19TH HACGAM (Syllabus: GS Paper 3-– Security)

Context: Recently, the Indian Coast Guard participated in the 19th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) in Istanbul, Türkiye.

19th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting

• About: This apex-level forum serves as a platform for convening the leading Coast Guard Agencies from across the Asian region.
• Established: In 2004
• Hosted by: Turkey
• Members: 23 Countries

o Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkiye, Vietnam and one Region i.e., Hong Kong (China).

• 18th HACGAM Hosted: India
• Focus: Fostering cooperation between the Coast Guards of the member Asian states to ensure and promote safe, secure, and clean seas in the region.

Indo Pacific Region

• The Indo-Pacific region refers to the confluence of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, which interconnect in Southeast Asia.
• The concept of the Indo-Pacific is relatively recent, gaining prominence around a decade ago. In the years since its inception, it has experienced substantial growth.
• A key factor driving the adoption of this term is the recognition of the interconnected strategic importance of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
• Many experts believe the shift from Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific is the exponential economic growth ranging from India to China and Japan.