2022, Vol. 4, Issue 2, Part B

Major players are competing for supremacy in the Indo-Pacific region with the US. India and China are on the list of competitors, while other nations competing for the position of king-maker include Australia, Japan, Indonesia, South Africa, and Indonesia. Although sharing comparable security interests and, most significantly, a shared maritime thread that runs across the region, this dynamic environment has also emphasised mistrust among the littoral nations, which in many respects has precluded the establishment of an overall security architecture.

There appears to be an increase in asymmetric threats from transnational crime, including modern piracy, terrorism, drug trafficking, etc., in their constantly changing expressions. All interested parties have loudly demanded increased effectiveness in law enforcement and the preservation of maritime order as a result of this rise. Sadly, despite the importance of the seas, sea governance and a coordinated strategy for dealing with the numerous marine dangers and challenges have not been given the attention they merit. The primary explanation for this situation's seeming irony may be found in the fact that the littorals' capacities differ significantly from one another. On the one hand, India has a sizable navy with nearly blue seas, while on the other, there are others with more modest capabilities. Second, it can be because country agendas and interests on matters related to maritime security and ocean governance differ. As already mentioned, the region's maritime security and collaboration are not the focus of a single supranational institution.

The Indo-top Pacific's regional organisations are listed below: The Indo-Pacific Region and the Rise of Transnational Maritime Threats and Challenges, ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum), and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)-the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) had completely ignored the issue of maritime security cooperation until recently, when it realised its importance-are security outgrowths of ASEAN, which is primarily an economic forum. To navigate the complicated maritime realm of the Indo-Pacific, policy makers throughout the region will need to collaboratively develop strategies to address these interconnected strategic, socio-economic, commercial, and environmental trends that will continue to shape the region in the coming decades.