Multilateral Maritime Cooperation in the Indian Ocean: Legal Frameworks and Challenges

Abstract

India, with its extensive coastline at the heart of some of the world's major trade and energy routes, ports, and security interests, is a region that has become one of the most significant maritime regions in the world. Regional cooperation exists through international law and regional institutions, yet there remains a real governance issue in the region. Overlapping maritime claims, inadequate enforcement, disparate laws, lack of institutional coordination, piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing, and marine environmental harms are all problems associated with these. The article takes a closer look at the legal and institutional framework for multilateral Indian Ocean cooperation, focusing on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), the Djibouti Code of Conduct and its amendment (Jeddah), and maritime governance instruments. It employs a qualitative doctrinal research method, using primary and secondary legal documents, institutional materials, policy reports, and academic literature. Legal trend analysis, comparative analysis, doctrinal analysis, and thematic analysis are applied to assess the adequacy of existing laws, the effectiveness of the institutions, and the practical challenges. As the analysis demonstrates, UNCLOS offers a solid legal basis for cooperation in the maritime domain, although its application and effectiveness can vary depending on the interpretation of the law, the capacity for implementation, and the political stance of the States. Regional institutions assist in developing dialogue and fostering trust, but most have not yet achieved the strength of law and have yet to secure a consultative role, and some remain weak with limited capacity. The study recommends greater legal harmonisation, information sharing, joint enforcement, capacity building, and institutional coordination to achieve better governance of the Indian Ocean.