Why in the news
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chaired the Quad foreign ministers’ gathering in New Delhi. The ministers restated their goal of a free, open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific resting on sovereignty, freedom of navigation and peaceful settlement of disputes.
Key facts
- Venue: Hyderabad House, New Delhi.
- Attendees: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
- Members: India, United States, Australia and Japan, described as maritime democracies.
- Nature: non-military plurilateral coalition; informal and consultative, with no treaty, no permanent secretariat and no binding military duties.
Evolution of the Quad
| Year | Milestone |
|---|
| 2004 | Emerged as the Tsunami Core Group for humanitarian aid and disaster relief after the Indian Ocean tsunami |
| 2007 | Japanese PM Shinzo Abe made it a diplomatic dialogue at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila |
| 2008-2017 | Ten-year pause |
| 2017 | Revived at senior-official level at the East Asia Summit in Manila |
| 12 March 2021 | First Quad Leaders’ Summit, held virtually |
New initiative areas
| Initiative | Aim |
|---|
| Indo-Pacific Energy Security | Open and stable energy markets, diverse supply chains, strategic petroleum systems; US to host a Quad Fuel Forum this year |
| Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC) | Pool surveillance and share real-time ship data, including on dark ships |
| Critical minerals | Secure supply chains of minerals used in technology and clean energy |
| Port in Fiji | Quad-backed port building in the Pacific Islands |
Stated objectives
- Transparent alternatives to coercive economic and strategic practices.
- Rules-based international order, freedom of navigation and peaceful dispute resolution.
- Six working groups cover climate, critical and emerging tech, cyber, health security, infrastructure and space.
- Landmark initiatives: IPMDA, Quad STEM Fellowship, Unified Counter-Terrorism Grid.
Background
- IPMDA: launched at the Tokyo Summit in May 2022; uses commercial satellite tracking and AIS data to give coast guards a near-real-time picture, helping detect IUU fishing, dark shipping and piracy. The IFC-IOR at Gurugram acts as India’s regional information hub.
- FATF: a Paris-based intergovernmental body created by the G7 in 1989; sets global standards against money laundering and terror financing and runs mutual evaluations. Grey list means increased monitoring; black list means call for action. It does not impose sanctions itself.
- The Counter-Terrorism Grid urges global compliance with FATF guidelines.
Exam angle
- Quad is not a military alliance.
- First summit: virtual, March 2021.
- Related terms: IPMDA, IPMSC, dark ships, IUU fishing.