25-September-2024-Editorial

6TH QUAD SUMMIT

The Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is an informal strategic alliance between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. It aims to promote a stable, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Initially formed in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Quad was formally established in 2007 but became dormant until its revival in 2017.

In 2024, the 6th Quad Summit was held in Delaware, USA, where leaders focused on a wide range of issues including health, climate change, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and emerging technologies.

Key Highlights of the 6th Quad Summit

Health Initiatives

• Quad Health Security Partnership (QHSP): Initiated in 2023, this program strengthens collaboration on health security, with a focus on the Indo-Pacific region.
• Cancer Treatment: The Quad Cancer Moonshot program was introduced to focus on cervical cancer treatment.
• Pandemic Preparedness: The US pledged over USD 84.5 million to bolster infectious disease prevention and response across 14 Indo-Pacific nations.

Maritime Security

• MAITRI Initiative: The Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) aims to improve maritime security and training in the region.
• Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA): Launched in 2022, this initiative focuses on strengthening maritime security and curbing illegal activities in the region.
• Indo-Pacific Logistics Network: Created to boost airlift capabilities for rapid disaster response across the Indo-Pacific.
• Coast Guard Cooperation: In 2025, a Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission will take place to improve interoperability among the coast guards of Quad nations.

Infrastructure Development

• Digital Infrastructure Principles: The Quad set principles for secure, inclusive, and interoperable digital infrastructure.
• Quad Ports of the Future Partnership: This initiative supports the development of resilient port infrastructure and regional connectivity. The first Quad Regional Ports and Transportation Conference will be held in Mumbai in 2025.
• Undersea Cables: Quad partners committed USD 140 million to develop undersea cables, ensuring telecommunication connectivity across Pacific island countries by 2025.
• Infrastructure Fellowship: The Quad Infrastructure Fellowship focuses on capacity building and networking in infrastructure project management and investment.

Critical and Emerging Technologies

• Open Radio Access Network (RAN) and 5G: The first Open RAN deployment was initiated in Palau in 2023, with a USD 20 million investment to strengthen telecommunications security. The Quad also supports ongoing Open RAN trials and the Asia Open RAN Academy in the Philippines.
• AI-ENGAGE Initiative: This initiative promotes collaborative research in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, particularly in agriculture, to empower the next generation of farming techniques.
• BioExplore Initiative: This program uses AI to study biological ecosystems, aiding in disease diagnosis, improving crop resilience, and advancing clean energy solutions.
• Semiconductors: Quad leaders finalized a Memorandum of Cooperation to enhance collaboration on addressing semiconductor supply chain risks.
• Quantum Technology: The Quad Investors Network (QUIN) is fostering collaboration among Quad countries’ quantum ecosystems, leveraging capital and expertise in quantum technology development.

Climate and Clean Energy

• Early Warning Systems: The US will provide Pacific island countries with 3D-printed weather stations to enhance early warning capabilities, while Australia and Japan are expanding their disaster risk reduction efforts.
• Clean Energy Supply Chain: The Quad Clean Energy Supply Chain Diversification Program, launched in 2023, promotes secure and diversified clean energy supply chains in the Indo-Pacific. India has committed USD 2 million to solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar, and Seychelles.

Cybersecurity

• Undersea Cable Protection: The Quad Action Plan focuses on safeguarding undersea telecommunications cables to support secure digital connectivity and commerce.
• Countering Disinformation: The Quad is working on fostering a resilient information environment, with efforts to promote media freedom and address foreign interference and disinformation.

Space Cooperation

• Quad nations will share expertise in space situational awareness (SSA) to ensure the long-term sustainability of the space environment.

Counter-Terrorism

• Quad Counter-Terrorism Working Group (CTWG): This group focuses on countering unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, as well as terrorist activities conducted via the internet.

People-to-People Initiatives

• India has introduced a new scholarship program, offering 50 Quad scholarships worth USD 500,000 to students from the Indo-Pacific region to pursue undergraduate engineering courses at Indian technical institutions.

Quad Principles for Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)

The Quad announced a set of principles aimed at developing and deploying digital public infrastructure (DPI) in a secure, inclusive, and democratic manner.

Key Principles

• Inclusivity: Systems should eliminate barriers for end-users, ensuring last-mile access and avoiding algorithmic bias.
• Interoperability: Open standards should be used for system interoperability, considering legal and technical constraints.
• Scalability: Systems should be designed flexibly to handle unexpected surges in demand or future expansions.
• Security and Privacy: Privacy-enhancing technologies and security features should be integrated to protect individual data and maintain system resilience.
• Governance for Public Benefit: Systems should be safe, transparent, and promote competition, inclusion, and data protection.
• Sustainability: Continuous operations should be ensured through adequate financing and technological support.
• Intellectual Property Protection: Existing legal frameworks should protect intellectual property rights.
• Sustainable Development: Systems should align with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Conclusion

The 6th Quad Summit underscored the group’s commitment to health security, climate change mitigation, cybersecurity, infrastructure development, and emerging technologies. By collaborating on ambitious initiatives, the Quad aims to strengthen regional resilience, ensure sustainable development, and maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region.