SOUTH AFRICA’S INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION LEGACY: A MORE INCLUSIVE AND OPEN IORA

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines South Africa's role as chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) starting in October 2017. It argues that while South Africa has set thematic priorities in maritime security and the Blue Economy, its most significant potential legacy lies in driving institutional and procedural reforms to increase the organization's openness, transparency, and inclusivity for researchers and non-governmental stakeholders.

• The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), formerly the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) established in 1997, has grown to 21 member states. Its current structure includes a Council of Foreign Ministers, a committee of Senior Officials, and a Secretariat based in Mauritius, supported by specialized agencies in Iran (Regional Centre for Science and Transfer of Technology) and Oman (Fisheries Support Unit).
• IORA's effectiveness is hindered by its Charter's requirement that decisions be made by consensus and that controversial issues be excluded from deliberations. This design has limited the organization's ability to address complex geostrategic and security challenges, such as piracy in the Gulf of Aden or the impact of China's One Belt One Road and the Asia Africa Growth Corridor.
• The 'member-driven approach' of IORA has led to a lack of continuity, integration, and transparency. Information sharing is a significant challenge, making it difficult for stakeholders who do not attend meetings to access information about the activities and outcomes of forums and agencies.
• Upon assuming the chair in October 2017, South Africa identified three priority areas: maritime safety and security (including the Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security), disaster risk management (specifically the Memorandum of Understanding on Search and Rescue), and sustainable fisheries management (addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing).
• South Africa's IORA priorities align with its domestic 'Operation Phakisa', which focuses on the Ocean Economy, including shipping, aquaculture, offshore oil and gas, and coastal tourism. This alignment connects South Africa's goals with the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy and UN Agenda 2030 (SDG 14).
• There is a critical need to reform IORA's engagement with the research and policy community. Currently, there are no terms of reference for working groups, and researchers not identified through political focal points lack clear pathways to engage, resulting in meetings that are predominantly attended by government officials with limited feedback shared with the broader community.

APA

BENKENSTEIN, A. (2018). SOUTH AFRICA’S INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION LEGACY: A MORE INCLUSIVE AND OPEN IORA. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Policy-Briefing-175.pdf

Chicago

BENKENSTEIN, ALEX. SOUTH AFRICA’S INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION LEGACY: A MORE INCLUSIVE AND OPEN IORA. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2018. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Policy-Briefing-175.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BENKENSTEIN |first1=ALEX |title=SOUTH AFRICA’S INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION LEGACY: A MORE INCLUSIVE AND OPEN IORA |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=June 2018 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Policy-Briefing-175.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{benkenstein2018south, author = {BENKENSTEIN, ALEX}, title = {{SOUTH AFRICA’S INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION LEGACY: A MORE INCLUSIVE AND OPEN IORA}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Policy-Briefing-175.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }