Australia-India Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Partnership

  • Media release

The first recipients of the Australia-India Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Partnership (AIIPOIP) grant program have been announced.

The AIIPOIP reiterates Australia's strong commitment to working with close regional partners in delivering an open, inclusive, resilient, prosperous and rules-based maritime order.

Grants of $100,000 each will develop Australia's role leading marine ecology work with India under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), building on the Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed last year.

Monash University will work with the Centre for Public Policy Research to identify ways to improve trade connectivity and maritime transport.

UNSW will work with the Madras School of Economics on ocean accounting – a key area that organises the data needed to make decisions about how to manage oceans.

Chesterfield Lane Pty Ltd will work with the Observer Research Foundation, Kolkata and the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore to identify opportunities to increase regional collaboration on marine ecology in Southeast Asia, the Bay of Bengal and the Pacific.

India's The Energy and Resources Institute will work with the University of Queensland on risks and opportunities for deep sea bed mining in the Indo-Pacific.

This is the first round of grants awarded under the AIIPOIP, with up to AUD $1.4m allocated towards the program from 2020 to 2024.

Under the AIIPOIP, CSIRO and India's National Centre for Coastal Research will also work together to address the critical issue of marine plastic waste in the Indo-Pacific.

I was pleased to announce the finalisation of the inaugural AIIPOIP grants round during the Indo-Pacific Business Summit on 6 July, hosted by the Indian Ministry for External Affairs and Confederation of Indian Industry.

These practical initiatives support the Australia-India Joint Declaration on a Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, which I signed with India's Minister for External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar on 4 June 2020.

Further information on the AIIPOIP can be found at https://india.highcommission.gov.au/ndli/AIIPOIP.html

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