The Quad Cooperation commemorated its 20th anniversary on 31st December, which essentially constitutes the diplomatic talks of the four member nations, India, US, Japan, and Australia, on 31st December. The four countries presented their joint statement regarding the dedication of the Quad Cooperation towards a free and stable Indo-Pacific region. The pledge made by the foreign ministers of the member countries was towards peace, prosperity, and openness in the Indo-Pacific for the present and the future generation to come through collaborative effort and a farsighted vision.
The Quad : A humanistic response to 2004 calamity
The Quad Cooperation countries joined hands twenty years ago in 2004 to respond to one of the most destructive natural disasters in human history, the tsunami and earthquake that struck the Indian Ocean on 26th December 2004. The tsunami of 2004 claimed the lives of nearly a quarter million people and displaced 1.7 million across 14 countries. The four countries then contributed over 40,000 emergency responders while working with other partners across the Indo-Pacific region to support millions of people affected by the catastrophe. The joint statement gave due honor to the memories of those people that are no longer with us and recognized the survivors and the families of those who were lost.
The statement further stated the deep vision of the quad countries towards humanitarian assistance and disaster relief management. In 2024, the four countries collectively supported disaster preparedness and life-saving relief efforts across the Indo-Pacific. Fortunately, a coalition that began as an emergency response to a catastrophe has grown into a full-fledged partnership, delivering positive outcomes for maintaining dignity of life.
The Quad group laid a special emphasis on the centrality and the welfare of the ASEAN countries in the Indo-Pacific Region. The group further seeks to implement and bring the ASEAN outlook to mainstream in the Indo-Pacific region through strategic planning and partnership based on diplomatic relations between the nations. The statement also expressed its deep respect and support for Pacific-led regional architecture, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association, the region’s premier organization.
China’s rapid military expansion, a grave concern
The Quad Cooperation seeks to focus on the shifting of the regional security dynamics with China with respect to concerns regarding China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea and other contested areas. In the face of China’s territorial expansion in disputed waters, the Quad has called out for all nations to respect international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The growing need to safeguard freedom of navigation on key trade routes and climate change is being given greater attention than ever before.
