IORA’s path under India’s chairmanship

• The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is a regional organization that promotes open regionalism between Asia, Africa, and Australia.
• As the Vice-Chair of IORA, India aims to increase resilience in its governance structure.
• Three priorities for India as IORA chair include creating funding opportunities, integrating technology for data management and policy analysis, and creating maritime-ready courses.

India’s Role in IORA
• The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is a unique subset of the Indo-Pacific, home to two-thirds of humanity, and a major contributor to global trade and oil consumption.
• The region faces challenges such as poor development, political instability, climate change-induced disasters, environmental degradation, and security threats.
• IORA has been working to foster cooperation among its members, facilitating dialogue on cultural and academic exchanges and crucial issues like disaster risk management.

Issues Faced by IORA
• IORA’s annual budget is member-dependent, with only Singapore, the UAE, and France being developing economies.
• The IORA’s growing areas of engagement include maritime safety and security, fisheries management, disaster risk management, technology and innovation, and the blue economy.
• Private players as consultative partners could generate more funds and contribute to maritime policy-making and the IORA fund.

Other Suggestions for India
• India should leverage its SAGAR vision and leverage its relations with IORA member-states to develop workable solutions.
• Traditional knowledge in coastal and small island nations should be mainstreamed for developing sustainable marine governance.
• Industrial leaders should collaborate with educational and research institutions to provide problem statements and seek solutions, and to create newer, industry-related courses.