Indian Ocean Rim Association

• 11 Oct 2023

Source: TH

Why in News?

Sri Lanka is set to take over the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) during the 23^rd Council of Ministers' Meeting scheduled for 11^th October, 2023, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It will hold the chairmanship of the association from 2023 to 2025.

• Bangladesh held the chairmanship from November 2021 - November 2023.

What is the Indian Ocean Rim Association?

• About:
  • The vision for IORA originated during a visit by the then President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela of South Africa to India in 1995, where he said: “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.”
  • It underpinned the Indian Ocean Rim Initiative in March 1995, and the creation of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (then known as the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation) in March 1997.
• Members:
  • Currently, IORA has 23 Member States and 11 Dialogue Partners.
    • Members: Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
    • Dialogue Partners: China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
• Secretariat: Mauritius.
• Six Priority and Two Focus Areas:

• Indian Ocean:
  • As the third largest ocean woven together by trade routes, commands control of major sea-lanes carrying half of the world’s container ships, one third of the world’s bulk cargo traffic and two thirds of the world’s oil shipments, the Indian Ocean remains an important lifeline to international trade and transport.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q. With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC)’, consider the following statements: (2015)

1. It was established very recently in response to incidents of piracy and accidents of oil spills.
2. It is an alliance meant for maritime security only.

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

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

Ans: (d)