About Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative:
- It was launched by India at the ASEAN-led East Asia Summit (EAS) in Bangkok.
- Objective: To promote cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific and the rules-based regional order.
- It is a non-treaty-based voluntary arrangement.
- It aims to achieve greater cohesion and integration through common understanding and actions related to shared interests.
- It leans heavily on the EAS mechanism, which includes ASEAN member states and its eight dialogue partners.
- It has outlined seven pillars, and it was indicated that one or two countries could take the lead for a pillar with others joining in voluntarily.
- The seven IPOI pillars are:
- Maritime Security: The United Kingdom (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 United States (US).
