ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the sealanes in the Indian Ocean are threatened from several directions and that there is an urgent need for greater cooperation among littoral states to enhance security and safety of the maritime enterprise. The Indian Ocean is home to important sea-lanes. A large volume of international long-haul maritime cargo from the Persian Gulf, Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Europe transits through its waters. A large volume of international long-haul maritime cargo from the Persian Gulf, Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Europe transits through its waters. From the Persian Gulf, the sea-lane transits through the Indian Ocean almost hugging the Indian coast towards the Strait of Malacca. As noted, maritime order in the Indian Ocean is now being challenged from several directions. Piracy, terrorism and illegal activities at sea have the potential to disrupt sea-lanes. Efforts have been made by several countries to address this problem but only in terms of bilateral, and, at best, trilateral arrangements.
