THE 6th IONS CONCLAVE OF CHIEFS REPORT
The 6th IONS conclave of chiefs was held on 22 April 2018, in Tehran, the event was hosted by IRI Navy and attended by more than 100 foreign representatives from 31 delegations, (including Gambia), as well as 470 civil and military officials and 300 cadets from Army universities.
1. Countries
| 1. Australia | 11. Pakistan | 21. Malaysia |
| 2. Azerbaijan | 12. Russia | 22. Mozambique |
| 3. Bangladesh | 13. Singapore | 23. Namibia |
| 4. Brazil | 14. South Africa | 24. The Netherlands |
| 5. China | 15. Spain | 25. Oman |
| 6. France | 16. Iraq | 26. Sri Lanka |
| 7. Germany | 17. Italy | 27. Syria |
| 8. Greece | 18. Japan | 28. Turkey |
| 9. India | 19. Kenya | 29. Thailand |
| 10. Indonesia | 20. Madagascar | 30. England |
2. Arrival and Ice Breaking Dinner
All delegation arrived in Tehran on April 21st and 22nd and were received with an official welcoming ceremony. Furthermore, all delegates attended the Ice Breaking ceremony hosted by commander of IRI Navy on the evening of April 22nd.
3. Opening Ceremony
A. Opening Ceremony began with a welcome address by Rear Admiral Khanzadi, commander of IRI Navy, followed by a speech by Major General Bagheri, chief of staff of IRI Armed forces, on 23 April.
B. Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed, commander of Bangladesh Navy and the presiding officer of the previous CoC session, delivered a 10-minute speech.
C. The periodic chairmanship of the summit was transferred to the IRI Navy through the symbolic exchange of a telescope, representing the observation of safe and distant horizons, from the commander of Bangladesh Navy who had chaired the previous session.
D. A commemorative photograph of the commanders, heads of delegations and military officials of Iran brought the opening ceremony of the summit to a close.
E. The Iran exhibition on the capabilities of the maritime industries was also inaugurated.
4. General Assembly
This Assembly was held over two days (the 23 and 24 April) featuring 4 specialized panels, as well as one open panel session with the participation of two speakers and one panel moderator, alongside 12 speakers and 4 panel moderators.
The panels were conducted as follows: the first, focusing on the Indian Ocean's security landscape; the second, addressing the region's trade outlook on April 23rd. The third examining the Indian Ocean's maritime capacities; and the fourth, analyzing the legal gaps in maritime security on April 24th.
Each panel concluded with a summary by the moderator, following the presentation of awards and a group commemorative photo.
Open Panel
In keeping with established tradition of IONS summits, the open panel is not subject to a specific thematic focus. In this session, speakers present their remarks and perspectives, and the panel concluded with a summary by the moderator, without a Q&A session.
This panel was moderated by the deputy commandant of the National Defense University of Iran and featured three speakers:
- Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbas, Chief of the Pakistan Navy, who spoke on the "Pakistan Maritime Outlook".
- The Head of the Ideological-political Organization of the IRI Army, who presented on "The Sea in the Quran".
- Rear Admiral Yasser Al-Hafee, Commander of the Syrian Arab Navy, who addressed "The Syrian Security Perspective".
This panel concluded with a summary by the moderator, following the presentation of awards and a group commemorative photo.
5. Closing Ceremony
Rear Admiral Habibolah Sayyari, Chief of the Joint Staff and Deputy Coordinator of the IRI Army, served as the keynote speaker for closing ceremony of the General Assembly.
Finally, the Commander of IRI Navy while providing a summary, delivered a comprehensive and detailed speech, declared the official conclusion of the General Assembly.
6. Commanders' Confidential Meeting
The most significant segment of the four-day IONS is Commanders' Confidential Meeting held on the final day. In this session, commanders and head of delegations from member and observer nations convene in a closed-door meeting to discuss key issues and core matters pertaining to IONS, as well as to change views and reach decisions.
At the conclusion of session, all agreed-upon items are summarized by the IONS chair, recorded as the meeting's resolutions, and subsequently circulated to all members and observers, with the secretariat assuming responsibility for coordination and follow-up.
Summary of Action Items — Conclave of Chiefs, 25 April 2018
The 6th Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, Tehran-Iran
| Item | Resolution |
|---|---|
| 1 | IONS Secretariat in the I.R. Iran Navy will contact those 12 Indian Ocean littorals which have not joint this symposium so far to peruse their probable applications to join. |
| 2 | The CoC assembly approved the Royal Malaysian Navy request to change its status from an observer to a member state. |
| 3 | I.R. Iran Navy volunteered to prepare an IONS Tactical Publication (ITP) in order to facilitate communication of members at seas, specially, while conducting joint maritime exercises and operations. |
| 4 | In order to conduct an Executive Anti-Piracy Exercise in 2019, I.R. Iran Navy volunteered to prepare the required guideline and directive which will be distributed among the members in due time. |
| 5 | IONS essay competition will continue on the same track by the IONS Secretariat in the I.R. Iran Navy. |
| 6 | By approval of the present members in the CoC, I.R. Iran Navy will be the chair of the Maritime Security Working Group. After the British Navy joined this IWG, the assembly elected it the co-chair for next two years. |
| 7 | Kenya Navy joined the HADR and Maritime Security Working Groups. |
| 8 | After required discussions, negotiations, receiving members' ideas, and taking votes, finally, according to the COB, the present mechanism of decision making (consensus) will remain in IONS. |
| 9 | The French Navy will hold the 7th IONS in 2020. The French Navy was unequivocally requested to hold the symposium in the Indian Ocean Region. |
| 10 | Royal Thai Navy will hold the 8th IONS in 2022. |
| 11 | British Navy, Sri Lankan Navy, and the Royal Navy of Oman volunteered to hold IPW 2019 respectively. Their final decision will be made after consulting their proper authorities within their countries. These countries will inform the IONS Secretariat of their final decision on hosting the IPW. |
| 12 | Indian Navy will be the host for IPW 2021. |
| 13 | Proposal of the I.R. Iran Navy on starting a new IWG entitled "IONS Future Building" and "IONS Task Group" will be sent to the members with more details. Members will provide their views and comments in the next symposium. |
| 14 | All of the HADR and IS&I IWGs resolutions (conducted by the Indian Navy and Pakistan Navy respectively) were approved by the assembly. |
| 15 | Royal Australian Navy accepted to prepare the COMPLAN prior to the IS-2018 IWG. |
| 16 | The draft of HADR prepared by the Indian Navy was provisionally approved by the assembly and it is to be finally approved after the TTX. |
