4th Goa Maritime Conclave concludes; Rajnath Singh calls for adhering to international laws for free, rule-based order

New Delhi [India], October 30 : The interactive sessions of the fourth edition of the Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC), an initiative of the Indian Navy, commenced on Monday with chiefs of naval forces and heads of maritime forces from 12 countries of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) participating in the event.
Speaking at the event, Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Chief of the Naval Staff, talked about the GMC evolving from a small construct of Principals of Maritime Security agencies to a functional construct that deals with transnational challenges in the Indian Ocean Region.
Highlighting that "oceanic challenges that fester in the Region affect resident states the most" he stated that the idea is to take the onus of resolving these issues in a cooperative manner.
"Thus, in the last Edition of GMC in 2021, 'Common Minimum Priorities' were arrived at, and in this year the aim is to formulate 'Collaborative Mitigation Frameworks' to address these priorities," he said.
The Keynote Address was delivered by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who was also the chief guest while Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi delivered the special address.
Rajnath Singh, while addressing the event said that no single country should dominate others in a hegemonic manner in the Indian Ocean region while making a fresh call for a free, open and rule-based maritime order in the vast stretch.
"A free, open and rule-based maritime order is a priority for all of us. 'Might is right' has no place in such a maritime order. Adherence to international laws and agreements must be our lodestar. Our narrow immediate interests may tempt us to flout or disregard the well-established international law, but doing so would lead to the breakdown of our civilised maritime relations. Our common security and prosperity cannot be preserved without all of us committing to cooperatively adhering to the legitimate maritime rules of engagement. Fair rules of engagement are crucial for fostering collaboration and ensuring that no single country dominates others in a hegemonic manner," he said.
MoS for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakashi Lekhi highlighted the rich maritime history of India and the role of maritime commons in connecting different civilizations across the region and called for cooperation and capacity building of stakeholders towards enhancing the resilience and prosperity of this region.
Adm Arun Prakash (retd), former Chief of the Naval Staff, while delivering the conclave address, highlighted the value of collaboration among the IOR countries in ensuring open and secure global commons. He further brought to the attention of the forum various Indian initiatives to enable constructive engagement with all partner nations in the region and also the need to progressively strengthen the existing cooperation mechanisms.
During the detailed deliberations subject matter experts and eminent speakers, the initial focus was on 'Identifying Gaps in Regulatory and Legal Frameworks for Achieving Maritime Security in the IOR'.
The discussion brought out the existing and emerging challenges to international legal frameworks and law along with options to strengthen such frameworks.
The second session of the conclave addressed the sub-theme of 'Formulation of a Common Multi-lateral Maritime Strategy and Operating Protocols for GMC Nations for Collective Mitigation of Maritime Threats and Challenges'.
The third session addressed the topic of 'Identification and Establishment of Collaborative Training Programmes with Center of Excellence across the IOR'. The final session of the deliberations focussed on 'Leveraging Activities Pursued Through Existing Multilateral Organisations in the IOR towards Generating Collective Maritime competencies.'