The Quad nations, comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, convened their fourth summit in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 21st, 2023, solidifying their stance as a force for stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. The summit, hosted by US President Joe Biden in his hometown, saw the participation of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The ‘Wilmington Declaration Joint Statement’ released at the conclusion of the summit, underscored the Quad’s commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The declaration asserted, “Four years since elevating the Quad to a leader-level format, the Quad is more strategically aligned than ever before and is a force for good that delivers real, positive, and enduring impact for the Indo-Pacific.” It further emphasized that the Quad, as four leading maritime democracies in the Indo-Pacific, stands unequivocally for the maintenance of peace and stability in the region, a crucial element of global security and prosperity.
The statement explicitly condemned destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to alter the regional status quo through force or coercion, a veiled reference to China’s increasingly assertive posture in the region. The Quad nations expressed their strong opposition to “recent illicit missile launches in the region” and voiced serious concerns over aggressions in the Indo-Pacific. The statement stressed the Quad’s desire for a region where no country dominates or is dominated, a region free from coercion and where all countries can determine their own futures.
The summit also witnessed the unveiling of several collaborative initiatives aimed at enhancing regional security, health, and infrastructure. One significant announcement was the launch of the Quad Cancer Moonshot program, a health security initiative designed to reduce the burden of cancer in the region. The program, building on the Quad’s successful collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic, will focus initially on tackling cervical cancer, a preventable cancer that continues to claim numerous lives in the Indo-Pacific.
In addition, the Quad nations announced a new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI), designed to empower regional partners with the tools and knowledge to monitor and secure their waters, enforce their laws, and deter unlawful activity. The initiative will include the hosting of an inaugural MAITRI workshop in 2025 by India. Further, the Quad partners plan to launch a first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission in 2025, aimed at enhancing interoperability and advancing maritime safety.
The Quad nations also announced the launch of a Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project, aimed at leveraging shared airlift capacity and collective logistics strengths to provide faster and more efficient civilian responses to natural disasters across the Indo-Pacific.
The Quad Ports of the Future Partnership, a collaboration aimed at supporting sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific, was also announced. The partnership will involve a Quad Regional Ports and Transportation Conference hosted by India in Mumbai. The Quad nations will also collaborate to coordinate information sharing, best practice exchange, and resource mobilization to attract government and private sector investments in quality port infrastructure across the region.
The Wilmington Declaration reiterated the Quad’s commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, highlighting its efforts to counter destabilizing actions and promote regional peace, security, and prosperity. The summit further underscored the growing strategic alignment among the Quad nations, demonstrating their collective determination to uphold a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.
