Australia India Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Partnership Dialogue on Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI): Strengthening International Cooperation

Organised by 

Centre for Public Policy Research

in collaboration with Monash University

supported by Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

On 4 June 2020, during the Leaders’ Virtual Summit, India and Australia announced the “Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”, and agreed to work together bilaterally, regionally and multilaterally, and in minilateral arrangements, to support regional architecture in line with their shared values and interests. 

Among the many initiatives under the Strategic Partnership, the Australia-India Joint Declaration on a Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is a noteworthy development and Australia-India Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Partnership (AIIPOIP) has emerged as the flagship programme. It is supported by the Department of Foreign Trade (DFAT), Government of Australia. The AIIPOIP aligns with other bilateral arrangements, including Australia-India Maritime and 2+2 Dialogues, and with Australia’s cooperation with ASEAN under its Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. 

The AIIPOIP aims to help shape maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region to support an open, inclusive, resilient, prosperous and rules-based maritime order. In pursuit of that, the AIIPOIP nurtures cooperation under the IPOI and links with existing regional mechanisms and arrangements including ASEAN, the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). 

The Dialogue comprises three Plenary Sessions

ASEAN, Australian and Indian Perspectives on Indo-Pacific

Issues under consideration in this session are: 

  1. Identify issues of convergence among ASEAN, Australia and India that promote peace, security, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region; 
  2. Determine gaps where capacity building initiatives in  diverse areas such as security, safety, resource development, science and technology, resilient infrastructure and marine environment-ecology; 
  3. Explore possible leadership roles in the issues of common interest;
  4. Establish a network among think tanks and specialists in ASEAN, Australia and India.

Marine Litter and Debris in the Bay of Bengal

 This session will address the following issues: 

  1.  Understanding and determining the extent of marine litter in the Bay of Bengal;
  2. Role of technology to help identify marine debris by material type; 
  3. Challenges to cooperation that emerge in the form of governance which could be at the organizational, legal or policy formulations, national technical means to identify, assess, monitor and respond to  marine litter; 
  4. Knowledge and technical capacities for sophisticated waste management techniques and absence of strategies for effective response and recovery of litter;

Smart Ports and Supply Chains in the Indian Ocean

The issues under consideration are: 

  1. Determine levels of awareness  about the connection between Ports-Supply chains and Industry 4.0 technologies;
  2. Engage stakeholders such as freight forwarders, shipping agents and supply chain managers to familiarize with Industry 4.0 technologies and its use in maritime operations;
  3. Invest in Ports-Supply chains related innovations by local start-ups and MSMEs;
  4. Capacity building through ‘skill development’;

SESSION VIDEOS

IPOI Scholars Connect

Session 1: Exploring Convergences on IPOI: ASEAN, Australia, India

Session 2: Marine Litter and Debris in the Bay of Bengal

Session 3: Smart Ports and Supply Chains in the Indian Ocean

Plenary Session

PHOTOS