Colombo Security Conclave

• 20 Apr 2022

For Prelims: Colombo Security Conclave, SAGAR Vision, QUAD grouping, South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

For Mains: Indian Ocean Region, SAGAR: Security and Growth for all in the Region, India and its Neighborhood.

Why in News?

Recently, the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Virtual Conference was organized by the National Investigation Agency of India.

• The participants discussed various challenges related to terrorism in their respective countries and shared experiences in the prosecution of terrorism cases, strategies to deal with foreign fighters and countering the misuse of the internet and social media.

What is Colombo Security Conclave?

• About: The CSC, was formed in 2011 as a trilateral maritime security grouping of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
  • It welcomed Mauritius as a fourth member at the fifth meeting of national security advisers.
  • Bangladesh and Seychelles attended as observers and have been invited to join the group.
• Envisaged Goal: The fifth meeting of national security advisers of the CSC identified key areas of cooperation to enhance and strengthen regional security in the following five pillars:
  • Maritime Safety and Security
  • Countering Terrorism and Radicalization
  • Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crime
  • Cyber Security, Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology
  • Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
• Significance: CSC is being seen as India’s outreach to the Indian Ocean to underline regional co-operation and shared security objectives.
  • Countering China: The CSC hopes to restrict China’s influence in an area of strategic importance and to reduce the Chinese footprint in the member countries.
  • Maritime Security: India has a large coastline of nearly 7500 Km along with islands of strategic chokepoints. This makes maritime security a priority for the country, in which CSC plays a vital role.
  • Synergy With SAGAR Vision: The grouping is also in line with India’s vision of “SAGAR: Security and Growth for all in the Region” and India being a member of QUAD grouping.
  • Emerging Sub-regionalism: The coming together of the 6 Indian Ocean region countries indicate the development of sub-regionalism on a common maritime and security platform and is significant in a wider global context as well.
• Associated Challenge: Even though the strategic interests of the six countries are aligned in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), an attempt to mold the CSC into an institution to counter China’s influence would meet the fate of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), widely regarded as a failure.

Way Forward

• Need for Regional Cooperation: There is an immense need for cooperation in the IOR given the rising number of security issues and uncertainties.
  • The CSC is more likely to succeed if it maintains a common strategic vision and does not get bogged down by the growing Chinese influence in the region.
  • To avoid points of contention with its Neighbours, India should start to accept that the IOR is developing into a global common.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q. Consider the following in respect of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS): (2017)

1. Inaugural IONS was held in India in 2015 under the chairmanship of the Indian Navy.
2. IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: (b)

Exp

• The ‘Indian Ocean Naval Symposium’ (IONS) is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral States of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues

Source: PIB