The Quad's agenda aims to address the Indo-Pacific region's most pressing challenges
Quad member nations are looking at increasing their collaboration in the Indo-Pacific across areas like health security, digital public infrastructure, and telecommunications resiliency.
 
This was on the agenda when senior officials from India, the United States, Japan, and Australia met via video-conferencing on Thursday (July 3, 2024) to review the progress made by various Quad Working Groups in achieving the commitments made at the May 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit.
 
The meeting assumes significance given that India is scheduled to host the next Quad Leaders’ Summit.

Sharing information about the Quad Senior Officials Meeting, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said they discussed new ideas to further the Quad’s collaboration in delivering public goods in the Indo-Pacific region in areas such as health security, digital public infrastructure, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), climate resilience, enhancing maritime domain awareness, countering terrorism and enhancing telecommunication resiliency through undersea cable connectivity.
 
The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange views on important regional and international issues of mutual interest. “They underscored the Quad’s commitment to a free, open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed the centrality of regional institutions, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA),” the MEA said.

The meeting was attended by senior Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade of Australia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Department of State of the United States of America.
 
The Quad's agenda aims to address the region's most pressing challenges, including health security, climate change, infrastructure, critical and emerging technology, cyber security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, space, maritime security, countering disinformation, and counterterrorism. The partnership strives to deliver practical outcomes that respond to the Indo-Pacific's priorities.

“As Indo-Pacific countries, Quad partners are deeply invested in our region’s success. Harnessing our collective strengths and resources, we are supporting the region’s development, stability, and prosperity through the Quad’s positive, practical agenda. Our work is guided by regional countries’ priorities and responds to the region’s needs,” said the Joint Statement issued after the third in-person Quad Leaders’ Meet held in Hiroshima, Japan on May 20, 2023.
 
The Quad leaders - Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese - also announced new initiatives including in infrastructure and clean energy in addition to launching the Quad Investors' Network.

Meeting on the sidelines of the United States General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2023, the Quad foreign ministers said they were further strengthening their cooperation with partners in the Indian Ocean region, including through the Indian Ocean Rim Association, to address the region’s most pressing and important challenges.
 
The Quad foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to support the Indo-Pacific region through practical cooperation, including on climate change, clean energy supply chains, and on infrastructure through the Quad Infrastructure Fellowship Program and the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience.