Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG)

The Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG) was established in recognition of the important role of the academia in regional organisations.

The first Institutional Mechanism created during the establishment of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in 1997 was the Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG). This was in acknowledgement of the importance of academia in achieving the objectives of IORA as an International Regional Organisation.

IORAG has been positioned as the primary vehicle for academics, universities, think tanks and scientific and technological centres to formulate policy and project recommendations to IORA Member States.

The role set out for the Academic Group has been both advisory and catalytic, with the following principal objectives:

• to service the needs of Government and Business
• to promote intellectual dialogue amongst the participating Member States
• to serve as a vehicle for the development and dissemination of the Indian Ocean Rim Concept
• to serve the region through coordinated and rigorous research

Under the Jakarta Concord’s Action Plan (2017-2021), IORA seeks to further strengthen the IORAG through the sharing of information and knowledge by fostering a more dynamic link between policy and projects in IORA work programmes. To this end, the 24^th Meeting of the IORAG in South Africa in 2018 established a Sub-Committee to lead the institutional, operational, and administrative reform of IORAG within IORA.

 

Key developments so far:

• India, as the Coordinating Country for Academic Science and Technology Cooperation, is leading the Sub-Committee on Indian Ocean Rim Association Academic Group (IORAG) Reform. The Sub-Committee is focusing on drafting new Modalities and Terms of Reference for a reformed IORAG, along with a detailed work plan.
• South Africa, during its Chairship of IORA, had taken steps to reinvigorate IORAG with the establishment of the Sub-Committee on IORAG reforms, and which had met twice in 2018 and 2019.