Explainer - Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

• India hosted the 28th meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in New Delhi on June 15 and 16. 

• The meeting was held under India’s chairship of IORA.

• The Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) is the second-highest decision-making body of IORA and serves as the organisation’s principal coordinating mechanism. 

• Comprising senior government representatives from Member States, the CSO is responsible for reviewing and discussing key agenda items, making recommendations, and submitting policy matters to the Council of Ministers (COM) for final approval.

• The meeting reviewed progress across IORA’s institutional matters, priority areas and advanced discussions on the next IORA Action Plan (2028-2032), reinforcing cooperation for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean Region.

What is the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)?

• The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is an inter-governmental organisation formed in 1997 to foster regional economic cooperation. IORA has evolved into the peak regional group spanning the Indian Ocean.

• From its inception with 14 member states, the membership has expanded to 23 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, the Comoros, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. 

• India is one of the founding members of IORA.

• IORA has 12 dialogue partners: China, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Japan, Turkey, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the European Union.

• IORA became an observer to the UN General Assembly and the African Union in 2015.

• Decisions made within IORA are reached by consensus and commitments are undertaken on a voluntary basis.

• IORA’s apex body is the Council of Foreign Ministers (COM) which meets annually.

• The IORA Secretariat is based in Mauritius. It is headed by a fixed term Secretary-General.

• The Council of Ministers, on voluntary offer by Member States, elects a Chair of the Association for a period of two years. If there is no voluntary offer, the Chair is elected on the basis of geographical consideration.

• The incoming Chair is the Member State that served as the Vice-Chair of the Association during the term of office of the incumbent Chair.

• India assumed the Chairship of the IORA for 2025-2027 in November 2025.

• The role of the Chair is to arrange, coordinate, host and preside over the meetings of the Council, the meetings of the Committee of Senior Officials and any other meetings as mandated by the Council.

• IORA became an observer to the UN General Assembly and the African Union in 2015.

• The IORA Special Fund was established by the Council of Ministers in its meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, August 2004. The Special Fund is a financial mechanism for supporting and complementing the funding of projects and programmes adopted by the Association, in line with the principles and objectives enshrined in the Charter as well as the objectives and goals envisaged by the relevant bodies of the Organisation.

Priority areas of IORA:

i) Maritime Safety and Security

ii) Trade and Investment Facilitation

iii) Fisheries Management

iv) Disaster Risk Management

v) Academic, Science and Technology Cooperation

vi) Tourism and Cultural Exchanges.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)