2024 Quad Leaders’ Summit

General Studies Paper-2

Context: Leaders of the Quad group of countries met at their sixth summit-level meeting at Archmere Academy, Delaware, to announce a broad range of outcomes.

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)

• It is an informal multilateral grouping of India, the U.S., Australia, and Japan aimed at cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
• Origin: The Quad began as a loose partnership after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami when the four countries joined together to provide humanitarian and disaster assistance to the affected region.
• It was formalized by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007, but then fell dormant.
• After a decade it was resurrected in 2017, reflecting changing attitudes in the region toward China’s growing influence

Key Initiatives of QUAD 2024

• Quad Cancer Moonshot, a groundbreaking partnership to save lives in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Under this, India will provide $7.5 million worth of HPV sampling kits, detection kits and cervical cancer vaccines to countries in the Indo-Pacific.
• A commitment from the Serum Institute of India, in partnership with Gavi and the Quad, to support orders of up to 40 million HPV vaccine doses for the Indo-Pacific region.
• Coast Guard Cooperation: The First-ever “Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission” in 2025 to improve interoperability and advance maritime safety between our Coast Guards across the Indo-Pacific.
• The Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project, in order to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Indo-Pacific region.
• The “Quad Ports of the Future Partnership” will harness the Quad’s collective expertise to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific.
• The “Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network Memorandum of Cooperation” to enhance Quad resilience in semiconductor supply chains.
• Reform at the UN Security Council: The Leaders recognised the urgent need to make it more representative, inclusive, and democratic through expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories of membership
• Quad Principles for Development and Deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure were welcomed for the region and beyond.
• The Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific” (MAITRI) to enable regional partners to monitor and secure their waters, enforce their laws, and deter unlawful behavior.
• India will host the first MAITRI workshop in 2025.

The Strategic Significance of Quad

• Act East policy: India’s participation in the Quad emphasizing deeper engagement with East Asian nations and strengthening maritime security cooperation.
• Military cooperation: It provides a platform for military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and joint exercises aimed at maintaining maritime security and ensuring the rule of law.
• Counterbalancing China’s Influence: QUAD is crucial for India’s interests in safeguarding its maritime trade routes and ensuring freedom of navigation in international waters.
• India has supported a rule-based multipolar world and QUAD can help it in achieving its ambition of becoming a regional superpower.