The fourth edition of the tabletop exercise of the Colombo Security Conclave – with representation from six countries – took place in Kolkata, on Wednesday.
Conducted by the Indian Coast Guard, the primary objective of the exercise – according to a senior official – involved the formulation of robust standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all the authorities concerned. The SOPs aim at ensuring “coastal and marine security and gradual response and handling (of) any threat emanating” that falls under the purview of the Conclave. The said exercise also covers the response to marine pollution and the search and rescue operations at sea.
The Conclave saw the coming together of delegates from Bangladesh, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and India. It came into being in 2011 as a trilateral maritime security grouping. Besides India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives were the other two group partners.
Working with groups and technical group discussions commenced – after the formation – on enhancing cooperation in maritime safety and security. The activities were further expanded in 2022. The group now has Mauritius as the fourth member, and Bangladesh, and Seychelles as observer countries.
“During the proceedings, apart from presentations, discussions were held on various topics pertaining to challenges in the maritime domain such as tackling threats from anti-national elements, marine pollution response, search and rescue and damage control at sea. A tabletop exercise was conducted subsequently involving all stakeholders,” a note shared by the Indian Coast Guard stated.