India in the Indian Ocean: Developing a Collaborative Framework for Maritime Governance
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India in the Indian Ocean: developing a collaborative framework for maritime governance. ISA Hong Kong 15th June 2017 Dr. Jivanta Schoettli Institute of South Asian Studies The strategic importance of Indian Ocean Importance of / Interest in the Indian Ocean New multilateral initiatives with maritime implications. 1) Belt and Road Initiative: China’s initiative, originally OBOR - Top-down - State-driven - Focused on “Supply-side Structural Reform” 2) Partnership for Quality Infrastructure: Japan: announced May 2015 - Focus on quality - Technology transfer - Business involvement 3) The “Indo-Pacific”: US, Australia geo-strategic concept. 4) SAGAR: India: Security and Growth for All in the Region India’s emerging Indian Ocean approach. 1) Prime Minister’s vision for Indian Ocean Region 5 Point framework in Mauritius 2015: SAGAR / “It defines our efforts to deepen economic and security cooperation in our maritime relationships. We know that convergence, cooperation, and collective action will advance economic activity and peace in our maritime region.” (2017 Raisina Dialogue) 2) Renewed importance given to Navy 3) Efforts to interlink key Ministries for manufacturing, infrastructure, coastal development and skills training. 4) Improvements in key bilaterals: Act East and Look West 5) Renewed attention to multilateral organization: Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) India’s Indian Ocean Outreach Foreign Policy (External) Domestic Policy (Internal Mobilization) Public Diplomacy Jan 2015 U.S.-India Joint Strategic Vision for Make in India campaign September 2014: First Indian Ocean Dialogue: the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region Construction of passenger ships Kochi, Kerala (Obama in India) Kochi Consensus March 2015 March 2015 PM visits Mauritius and Seychelles: International Conference on India and Indian five-point framework for India’s maritime Ocean Renewing the Maritime Trade and engagement in the IOR. Civilization Linkages Bhubaneshwar Declaration Feb 2016 International Fleet Review (first on East Coas) June 2016 India-US Joint Statement of December 2015 17-18 August 2015 Cooperation (PM Modi in USA): “look to Announcement of National Maritime Development First IORA Blue Economy Dialogue> Goa each other as priority partners in the Asia- Programme by Min. of Shipping Pacific and the Indian Ocean region.” Has external and domestic trade objectives Public Private Partnership projects Aug 2016 Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with USA May 2016 India / Iran relations: Chabahar 14 April 2016 : National Perspective Plan announced for April 2016 Maritime India Summit Port Sagarmala Programme / Port-led development September 2016: Indian Oceans Conf, Singapore July 2016 Visit to African Indian Ocean December 2016 Sagarmala Development Company set November 2016: 2nd Blue Economy Dialogue, states: Mozambique, South Africa and up New Delhi , RIS Tanzania, Kenya. India / Bangladesh relations December 18/19, 2016 India / Sri Lanka relations Symbiosis International University Conf. India /BIMSTEC (Oct. 2016) “India and the Indian Ocean: Sustainability, Security and Development” (Public Diplomacy Division, MEA, India) May 2017 Eastern Fleet Overseas June 2017 Delhi workshop Accelerating Sagarmala Jan 19/20 2017 India-led workshop for SME Deployment to Indonesia, Malaysia Implementation – Engaging with States (Principal sector for IORA. Secretaries of the maritime states, Chairmen of ports and officials of the line ministries) SAGAR: moving towards collaborative governance 1) A collaborative governance regime has broad public policy / public service orientation as opposed to narrow private or organizational orientation. • the focus of collaboration is on public policy or public management. 2) Involves cross-organizational systems (not a like-minded coalition) 3) Develop intentional procedures and norms to foster collective decision-making process that is formal and consensus-oriented, 4) Regular stakeholder interactions India’s support for collaborative governance through IORA Indian Intiatives September 2014: First Indian Ocean Dialogue: Kochi, Kerala 1.5 Track Dialogue will bring together officials, academics and other Kochi Consensus strategic thinkers from around the Indian Ocean Region March 2015 “The growing geostrategic and geo-economic salience of IOR makes it International Conference on India and Indian Ocean Renewing the only more than palpable that there should be greater regional Maritime Trade and Civilization Linkages. (IORA supported) collaboration between the stakeholders to jointly address and contest Bhubaneshwar Declaration non-traditional security threats” 17-18 August 2015 Develop a Blue Economy Paradigm and shape a global consensus for First IORA Blue Economy Dialogue> Goa Declaration defining and measuring the Blue Economy. Organised by RIS India in collaboration with Observer Research Areas of collaboration: effective governance of fisheries, a regional Foundation and MEA, India. institutional mechanism may be evolved to enforce commonly agreed principles / Member countries may set up industrial clusters specific to ocean energy to promote inter-industry learning / provision of services through ports, shipping, repairs / Development of sea-bed resources in tandem with environmental guidelines issued by international agencies such as IMO, ISA November 2016: 2nd IORA Blue Economy Dialogue, New Delhi , RIS Five technical sectors: (1) establishing a regional mechanism for renewable ocean energy (2) Fisheries: cooperation in building capacity in processing technologies , (3) Technology transfer and sharing of best practices for deep-sea and off-shore mining, (4) Coastal Tourism & Urbanisation, (5) In the interests of the costal nations to ensure mutual trust and goodwill among them with respect to the institutional mechanisms for regional maritime security and governance India’s support for collaborative governance through IORA Jan 19/20 2017 India-led workshop for SME sector for IORA. Ministry of MSME, Government of India finalised MoU on MSME Cooperation with Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) member countries. The MoU will take effect for each party upon signature by 5 countries. April 2017: Report by FICCI Task Force: FICCI’s role as the Secretariat for the Business Forum of IORA Blue Economy Vision 2025: Harnessing Business Potential for India Inc and International Partners May 2017 NITI Aayog Report linkages between blue economy, economic growth, port development, “Ocean based Blue Economy: An Insight into the SAGAR as the Last international relations and security, and ocean resource conservation Growth Frontier” Plans to set up IORA Centre of Excellence (ICE) in one of the coastal cities in India. The Centre is proposed to be set up with the objective of pooling of resources available with all the member states so that these can be accessed online by each member including their academics and researchers. A network of IORA think tanks to synergise the efforts of all member states was also suggested. On the maritime front, India offered the institution of an Information Fusion Centre to coordinate Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and also offered to extend to all member states cooperation in the fields of Hydrography. Collaborative Governance: implications for India’s role in the Indian Ocean 1) Critique: Lack of strategic thinking 2) Critique: Lack of resources 3) India’s Continental Mindset 4) India as a Net-Security Provider & Responsible Stakeholder.