The ECFR and the NMF will jointly host a daylong conference in New Delhi on 12 December 2023 to explore and analyse the future of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in the Indo-Pacific. HADR operations are a theme of growing importance in contemporary international relations. Even though they are primarily a civilian-centric activity, HADR constitutes one of the fastest

growing areas of military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Because of their logistical and rapid response capacities, the armed/defence forces are used to complement existing aid and relief mechanisms, and to provide specific support to populations.

HADR operations today occupy an important place in military activities, a place that is often considered to be even more central than combat activities. This is especially — although not exclusively — true in respect of navies. As such, they are frequently perceived as constituting an additional burden for the armed/defence forces. Moreover, the number of nations capable of conducting large and complex multilateral HADR operations is quite limited. The demands of HADR are likely to increase exponentially in the years ahead, due to a predictable increase in the number of natural disasters linked to climate change, significantly increasing the existing dilemmas in terms of the allocation to- and of the

armed/defence forces. Exacerbating matters further is the growing geopolitical polarization of the Indo-Pacific. A disturbing consequence is that an initially cooperative activity could rapidly turn into a zero

sum-game, in which speed of intervention becomes a competitive factor in terms of humanitarian effectiveness and visibility. This affects the perception of HADR activities and the consequent political influence that may be derived from them.

However, HADR operations are not only demonstrations of goodwill likely to generate reputational gains. They also signal the provider’s commitment, demonstrate its capacities and “know how”, and facilitate access to the recipient country. As such, they offer opportunities for engaging with new partners and coalition building. Finally, they not only allow the concerned actors to project themselves as credible and committed regional powers but also offer a means of enhancing interoperability through a less threatening level of cooperation. The evolution of HADR operations constitutes, therefore, an issue of strategic importance.

The conference will examine the future of HADR operations through the lens of their strategic impact. Considering the evolution of the strategic landscape and its consequences on the nature of HADR operations, it will analyse existing mechanisms and assess their performance. It will then look at ways to improve the governance of HADR in the Indo-Pacific and will examine the challenges of both, capacity-building and capability-enhancement in the region.