Team Goemkarponn
Vasco: The fifth edition of the Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC-26) was held at the Naval War College in Goa on February 21, bringing together naval chiefs and senior maritime representatives from 15 countries of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The meeting reaffirmed the collective resolve of participating nations to enhance cooperation in addressing evolving maritime security challenges.
The conclave was organised by the Indian Navy under the theme “Common Maritime Security Challenges in the IOR – Progressing Lines of Efforts to Mitigate Dynamic Threats.” The event underscored India’s efforts to promote structured maritime engagement and strengthen cooperative mechanisms for ensuring regional maritime stability. Discussions focused on practical measures and coordinated approaches to address shared security concerns.
Delivering the keynote address, former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd) highlighted the need for closer coordination among IOR countries in response to changing maritime threats. He emphasised the importance of real-time information exchange and sustained capacity building, noting that challenges such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, trafficking and other cross-border maritime crimes require collective action by regional partners.
The first technical session centred on enhancing real-time maritime domain awareness and operational coordination to curb unlawful activities at sea. The second session explored ways to improve training, institutional cooperation and capability development among maritime forces and agencies in the region.
The conclave concluded with remarks from naval chiefs and delegation leaders, who shared their national perspectives on strengthening maritime cooperation. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi expressed appreciation to participating countries and emphasised the need to move from information sharing to coordinated action through greater use of technology and integrated operations under the MAHASAGAR vision.
