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Context

The annual apex-level international conference of the Indian Navy – the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) – will be held in New Delhi from 15 to 17 November 2023.

Details

• The IPRD is an annual apex-level international conference conducted by the Indian Navy.
• It serves as a platform to discuss and address holistic maritime security issues across the Indo-Pacific region.

Previous Editions

• 2018 & 2019: Held in New Delhi
• 2020: Canceled due to COVID-19
• 2021: Conducted online
• 2022: Resumed physical format in New Delhi

Organizers and Theme

Organizers:

• The National Maritime Foundation (NMF) serves as the primary organizer and knowledge partner for each edition of IPRD.
  • The NMF was accordingly established, in 2005, as the nation’s first maritime think-tank for the conduct of independent and policy-relevant research on all ‘matters maritime’. 
  • It was, from it very inception, designed to create and heighten maritime awareness amongst India’s policy-makers, intellectual echelons, and civil society at large. 
  • Towards this end, it was to be a policy-relevant research organisation of acknowledged excellence that would not only undertake serious, cutting-edge maritime research of its own but would also provide a common platform for advocacy, discourse, and debate, between maritime-related national and international institutions, organisations, and academic establishments, as also reputed and renowned individuals, professionals, and practitioners the world over.

Theme of IPRD-2023:

• The overarching theme is “Geopolitical Impacts upon Indo-Pacific Maritime Trade and Connectivity.”

Goa Maritime Conclave vs. IPRD

• Goa Maritime Conclave: Focuses on strategic-operational cooperation among maritime agencies in the Indian Ocean Region.
• IPRD: Addresses strategic-level international engagement concerning comprehensive maritime security issues in the Indo-Pacific.

Objectives

• Reviewing maritime trends in the Indo-Pacific
• Assessing regional opportunities and challenges
• Facilitating solution-oriented dialogue among key stakeholders

Sessions

• Nodes of Maritime Connectivity
• China’s Impact on Indo-Pacific Maritime Connectivity
• Maritime Connectivity through Shipping and Trade (Part 1)
• Maritime Connectivity through Shipping and Trade (Part 2)
• Role of Private Industry in Indo-Pacific Maritime Trade and Shipping Safety
• Maintaining a Rules-based, Safe, and Secure Indo-Pacific

Focus Areas

• Examination of geopolitical impacts on maritime trade and connectivity
• Exploration of diverse regional perspectives through expert discussions

Participants

• Involvement of speakers and delegates from 16 countries
• Representation from subject-matter experts, policymakers, industry leaders, and academia
• Engagement of students, scholars, military practitioners, diplomats, think tanks, and eminent citizens from India and abroad

Conclusion

IPRD-2023 aims to foster a rules-based, safe, and secure Indo-Pacific by leveraging diverse perspectives and expertise to address the multifaceted challenges concerning maritime trade and connectivity in the region.

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2023 serves as a significant platform to address the geopolitical impacts on maritime trade and connectivity in the region. Discuss. (250 words)