Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)

Syllabus: GS2/ International Relation

In News

• Recently, the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) completes five years since its launch in 2019.

About Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)

• It was launched by India in November 2019 at the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Bangkok, and aims to foster cooperation for a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. 
• IPOI emphasizes maritime security, stability, and development, building on India’s Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision. 
• It operates as a non-treaty-based, voluntary arrangement, relying on existing frameworks like the EAS mechanism.

Key Pillars and Leadership of IPOI

• IPOI has seven pillars, with countries taking the lead in specific areas:
• Maritime Security: UK and India
• Maritime Ecology: Australia and Thailand
• Maritime Resources: France and Indonesia
• Capacity Building and Resource Sharing: Germany
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Management: India and Bangladesh
• Science, Technology, and Academic Cooperation: Italy and Singapore
• Trade, Connectivity, and Maritime Transport: Japan and the US

Significance of  IPOI

• IPOI aims to ensure a rules-based regional order in the Indo-Pacific, promoting the free movement of goods, services, and people while safeguarding the sovereignty of countries.
• The IPOI strengthens regional maritime security by encouraging cooperation among nations to address shared threats, such as piracy, illegal fishing, smuggling, and other maritime crimes.
• IPOI seeks to strengthen regional capacity for disaster risk reduction and management, promoting cooperation in disaster preparedness and response, thereby mitigating the impact of natural calamities.
• As a non-treaty-based and voluntary initiative, IPOI remains flexible, allowing countries to participate based on shared interests without creating new institutional burdens. 

Way Ahead

• The IPOI has seen incremental progress, with notable bilateral and multilateral partnerships, such as the Australia-India Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Partnership (AIIPOIP) focusing on maritime ecology. Various international maritime frameworks, including ASEAN’s Outlook for the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and the Quad, resonate with the IPOI’s goals, which strengthens its role in promoting maritime cooperation.

Source: ORF