Takshashila Issue Brief - What is the Quad Doing in the Indo-Pacific?

As per recent reports, the foreign ministers of the Quad, comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan, are likely to meet on the sidelines of this year’s UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting. In 2024, India is set to host the Quad Leaders’ Summit. In this context and given Quad’s rising role, this Issue Brief outlines the Quad’s policies and priorities in the Indo-Pacific and reiterates our area-specific recommendations for the Quad.

Quad Focus Areas & Objectives

The Quad focuses on shared objectives in the Indo-Pacific across domains like infrastructure, energy, and cybersecurity, etc. The Quad’s initiatives and policy objectives are encapsulated in the different statements issued at the levels of national leaders, foreign ministers, and other key officials. The table below presents the Quad’s sectoral pillars, the policy objectives that flow from it, and relevant bodies and initiatives as they relate to each pillar.

Focus	Policy Objectives	Key/Relevant Bodies and Initiatives
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Work on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience in the Indo-Pacific	1. Initiatives across three areas: climate ambition (e.g. working towards Paris Agreement goals), clean-energy innovation and deployment, and climate adaptation, resilience, and preparedness 2. Mobilise public and private climate finance to facilitate research, development, and deployment of innovative technology 3. Work through the Quad Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP) + through the Climate Information Services Initiative to bolster capacity, cooperation, and information-sharing mechanisms	1. Quad Climate Working Group 2. Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure 3. Sydney Energy Forum 4. Climate Information Services Taskforce
Supply Chains Promote diverse, secure, transparent, and resilient supply chains with regard to i) clean energy ii) critical technologies and materials, including semiconductors	1. Facilitate research and development and feasibility study projects to lower clean energy manufacturing and deployment costs, enhance regional energy security, and expand and diversify the regional production of necessary materials and technologies, including solar photovoltaics (PV), hydrogen electrolyzer, and electric vehicle battery technologies 2. Improve region's digital connectivity through greater access to critical and emerging technologies, the software supply chain and critical infrastructure, and services and engagement guided by principles on critical technology supply chains, and on technology development and usage and technology standards 3. Quad engagement guided by principles on critical technology supply chains, technology development and usage, and technology standards	Clean Energy Supply Chains initiative
Infrastructure Support access to quality, resilient infrastructure through investments and collaboration	1. Work on disaster risk reduction through resilient infrastructure 2. Focus on capacity-building efforts towards digital and economic connectivity, clean energy, and power sector infrastructure, including through the Quad Infrastructure Fellowships Program 3. Synergise Quad countries' export credit agencies 4. Support quality undersea cable networks to strengthen communications infrastructure through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience	1. Infrastructure for Resilient Islands States (IRIS) initiative 2. Quad Infrastructure Fellowships Program 3. The Quad Debt Management Resource Portal 4. Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Partnership 5. ECGC Limited of India, Export Finance Australia (EFA), Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) and Export-Import Bank of the United States (USEXIM) 6. Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience
Energy Ensure better access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy in the Indo-Pacific	Establish a clean-hydrogen partnership to strengthen and reduce costs across all elements of the clean-hydrogen value chain, and leverage existing bilateral and multilateral hydrogen initiatives	1. Sydney Energy Forum 2. Quad Clean Hydrogen Partnership
Education Advance innovation and grow network of science and technology experts	Through the Quad STEM Fellowships, grow a network of science and technology experts committed to advancing innovation and collaboration in the private, public and academic sectors in their own nations and among Quad countries	Quad STEM and Infrastructure Fellowships
Health Security Strengthen collaboration and coordination in support of health security in the region	Build capacity to detect and respond rapidly to outbreaks of diseases with epidemic or pandemic potential Support health workforce development in the region, disease surveillance, electronic health information systems, and strengthen diagnosis and treatment capacity of core hospitals	NA
Cybersecurity Work towards a secure cyberspace to foster a responsible international digital economy	1. Collaborate with partners to promote cyber awareness + help build capacity to deal with cyber threats and cybercrime 2. Promote cyber standards to improve software security and cyber practices, including through joint principles on secure software and on cybersecurity for critical infrastructure 3. Ensure supply chain security and resilience for Information and Communications Technology and Operational Technology systems of critical sectors	Quad Senior Cyber Group
Space/Space Technology Increase cooperation on civil and commercial activities + work on the peaceful, safe, and sustainable use of outer space	1. Sharing of earth observation data for various applications, including monitoring and responding to climate impacts and enhancing the sustainable use of oceans and marine resources 2. Strengthen commercial space cooperation + enhance space supply chains, and lead in setting standards	1. Quad Space Working Group 2. Quad Satellite Data Portal
Maritime Security/Maritime Domain Awareness Work towards deepening engagement with regional partners to support maritime safety and security	Through IPMDA, provide maritime domain data to maritime agencies in the Indo-Pacific to help combat illicit maritime activities, like IUU, and respond to climate-related and humanitarian events	1. Quad Working Group on Maritime Security 2. Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative
Position on Global Security Concerns	1. Urge North Korea to abide by all its obligations under the UNSCRs; reaffirm commitment to the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula consistent with relevant UNSCRs; and call on all countries to fully implement these UNSCRs 2. Call for immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, emphasise resolution of the crisis through constructive dialogue; full implementation of all commitments under the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus 3. Emphasise the importance of adherence to international law, particularly to UNCLOS 4. Call for expansion in permanent and non-permanent seats of the UNSC + make UNSC more effective, representative, and credible 5. Continue humanitarian assistance to Ukraine for its recovery 6. Work with our regional partners to strengthen the capability to prevent, detect, and respond to threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism, including through the Quad Working Group on Counterterrorism	Working Group on Counter-terrorism
Critical Technologies Improve access to critical and emerging technologies, and harness benefits, including for digital infrastructure through advanced telecommunications technology like 5G	1. Support modernisation of telecommunications infrastructure, including the deployment of Open RAN capabilities in the Pacific 2. Increase situational awareness, coordination, and influence in international standards development, through the Quad International Standards Cooperation Network (Q-ISCN) 3. Facilitate investments in strategic technologies like semiconductors, critical minerals, and quantum through QUIN	1. Quad Investors' Network (QUIN) 2. Quad Technology Business and Investment Forum 3. Quad International Standards Cooperation Network (QISCN)

Quad Working Groups

Over the years, the Quad’s multi-sectoral focus has led to the establishment of Leader as well as Ministerial-level Working Groups. The table below lists each of the Quad’s Working Groups and outlines their focus areas.

Groups	Focus	Relevant Details
Quad Health Security Partnership	Strengthen coordination and collaboration to support workforce development, disease surveillance and electronic health information systems	NA
Quad Climate Working Group	Collaborate on clean energy supply chains; disaster risk reduction, green shipping, and climate information systems	Sydney Energy Forum; The Quad Statement of Principles on Clean Energy Supply Chains in the Indo-Pacific
Quad Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group	Promote global technology markets and standards in 5G, horizon scanning, tech supply chains, AI, semiconductor supply chains, advanced biotechnologies	Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) in the Pacific (with Palau); improves digital connectivity and infrastructure and greater access to advanced telecommunications technology; the Open RAN Security Report
Quad Space Working Group	Identify ways for Earth satellite data to monitor and adapt to climate change, enhance disaster preparedness, and respond to threats in shared domains + Share expertise and experience in space situational awareness; and strengthen commercial space cooperation	1. An Earth Observation data website that pools Quad countries' resources and share space-related applications to strengthen early warning systems annd manage impacts of extreme weather events 2. Convene a commercial space buisness forum in 2023
Quad Infrastructure Working Group	Assess regional infrastructure needs and coordinate on technical assistance; ensure infrastructure investments are fit and do not impose unsustainable debt burdens on countries	NA
Quad Senior Cyber Group	Work towards a secure cyberspace to foster a responsible international digital economy	NA
Quad Maritime Security Working Group	Support Indo-Pacific partners to meet the challenges in the maritime domain and work together to preserve security, stability, and prosperity for all	NA
Quad Working Group on Counter-Terrorism	Explore with Indo-Pacific partners how to counter new and emerging forms of terrorism, radicalization to violence and violent extremism	Quad Counter-Terrorism Policy Meetings; Tabletop exercise on counter-terrorism (2023)

Recommendations

In Takshashila Issue Brief - The Quad Agenda for Semiconductors, Biotechnology, and Space, we compiled some of the area-specific recommendations for the Quad, arising from our work, which can not only achieve Quad’s objectives but also help usher in a freer global economic order. Within a ‘bubbles of trust’ approach, we recommend that the Quad engage and cooperate in the semiconductors, biotech, and space sectors.

Read our recommendations here.

Additionally, we have argued that the Quad must follow-up its maritime domain awareness efforts under IPMDA, with a larger maritime security, law enforcement, and governance agenda in the Indo-Pacific. Read it here.

This Issue Brief was compiled by Bharat Sharma, with inputs from Manoj Kewalramani.