Context: The 2024 Quad Leaders’ Summit was held in Wilmington, Delaware on 21 September 2024, hosted by the United States. Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP attended with fellow Quad Leaders, President of the United States Joseph R. Biden Jr., Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan.

Key Initiatives of QUAD 2024

• Quad Cancer Moonshot, a groundbreaking partnership to save lives in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Under this, India will provide $7.5 million worth of HPV sampling kits, detection kits and cervical most cancers vaccines to countries within the Indo-Pacific.

• A commitment from the Serum Institute of India, in partnership with Gavi and the Quad, to help orders of up to 40 million HPV vaccine doses for the Indo-Pacific region.

• Coast Guard Cooperation: The First-ever “Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission” in 2025 to improve interoperability and increase maritime protection between our Coast Guards across the Indo-Pacific.

• The Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot assignment, to be able to help civilian reaction to herbal disasters more swiftly and efficiently throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

• The “Quad Ports of the Future Partnership” will harness the Quad’s collective understanding to assist sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development throughout the Indo-Pacific.

• The “Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network Memorandum of Cooperation” to enhance Quad resilience in semiconductor supply chains.

• Reform on the UN Security Council: The Leaders known the pressing want to make it more representative, inclusive, and democratic by enlargement in permanent and nonpermanent categories of membership.

• Quad Principles for Development and Deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure had been welcomed for the region and beyond.

• The Maritime Initiative for Training within the Indo-Pacific” (MAITRI) to enable regional partners to screen and stabilize their waters, put into effect their legal guidelines, and deter unlawful behavior.

• India will host the first MAITRI workshop in 2025.

The Strategic Significance of Quad

• Act East policy: India’s participation in the Quad emphasizing deeper engagement with East Asian nations and strengthening maritime protection cooperation. 

• Military cooperation: It gives a platform for military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and joint physical activities geared toward keeping maritime security and ensuring the rule of thumb of regulation.

• Counterbalancing China’s Influence: QUAD is important for India’s interests in safeguarding its maritime trade routes and ensuring freedom of navigation in global waters.

About Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)

• It is an informal multilateral grouping of India, the U.S., Australia, and Japan aimed toward cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. 

• Origin: The Quad began as a free partnership after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami when the 4 international regions joined collectively to offer humanitarian and disaster help to the affected region.

• It was formalized by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007, but then fell dormant.

• After a decade it was resurrected in 2017, reflecting changing attitudes within the region in the direction of China’s growing influence.