Thursday 26 / December / 2024
New Delhi: India established the Forum for India - Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) in collaboration with 14 Pacific Island countries in 2014 as a mechanism that will upgrade the ties between India and Pacific Islanders as well as enhance cooperation and collaboration in varied fields supporting the development of the Pacific Island countries.
The FIPIC member countries include India along with the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The Heads of Government of all these countries met in Suva, Fiji on November 19, 2014, and accepted the establishment of FIPIC.
India's relations with the region go back to the colonial era during the early 19th century as numerous Indians were taken by the British colonists to this region as indentured plantation laborers, a large number of whom settled there even after the independence. The post-colonial period, however, did not see much interaction between India and the region. The Pacific Islands did not fare high in India's foreign policy priorities of the day.
The limited interaction revolved around Fiji which had a sizeable Indian diaspora - constituting 40 per cent of the total Fijian population.With India adopting a more ambitious and actionable foreign policy in recent years coupled with the geopolitical dynamics in the wider Indo-Pacific region, India's approach towards the South Pacific has also been altered. The conception of FIPIC marks India's renewed interest in the Pacific Island region and since then India has been pursuing an action-oriented developmental partnership with the Pacific Island countries with the aim of establishing a close partnership with the FIPIC nations.
The second summit held in Jaipur in August 2015 built on the first summit and various issues were taken up for discussion including climate change, clean energy, food security and reform of the United Nations. In the recently held 3rd FIPIC Summit at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on May 22, 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed that the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are an important element of the voice of the Global South and laid out a 12-step initiative to India's advance with the PICs.
The initial collaboration spanned diverse areas including healthcare and medicine,climate change, hunger, poverty, natural disasters, pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, and supply chains of food and fuel among others. Initiatives in healthcare and medicine included the establishment of a super-speciality cardiology hospital in Fiji, dialysis units in all the 14 Pacific Island countries, and sea ambulances for all 14 PICs. The establishment of centers for affordable medicines on the lines of 'Jan Aushadhi' centres in India was also announced by PM Modi. Additionally, the setting up of Yoga centers at various locations was also announced. For the development of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector in PICs, India announced projects for the development of SMEs in all the PICs.
Under the project, supplies of machinery and technology along with capacity-building programmes will be carried out. Notably, The development of small industries in the PICs can pace up their growth story as most of the economic activities in the PICs fall within the unorganized sector. Earlier, India has provided financial assistance to SMEs in the PICs and helped several small-scale entrepreneurs establish their businesses and scale up their ventures.
To combat climate change and its adverse effects, India has come up with several plans under the 12-step initiative for the PICs at the 3rd FIPIC Summit. India has committed assistance in the fields of solar power and water scarcity to help PICs combat the detrimental effects of climate change. In the past, India has provided training to women from the PICs in the field of affordable renewable energy (solar mamas). While welcoming the decision of some of the PICs to join the International Solar Alliance, India has also extended the invitation to them to join the India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
Additionally, after the project of converting the Pacific Island Heads of State Residences to solar-powered ones, India has announced plans to convert at least one government building into a solar-powered building in all the FIPIC countries.At the 3rd FIPIC Summit India announced the “Sagar Amrut Scholarship" scheme for the PICs under Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC). Under the programme, 1000 professionals will be trained. In the domain of technology, the Center of Excellence in PNG will be upgraded into a 'Regional Information Technology and Cyber' security Hub.
The Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Research Institute (SCORI) at the University of the South Pacific, Fiji was also launched by PM Modi. To be built with India's assistance, SCORI will serve as an a focal point for research and development in the areas related to the most pressing regional concerns including coastal vulnerability, coastal erosion and coastal protection, Ocean state Forecasting, potential fishing zones, and tsunami forecasting.
This 12-point developmental A plan announced by India caters to the most urgent needs of the PICs to meet their developmental challenges. India's engagement with the South Pacific countries no longer remains limited to South-South cooperation, capacity-building programmes, or community development projects. It has now acquired much greater significance encompassing several dimensions ranging from developmental to security aspects and is driven by India's Act East Policy.
More importantly, India's approach towards the PICs is not transactional but human-centric. It aims to be inclusive and sustainable with the objectives of reducing inequality, attaining equity and empowering the local population. Conclusively, India's engagement with the Pacific Island countries through the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) exemplifies its commitment to fostering stronger linkages with partner nations.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi co-hosted the third FIPIC Summit in Papua New Guinea, it marked India's proactive approach in the region. This exemplifies India's renewed interest in the region and its pursuit of an action-oriented developmental partnership. At the FIPIC III, Indian PM Modi unveiled a 12-step Action Plan tailored to address the pressing needs of the Pacific Island Countries (PICs). initiatives in healthcare, medicine, small industry development, climate change, and renewable energy underscore India's human-centric and inclusive development partnership. Asgeopolitical dynamics evolve, global powers like China and the US are intensifying their engagement in the Pacific. Amid this contestation, India's transparent and need-based approach resonates strongly with the PICs. By respecting their priorities and empowering their communities, India fortifies its standing as a valued partner, contributing to the region's progress and stability. FIPIC has amplified India's regional outreach, enabling a collective endeavor towards mutual respect, cooperation, and a prosperous future for the Pacific Island countries.-- Amid this contestation, India's transparent and need-based approach resonates strongly with the PICs. By respecting their priorities and empowering their communities, India fortifies its standing as a valued partner, contributing to the region's progress and stability. FIPIC has amplified India's regional outreach, enabling a collective endeavor towards mutual respect, cooperation, and a prosperous future for the Pacific Island countries.-- Amid this contestation, India's transparent and need-based approach resonates strongly with the PICs. By respecting their priorities and empowering their communities, India fortifies its standing as a valued partner, contributing to the region's progress and stability. FIPIC has amplified India's regional outreach, enabling a collective endeavor towards mutual respect, cooperation, and a prosperous future for the Pacific Island countries.--
