By: Dia Madhavan
The author is a first-year master's student at the Jindal School of International Affairs. She can be reached at 24jsia-dmadhavan@jgu.edu.in
Image Source: The Mint
Introduction
On 21 September 2024, US President Joe Biden hosted the fourth in-person Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) Summit in Wilmington, Delaware. The Summit was attended by PM Narendra Modi, Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Japan PM Fumio Kishida, and it revolved around projects that would facilitate the partners to address the predicaments of post-pandemic destabilisation and conflicts, confront the threat of climate change and consolidate cybersecurity amongst other contemporary issues. It also introduced various initiatives including Quad Cancer Moonshot and Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI), intending to enhance health security coordination and regional maritime security capabilities respectively. The Summit successfully culminated, announcing India as the torchbearer for Quad 2025. The US was declared the host for the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting 2025.
Origin, Objectives and Outcomes of Quad
The Quad originated as a response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, as a result, the four countries including India, Japan, the US and Australia decided to come together with the primary motive of providing humanitarian and disaster assistance to the affected region. Formed under the initiative shouldered by former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, Quad witnessed its first official meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2007.
Even though Quad started as an informal alliance, it elevated to be institutionalised at all levels and across a wide array of departments and agencies. The Quad Leaders introduced new initiatives, highlighting the habits of cooperation and organising Quad to achieve long-term objectives. Each Quad government has agreed to work through their respective budgetary processes and with legislatures to obtain robust funding and to deepen interparliamentary exchanges respectively, to develop stronger ties among the Quad counterparts.
In 2024, Quad drafted the Wilmington Declaration of Jointed Statement, which predominantly focussed on four important dimensions: condemnation of China’s belligerent behaviour, emphasis on infrastructure development, striving towards global peace and security, along a human-centric approach. The Joint Statement was arguably promulgated with an intent to counter China’s aim to acquire global supremacy, putting an end to the ongoing conflicts and combatting devastating diseases. The issue of maritime disputes also gained traction in the Summit and immediate resolution was demanded per the international law as reflected in the UNCLOS.
Maritime Initiative for Training in Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) was announced as a motif to maximise tools for monitoring and security waters, enforcing laws and restricting unlawful behaviour. The initiative was brought into effect to improve and advance maritime safety and to strengthen civilian support efficiently across the Indo-Pacific region. The discussion also focussed on the health-care measures to address and combat deadly epidemics and potential pandemics. In the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, assigning significant care and progress in cancer research was discussed leading to improved cancer prevention through fostering greater collaboration and data-sharing.
Subsequently, Quad focused on improving the region’s connectivity through quality development and resilient infrastructure to restore equities in sectors where China has established rapid progress, gradually instilling its monopoly. With an additional investment of $3.4 million from the US in the training program, India has started to have a feasibility study to probe into the expansion of secure undersea cable maintenance and repair capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. An agreement was also announced on the enhancement of semiconductor cooperation and improvement of the resilience of Quad’s semiconductor supply chains, as a result of which India is all set to collaborate with the US to unveil the first security semiconductors development and fabrication plant-Shakti.
There was a discreet discussion on the ongoing conflicts in Europe and West Asia, causing widespread unrest and tragic humanitarian consequences. There was a strong condemnation of the threat of nuclear proliferation and the use of coastguard and maritime militia being induced by the countries in offensive, stating the future catastrophic implications. The members have agreed to pursue “every feasible step”, to protect the lives of the civilians and to provide rapid humanitarian relief to distressed civilians.
CONCLUSION
Quad 2024 can be said to have been a series of announcements, underpinning the enduring promise and significance of the grouping. The grouping has also demonstrated a robust approach to harnessing shared opportunities, in pursuit of a free and open Indo-Pacific. 2024 marks 20 years since the formation of Quad, an informal alliance that transformed into one of the most significant global voices in the international system. Quad’s emergence as a confident and productive organisation has facilitated achieving strategic convergence, leading to crucial positive developments in the arena of security and development. PM Modi’s statement “Quad is here to stay” in the 2024 Summit heralds the shared democratic values and its extended support for a rules-based international order and the organisation’s steadfast commitment to international collaboration and an inclusive, prosperous Indo-Pacific.
Bibliography
Le Thu, H. (2018). THE QUAD’S RELATIONS WITH OTHER REGIONAL
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Sullivan de Estrada, K. (2023). India and order transition in the Indo-Pacific: resisting
the Quad as a ‘security community.’ The Pacific Review, 36(2), 378–405.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author (s). They do not reflect the views or opinions of Diplomania or its members.
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