A joint statement by the QUAD nations was issued after the foreign ministers of the group met in New York today. In a veiled attack on China, the Quad grouping reaffirmed that respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity underpin the development of the Indo-Pacific region and expressed serious concern about the militarisation of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore exploitation activities.
The Quad or the Quadrilateral coalition is a plurilateral framework comprising India, Australia, Japan and the US. It was formed in 2017 to counter China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko met in New York on 22 September on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
“We reaffirm our conviction that international law, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the maintenance of peace and security in the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific,” the statement said.
Referring to Chinese aggression in the Asia Pacific region, it said, “ We emphasize the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to address challenges to the global maritime rules-based order, including with respect to maritime claims, and in the South and East China Seas. “
It said that the grouping supports an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific underpinned by effective institutions and we reaffirm our unwavering support for ASEAN’s unity and centrality, the ASEAN-led regional architecture – including the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum – and practical implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
The full statement is given below:
We, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan, met in New York City during the 78th United Nations General Assembly to reaffirm our unwavering support for the United Nations, the enduring importance of upholding mutually determined rules, norms, and standards, and to deepen Quad cooperation in the international system.
The Quad reiterates its steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient. We recommit to advancing the vision Quad leaders articulated in Hiroshima on 20 May 2023: a region that is peaceful and prosperous, stable and secure, free from intimidation and coercion, and where disputes are settled in accordance with international law. We strongly support the principles of freedom, the rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes; and oppose unilateral attempts to change the status quo. We seek to maintain and strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific, where competition is managed responsibly.
We reiterate our commitment to the UN Charter and call for all countries to uphold its purposes and principles, including refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. We underscore our commitment to upholding international law as the foundation for stability and equitable treatment of all member states.
We are steadfast in our support for full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), so no one is left behind, and reiterate that the SDGs are integrated, indivisible, and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental. We underscore the importance of achieving the SDGs in their entirety without selectively prioritizing a narrow set of such goals and reaffirm that the UN has a central role in supporting countries in their implementation. We underline the primacy of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs as a consensus document supported by all member states and call on member states and the UN to protect it. The Quad’s practical action in the Indo-Pacific is advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs by delivering sustained economic and social value, that is responsive to regional partners.
We affirm our support for a UN that solves the consequential challenges of our time and safeguards our shared and interconnected resources. We are committed to advancing a comprehensive UN reform agenda, including through expansion in permanent and non-permanent seats of the UN Security Council. In this regard, we call for a UN Security Council that is more representative, transparent, effective, and credible. We underscore the need to address attempts to subvert the international system, including in the UN, and promote accountability.
We support an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific underpinned by effective institutions and we reaffirm our unwavering support for ASEAN’s unity and centrality, the ASEAN-led regional architecture – including the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum – and practical implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. We respect Pacific-led regional organizations, foremost the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and are committed to supporting Pacific Island countries in line with the objectives of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent endorsed by PIF leaders. We are also further strengthening our 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.
We commit to advance the initiatives announced by our leaders in Hiroshima to support the Indo-Pacific region through practical cooperation, including on climate change and clean energy supply chains, and on infrastructure through the Quad Infrastructure Fellowships Program and the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience. We continue to advance the development of a secure and trusted telecommunications network with a network modernization project and Open Radio Access Network deployment in Palau, progress on Quad cybersecurity initiatives — and explore avenues to share Earth Observation data to monitor extreme weather events and support climate adaptation. We support the private sector-led Quad Investors Network to facilitate investment in critical and emerging technologies. Such efforts help ensure the resilience of communities in the face of climate change and other global challenges. We are pleased to soon carry out the second tabletop Quad Pandemic Preparedness Exercise through the Quad Health Security Partnership to enhance the region’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to outbreaks of infectious disease. We will also continue to leverage our collective expertise to respond to challenges such as disinformation.
We are driving practical, positive outcomes for the region through the Quad Maritime Security Working Group. The Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness is supporting regional partners combat illicit maritime activities and respond to climate-related and humanitarian events. We look forward to the Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Working Group convening our second tabletop exercise in Brisbane, Australia, to strengthen the Quad’s readiness to support regional partners in times of humanitarian disaster.
We also discussed the recent Quad Counterterrorism Working Group’s Consequence Management Exercise, which explored the capabilities and support Quad countries could offer regional partners in response to a terrorist attack and look forward to the upcoming Quad Counterterrorism Working Group meeting and tabletop exercise in Honolulu, Hawaii in December which will focus on countering the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes. We continue to cooperate on countering the use of the internet and other technologies for terrorist and violent extremist purposes. We are committed to countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including preventing the international and cross border movement of terrorists, and countering terror finance networks and safe havens. We stressed the need for a comprehensive and balanced approach to effectively curb terrorist activities through whole of nation and whole of international community efforts.
We reaffirm our conviction that international law, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the maintenance of peace and security in the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. We emphasize that disputes should be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, without threat or use of force. We emphasize the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to address challenges to the global maritime rules-based order, including with respect to maritime claims, and in the South and East China Seas. We emphasize the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight consistent with UNCLOS and reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. We continue to express serious concern about the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore exploitation activities.
We express our deep concern over the war raging in Ukraine and mourn its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences. We underscore the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law, consistent with the principles of the UN Charter. We are deeply concerned about the global food security situation and support the efforts of the UN in the resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI). In the context of this war, we concur that the use, or threat of use, of nuclear weapons would be unacceptable. We underscore that the rules-based international order must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.
We condemn North Korea’s destabilizing launches using ballistic missile technology and its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea consistent with UNSCRs, and we urge North Korea to abide by all its obligations under the UNSCRs and engage in substantive dialogue. We stress the importance of addressing proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to North Korea in the region and beyond and urge all UN Member States to abide by the related UNSCRs including the prohibition on the transfer to North Korea or procurement from North Korea of all arms and related materiel. We reconfirm the necessity of immediate resolution of the abductions issue.
We remain deeply concerned by the political, humanitarian, and economic crisis in Myanmar and again call for the immediate cessation of violence, the release of all those unjustly detained, unhindered humanitarian assistance, resolution of the crisis through constructive dialogue, and a return to Myanmar’s transition towards inclusive federal democracy. We are also concerned with the implications of the ongoing situation in Myanmar on neighboring countries including a rise in transnational crime such as drug and human trafficking. We reaffirm our strong support to ASEAN-led efforts and the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus. We also continue to encourage the international community to work together in a pragmatic and constructive way to support an end to the violence in Myanmar.
We, the Quad Foreign Ministers, continue to advance the vision set by our Leaders – that the Quad’s multilateral cooperation will deliver concrete outcomes for the benefit of all people throughout the Indo-Pacific. We intend to meet in person for the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Japan in 2024.
