International Relations — Maritime Organisations
1. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
BASIC INFORMATION
- Established: 1982
- Headquarters: New York, USA
- Member Countries: 168 countries
- UNCLOS is an international agreement that establishes the legal framework for marine and maritime activities.
- It is also known as Law of the Sea.
- It divides marine areas into five main zones.
- It is the only international convention which provides a framework for state jurisdiction in maritime spaces.
- It provides the backbone for offshore governance by coastal states and those navigating the oceans.
- India has signed and ratified the UNCLOS agreement.
- The United States has not signed the Convention.
Five Maritime Zones under UNCLOS
- Internal Waters: All waters landward of the baseline; full sovereignty of coastal state.
- Territorial Sea: Up to 12 nautical miles from baseline; full sovereignty of coastal state, subject to right of innocent passage.
- Contiguous Zone: Extends 12-24 nautical miles; coastal state can enforce customs, fiscal, immigration, and sanitary laws.
- Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): Up to 200 nautical miles; coastal state has sovereign rights over resources.
- High Seas: Beyond 200 nautical miles; open to all states, freedom of navigation and overflight.
KNOWLEDGE NUGGET — UNCLOS
- Established: 1982 | Headquarters: New York, USA
- Members: 168 countries | India: Signed and ratified
- USA: Has NOT signed the Convention
- Also Known As: Law of the Sea
- Five Zones: Internal Waters, Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, EEZ, High Seas
- Only international convention providing framework for state jurisdiction in maritime spaces
2. Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
BASIC INFORMATION
- Established: 1997
- Headquarters: Ebène, Mauritius
- Member Countries: 23 countries
- The vision for IORA originated during a visit by the late President Nelson Mandela of South Africa to India in 1995.
- It is an intergovernmental organization established to promote economic cooperation and regional integration among countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
- IORA's apex body is the Council of Foreign Ministers (COM) which meets annually.
- IORA member states work on various initiatives related to trade, investment, and sustainable development in the Indian Ocean region (IOR).
- Membership is open to all sovereign states of the Indian Ocean Rim willing to subscribe to the principles and objectives of the Charter.
- Members: Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France/Reunion, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
- Recently Sri Lanka took over as the chairman of IORA.
KNOWLEDGE NUGGET — IORA
- Established: 1997 | Headquarters: Ebène, Mauritius
- Members: 23 countries
- Originated: Nelson Mandela's visit to India (1995)
- Apex Body: Council of Foreign Ministers (COM) — meets annually
- Focus: Economic cooperation, regional integration, trade, investment, sustainable development
- Current Chair: Sri Lanka
3. Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)
BASIC INFORMATION
- Established: 2008
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India
- Member Countries: 24 countries
- The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region.
- It also serves to develop an effective response mechanism and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) against natural disasters.
- It was conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008 as a forum which seeks to enhance maritime cooperation among Navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region.
- The inaugural edition of IONS was held in February 2008 at New Delhi, with the Indian Navy as the Chair for two years (2008 - 2010).
KNOWLEDGE NUGGET — IONS
- Established: 2008 | Headquarters: New Delhi, India
- Members: 24 countries
- Conceived By: Indian Navy (2008)
- Inaugural Edition: February 2008, New Delhi
- First Chair: Indian Navy (2008-2010)
- Focus: Maritime cooperation, HADR, disaster response
4. Indian Ocean Conference
BASIC INFORMATION
- Nature: Multilateral
- Held in: Perth, Australia (latest)
- Key Participants: 18 countries
- The 'Indian Ocean Conference' is a flagship consultative forum for countries in the region, organized annually by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in association with the India Foundation.
- It provides a platform to deliberate upon the prospects of regional cooperation for Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).
- The first edition of the Indian Ocean Conference was held in Singapore in 2016.
- The sixth edition of IOC (2023) was organized in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- It is organized by the India Foundation in partnership with other organizations in the region. It focuses on the geopolitical, economic, and strategic importance of the Indian Ocean region.
- The Indian Ocean Region is home to several important sea lanes of communication, including:
- Strait of Malacca
- Suez Canal
- Bab-el-Mandeb
KNOWLEDGE NUGGET — INDIAN OCEAN CONFERENCE
- Nature: Multilateral consultative forum
- Organized By: MEA (India) in association with India Foundation
- First Edition: Singapore (2016)
- 6th Edition (2023): Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Focus: SAGAR — Security and Growth for All in the Region
- Key Sea Lanes: Strait of Malacca, Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb
5. Summary: Maritime Organisations at a Glance
| Organization | Established | Headquarters | Members | India's Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNCLOS | 1982 | New York, USA | 168 | Signed and Ratified |
| IORA | 1997 | Ebène, Mauritius | 23 | Member |
| IONS | 2008 | New Delhi, India | 24 | Founder/Conceived |
| Indian Ocean Conference | 2016 (1st) | - | 18+ | Organized by MEA (India) |
Key Takeaways for UPSC
- UNCLOS: 1982 | New York | 168 members | India ratified | USA not signed
- UNCLOS Five Zones: Internal Waters, Territorial Sea (12 nm), Contiguous Zone (12-24 nm), EEZ (200 nm), High Seas
- IORA: 1997 | Ebène, Mauritius | 23 members | Originated from Nelson Mandela's 1995 India visit | Current Chair: Sri Lanka
- IONS: 2008 | New Delhi | 24 members | Conceived by Indian Navy | Inaugural: Feb 2008, New Delhi
- Indian Ocean Conference: First: Singapore (2016) | 6th: Dhaka (2023) | Organized by MEA & India Foundation | Focus: SAGAR
- Key Sea Lanes: Strait of Malacca, Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb
High-Yield Interactive UPSC Quiz (Maritime Organisations)
Q1. UNCLOS was established in which year?
Correct Answer: C. UNCLOS was established in 1982 and is also known as the Law of the Sea.
Q2. The headquarters of UNCLOS is located in:
Correct Answer: B. The headquarters of UNCLOS is located in New York, USA.
Q3. The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends up to how many nautical miles from the baseline?
Correct Answer: C. The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline, where coastal states have sovereign rights over resources.
Q4. Which country has NOT signed the UNCLOS?
Correct Answer: C. The United States has NOT signed the UNCLOS, although India has signed and ratified it.
Q5. The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) was established in which year?
Correct Answer: B. IORA was established in 1997, with its vision originating during Nelson Mandela's visit to India in 1995.
Q6. The headquarters of IORA is located in:
Correct Answer: C. IORA's headquarters is located in Ebène, Mauritius.
Q7. The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was conceived by which country's navy?
Correct Answer: C. IONS was conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008 as a forum to enhance maritime cooperation among navies of the Indian Ocean Region.
Q8. The inaugural edition of IONS was held in:
Correct Answer: B. The inaugural edition of IONS was held in February 2008 at New Delhi, with the Indian Navy as the Chair for two years (2008-2010).
Q9. The first edition of the Indian Ocean Conference was held in which country?
Correct Answer: B. The first edition of the Indian Ocean Conference was held in Singapore in 2016.
Q10. SAGAR stands for:
Correct Answer: B. SAGAR stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region. The Indian Ocean Conference provides a platform to deliberate upon the prospects of regional cooperation for SAGAR.