworks: Establish a formal mechanism or secretariat to streamline decision-making, enhance coordination, and ensure the effective implementation of initiatives.
  • Expand Inclusive Regional Engagement: Deepen partnerships with ASEAN, Pacific Island nations, and other regional stakeholders to build trust, enhance collective capabilities, and counter perceptions of exclusivity.

Mains PYQ:

Q Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is transforming itself into a trade bloc from a military alliance, in present times Discuss. (UPSC IAS/2020)

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