Remarks by Mr Sanjiv Ranjan on the 28th Anniversary of IORA

"The IORA Action Plan, a dynamic roadmap for our collective development....."

The Secretary-General of the Indian Ocean Rim Association made a speech on the occasion of this anniversary.

It is a privilege for me to address you on the 28th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). This milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on the Association’s journey of more than two and a half decades and the vision that continues to guide us towards regional prosperity, peace, and sustainable development.

Some of you may recall that Honourable Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, inaugurated IORA’s first Ministerial meeting in March 1997. Looking back, one can confidently assert that the event marked the turning point of a new era of regional cooperation. The path traversed over these years allows us to continue to build on the strong foundation laid once more than two decades ago.

The inspiring vision of President Nelson Mandela, who during a visit to India in 1995, said and I quote « The natural urge of the facts of history and geography should broaden itself to include the concept of an Indian Ocean Rim for socio-economic co-operation….”. His vision of a connected and cooperative regional community underpins the work of IORA. IORA was formally launched in March 1997 in Mauritius and the Charter of the Association was adopted.

What started as a modest initiative with just seven founding Member States has today grown into a robust regional organization with 23 Member States from across the Indian Ocean region, 12 Dialogue Partners from across the World, 2 Specialised Agencies, and 2 Observers. The adherence of ever larger numbers of dialogue partners and external partners is but a reflection of the increasing recognition of IORA’s role in fostering regional economic cooperation and security.

IORA’s collaborative efforts also extends several regional and multilateral organisations.

2011 was a seminal year for the organisation’s work when six priority areas Maritime Safety and Security, Trade and Investment Facilitation, Fisheries Management, Disaster Risk Management, Academic, Science and Technology Cooperation, Tourism and Cultural Exchanges were adopted in IORA’s work during the Chairship of India. Later, in 2013 and 2014, during Australia’s chairship, two cross-cutting issues Women’s Economic Empowerment and Blue Economy were adopted in the organisation’s work.

The identification of priority areas and cross-cutting issues have allowed IORA to have a more focussed approach in its work. It is within this framework that over the last decade the Association has adopted crucial policy frameworks such as the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Guidelines, Strategic Framework of Action on Marine Debris in the Indian Ocean, MoU on Search and Rescue for the Coordination and Cooperation of Search and Rescue Services in the Indian Ocean Region, Illegal, Unreported and unregulated (IUU) Fishing Guidelines to name a few.

We had the IORA Leaders’ Summit in 2017, attended by Heads of State, and this has marked a turning point in reaffirming our commitment to regional integration and cooperation. The Jakarta Concord was one of the outcomes of the Summit.

The IORA Action Plan, a dynamic roadmap for our collective development, continues to guide our priorities and initiatives.

In all this, IORA has had the privilege of working and collaborating closely with regional and multilateral organisations such as the European Union as well as development partners such as AFD.

Looking forward, to meet the new emerging challenges and opportunities, IORA has deliberated on its future work plan and in 2023 came out with “IORA Vision 2030 and Beyond” at the High-Level Strategic Dialogue to reflect on IORA’s 25-Years.

In 2022, the organisation also adopted the IORA’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

Recognising the potential of youth in the Indian Ocean region, in 2022, IORA has started the Nelson Mandela Internship Programme.

Looking Ahead
As we celebrate 28 years of IORA’s journey, we remain committed to further strengthen regional collaboration, inclusivity, enhance economic cooperation and together address common challenges.

I thank you for your support for IORA’s work and look forward to your collaboration as we steadily move forward in our efforts.

Thank you.