Indian Coast Guard Participates in 20th HACGAM: Strengthening Maritime Cooperation

Introduction

This has been a remarkable progress that has been contributing to the stabilization of the regional maritime security and the cooperation between the countries; one of which is the Indian Coast Guard attended in the 20th HACGAM (Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting) on September 2-6, 2024 at Incheon, South Korea. Up until this meeting was held, a total of twenty three nations were present and these were able to effectively deliberate on some very important questions of navigation in order to enhance the cooperation in Asia.

The 20th HACGAM: Maritime Conversation

Venue and Date

Coordinated by the South Korean Coast Guard, the 20th HACGAM took place at the Incheon venue for five days and included the heads and representatives of agencies dealing with coast guards in Asia as well as experts in the field of maritime security. This forum is useful for exchanging information and cooperating with other forces especially in such issues as law enforcement, protection of the environment and security in the region.

Key Discussions

The discussions at the 20th HACGAM were spirited and were geared toward contemporary areas of concern in the maritime industry. The agenda focused on:

• Maritime Law Enforcemet:
  • Among them, the most critical significant issue was how Asian countries are to guarantee that legal rules governing their seas correspond to those set by the international maritime laws.
  • The debates were aimed the approaches in which member states could work together to tackle issues such as, piracy, Illegal fishing and infringement of territorial waters.
• Safety and Security at Sea:
  • This was acknowledged by the participants who stressed the need to enhance safety measures to avoid loss of human lives and ships sailing on international waters.
  • This also involved steps taken in order to facilitate efficiency of cooperation among countries while conducting SAR missions.
• Marine Environment Protection:
  • Due to the recent increase in the concern of the impact of oil in the seas, issues raised encompassed measures to avoid further pollination of the environment and proper disposal of plastics in the seas.
• Combating Illicit Trafficking:
  • Special emphasis was made towards consolidation of measures to counter unlawful activities such as human trafficking, drug and arms’ transportation etc. through sea lines.
  • Such threat was countered by sharing intelligence and information on measures being taken by other nations in fighting this problem.

Bilateral Meeting

One of the major points of the forum was the 12th annual INDIA-KOREA Coast Guard meeting which took place on September 4, 2024. This meeting intensified the working relations between the two countries in the protection of their interests in the seas. It also called for an interchangeability of information, practical exercises, and technology for dealing with shared threat at sea.

Understanding HACGAM

Origins and Purpose

• Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) started from 2004 due to rising overhead occurrence of piracy in South east Asian especially in straits of Malacca.
• That is why, Japan has launched HACGAM in response to these problems with the purpose of Asian coast guards cooperation, sharing of information and unification of efforts.
• HACGAM has grown into a active association covering almost all aspects of the maritime industry such as environment, disasters, and safety among others.
• The Annual Meeting act as a forum through which regional peace and security in the maritime environment is advanced.

Membership

• HACGAM includes 23 member countries from diverse regions, underscoring its importance as a pan-Asian forum. Member nations include:

1. Australia
2. Bangladesh
3. Bahrain
4. Brunei Darussalam
5. Cambodia
6. China
7. India
8. Indonesia
9. Japan
10. Lao People’s Democratic Republic
11. Malaysia
12. Maldives
13. Myanmar
14. Pakistan
15. Republic of Korea
16. Singapore
17. Sri Lanka
18. Thailand
19. Turkey
20. Vietnam

• This wide membership ensures that the forum can address both regional and global maritime challenges, enabling member nations to cooperate on issues like illegal fishing, maritime crime, and environmental conservation.

Headquarters

• HACGAM is hosted in Japan to show that s the country was the most active in the establishment and the running of the forum.
• Japan remains the key actor that is at the helm of driving the group’s objectives especially in issues of counter-piracy and maritime law enforcement.

The Indian Coast Guard: Guardians of India’s Maritime Frontiers

Establishment

• The Indian Coast Guard which was raised on February 01-1977 has evolved into one of the major and technologically advanced coast guards in Asia.
• It was established in the year 2008 after the approval of K. F. Rustamji Committee when the need of a separate force for the maritime security of the large coastal line of India was realized.
• The Indian Coast Guard Foundation Day is observed every year on 1 February in order to pay tribute to the workforce and losses made by the personnel.

Administrative Control

Indian Coast Guard being a security force works under the direct authority of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. This makes sure that through the Ministry the Indian Coast Guard is well equipped and in the right direction to meet its main objectives of protecting India’s maritime domain.

Primary Responsibilities

• Patrolling India’s High Seas: Through its operations, the force performs continuous patrols with an aim of combating unlawful activities such as smuggling, piracy and unauthorized fishing. It also protects oil rig, pipelines and other underwater structures and infrastructure.
• Ensuring Maritime Security: The ICG is therefore a central arm in the protection of the Indian maritime territories encompassing a 7500 kilometer coastline, over 1200 islands and an extensive exclusive economic zone.
• Marine Law Enforcement: It is functional for implementing Indian as well as International maritime laws regulating environment, and for preserving the marine order.
• Disaster Response and Search and Rescue Operations: The Indian Coast Guard is one of the major players in the sphere of the search and rescue operations in India and often involve other national and International Organizations.

Headquarters and Motto

• The headquarters of Indian Coast Guard are positioned in New Delhi indicating its strategic importance in guarding the countries’ coastlines.
• The force is also known by the motto “Vayam Rakshamah” which in English means “We Protect” and signifies the force’s role of defending India’s sea borders and its interests.
• This is a motto that is stitched into any operations that Coast Guard carries out including saving of lives and combating of illegality in the waters.

Significance of HACGAM Participation

• The participation of the Indian Coast Guard in the 20th HACGAM is significant for several reasons:
  • Regional Cooperation: It offers India an opportunity to engage with other ASEAN member states to discuss and address various issues related to maritime domain and consequently, further strengthening of the relationship among the countries of Asia.
  • Knowledge Exchange: This explains why through HACGAM it becomes easier for each force of coast guards to share information, other practices and experiences that will enhance the operation of each force.
  • Strengthening Bilateral Relationships: The subject of this article reveals the significance of the bilateral relations in terms of maritime with the emphasis on the meeting with the South Korean Coast Guard. They assist in improving the levels of cooperation in naval exercise, exchange of information and interconnectivity in technology.
  • Global Maritime Security: The involvement of India also underlines its commitments towards meeting the challenges in the maritime domain such as preventing and countering illicit trafficking, implementing and enforcing the maritime law as well as conserving the marine environment.
  • Technological Advancements: At the same time, it is also essential to participate in discussions on the current advancements in the field of marine surveillance and security technologies to stay abreast of the current insights and trends to be at the cutting edge of advancement in such field of endeavor as the Indian Coast Guards.

Conclusion

• The Indian Coast Guard’s rallying to the 20th HACGAM in Incheon exemplifies the organization’s support to the enhancement of cooperation and tackling of the challenges prevalent in Asian waters.
• With emerging maritime threats the world over, it is very important to have forums such as HACGAM that contributes to the promoting of peace, security, and sustainable growth and development for all seas in Asia.

FAQs on Indian Coast Guard’s Participation in the 20th HACGAM

Q1: What is HACGAM?
Ans: HACGAM stands for Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting, a forum for Asian coast guards to collaborate on maritime security, law enforcement, and environmental protection.

Q2: When and where was the 20th HACGAM held?
Ans: The 20th HACGAM took place from September 2-6, 2024, in Incheon, South Korea.

Q3: What were the key topics discussed at the 20th HACGAM?
Ans: Discussions focused on maritime law enforcement, safety at sea, marine environmental protection, and combating illicit trafficking.

Q4: Why is the Indian Coast Guard’s participation important?
Ans: It strengthens regional cooperation, promotes knowledge exchange, and helps India play a leading role in global maritime security.