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

Swarn Singh

Plutus IAS Current Affair Team Member