On 7 March 2024, the Department of International Relations & Cooperation (DIRCO), in partnership with Unisa's College of Economic and Management Sciences (CEMS), hosted the commemoration of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) International Day under the theme Enhancing Sustainable Indian Ocean for Future Generations: Our Ocean Our Life, at the Muckleneuk Campus, Pretoria. 

The Indian Ocean plays a critical role in the economic prosperity, social well-being and cultural heritage of the nations bordering its shores. As IORA celebrates its 27th anniversary, it is a vital platform for fostering socio-economic cooperation across its regions, spanning Africa to South and Southeast Asia and Australia in the Eastern Indian Ocean.

Unisa's catalytic niche area

In her welcome address, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Puleng LenkaBula, stated that IORA was established to ensure regional cooperation in managing, conserving and utilising the Indian Ocean and its rich resources to member states that live on and around the Indian Ocean.

Prof Puleng LenkaBula, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor

The VC stressed that exploring, advancing and protecting the Indian Ocean and its resources requires constant engagement, cooperation, research and innovation. She continued: "The latter focus area of research and innovation is what Unisa is committed to. We hope to use this moment to establish stronger relations and engagement with IORA to explore ways our scientific and research agenda can add to the work you do in the interest of the people we all serve."

"In the recent past," said the VC, "our university has taken a keen interest in focusing its knowledge capabilities and resources towards Marine Studies and the Ocean Economy. It constitutes one of the 10 Catalytic Niche Areas on which the university is building research and scholarship."

Ending her remarks, the VC posited that with the African Union declaring 2024 as the year of education under the theme: Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa, "we will use the possible collaboration with IORA member states to realise this continental vision". 

Mandela's vision

"Over the last 27 years, we have witnessed how IORA has increasingly become a distinguished central component of architecture in the Indian Ocean. We have developed mechanisms to address challenges and to manage resources," said His Excellency Ambassador Salman Al Farisi, Secretary General of IORA.

In addition, Al Farisi stated that South Africa played a central role as a prominent member of IORA and a steadfast advocate for regional cooperation. He said the country brings valuable insights and expertise that guide their collective efforts towards achieving the objectives outlined by the IORA chatter. "We also acknowledge South Africa's commitment to ensuring that the Indian Ocean serves as a catalyst for peace, stability, and shared prosperity," he added.

Al Farisi applauded South Africa's IORA commemoration, highlighting its alignment with President Nelson Mandela's vision for impactful partnerships between the nation, academia, society and international partners.

Ocean preservation

"Today, we have become more aware than ever that our existence cannot be separated from the ocean's health," said Dr Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa. In addition, Pandor explained that 40% of the world's population lives near coastal areas, that more than three billion people utilise the oceans for their livelihoods, and that 80% of world trade is achieved using the seas. "This necessitates that we guard and protect our oceans – an integral part of IORA's chatter," she added.  

Pandor affirmed that oceans, seas and coastal areas contribute to food security and poverty eradication; however, she cautioned that the oceans are increasingly becoming under threat from human activities in addition to economic profits pursued at the expense of environmental degradation, including acidification, pollution, fishery collapse and ocean warming – among other abuse of marine ecosystems. "These threats are detrimental to our planet, and the long-term repercussions demand urgent attention to protect the ocean and the people that depend on it," she added.

Pandor said she looks forward to a year where IORA member states will work closely to achieve several significant goals such as greener shipping methods, marine fuel use of renewables ammonia and methanol, and maritime digitalisation and protocol optimisation for harbours.

Development of the blue economy

His Excellency Salih Omar, Ambassador of Eritrea to South Africa and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, stated that IORA is a vibrant and intergovernmental component which aims to improve regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean areas through its 23 member states and 12 partners.  

His Excellency Salih Omar, Ambassador of Eritrea to South Africa and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps

"I hope IORA reaffirms its pledge through bridging gaps and sharing the destinies of its member countries. As a dedicated member of IORA, we believe South Africa will play an important role through its collaborations with member states to advance commerce and other key priority areas aforementioned," said Omar.

He emphasised that IORA is a platform to boost trade and investment between member nations and beyond, adding that the Indian Ocean has enormous potential for expanded commerce, investment growth and the development of the blue economy.

Keynote speaker, Prof Anil Sooklal, Ambassador at Large: Asia and BRICS at DIRCO, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa, and Focal Point for IORA, stated that President Mandela saw the value of the ocean and how much it can yield to benefit livelihoods towards its neighbouring states. He said: "The significant part of his life that he spent in Robben Island, surrounded by the Indian Ocean, has shaped him in many ways, and this influenced him to seek cooperation and collaborations to explore the economic potential of the ocean fully."

Prof Anil Sooklal, Ambassador at Large: Asia and BRICS at DIRCO, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa, and Focal Point for IORA

Sooklal also mentioned the key priority areas of Operation Phakisa, launched in 2014 is to meet some of the goals of the National Development Plan 2030 within the blue economy, which include marine transport and manufacturing, offshore oil and gas, aquaculture, small harbour development, and coastal and marine tourism.

In conclusion, Sooklal stated that IORA has been advancing the key cooperation areas. In 1997, it accounted for 6% of the global GPD; in 2023, it accounted for just over 13% of the global GDP. He continued: "We have doubled over these years, and I am confident that this figure will double again over the next 25 years on the 50th anniversary of IORA."

The IORA Day commemoration, co-hosted by DIRCO and Unisa CEMS, highlighted the crucial role of the Indian Ocean and the importance of regional cooperation for a sustainable future. 

* By Godfrey Madibane, Acting Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement

** Photography by Shooheima Champion, Multimedia Centre