Minister of Internal Affairs Mr. Charles E. Fonseka attends the 7th Indian Ocean Conference in Perth, Australia.

The conference was held on 09th to 10th February 2024 under the theme “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean”. Delegations led by Ministers from over 22 countries participated in this yearly event, with senior officials from 16 countries and 6 multilateral organizations. The conference also saw the participation of 400 social and corporate leaders, policy practitioners, scholars, professionals, and media personnel from 40 countries. The programme comprised of plenary sessions with speakers discussing various issues focusing on maritime security, sustainability and the blue economy.

Minister Fonseka addressed the conference as a speaker on the panel which was discussing the theme of, “Our Blue Future”. During his address, the Minister outlined the importance of the blue economy as a powerful instrument and sustainable model to address challenges. He further emphasized on the intersection of the blue economy and maritime security which is fundamental for regional prosperity and stability.

Minister Fonseka also held bilateral meetings with Dr. Jung Pak, the United Sates Deputy Secretary for Multilateral Affairs, Mr. Tim Watts, Assistant Foreign Minister of Australia and Professor Velayoudom Marimoutou, the Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission.

There was mutual agreement on the need to collaborate and promote maritime security within the Indian Ocean on account of the existing and re-emerging threats which poses a risk to regional and economic stability. This also encompasses the need to address the broad spectrum of illegal maritime activities so as to ensure that sea lines of communications essential for economic and food security remain unhindered.

In his address during the Conference, Professor Velayoudom Marimoutou, the Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission, touched on the importance of the two regional centres; the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC) based in Madagascar and the Regional Centre for Operational Coordination (RCOC), based in Seychelles in terms of joint surveillance missions, crucial to the security of South Est Indian Ocean; pledging the following as he prepares to hand-over the leadership of IOC to Seychelles in May 2024. “Currently, we are focused on the Western Indian Ocean, but we can easily expand to the rest of the ocean and beyond by creating a network with other initiatives and mechanisms.”

During his visit to Australia, the Minister also had the opportunity to meet with the Regional Director of West Australia for Home Affairs, Ms. Samantha Patuto, and discussed topics of border control and security. The Minister also visited the Australian Border Force ports & airport facilities.

The Minister was accompanied by Captain Gerald Wong-Pool, Director of the National Information Sharing & Coordination Centre (NISCC) and Regional Fusion & Law Enforcement Centre for Safety & Security at Sea (REFLECS3).