Context: 

The Coast Guards of the QUAD nations have launched a first ever multilateral initiative titled the 'QUAD at Sea Ship Observer Mission'.

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• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) termed the initiative a landmark step towards deepening maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

• As per the ICG, this initiative is anchored in the Wilmington Declaration adopted at the QUAD Leaders’ Summit 2024.

• The cross-embarkation mission marks an unprecedented step in QUAD Coast Guard collaboration, enhancing joint readiness, operational coordination, and domain awareness in support of a Free, Open, Inclusive, and Rules-Based Indo-Pacific. 

• India's involvement in the mission strengthens its SAGAR maritime vision and supports the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), focusing on capacity-building, humanitarian aid, and upholding maritime law.

• The QUAD at Sea initiative thus sets the foundation for a ‘QUAD Coast Guard Handshake,’ fostering stronger trust, coordination, and collective resilience amid evolving maritime challenges in the region.

QUAD

• The Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States committed to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient.

• The Quad's origins date back to our collaboration in response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The partnership is known formally as the 'Quad', not the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. 

• It was revived in 2017 amid shifting regional attitudes toward China's influence, culminating in its first formal summit in 2021.

• The Quad's positive and practical agenda is focused on delivering outcomes for the Indo-Pacific, in response to the region's priorities and most pressing challenges, including health security, climate change, etc.

• All Quad nations are established ASEAN Dialogue Partners and firmly back ASEAN centrality, its regional framework, and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

Wilmington Declaration 2024 

• The Wilmington Declaration by the Quad nations highlights sustainable energy efforts, with a focus on high-efficiency cooling to tackle climate challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

• The Quad leaders focused on improving connectivity in the Indo-Pacific region through quality infrastructure projects. 

• It condemned dangerous manoeuvres by coast guard and militia vessels and emphasized the importance of resolving maritime disputes peacefully according to international law.