Member's Area
Indian Ocean Rim Association
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Formation

On 29-31 March 1995, the Mauritius Government convened a meeting to discuss the enhancement of economic co-operation among countries of the Indian Ocean Rim. Representatives from the government, business sectors and academia, from Australia, India, Kenya, Mauritius, Sultanate of Oman, Singapore and South Africa, known as the "CoreGroupStates" or M-7, attended the meeting. In a joint statement issued at the end of the meeting, the participants declared that they had agreed on "Principles of Open Regionalism and Inclusivity of Membership, with the objectives of Trade Liberalization and Promoting Trade Co-operation. Activities would focus on Trade Facilitation, Investment Promotion and Economic Co-operation."

A tripartite Working Group (Government, Academic and Private Sector) met in Mauritius on 15 -17 August of 1995. This meeting decided to create a "Second Track" process as complimentary to an Inter-Governmental Movement. A later meeting during September 1996 in Mauritius finalised a Charter for the creation of the IOR-ARC, and expanded the membership to include Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Yemen,Tanzania, Madagascar and Mozambique- known as the M-14.

Formal Launch of IOR-ARC

Adoption of Charter

The IOR-ARC was formally launched at the first Ministerial Meeting in Mauritius on 6 - 7 March 1997. This meeting adopted the IOR-ARC Charter, and determined a number of administrative and procedural matters.

Mechanism for Launch and Dialogue Partners

The Second Biennial Council of Ministers Meeting was held in Maputo, Mozambique in March 1999. This meeting was critical for the future of the IOR-ARC, and Ministers agreed to a realistic, outcomes focused Trade and Investment Agenda, based on Trade Facilitation, Trade Liberalisation, and Economic and Technical Co-operation. It was agreed to establish a Working Group on Trade and Investment (WGTI). The Ministers also decided to invite Bangladesh, Islamic Republic of Iran, Seychelles, Thailand and the UAE to join the Association, and to invite Egypt and Japan to participate as Dialogue Partners.

An extraordinary meeting of the IOR-ARC Ministerial Council took place in Muscat, Oman, in January 2000, designed to formally welcome the new members and Dialogue Partners in the IOR-ARC. This was also the first time that the WGTI met. At this meeting, the Ministers adopted a Trade and Investment Plan of Action, which included an agreement to compile a Compendia on Customs Regimes, Quarantine and Food Inspection and Investment Regimes, to be completed before the next Ministerial Meeting in Oman in April 2001. The meeting also approved applications for Dialogue Partner Status from the Peoples Republic of China and the United Kingdom.

The Third Ministerial Meeting of the IOR-ARC was held in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, on 7 and 8 April 2001. This Council of Ministers (COM) meeting was immediately preceded by meetings of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO), the Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG), the Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum (IORBF) and the Working Group on Trade and Investment (WGTI). At this meetingFrancewas admitted as a Dialogue Partner.

The IOR-ARC High Level Task Force

On 12-13 October 2003, at the fourth Council of Ministers meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the recommendation of the Committee of Senior Officials that a High-Level Task Force (HLTF) comprising representatives of the Troika be established to study the future direction of IOR-ARC, its Organizational Structure and funding of the Secretariat, including the Rules and Procedures for the appointment of the Director, and to consider the modalities for interaction between the Member States and the Dialogue Partners and Observers, as well as the possibility of establishing additional criteria for the grant of Dialogue Partnership Status, if required, were endorsed.  The Report of the HLTF was adopted in this meeting.

On 26-27 August 2004, the fifth Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the First Executive Director was appointed fromSri Lanka for a period of 3 years.

Adoption of the Rules of Procedures, Staff Regulation and Finance Regulation for IOR-ARC

On 5 August 2010, at the tenth Council of Ministers meeting in Sana'a Yemen, the revised Charter of IOR-ARC as well as the Rules of Procedure, Staff Regulations for the Secretariat, Financial Regulations for IOR-ARC, was adopted by the Council of Ministers.