• Regional consensus and architecture will help mitigate pressures and respond better
• IORA Chairpersonship will help Sri Lanka regain international credibility
• Collective voice will give IOR countries better reception on key matters

 Sri Lanka will take over the Chairpersonship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) this week (11) during the 23rd IORA Council of Ministers. 

The country will head the important regional body for a two-year period and has selected ‘Strengthening Regional Architecture: Reinforcing Indian Ocean Identity’ as the theme for its Chairmanship – an apt theme given the need for a sound regional architecture in the face of growing pressures faced by smaller nations due to geopolitical rivalries in the Indian Ocean, overspill of tensions from the Pacific Ocean, and the ever-present challenges of climate change.

Sri Lanka also sees the IORA Chairpersonship as an opportunity to rebuild and regain international credibility, which has waned over the last few years. 

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Morning, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry discussed the upcoming IORA conference and what Sri Lanka planned to do during the two-year tenure as Chairperson. He opined that through forging a collective voice by way of consultation and cooperation, the Indian Ocean Region could have a stronger voice, which would be heard globally.

Following are excerpts from the interview:

Can you explain what the IORA is and what opportunities it provides to its members?

It is a union of countries which is touched by and surrounds the Indian Ocean. There are 23 member states. Because the IORA is an important entity, there are 11 dialogue partners. The idea is to bring all the members together and have dialogue on key issues and challenges and agree on the way forward. There are six key areas and two cross-cutting ones, on which there is an agreement to be worked on together.

Through the IORA we link the member countries to exploit the potential that the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) holds, identify the threats it faces, and make the IOR a launching pad for sustainable development for all members.

Sri Lanka is on the verge of becoming the Chairperson of the regional body – the IORA – again. Why is this important for Sri Lanka?

The Indian Ocean, the IOR, and its interconnection with the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans has become more important to the world because that is where most of the global trade takes place. 

It is anticipated that nearly 65% of the growth will take place within the next two to three decades. For that to happen it is important that peace, stability, and sustainable development takes place here (IOR). For that, Sri Lanka can play a major role to promote those ideals and bring together the countries in the region to do so.

We feel that Sri Lanka can play that role and help move towards such goals, as we have held chairperson positions before as well. Also, Sri Lanka’s long-standing foreign policy of neutrality will be an ideal conduit to bring various parties together and find solutions to the issues that come up. Sri Lanka can also build on its established history of being neutral and being a facilitator.

Does returning to the Chairpersonship of the IORA help Sri Lanka improve its credibility in the international arena? After all, over the last few years, Sri Lanka’s credibility has taken a hit.

When we decided to take over the Chairpersonship, one of the most important considerations was that this would give Sri Lanka a stake in the international area to showcase that Sri Lanka is back and that Sri Lanka is ready to take leadership.

Sri Lanka has historically punched above its weight in international affairs until the July 1983 riots. Now it is time for Sri Lanka to begin regaining that role and the IORA conference, possible summit, and Chairpersonship will help Sri Lanka showcase that we are ready.

Sri Lanka will next week host the 23rd IORA Council of Ministers. What are the key policy areas that will be discussed?

We will discuss topics such as sustainable development in the IOR, sustainable fisheries, and sustainable tourism. We will also discuss the renewable energy spectrum and the ‘blue economy’. Of course, we will also discuss improving cooperation and coordination on maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region as well as disaster risk management and cooperation on academic matters, technology, and the sciences.

This year, the theme we will work on is ‘Strengthening Regional Architecture: Reinforcing Indian Ocean Identity’. We will discuss how to work together as Indian Ocean countries while cooperating with other regions and bodies.      

We have selected a calendar of events, where several other ministries can get involved during our time (Sri Lanka’s Chairpersonship). These include blue economy, trade-investment, sports, youth, and women empowerment. We have also planned events which will bring together the IORA members on matters of maritime security and security outside the maritime domain. During the two-year tenure, we will host different events from time to time.

Most importantly, we have suggested, subject to what the IORA Council of Ministers will say, that there should be a summit of IORA heads of states. This is because since 2017, there has not been a summit due to various reasons. We feel that that level of commitment at the top is very important to promote these ideals.

Why is it important for the Indian Ocean nations to have such a robust regional body?

It is very important because no country can survive alone, especially in relation to matters such as sustainable development, fisheries, maritime security, and environmental change. Maritime security has so many areas, like trafficking – be it human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, or arms trafficking. 

There are also concerns about piracy, which need to be addressed together. Climate change and threats to our biodiversity are things we all have to work together on, as they affect everyone. Similarly, on the topic of fishing, the use of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is a serious concern. Fishing should also be done in a sustainable way. 

As such, we have to discuss and find solutions to these issues. On tourism, we need to discuss which best practices the region will promote. The blue economy is also a key area we are keen on.

Also, like any other regional bodies – ASEAN and APAC – we can move to improve the effectiveness of the IORA. With our 23-country membership, we also have 11 dialogue partner countries, some of which are very powerful.

Can such a regional architecture help shield some of the smaller nations from the impact of big power rivalries?

Yes, that is part of the idea. Big-power rivalry has become a huge issue for smaller countries. If we can have some common understanding and agreements on how to avoid it, we should. This should happen while preserving sovereign rights and freedom of navigation and overflight while confining it to the UN Charter and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

People talk about a rules-based order, but those rules must be well known to the people and formulated after wide consultation – it is important that we agree with the rules. The idea is to have an organisation which can build a robust regional common architecture, so that you can be shielded from some of the undue pressure (from big-power rivalries). However, I don’t think that will totally eliminate the impact, but it will certainly help to build consensus and formulate a way to deal with such issues. It will also give a platform to forge a collective voice on such matters.

Also, on issues like climate change, it is a collective voice that will be heard; speak individually and the visibility is very low. We plan to address climate change, pollution, and the biodiversity crisis as areas where we can work towards better cooperation through discussion.

Sri Lanka has maintained that the IOR should be a region of peace. Can the IORA be the platform which promotes the view that the Indian Ocean should remain a zone of peace, where the membership can find sustainable growth?

Yes, that is possible. Sri Lanka, in the 1970s, pushed the idea that the Indian Ocean and the air space above it should be an area of peace to facilitate growth. Peace and stability are fundamental for growth. The world has seen the fastest growth when there was less conflict. It is, therefore, in everybody’s interest to work together on key regional matters, find a common voice, and to give diplomacy a chance. This will help everyone to move towards sustainable growth.

Members of the IORA face contemporary and evolving threats in the Indian Ocean Region. How can the IORA help mitigate and navigate through the threats and challenges?

The IORA last year came up with an Asia-Pacific strategy. Everybody is interested in peace and stability. The IORA will build consensus on such challenges; we are already cooperating on dealing with certain threats. However, bilateral issues cannot be taken up in the IORA, contentious issues cannot be raised. We have to address issues in the spirit of cooperation and understanding.