The 37th Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers (COM) Meeting was held at Pokhra in Nepal on 17 March 2016. It carries great significance as this is the highest SAARC level meeting to take place before the 19th SAARC Summit is held in Pakistan on 9-10 November 2016. The members spoke on – regional […]
During the ‘Raisina Dialogue’ held in March 2016 at New Delhi, Admiral Harry Harris, the Commander of United States (US) Pacific Command (CINCPAC) referred to the first ever tri-lateral (Australia, Japan and India) 1 ministerial discussions held in September 2015, which had addressed “maritime security – including freedom of navigation patrols”, and proposed “expanding this […]
The 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Seas provides the legal framework for governance of the oceans and the seas within which, all activities must be carried out. Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ), are those areas of the oceans for which no one nation has sole responsibility for management. These include the ‘High […]
Recent Large Discoveries In January 2016, an Israeli gas exploration group, led by the Isramco Negev and Modiin Energy companies, discovered two large gas reservoirs off Israel’s Mediterranean shore, Daniel East and Daniel West fields. A preliminary evaluation report prepared by Texas-based consultants – Netherland Sewell & Associates – estimates they hold 8.9 trillion cubic […]
In today’s world, sea piracy stands as one of the major challenges to maritime security. Since trade is dependent on the international shipping lanes that connect global economic hubs, nations across the world have taken due cognizance of these threats and have instituted military, diplomatic and organizational measures to combat the same. Sea piracy is […]
On 12th February 2016, the Indian Navy released the Indian Maritime Doctrine 2015. It is an online version of the Indian Maritime Doctrine 2009, updated as on 2015. It may be recalled that the first ever edition of Indian Maritime Doctrine was published in April 2004, and the same was revised in August 2009. The […]
China has invited sharp reactions from African countries over excessive and indiscriminate exploitation of sea-based resources. In December 2014, officials from 24 African countries expressed concerns over the poor state of the African fisheries industry (estimated to be US $24 billion) due to over-exploitation, poor supervision of fishery operations and ineffective law enforcement in the […]
The 2014 Global Ocean Commission report From Decline to Recovery: A Rescue Package for the Global Ocean has likened the high seas to a ‘failed State’ where ‘lawlessness verging on anarchy’ prevails and it is free for ‘plunder and neglect’. Eighteen months after the report was released, the authors have concluded that although threats to […]
A historical climate deal was reached in Paris on 12 Dec 2015. The legally binding agreement which has been touted as differentiated, balanced, durable and ambitious aims to limit the increase in the global average temperature to “well below 2 degree C”, above pre-industrial levels while “pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 […]
On 4th February 2016, India and China held their first-ever „Maritime Affairs Dialogue‟ at New Delhi. While the Indian side was led by the Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Chinese delegation was led by the Assistant Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). […]
In December 2015, China commissioned Hefei (174) – the third Type 052D guided- missile destroyer into its navy. 1 The warship represents the most advanced surface combatant ever operated by the PLA Navy, and comparable to the best in the world. It is armed with potent long-range missiles like the HHQ-9 (anti-air), the YJ-18 (anti-ship), […]
The Indian Navy will be holding its second International Fleet Review (IFR) in February 2016 and this important event showcasing India’s global maritime outreach is being held at Visakhapatnam, the headquarters of Eastern Naval Command. As is the case with similar international maritime engagements, the theme of this event ‘United through the Oceans’ is predicated […]