At the Quad, forming habits of cooperation (GS-2, International relation)

16 Oct At the Quad, forming habits of cooperation (GS-2, International relation)

Let’s talk about what these 4 leaders said during summit:-

• Mr. Biden portrayed the Quad as a group of democratic partners “who share a worldview and have a common vision for the future”. 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was confident that the Quad would “play the role of a force for global good”. 

• Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison  “ Indo-Pacific be always free from coercion”

• Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Sugae Quad as “an extremely significant initiative

Practical cooperation

• •  “a free and open Indo Pacific, which is also inclusive and resilient”. 

    • Promoting security and prosperity in this region is the  raison d’être of the Quad,

• New areas of collaboration: 

• • • Infrastructure

    • Cybersecurity

    • space; 

    • Education and people to people relations.

  • Aligning the Quad with the G7’s Build Back Better World (B3W) Partnership.

• four key B3W elements: 

• • • • digital connectivity

      • Climate

      • health security

      • gender equality infrastructure.

  • formation of an infrastructure coordination group composed of senior officials was announced.

  • Catalyse private sector investment.

  • On cybersecurity

    • the Quad will cooperate on combating cyber threats and securing critical infrastructure. 

  • On the space front

    • The plan is to identify new collaboration opportunities, especially sharing of data to monitor climate change, disaster response and preparedness, and sustainable uses of ocean and marine resources. 

    • A senior cyber group and a new working group on space will be established. 

  • On education

    • The Quad fellowship programme will award 100 graduates — 25 scholars from each Quad country — opportunities in leading STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) 

  • The three working groups on vaccines, climate and emerging technologies established last March.

    • Quad stands committed to donate over 1.2 billion doses globally

  • The Quad working group on climate change has focused on three thematic areas: 

    • Climate ambition

    • Clean­ energy innovation

    • climate adaptation and resilience. 

    • The Quad leaders emphasised enhanced action for achieving global net­zero emissions preferably by 2050,

  • A Quad shipping task force has now been launched to build a green­shipping network and green port infrastructure.

• Technological front:-

• • 5G and beyond 5G networks

  • supply chains of critical minerals including semiconductors

  • Emerging advances in biotechnology

  • A contact group on Advanced Communications and Artificial Intelligence will focus on standards development and foundational research.

• Maritime security will continue to be strengthened through bilateral 2+2.

  • Malabar Exercise

  • Bilateral or trilateral arrangements such as AUKUS 

• Defence cooperation will not be lowered in priority; it will just be handled differently. 

International outlook:-

• Quad sees the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as “the heart of the Indo Pacific region”. 

• Together with the small island States in the South Pacific, ASEAN countries will stand to benefit from growing cooperation within the Quad.

Plutus IAS daily current affairs 16 Oct 2021