Skip to content
Home » General Studies » Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)

Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)

China’s growing impact in the Indian Ocean has caused India to seek stronger security collaborations. Specifically, India has turned to littoral nations and Indian Ocean islands. To facilitate this, India has focussed its attention on a new ‘minilateral’ group, known as the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC).

Strategic Importance Of CSC For India

  • The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) is a security-focused group in the Indian Ocean region.
  • The CSC involves India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Mauritius, with Bangladesh and the Seychelles as observers.
  • The National Security Advisor (NSA) leads the CSC meetings.
  • The conclave focuses on maritime security, counter-terrorism, and cybersecurity.
  • This group offers India a platform to discuss strategic concerns in the Indian Ocean.
  • It also enables island and littoral nations to address their challenges.

Expansion Of CSC

  • The CSC was born from tripartite meetings involving NSAs and Deputy NSAs from India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka from 2011.
  • Due to India’s tensions with then-President Abdulla Yameen of Maldives, meetings were suspended between 2014 and 2020.
  • The CSC was revitalised and rebranded in 2020, with Mauritius joining as a new member.
  • Bangladesh and the Seychelles were included as observers.
  • In 2021, a secretariat for the group was set up in Colombo.
  • Invitations have been extended to Bangladesh and the Seychelles to become full members.
  • Both countries, represented by their NSA-level equivalent officials, have already participated in the CSC’s security-focused exercises.

Focus Areas

  • The CSC countries face a range of security challenges.
  • The CSC’s scope has grown to include more than just maritime security.
  • In March 2022, the CSC adopted an agenda with five main areas:
    • Maritime safety and security
    • Countering terrorism and radicalisation
    • Combating trafficking and transnational organised crime
    • Cybersecurity and protection of critical infrastructure and technology
    • Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief

Capacity Building And Training Initiatives

  • The CSC hosts regular security-focused exercises to foster practical cooperation.
  • Exercises since July 2021 have included maritime search and rescue, cybersecurity, coastal security, and investigation of terrorism cases.
  • In November 2021, an exercise called Dosti XV was held in Maldives, with India, Sri Lanka, Maldives participating and Bangladesh, Seychelles as observers.
  • The first joint exercise of India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives under the CSC took place in the Arabian Sea.

Next Steps Towards Collaboration

  • In March 2022, a meeting was held at the NSA level.
  • Ajit Doval, the Indian NSA, made several calls during this meeting.
  • He urged the heads of coast guards from the four member countries to arrange a meeting.
  • He proposed the establishment of joint working groups specifically focusing on drug trafficking and transnational organised crimes.
  • Doval also suggested that the CSC should develop a ‘concrete roadmap.’
  • He emphasised the need for a ‘defined charter of objectives’ to solidify cooperation.

Bilateral Maritime Security Talks: Enhancing CSC’s Focus on Shared Maritime Concerns

  • The CSC (Colombo Security Conclave) should avoid duplication of other Indian Ocean groups’ work when expanding its membership.
  • CSC’s restricted membership has proven its effectiveness through consistent dialogues and security exercises.
  • All CSC countries are part of IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) and IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium), two wider Indian Ocean organizations.
  • The lack of coordination between IORA and IONS has affected their functionality.
  • To improve coordination, the CSC could invite the rotating Chairs of IORA and IONS as observers.
  • The CSC risks being affected by domestic political shifts unless it institutionalises itself better within the systems of the participants. The recent change of leadership in Maldives has already strained India’s relations with the country.
  • The CSC should safeguard itself from governmental changes by, for example, creating senior official-level working groups.
  • With the CSC taking over the previous India-Sri Lanka-Maldives maritime security dialogue, India currently doesn’t have a regular bilateral maritime security dialogue with any other CSC countries.
  • To ensure CSC’s focus on shared maritime concerns, India could set up bilateral maritime security talks with each of the island and coastal nations, complementing the CSC process.

Read More IR Notes