NewzIntel.com

Category: COVID-19 Vaccine

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statewide Action Following Confirmed Case of EEE

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced statewide actions to protect public health following reports that the first human case of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in New York since 2015 has died. The case, which was confirmed in Ulster County on September 20 by the State Health Department’s Wadsworth Center, is being investigated by the Ulster County Department of Health.

    State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald issued a Declaration of an Imminent Threat to Public Health for EEE. The Declaration unlocks State resources to help support EEE prevention response and activities by local health departments – including ongoing mosquito spraying efforts – from September 30 to November 30, 2024.

    Immediately after the case of EEE was confirmed the Governor activated multiple State agencies – including the Department of Health, Department of Environmental Conservation, and Parks Department – in a robust, coordinated response to expand access to insect repellent at State parks and campgrounds, increase public outreach and urge New Yorkers to follow recommendations to reduce risk of mosquito-borne illness.

    “Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority,” Governor Hochul said. “Following the first confirmed human case of EEE, my administration took statewide action to help protect communities – and with today’s declaration we’re making more State resources available to local departments to support their public health response. We’ve been informed this patient has passed away from EEE, we extend our sympathies and our hearts go out to their family.”

    The State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is making mosquito repellent available to park visitors at park offices, visitor centers and campground offices. State Parks is placing signage at Parks and Historic Sites to raise awareness of EEE and consulted with local health departments in affected areas about limiting park hours and camping availability during hours of peak mosquito activity.

    Additionally, DEC is posting signage at DEC facilities, campgrounds, popular Hudson Valley trailheads, environmental education centers, and other State lands to raise awareness about EEE. DEC and State Parks are also alerting patrons with campground reservations about preventative measure they can take to avoid mosquito bites. DOH, DEC and State Parks are also launching a social media campaign to raise awareness of EEE and other mosquito-transferred pathogens and steps to avoid mosquito bites, including using repellent, covering exposed areas of skin, and avoiding outdoor activity at dawn and dusk.

    State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Eastern equine encephalitis is different this year. While we normally see these mosquitoes in two to three counties each year, this year they have been in 15 counties so far, and scattered all over New York State. This life-threatening mosquito-borne disease has no commercially available human vaccine and must be taken seriously. Mosquitoes, once a nuisance, are now a threat. I urge all New Yorkers to prevent mosquito bites by using insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved clothing and removing free-standing water near their homes. Fall is officially here, but mosquitoes will be around until we see multiple nights of below freezing temperatures.”

    State Parks Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said, “We encourage park visitors and outdoor enthusiasts to become familiar with the risks of EEE and to take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. We will continue to coordinate with the state Department of Health and local public health agencies on any additional recommended steps to address this issue.”

    State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “Eastern equine encephalitis is a serious concern, especially for those spending time outdoors enjoying the fall weather. DEC will continue to closely coordinate with our State and local partners to help ensure New Yorkers are aware of the risks and the precautions they can take to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses.”

    The recent human case in New York State was identified by the Wadsworth Center. Other states, including Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and New Hampshire, have also reported human EEE cases this year. Eighteen cases of EEE have been in identified in horses across 12 counties in New York State this year.

    Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a rare but severe viral disease spread by infected mosquitoes that can affect people and horses. People of all ages are susceptible to infection, but people over 50 and younger than 15 are at a high risk of acquiring the virus.

    While most people bitten by an infected mosquito will not develop symptoms, severe cases may begin with the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills and vomiting. The illness may then progress into disorientation, seizures, encephalitis and coma. Approximately a third of patients who develop EEE die, while many patients who survive EEE experience neurologic impairment.

    There is no commercially available human vaccine for EEE and the best protection is to prevent mosquito bites.

    The following precautions are recommended to reduce the risk of infection from EEE and other mosquito-borne illnesses:

    • Consider wearing long sleeves and tucking pants into socks and shirts into pants when outdoors at dusk or dawn, the time of day when mosquitoes are most active.
    • Use insect repellents containing DEET. Be sure to follow the insect repellent label directions. Children should not handle repellents directly. Instead, adults should apply repellents to their hands first and then gently spread them on the child’s exposed skin. Avoid applying directly to children’s hands. After returning indoors, wash your child’s treated skin and clothing with soap and water or bathe the child.
    • Make sure there are screens in the windows and doors of the home. Make sure the screens are free of rips, tears and holes.
    • Eliminate all standing water in yards and around the home and property where mosquitoes can breed, including plastic containers, pool covers, wading pools, ceramic pots, clogged drainpipes and wheelbarrows. Also, change water in bird baths twice a week.

    For more information about EEE, go to DOH’s website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Statement by Principals of the IASC on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – These atrocities must end

    Source: World Food Programme

    NEW YORK/GENEVA/ROME/WASHINGTON – As world leaders gather in New York for the 79th United Nations General Assembly, and as the threat of a wider regional escalation looms, we renew our demand for an end to the appalling human suffering and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

    We mourn the loss of innocent life everywhere, including those killed on October 7 and during the 11 months of conflict since then. 

    We urgently call for a sustained, immediate and unconditional ceasefire. This is the only way to end the suffering of civilians and save lives.

    All hostages and all those arbitrarily detained must be released immediately and unconditionally. 

    Humanitarians must have safe and unimpeded access to those in need.

    We cannot do our jobs in the face of overwhelming need and ongoing violence. More than 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza – the majority of them civilians, including women, children, older persons and at times entire families – have reportedly been killed, and more than 95,500 have been injured, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. It is estimated that a quarter of the injured in Gaza, or around 22,500 people, will require lifelong specialized rehabilitation and assistive care including individuals with severe limb injuries, amputations, spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and major burns.

    More than 2 million Palestinians are without protection, food, water, sanitation, shelter, health care, education, electricity and fuel – the basic necessities to survive. Families have been forcibly displaced, time and time again, from one unsafe place to the next, with no way out. 

    Women and girls’ dignity, safety, health and rights have been severely compromised. 

    The risk of famine persists with all 2.1 million residents still in urgent need of food and livelihood assistance as humanitarian access remains restricted.

    Healthcare has been decimated. More than 500 attacks on health care have been recorded in Gaza.

    Aid hubs have been forced to relocate and re-build many times over; convoys carrying life-saving aid have been shot at, delayed and denied access; and relief workers have been killed in unprecedented numbers. The number of aid workers killed in Gaza in the past year is the highest ever in a single crisis.

    Unnecessary and disproportionate force unleashed in the West Bank, combined with escalating settler violence, house demolitions, forced displacement and discriminatory movement restrictions, have caused increased fatalities and casualties.

    The war is also jeopardizing the future for all Palestinians and rendering eventual recovery far from reach.

    Meanwhile, close to 100 hostages remain in Gaza, while freed hostages have reported ill treatment, including sexual violence.

    The parties’ conduct over the last year makes a mockery of their claim to adhere to international humanitarian law and the minimum standards of humanity that it demands. 

    Civilians must be protected and their essential needs must be met. There must be accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

    Humanitarian and aid organizations have been doing their utmost to provide relief in Gaza and the West Bank, often at great personal risk, and with many aid workers paying the ultimate price. 

    Our capacity to deliver is indisputable if we are granted the access we need. The first round of the polio vaccination campaign, reaching more than 560,000 children under the age of 10, is but one example. The second round of vaccinations must be carried out safely and reach all children in Gaza.

    We urge world leaders, once again, to wield their influence to ensure respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law and the rulings of the International Court of Justice – through diplomatic pressure and cooperation in ending impunity. 

    Let us be clear: The protection of civilians is a bedrock principle for the global community and in all countries’ interest. Allowing the abhorrent, downward spiral caused by this war in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to continue will have unimaginable, global consequences. 

    These atrocities must end.

    Signatories:

    • Ms. Joyce Msuya, Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
    • Ms. Sofia Sprechmann Sineiro, Secretary General, CARE International 
    • Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 
    • Ms. Amy E. Pope, Director General, International Organization for Migration (IOM) 
    • Mr. Tom Hart, President and Chief Executive Officer, InterAction
    • Ms. Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps
    • Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 
    • Ms. Paula Gaviria Betancur, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (SR on HR of IDPs)  
    • Mr. Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 
    • Ms. Janti Soeripto, President and Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children US 
    • Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) 
    • Mr. Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)  
    • Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 
    • Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)  
    • Ms. Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Women 
    • Ms. Cindy McCain, Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP)  
    • Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO)

    [1] The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) fully supports the statement and the call by Principals of the IASC, for a sustained, immediate and unconditional ceasefire.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In the rare event of a vaccine injury, Australians should be compensated

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Wood, Professor, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Vaccination is one of the most effective methods to protect individuals and the broader public from disease. Vaccines are typically given to healthy people to prevent disease, so the bar for safety is set high.

    People benefit from vaccination at an individual level because they’re protected from disease. But for some vaccines, strong community uptake leads to “herd immunity”. This means people who are unable to be vaccinated can be protected by the “herd”.

    As with any prescribed medicine, vaccines can cause side effects. In the rare case that COVID vaccines did cause a specified serious injury (the scheme listed certain conditions that a person could claim for), Australians have been able to claim compensation. But this ends at the end of this month.

    From then, Australians won’t be able to access no-fault compensation for any vaccine injury – from COVID or any others.

    Why compensate people for vaccine injuries?

    Fortunately, serious vaccine injuries are rare. Most are not a result of error in vaccine design, manufacturing or delivery, but are a product of a small but inherent risk.

    As a result, people who suffer serious vaccine injuries cannot get compensation through legal mechanisms. This is because they can’t demonstrate the injury was caused through negligence.

    Vaccine injury compensation schemes compensate people who have a serious vaccine injury following administration of properly manufactured vaccines.

    The COVID vaccine claims scheme

    In 2021, in recognition of the rare risk of a serious vaccine injury, and in support of the roll out of the COVID vaccine program, the Australian government introduced a COVID vaccine claims scheme.

    The aim was to provide a simple, streamlined process to compensate people who suffered a moderate to severe vaccine injury, without the need for complex legal proceedings. It was limited to TGA-approved COVID vaccines, and to specific reactions.

    The Australian government has said the scheme will close this month and claims need to be lodged before September 30 2024.

    Following its closure, Australia will not have a vaccine injury compensation scheme.

    Australia is lagging internationally

    Australia lags behind 25 other countries including the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand which have comprehensive no-fault vaccine injury compensation schemes. These cover both COVID and non-COVID vaccines.

    The schemes are based on the ethical principle of “reciprocal justice”. This acknowledges that people acting to benefit not just themselves but also the community (for the benefit of the “herd”) should be compensated by the same community if it has resulted in harm.

    The US, UK and New Zealand all have vaccine injury compensation schemes.
    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

    So what happens in Australia now?

    In Australia, people with non-COVID vaccine injuries or COVID vaccine injuries not covered by the current claims scheme must bear the costs associated with their injury by themselves or access publicly funded health care. They will not receive any compensation for their injury and suffering.

    Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding support to access therapies for people with a permanent and significant disability. However, it does not cover temporary vaccine-related injuries.

    Participants with vaccine injuries as a result of taking part in a clinical vaccine trial are compensated. This typically includes income-replacement, personal assistance expenses and reimbursement of expenses resulting from the incident, including medical expenses.

    In Australia, we also have strong compulsion for people to receive routine vaccines through legislative requirements such as No Jab No Pay (which requires children to be immunised to receive some government payments) and, in some states, No Jab No Play (which requires children be fully immunised to attend childcare).

    Countries such as ours that mandate vaccination without providing no-fault injury compensation schemes for rare vaccine injury could be abrogating the social contract by not protecting the individual and community.

    It’s time to set up an Australian scheme

    The Australian immunisation system is among the most comprehensive in the world. Our government-funded national immunisation program provides free vaccines for infants, children and adults for at least 15 diseases.

    We also have a whole-of-life immunisation register and comprehensive vaccine safety surveillance system.

    Australia’s immunisation program provides vaccines for at least 15 different diseases.
    sergey kolesnikov/Shutterstock

    A recent Senate committee recommended:

    the Australian government consider the design and compensation arrangements of a no-fault compensation scheme for Commonwealth-funded vaccines in response to a future pandemic event.

    Vaccines are designed to be very safe and effective. But the “insurance policy” of an injury compensation scheme, if designed and communicated appropriately, should build trust and give confidence to health workers and the general public to support our national vaccine program. This is particularly important given the reductions in uptake of routine vaccines.

    How should it work?

    A no-fault vaccine injury compensation scheme could be funded via a vaccine levy system, as is done in the US, where an excise tax is imposed on each dose of vaccine.

    An effective vaccine injury compensation scheme needs to be:

    • accessible, with low legal and financial barriers
    • transparent, with clear decision-making processes, compensation frameworks and funding responsibilities
    • timely, with short, clear timeframes for decision-making
    • fair, with people compensated adequately for the harm they’ve suffered.

    Legislation to introduce and allocate funds to support an Australian injury compensation scheme for all vaccines is overdue. The draft National Immunisation Strategy 2025–2030 hinted at the opportunity to explore the feasibility of a no fault compensation scheme for all vaccines the Australian government funds, without committing to such a program.

    An Australian vaccine injury scheme, covering all national immunisation program vaccines, not just pandemic use vaccines, should be seen as a crucial component of our public health system and a social responsibility commitment to all Australians.

    Nicholas Wood previously received funding from the NHMRC for a Career Development Fellowship and is a Churchill Fellow.

    Sophie Wen receives funding from Queensland Government for an Advancing Clinical Research Fellowship and is a Mary McConnel career boost program recipient from Children’s Hospital Foundation. Sophie Wen is an investigator for several industry-sponsored clinical vaccine trials but does not receive any direct funding.

    Tim Ford does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. In the rare event of a vaccine injury, Australians should be compensated – https://theconversation.com/in-the-rare-event-of-a-vaccine-injury-australians-should-be-compensated-232396

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Being There :30 | 09.23.24 | Risk Less. Do More.

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    There’s nothing better than being there for your family, friends, and community. But the older you are the higher your risk of missing out because you get seriously ill with flu, COVID-19, or RSV. So, get this season’s vaccines because being there for all of them begins with taking care of yourself. Get started at vaccines.gov

    —

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) | http://www.hhs.gov

    http://www.Twitter.com/HHSGov | http://www.Facebook.com/HHS http://www.Instagram.com/HHSGov
    http://www.LinkedIn.com/company/us-department-of-health-and-human-services

    HHS Privacy Policy: http://www.hhs.gov/Privacy.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HnNB-R4BEk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Nigeria: fears of disease outbreaks grow in Maiduguri following severe flooding

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

    Maiduguri, Borno state, 23 September 2024 – Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is highly concerned about the significant risk of malaria and waterborne diseases, including cholera, following the recent flooding that has inundated vast parts of Maiduguri. in north-eastern Nigeria. MSF fears that this crisis could increase the levels of malnutrition in the area and calls for urgent additional support, especially in terms of water, sanitation, and medical care, to protect people already heavily impacted by long-term insecurity and unprecedented levels of malnutrition.

    On 10 September, heavy rain caused the Alau Dam in Borno State to overflow, leading to major floods in and around the city of Maiduguri. The deluge heavily impacted houses, markets, fields, livestock, and several health facilities. According to Borno State authorities, close to 400,000 people have been registered in 30 makeshift displacement sites.[1] Most of the sites are schools with too few latrines, and a lack of safe drinking water.

    “We are very concerned about the precarious living conditions and the potential outbreaks of cholera and malaria”, says Dr Issaley Abdel Kader MSF Head of mission in Nigeria. “The number of children affected by malaria and acute watery diarrhoea had already started to increase before the flooding, and we have seen some with clinical signs of cholera since the floods. We are afraid that the number of cases will rise without an increase in medical and humanitarian support, particularly support for water, sanitation and hygiene services.”

    Last week, MSF teams visited several displacement sites (Galtimari, Yerwa, Ali Sheriff, Vocational Enterprise Institute, Teachers Village) to assess people’s needs and start the provision of essential services such as access to water through water-trucking and water tanks, the installation and repair of latrines, and the distribution of mosquito nets. Teams are also running outpatient consultations in the sites, including mental health support, and referring critical patients to the facilities we support. Given the risks posed by malaria and cholera, MSF is also planning to expand the paediatric facility it supports by 100 beds and have begun setting up a cholera treatment centre that can be increased to a 100-bed capacity, if needed.  

    The Borno State government has announced the closure and merging of most displacement sites in the coming days. They plan to keep three main sites to accommodate people who still have no place to stay for one more week, and a mass cholera vaccination is upcoming.

    “All parties involved in the humanitarian response must continue providing assistance to the people affected by the floods as long as it will be necessary and ensure immediate and easy access to medical care for those who need it. The closure of most sites means that many will find themselves in a very vulnerable situation. For those remaining in the sites, prompt action must be taken to swiftly improve hygiene conditions, including access to latrines, safe water and mosquito nets”, says Dr. Issaley.

    Support for communities won’t just be needed at the new displacement sites. Well before the flooding, the entire population of Maiduguri was already facing huge challenges, including one of the worst malnutrition crises recorded in northeast Nigeria. In the past months, hundreds of severely malnourished children have been admitted every week into MSF’s nutritional care hospital.

    “Admissions to the nutritional facilities had just started to reduce when the flooding occurred”, says Dr. Ashok Shrirang Sankpal, deputy medical coordinator MSF Nigeria. “With markets and businesses heavily impacted, the harvest damaged and livestock washed away, there is huge concern that admissions will start to rise again.”

    This is the second time in just a few weeks’ that MSF has had to launch emergency responses linked to flooding in northern Nigeria. In August in Gummi, Zamfara state, homes and farms were destroyed and thousands left newly displaced by severe flooding. Like Maiduguri, people in this area already face significant challenges, including malnutrition, persistent insecurity and lack of access to healthcare. MSF teams have been supporting communities in Gummi over the last few weeks by delivering clean drinking water, repairing boreholes and delivering kits which include plastic sheets for temporary shelter and mosquito nets.

    [1] Nigeria: Floods – Maiduguri (MMC) and Jere Floods Flash Update 3 (18 September 2024) – Nigeria | ReliefWeb

    MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CHP investigates case of invasive meningococcal infection

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CHP investigates case of invasive meningococcal infection
    CHP investigates case of invasive meningococcal infection
    *********************************************************

         The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (September 23) investigating a case of invasive meningococcal infection, a communicable disease transmitted by direct contact with droplets from carriers or infected persons.     The case involves a 50-year-old female with good past health, who presented with malaise, fever and a rash since September 18, and sought medical attention from a private doctor on September 19. She attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Tseung Kwan O Hospital on September 21 due to dizziness, headache, vomiting and a stiff neck and was admitted for treatment on the same day. Her cerebrospinal fluid sample tested positive for Neisseria meningitidis upon laboratory testing. Her clinical diagnosis was meningitis. The patient is now in stable condition.     Initial enquiries revealed that the patient had no travel history during the incubation period. Her household contacts remain asymptomatic. The CHP’s investigation is continuing.     “Meningococcal infection is caused by a bacterium known as meningococcus. It is mainly transmitted by direct contact through respiratory secretions, including droplets from the nose and throat, from infected persons. The incubation period varies from two to 10 days, and is commonly three or four days,” a spokesman for the CHP said.     The clinical pictures among the infected may vary. Severe illness may result when the bacteria invade the bloodstream (meningococcaemia) or the membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord (meningococcal meningitis).     Meningococcaemia is characterised by a sudden onset of fever, an intense headache, purpura, shock and even death in severe cases. Meningococcal meningitis is characterised by high fever, severe headache and a stiff neck followed by drowsiness, vomiting, fear of bright light, or a rash. It can cause brain damage or even death. The brain damage may lead to intellectual impairment, mental retardation, hearing loss and electrolyte imbalance. Invasive meningococcal infection can be complicated by arthritis, inflammation of the heart muscle, inflammation of the posterior chamber of the eye or chest infection.     Meningococcal infection is a serious illness. Patients should be treated promptly with antibiotics.     To prevent meningococcal infection, members of the public are advised to take heed of the following measures: 

    Wash hands with liquid soap and water properly, especially when they are dirtied by respiratory secretions, e.g. after sneezing, and clean hands with alcohol-based handrub when they are not visibly soiled;
    Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, hold the spit with a tissue, dispose of nasal and mouth discharge in a lidded rubbish bin, and wash hands immediately;
    Avoid crowded places;
    Avoid close contact with patients who have a fever or severe headache;
    Travellers to high-risk areas may consult doctors for meningococcal vaccination; and
    Travellers returning from high-risk areas should seek medical advice if they become ill, and should discuss their recent travel history with their doctor.

         ???The public may visit the CHP’s website for more information on meningococcal infection.

     
    Ends/Monday, September 23, 2024Issued at HKT 17:45

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: African leaders meet on Mpox

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    President Cyril Ramaphosa says as the continent tackles Mpox, Africa needs to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “We need to ensure equitable distribution of medical countermeasures based on transparent criteria and readiness to initiate vaccination. We ask Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to lead the consultation with member states to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines and other medical countermeasures,” said the President.

    He was delivering South Africa’s statement at the African Union Heads of State virtual meeting on Mpox on Sunday.

    “We need a finance plan that is evidence-based, with sound forecasting of needs. The Africa CDC mandate on data sharing is the bedrock of global health security. This will help to ensure that public health threats are detected and shared across borders and with other continental and global stakeholders,” said the President.

    He said countries would only be able to effectively mobilise and direct funds if supported by reliable data.

    “We call on all African countries to make use of this instrumental system that has been created by our own institution. We call for the urgent operationalisation of the Africa Epidemic Fund as the primary vehicle for epidemic response financial management.”

    He said as with COVID-19, Africa is still struggling to get the Mpox vaccine and treatment.

    The President said the continent needs to manufacture Mpox vaccines in Africa to reduce costs and improve access.

    “We must co-develop these medical countermeasures, share intellectual property and ensure technology transfer. In this regard, we welcome the agreement between Africa CDC and Bavarian Nordic to transfer the Mpox vaccine technology to African manufacturers,” he said.

    With the financial support from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness, the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator, Afreximbank, the European Union and other partners, President Ramaphosa said the continent should be able to start vaccine manufacturing by 2025.

    “In the meantime, we appreciate the support from a number of countries to get vaccines in Africa.

    “The COVID-19 experience taught us that we need predictable demand and off-take guarantees for the vaccines, medicines and diagnostics manufactured in Africa. African countries should therefore buy vaccines and other health products manufactured in Africa to ensure sustainable manufacturing on our continent.”

    He said this could be achieved through the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism.

    Surveillance systems must be enhanced and healthcare delivery and infrastructure strengthened.

    “We must ensure that frontline health workers have the necessary diagnostic tools, vaccines and antiviral treatments. We need tested public health messages that promote awareness and prevention.

    “Beyond the targeted vaccination responses to outbreaks, we should explore the feasibility of continuing vaccinations in high-risk populations. This dual approach will help create a buffer against future outbreaks and protect our most vulnerable communities,” he said.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Mpox  as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

    The President commended the fact that Africa CDC had partnered with the WHO, UNICEF and other partners to develop the Mpox continental preparedness and response plan and to build, for the first time in Africa, one Continental Incident Management Team.

    The total number of positive cases recorded in South Africa since the outbreak in May this year stands at 25 cases, including three deaths. Twelve of these were reported in Gauteng, 11 reported in KwaZulu-Natal and two in the Western Cape.

    Africa CDC has signed a partnership agreement with the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and Bavarian Nordic to provide over 215 000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine.

    Africa CDC will oversee the equitable distribution of these vaccines, prioritising local needs across the affected member states. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Searching for a Vaccine Against an Ancient Scourge

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Syphilis cases have surged worldwide, leaving public health officials scrounging for ways to stop the spread. Now, a large, collaborative study of syphilis genetics from four continents has found hints of a possible target for a vaccine.

    Syphilis is a sexually transmitted illness that first appeared in Europe about 500 years ago. Its initial symptoms can vary, but the spiral shaped bacterium that causes it can persist in the body for years, often in the central nervous system, and cause birth defects when it infects infants in utero. Syphilis cases decreased in the middle 20th century as easy, effective treatment with injectable penicillin became available, and became uncommon in the 1990s due to changes in sexual behavior in the wake of the HIV epidemic.

    But recently, syphilis has made an unwelcome comeback. There were 207,255 cases in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than any time since the 1950s. Babies, some of them stillborn, made up 3,755 of those cases. Other countries worldwide are seeing the same disturbing upward trend.

    Stopping syphilis’s spread has become a pressing public health goal. Now, an international collaboration of researchers and doctors has collected one of the most extensive genomic surveys of the syphilis bacterium to date and correlated the genetic data with clinical information about the patients who provided the samples. They are using the data to search for proteins on the surface of the microbe that don’t vary. Such stable proteins could be good targets for a vaccine. They published their findings in the September issue of Lancet Microbe.

    Several previous scientific studies using whole genome-sequencing of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (the bacterium that causes syphilis, abbreviated as TPA) have helped researchers begin to understand the global distribution of circulating strains. However, few analyses of specimens for the purpose of evaluating TPA clinical and genetic diversity to inform syphilis vaccine development have been performed.

    This study enrolled participants from four countries, including Colombia, China, Malawi, and the U.S. Samples of TPA genomes from Africa and South America had been underrepresented in previous genetic studies and were a particularly valuable addition to the TPA genetic dataset.

    Once the samples were collected, they were sent to the University of North Carolina’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases in Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) to have their genetic sequences mapped in Dr. Jonathan Parr’s laboratory.

    “Whole-genome sequencing samples collected by partners around the world improved our understanding of circulating Treponema pallidum strains. The results help us understand differences between strains and identify targets for vaccine development,” says Parr.

    The researchers’ genetic mapping and protein modeling found that syphilis bacteria differed noticeably between continents, but there were enough similarities that the researchers believe they could find good targets for an effective global vaccine.

    UConn School of Medicine Professor Justin Radolf, one of the senior authors on the publication and a Principal Investigator on the NIH U19 award that funded the study, emphasized the importance of these findings.

    “By mapping mutations to three-dimensional models of the bacterium’s proteins, we’ve gained crucial insights that will inform the design of a syphilis vaccine,” Radolf says.

    Researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill are assessing vaccine acceptability to determine what concerns individuals may have on participating in future syphilis vaccine trials and the potential impact of a vaccine on key populations.

    “Engaging with the community now is really important in order to get patients’ opinions and concerns about a future syphilis vaccine trial even before the vaccine has been developed,” says Dr. Arlene C. Seña from UNC-Chapel Hill, co-lead on the clinical study that enrolled participants worldwide and the lead author on the Lancet Microbe manuscript.

    The team has already secured funding to continue their efforts to develop a syphilis vaccine.

    “This study highlights the power of collaboration,” says Juan Salazar, Physician-in-Chief at Connecticut Children’s and co-lead of the project, who also serves as chair of the department of pediatrics at UConn School of Medicine. “Our work here is not just about addressing a local health concern; it’s about contributing to a global solution for a disease that continues to affect millions worldwide.”

    The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and several international research institutions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: World’s top 1% own more wealth than 95% of humanity, as “the shadow of global oligarchy hangs over UN General Assembly,” says Oxfam

    Source: Oxfam –

    • Over a third of world’s biggest 50 corporations —worth $13.3 trillion— now run by a billionaire or has a billionaire as a principal shareholder.
    • Global South countries own just 31 percent of global wealth, despite being home to 79 percent of global population.
    • Oxfam urges multilateral action to advance new global framework on tax, cancel debts and rewrite intellectual property rules for pandemics.

    The richest 1 percent have more wealth than the bottom 95 percent of the world’s population put together, new Oxfam analysis of UBS data reveals today ahead of the annual UN High-Level General Debate.

    Billionaires are exerting new levels of control over economies, with a billionaire either running or the principal shareholder of more than a third of the world’s top 50 corporations. The combined market capitalization of these corporations is $13.3 trillion.

    Oxfam’s briefing paper “Multilateralism in an Era of Global Oligarchy” warns that multilateral efforts to respond to critical global challenges, including the climate crisis and persistent poverty and inequality, are being undermined by the ultra-wealthy and mega-corporations fueling inequality within and between countries.

    Despite being home to 79 percent of the world’s population, Global South countries own just 31 percent of global wealth.

    “The shadow of global oligarchy hangs over this year’s UN General Assembly. The ultra-wealthy and the mega-corporations they control are shaping global rules to serve their interests at the expense of people everywhere. The iconic UN podium is increasingly feeling diminished in a world in which billionaires are calling the shots,” said Amitabh Behar, Oxfam International’s Executive Director.

    The paper describes a “movement toward a global oligarchy,” where the ultra-rich, often through their increasingly monopolistic corporations, shape global political decision-making and rules to enrich themselves while thwarting vital global progress.

    The top 1 percent own 43 percent of all global financial assets. Just two corporations control 40 percent of the global seed market. The “big three” US-based asset managers —BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard— hold $20 trillion in assets, close to one-fifth of all investable assets in the world.

    “While we often hear about great power rivalries undermining multilateralism —it is clear that extreme inequality is playing a massive role. In recent years the ultra-wealthy and powerful corporations have used their vast influence to undermine efforts to solve major global problems such as tackling tax dodging, making Covid-19 vaccines available to the world and canceling the albatross of sovereign debt,” said Behar.

    Oxfam details three recent examples of extreme inequality eroding multilateral efforts —and where civil society and Global South leaders have offered inequality-busting solutions:

    • Powerful corporations undermining tax cooperation. The OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS) fell short of realizing its potential, with new rules for profit allocation that will deliver only tiny extra revenues for lower-income countries of as little as 0.026 percent of their GDP. The exclusion of financial services from OECD rules is a carve-out attributed to lobbying from countries with large banking and financial sectors. Global South countries, led by African countries, are instead advancing negotiations for a fairer tax convention at the UN that, along with Brazil’s leadership at the G20, offer a pathway for fairly taxing the super-rich and mega-corporations.
       
    • Big Pharma resisting efforts to break up their monopolies over Covid-19 vaccine technologies to unlock supply. Monopoly control over vaccine production was highly profitable during the pandemic. In 2021 alone, the seven largest manufacturers generated an estimated $50 billion in net profit from the sale of Covid-19 vaccines, resulting in huge payouts to rich shareholders and the emergence of new vaccine billionaires. The CEO of Pfizer Albert Bourla described the call to share Covid-19 vaccine technologies as “dangerous nonsense.” The failure to equitably share vaccines contributed to as many as 1.3 million excess deaths worldwide. A new pandemic treaty with strong provisions to suspend patents and allow for easier transfers of technology offers promise.
       
    • Private creditors exacerbating the global debt crisis. Low-income countries spend nearly 40 percent of their annual budgets on debt service, over 60 percent more than they spend on education, health, and social protection combined. Over half of low- and middle-income countries’ external debt is owed to private lenders like banks and hedge funds. Some of these creditors are “vulture funds,” which purchase distressed debt on the cheap and exploit legal mechanisms to be repaid in full, reaping outsized profits.

    “Only a solidarity-based multilateralism can reverse the movement toward global oligarchy. Some world leaders are showing they recognize this and are stepping up to fight inequality —but we need many more to demonstrate this courage,” said Behar.

    “Ultimately, a fairer world and international order —where corporations pay their fair share, global public health is prioritized, and where all countries can invest in their own people— benefits us all. This is not new, and it’s long what leaders especially from the Global South have called for.”  
     

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Taliban suspends polio vaccine campaign in Afghanistan – here’s the likely impact

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lee Sherry, Postdoctoral Research Associate, School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow

    The Taliban recently announced that they are suspending its polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan. The announcement was made shortly before the campaign was due to start.

    The suspension is temporary, according to the Taliban, and is due to security fears and the fact that women are involved in administering the vaccine.

    Poliovirus is a highly infectious virus that mainly affects children under the age of five, but anyone who is unvaccinated can be infected. The virus spreads from person to person mainly through traces of contaminated faeces on people’s hands getting into their mouths or, less commonly, through contaminated food or water.

    It initially infects the intestines, leading to symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache and vomiting in the early stages of the disease. But, as the infection progresses, the virus can invade the nervous system, often leading to paralysis. In the worst cases, affected children will die as the paralysis spreads to the muscles that control breathing.

    Polio was a major global childhood health concern in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, the development of polio vaccines has given us the ability to prevent polio-induced paralysis. There are two main types of polio vaccine: live-attenuated oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), made from weakened poliovirus, and inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV).

    Following the introduction of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, OPV and IPV have nearly eliminated the disease. Yet polio remains a global threat, as was seen recently with the emergence of polio in the Gaza Strip.

    Afghanistan is one of only two countries, alongside neighbouring Pakistan, where polio has continued to spread. So the news that the Taliban have suspended polio vaccination will probably have major consequences for the control of the disease in Afghanistan and the surrounding region.

    Earlier in 2024, Afghanistan had used a house-to-house vaccination strategy, recommended by the WHO, for the first time in five years. This tactic ensures that most children have access to the vaccine. However, in the southern Kandahar province, the Taliban used a mosque-to-mosque vaccination campaign, which has been proven to be less effective. So Kandahar is believed to have a large number of unvaccinated children who are now susceptible to infection.

    Locally, this setback in vaccination not only poses a risk to the children of Afghanistan, but also poses a risk to children in bordering Pakistan. This is due to the high levels of movement across the borders between the two countries.

    “Afghanistan is the only neighbour from where Afghan people in large numbers come to Pakistan and then go back,” Anwarul Haq, the coordinator at the National Emergency Operation Centre for Polio Eradication, told Associated Press.

    Much wider spread

    Afghanistan has already seen an increase in paralytic polio cases in 2024, rising from six in 2023 to 14 confirmed cases in 2024 so far. Paralysis occurs in about one in 200 infections, so this increase in paralytic polio suggests a much wider spread of infection in the region. This includes Pakistan, which has reported 13 cases so far this year.

    With the reduced number of vaccinations and an increasing number of children vulnerable to polio infection, we are likely to see an increased number of paralytic polio cases in the near future. This potential increase in viral spread coupled with the number of people travelling in and out of the region may lead to the spread of polio beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan and into areas such as India and Iran.

    Unfortunately, those who are not vaccinated will also be susceptible to vaccine-derived poliovirus. This is where the OPV vaccine, which contains a weakened version of the virus, has been able to spread in areas with low vaccination coverage, allowing the virus to return to virulence.

    This has seen new vaccine-derived outbreaks seeded across several countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, which now accounts for most paralytic polio cases worldwide.

    Lee Sherry has previously worked on a WHO-funded project to develop new vaccines for poliovirus.

    – ref. The Taliban suspends polio vaccine campaign in Afghanistan – here’s the likely impact – https://theconversation.com/the-taliban-suspends-polio-vaccine-campaign-in-afghanistan-heres-the-likely-impact-239316

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Joint Fact Sheet: The United  States and India Continue to Expand Comprehensive and Global Strategic  Partnership

    Source: The White House

    Today, United States President Joseph R. Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed that the U.S.-India Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership, the defining partnership of the 21st century, is decisively delivering on an ambitious agenda that serves the global good.  The Leaders reflected on a historic period that has seen the United States and India reach unprecedented levels of trust and collaboration.  The Leaders affirmed that the U.S.-India partnership must be anchored in upholding democracy, freedom, the rule of law, human rights, pluralism, and equal opportunities for all as our countries strive to become more perfect unions and meet our shared destiny.  The Leaders commended the progress that has made the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership a pillar of global security and peace, highlighting the benefits of increased operational coordination, information-sharing, and defense industrial innovation.  President Biden and Prime Minister Modi expressed unrelenting optimism and the utmost confidence that the tireless efforts of our peoples, our civic and private sectors, and our governments to forge deeper bonds have set the U.S.-India partnership on a path toward even greater heights in the decades ahead.
     
    President Biden expressed his immense appreciation for India’s leadership on the world stage, particularly Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in the G-20 and in the Global South and his commitment to strengthen the Quad to ensure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. India is at the forefront of efforts to seek solutions to the most pressing challenges, from supporting the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic to addressing the devastating consequences of conflicts around the world. President Biden commended Prime Minister Modi for his historic visits to Poland and Ukraine, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in decades, and for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine, including its energy sector, and on the importance of international law, including the UN charter.  The Leaders reaffirmed their support for the freedom of navigation and the protection of commerce, including critical maritime routes in the Middle East where India will assume co-lead in 2025 of the Combined Task Force 150 to work with Combined Maritime Forces to secure sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.  President Biden shared with Prime Minister Modi that the United States supports initiatives to reform global institutions to reflect India’s important voice, including permanent membership for India in a reformed U.N. Security Council.  The Leaders voiced their view that a closer U.S.-India partnership is vital to the success of efforts to build a cleaner, inclusive, more secure, and more prosperous future for the planet.   
     
    President Biden and Prime Minister Modi applauded the success of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in deepening and expanding strategic cooperation across key technology sectors, including space, semiconductors, and advanced telecommunications. Both Leaders committed to enhance regular engagements to improve the momentum of collaboration in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, and clean energy. They highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration with like-minded partners, including through the Quad and a U.S.-India-ROK Trilateral Technology initiative launched earlier this year to build more secure and resilient supply chains for critical industries and ensure we collectively remain at the leading edge of innovation.  The Leaders directed their governments to redouble efforts to address export controls, enhance high technology commerce, and reduce barriers to technology transfer between our two countries, while addressing technology security, including through the India-U.S. Strategic Trade Dialogue.  Leaders also endorsed new mechanisms for deeper cyberspace cooperation through the bilateral cybersecurity dialogue. The Leaders recommitted to expand the manufacturing and deployment of clean energy, including finding opportunities to expand U.S.-India cooperation in solar, wind and nuclear energy and the development of small modular reactor technologies.
     
    Charting a Technology Partnership for the Future
     

    • President Biden and Prime Minister Modi hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for national security, next generation telecommunications, and green energy applications. The fab, which will be established with the objective of manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductors, will be enabled by support from the India Semiconductor Mission as well as a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the U.S. Space Force.
    • The Leaders praised combined efforts to facilitate resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains including through GlobalFoundries’ (GF) creation of the GF Kolkata Power Center in Kolkata, India that will enhance mutually beneficial linkages in research and development in chip manufacturing and enable game-changing advances for zero and low emission as well as connected vehicles, internet of things devices, AI, and data centers. They noted GF’s plans to explore longer term, cross-border manufacturing and technology partnerships with India which will deliver high-quality jobs in both of our countries.  They also celebrated the new strategic partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the India Semiconductor Mission, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in connection with the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund. 
    • The Leaders welcomed steps our industry is taking to build safe, secure, and resilient supply chains for U.S., Indian, and international automotive markets, including through Ford Motor Company’s submission of a Letter of Intent to utilize its Chennai plant to manufacture for export to global markets.  
    • The Leaders welcomed progress toward the first joint effort by NASA and ISRO to conduct scientific research onboard the International Space Station in 2025. They appreciated the initiatives and exchange of ideas under the Civil Space Joint Working Group and expressed hope that its next meeting in early 2025 will open additional avenues of cooperation.  They pledged to pursue opportunities to deepen joint innovation and strategic collaborations, including by exploring new platforms in civil and commercial space domains.  
    • The Leaders also welcomed efforts to enhance collaboration between our research and development ecosystems. The Leaders also welcomed efforts to enhance collaboration between our research and development ecosystems. The Leaders also welcomed efforts to enhance collaboration between our research and development ecosystems.  They plan to mobilize up to $90+ million in U.S. and Indian government funding over the next five years for the U.S.-India Global Challenges Institute to support high-impact R&D partnerships between U.S. and Indian universities and research institutions, including through identifying options to implement the Statement of Intent signed at the June 2024 iCET meeting.  The Leaders also welcomed the launch of a new U.S.-India Advanced Materials R&D Forum to expand collaboration between American and Indian universities, national laboratories, and private sector researchers. The Leaders also welcomed the launch of a new U.S.-India Advanced Materials R&D Forum to expand collaboration between American and Indian universities, national laboratories, and private sector researchers. 
    • The Leaders announced the selection of 11 funding awards between the National Science Foundation and India’s Department of Science and Technology, supported by a combined $5+ million grant to enable joint U.S.-India research projects in areas such as next-generation telecommunications, connected vehicles, machine learning.  The Leaders announced the award of 12 funding awards under the National Science Foundation and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, research collaboration with a combined outlay of nearly $10 million to enable joint U.S.-India basic and applied research in the areas of semiconductors, next generation communication systems, sustainability & green technologies and intelligent transportation systems.  Furthermore, NSF and MeitY are exploring new opportunities for research collaboration to enhance and synergize the basic and applied research ecosystem on both sides.
    • The Leaders celebrated that India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) along with National Science Foundation of the United States announced the first joint call for collaborative research projects in February 2024 to address complex scientific challenges and innovate novel solutions that leverage advances in synthetic and engineering biology, systems and computational biology, and other associated fields that are foundational to developing future biomanufacturing solutions and advance the bioeconomy. Under the first call for proposals, joint research teams responded enthusiastically and results are likely to be announced by the end of 2024.
    • The Leaders also highlighted additional cooperation we are building across artificial intelligence (AI), quantum, and other critical technology areas. They highlighted the second convening of the U.S.-India Quantum Coordination Mechanism in Washington in August and welcomed the announcement of seventeen new awards for binational research and development cooperation on artificial intelligence and quantum via the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (IUSSTF).  They welcomed new private sector cooperation on emerging technologies, such as through IBM’s recent conclusion of memoranda of understanding with the Government of India, which will enable IBM’s watsonx platform on India’s Airawat supercomputer and drive new AI innovation opportunities, enhance R&D collaboration on advanced semiconductor processors, and increase support for India’s National Quantum Mission. 
    • The Leaders commended ongoing efforts to build more expansive cooperation around 5G deployment and next-generation telecommunications; this includes the U.S. Agency for International Development’s plans to expand the Asia Open RAN Academy with an initial $7 million investment to grow this workforce training initiative worldwide, including in South Asia with Indian institutions.
    • The Leaders welcomed progress since the November 2023 signing of an MOU between the Commerce Department and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to enhance the two countries’ innovation ecosystems under the “Innovation Handshake” agenda.  Since then, the two sides have convened two industry roundtables in the U.S. and India to bring together startups, private equity and venture capital firms, corporate investment departments, and government officials to forge connections and to accelerate investment in innovation.

    Powering a Next Generation Defense Partnership

    • President Biden welcomed the progress towards India concluding procurement of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian) remotely piloted aircraft and their associated equipment, which will enhance the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of India’s armed forces across all domains. 
    • The Leaders recognized the remarkable progress under the U.S.-India Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap, including ongoing collaboration to advance priority co-production arrangements for jet engines, munitions, and ground mobility systems.  They also welcomed efforts to expand defense industrial partnerships, including the teaming of Liquid Robotics and Sagar Defence Engineering for the co-development and co-production of unmanned surface vehicle systems that strengthen undersea and maritime domain awareness. The Leaders applauded the recent conclusion of the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA), enhancing the mutual supply of defense goods and services. Both Leaders committed to advance ongoing discussions on aligning their respective defense procurement systems to further enable the reciprocal supply of defense goods and services.
    • President Biden welcomed India’s decision to set a uniform Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5 percent on the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sector, including on all aircraft and aircraft engine parts thereby simplifying the tax structure and paving the way for building a strong ecosystem for MRO services in India. The Leaders also encouraged the industry to foster collaboration and drive innovation to support India’s efforts to become a leading aviation hub.  The Leaders welcomed commitments from U.S. industry to further increase India’s MRO capabilities, including for the repair of aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.
    • The Leaders hailed the teaming agreement on the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft recently signed between Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, the two companies that co-chair the U.S.-India CEO Forum.  Building on longstanding industry cooperation, this agreement will establish a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India to support the readiness of the Indian fleet and global partners who operate the C-130 Super Hercules aircraft.  This marks a significant step in U.S.-India defense and aerospace cooperation and reflects the two sides’ deepening strategic and technology partnership ties.
    • The Leaders lauded the growing defense innovation collaboration between our governments, businesses, and academic institutions fostered by the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) initiative launched in 2023, and noted progress achieved during the third INDUS-X Summit in Silicon Valley earlier this month. They welcomed the enhanced collaboration between the Indian Ministry of Defence’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and US Department of Defence’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) through the Memorandum of Understanding signed at the Silicon Valley Summit. The efforts via the INDUSWERX consortium to facilitate pathways for defense and dual-use companies in the INDUS-X network to access premier testing ranges in both countries, were appreciated.
    • The Leaders also recognized the clear fulfillment of the shared goal to build a defense innovation bridge under INDUS-X through the launch of “joint challenges” designed by the U.S. DoD’S DIU and the Indian MoD’s Defence Innovation Organization (DIO).  In 2024, our governments have separately awarded $1+ million to U.S. and Indian companies that developed technologies focused on undersea communications and maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).  Building on this success, a new challenge was announced at the most recent INDUS-X Summit that focused on Space Situational Awareness (SSA) in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO).  
    • The Leaders welcomed ongoing efforts to deepen our military partnership and interoperability to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific, noting that India hosted our most complex, largest bilateral, tri-service exercise to date during the March 2024 TIGER TRIUMPH exercise.  They also welcomed the inclusion of new technologies and capabilities, including a first-ever demonstration of the Javelin and Stryker systems in India, on the margins of the ongoing bilateral Army YUDH ABHYAS exercise. 
    • The Leaders welcomed the conclusion of the Memorandum of Agreement regarding the Deployment of Liaison Officers, and the commencement of deployment process of the first Liaison Officer from India in US Special Operations Command (SOCOM).
    • The Leaders commended work to advance cooperation in advanced domains, including space and cyber, and looked forward towards the November 2024 bilateral cyber engagement to enhance the U.S.-India cyber cooperation framework. Areas of new cooperation will include threat information sharing, cybersecurity training, and collaboration on vulnerability mitigation in energy and telecommunications networks. The Leaders also noted the second U.S.-India Advanced Domains Defense Dialogue in May 2024, which included the first-ever bilateral defense space table-top exercise. 

    Catalyzing the Clean Energy Transition

    • President Biden and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the U.S.-India Roadmap to Build Safe and Secure Global Clean Energy Supply Chains, which launched a new initiative to accelerate the expansion of safe and secure clean energy supply chains through U.S. and Indian manufacturing of clean energy technologies and components.  In its initial phase, the U.S. and India would work together to unlock $1 billion of multilateral financing to support projects across the clean energy value chain for renewable energy, energy storage, power grid and transmission technologies, high efficiency cooling systems, zero emission vehicles, and other emerging clean technologies.
    • The Leaders also highlighted the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)’s partnership with India’s private sector to expand clean energy manufacturing and diversify supply chains.  To date, DFC has extended a $250 million loan to Tata Power Solar to construct a solar cell manufacturing facility and a $500 million loan to First Solar to construct and operate a solar module manufacturing facility in India.
    • The Leaders lauded the strong collaboration under the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP), most recently convened on September 16, 2024 in Washington DC to strengthen energy security, create opportunities for clean energy innovation, address climate change and create employment generation opportunities, including through capacity building, and collaboration between industry and R&D.
    • The Leaders welcomed collaboration on a new National Center for Hydrogen Safety in India and affirmed their intent to utilize the new Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) to enhance collaboration on clean energy manufacturing and global supply chains, including through public-private task forces on hydrogen and energy storage.
    • The Leaders also announced a new Memorandum of Cooperation between the U.S. Agency for International Development and the International Solar Alliance aimed at promoting more responsive and sustainable power systems that leverage diverse renewable energy sources. 
    • The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate the development of diverse and sustainable supply chains for critical minerals under the Minerals Security Partnership targeting strategic projects along the value chain.  The Leaders looked forward to the signing of the Critical Minerals Memorandum of Understanding at the forthcoming U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue and pledged to hasten bilateral collaboration to secure resilient critical minerals supply chains through enhanced technical assistance and greater commercial cooperation.
    • The Leaders welcomed the progress made on joint efforts since 2023 for India to work toward IEA membership in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement on an International Energy Program.
    • The two Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating the manufacturing and deployment of renewable energy, battery storage and emerging clean technology in India. They welcomed the ongoing progress between India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to provide up to $500 million each to anchor the Green Transition Fund as well as encourage private sector investors to match these efforts. Both sides look forward to the expeditious operationalization of the Green Transition Fund.

    Empowering Future Generations and Promoting Global Health and Development

    • The Leaders welcomed India’s signature and ratification of the Agreements under Pillar III, Pillar IV and the overarching Agreement on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The Leaders underscored that IPEF seeks to advance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness of the economies of its signatories. They noted the economic diversity of the 14 IPEF partners that represents 40 percent of global GDP and 28 percent of global goods and services trade.
    • President Biden and Prime Minister Modi celebrated the new U.S.-India Drug Policy Framework for the 21st Century and its accompanying Memorandum of Understanding, which will deepen collaboration to disrupt the illicit production and international trafficking of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals, and deepen a holistic public health partnership. 
    • The two Leaders signaled their commitment to the objectives of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drugs Threats and work towards combatting the threat of synthetic drugs and their precursors through mutually agreed initiatives to promote public health through coordinated actions.
    • The Leaders applauded the first-ever U.S.-India Cancer Dialogue held in August 2024, which brought together experts from both countries to increase research and development to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer.  The Leaders applauded the recently launched Bio5 partnership between the United States, India, ROK, Japan, and the EU, driving closer cooperation on pharmaceutical supply chains.  The Leaders applauded the Development Finance Corporation’s $50 million loan to Indian company Panacea Biotech to manufacture hexavalent (six-in-one) vaccines for children, reaffirming our joint commitment to advance shared global health priorities, including bolstering support for primary healthcare.
    • The leaders welcomed the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Small Business Administration for promoting cooperation between U.S. and Indian small and medium-size enterprises by improving their participation in the global market place through capacity building workshops in areas such as trade and export finance, technology and digital trade, green economy and trade facilitation. The MoU also provides for the joint conduct of programs for women entrepreneurs to empower them and facilitate trade partnership between women-owned small businesses of the two countries.  The Leaders celebrated that, since the June 2023 State visit, the Development Finance Corporation has invested $177 million across eight projects to support Indian small businesses and drive economic growth.
    • The Leaders welcomed enhanced cooperation on agriculture between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in areas such as climate-smart agriculture, agriculture productivity growth, agriculture innovation, and sharing best practices related to crop risk protection and agriculture credit. The two sides will also enhance cooperation with the private sector through discussions on regulatory issues and innovation to enhance bilateral trade.
    • The Leaders welcomed the formal launch of the new U.S.-India Global Digital Development Partnership, which aims to bring together U.S. and Indian private sector companies, technology and resources to deploy the responsible use of emerging digital technologies in Asia and Africa.
    • The Leaders welcomed strengthened trilateral cooperation with Tanzania through the Triangular Development Partnership, led by the U.S. Agency for International Development and India’s Development Partnership Administration to jointly address global development challenges and foster prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. The partnership focuses on advancing renewable energy projects, including solar energy, to enhance energy infrastructure and access in Tanzania, thereby bolstering energy cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.  They also desired to explore the expansion of the triangular development partnership in areas of health cooperation, particularly for critical technical areas of mutual interest including digital health and capacity building of nurses and other frontline health workers.
    • The Leaders acknowledged the July 2024 signing of a bilateral Cultural Property Agreement that will facilitate implementation of the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.  The agreement marked the culmination of years of diligent work by experts from both countries and fulfills President Biden’s and Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to enhance cooperation to protect cultural heritage highlighted in the joint statement when they met in June 2023. In this context, the leaders welcomed the repatriation of 297 Indian antiquities from the U.S. to India in 2024.
    • The Leaders look forward to building on India’s ambitious G20 presidency to deliver on shared priorities for the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, including: bigger, better, and more effective MDBs, including by following through on Leaders’ pledges in New Delhi to boost the World Bank’s capacity to help developing countries address global challenges, while recognizing the imperative of achieving the sustainable development goals; a more predictable, orderly, timely and coordinated sovereign debt restructuring process; and a pathway to growth for high-ambition developing countries that are facing financing challenges amid mounting debt burdens by increasing access to finance and unlocking fiscal space taking into account country specific circumstances.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: UN Summit of the Future: AI opportunity for everyone

    Source: Google

    Editor’s note: This week in New York City, leaders from around the world are gathering for the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) — including the first ever “Summit of the Future” — where Google CEO Sundar Pichai delivered a keynote address today.

    What follows is a transcript of the remarks, as prepared for delivery.

    Introduction

    Mr. Secretary-General, President of the General Assembly, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen — it’s a privilege to join you today.

    I’m energized by the summit’s focus on the future. We have a once-in-a- generation opportunity to unlock human potential, for everyone, everywhere.

    I believe that technology is a foundational enabler of progress. Just as the internet and mobile devices expanded opportunities for people around the world, now AI is poised to accelerate progress at unprecedented scale.

    I’m here today to make the case for three things:

    • Why I believe AI is so transformative
    • How it can be applied to benefit humanity and make progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
    • And where we can drive deeper partnerships to ensure that the technology benefits everyone

    Expanding opportunity through technology

    But first let me share why this is so important — to me personally, and to Google as a company.

    Growing up in Chennai, India, with my family, the arrival of each new technology improved our lives in meaningful ways. Our first rotary phone saved us hours of travel to the hospital to get test results. Our first refrigerator gave us more time to spend as a family, rather than rushing to cook ingredients before they spoiled.

    The technology that changed my life the most was the computer. I didn’t have much access to one growing up. When I came to graduate school in the US, there were labs full of machines I could use anytime I wanted — it was mind blowing. Access to computing inspired me to pursue a career where I could bring technology to more people.

    And that path led me to Google 20 years ago. I was excited by its mission: to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

    That mission has had incredible impact:

    Google Search democratized information access, and opened up opportunities in education and entrepreneurship. Platforms like Chrome and Android helped bring one billion people online.

    Today, 15 of our products serve more than half a billion people and businesses each. And six of them – such as Search, Maps and Drive – each serve more than 2 billion. There’s no cost to use them, and most of our users are in the developing world.

    The AI opportunity

    Today we’re working on the most transformative technology yet: AI.

    We’ve been investing in AI research, tools, and infrastructure for two decades because it’s the most profound way we can deliver on our mission — and improve people’s lives.

    I want to talk today about four of the biggest opportunities we see, many of which align with the SDGs.

    One is helping people access the world’s information and knowledge in their own language.

    Using AI, in just the last year, we have added 110 new languages to Google Translate, spoken by half a billion people around the world. That brings our total to 246 languages, and we’re working toward 1,000 of the world’s most spoken languages.

    A second area is accelerating scientific discovery to benefit humanity.

    Our AlphaFold breakthrough is solving big challenges in predicting some of the building blocks of life, including proteins and DNA. We opened up AlphaFold to the scientific community free of charge, and it’s been accessed by more than two million researchers from over one hundred and ninety countries. Thirty percent are in the developing world – for example over 25,000 researchers just in Brazil. Globally, AlphaFold is being used in research that could help make crops more resistant to disease, discover new drugs in areas like malaria vaccines and cancer treatments, and much more.

    A third opportunity is helping people in the path of climate-related disaster, building on the UN’s initiative for “Early Warnings for All.” Our Flood Hub system provides early warnings up to seven days in advance, helping protect over 460 million people in over 80 countries.

    And for millions in the paths of wildfires, our boundary tracking systems are already in 22 countries on Google Maps. We also just announced FireSat technology, which will use satellites to detect and track early-stage wildfires, with imagery updated every 20 minutes globally, so firefighters can respond. AI gives a boost in accuracy, speed and scale.

    Fourth, we see the opportunity for AI to meaningfully contribute to economic progress. It’s already enabling entrepreneurs and small businesses …empowering governments to provide public services… and boosting productivity across sectors. Some studies show that AI could boost global labor productivity by 1.4 percentage points, and increase global GDP by 7%, within the next decade.

    For example, AI is helping improve operations and logistics in emerging markets, where connectivity, infrastructure and traffic congestion are big challenges. Freight startup Gary Logistics in Ethiopia is using AI to help move goods to market faster and bring more work opportunities to freelance drivers.

    These are just early examples. And there are so many others across education, health and sustainability. As technology improves, so will the benefits.

    The risks of AI

    As with any emerging technology, AI will have limitations … be it issues with accuracy, factuality, and bias … as well as the risks of misapplication and misuse, like the creation of deep fakes.

    It also presents new complexities, for example the impact on the future of work.

    For all these reasons, we believe that AI must be developed, deployed, and used responsibly, from the start.

    We’re guided by our AI Principles, which we published back in 2018. And we work with others across the industry, academia, the UN, and governments in efforts like the Frontier Model Forum, the O.E.C.D., and the G7 Hiroshima Process.

    Preventing an AI divide

    But I want to talk about another risk that I worry about.

    I think about where I grew up, and how fortunate I was to have access to technology, even if it came slowly.

    Not everyone had that experience. And while good progress has been made by UN institutions like the I.T.U., gaps persist today in the form of a well known digital divide.

    With AI, we have the chance to be inclusive from the start, and to ensure that the digital divide doesn’t become an AI divide. This is a challenge that needs to be met by the private sector and public sector working together. We can focus in three key areas:

    First is digital infrastructure.

    Google has made big investments globally in subsea and terrestrial fiber optic cables.

    One connects Africa with Europe, and two others will be the first intercontinental fiber optic routes that connect Asia Pacific and South America, and Australia and Africa.

    These fiber optic routes stitch together our network of 40 cloud regions around the world that provide digital services to governments, entrepreneurs, SMBs and companies across all sectors.

    In addition to compute access, we also open up our technology to others. We did this with Android; and now our Gemma AI models are open to developers and researchers, and we will continue to invest here.

    A second area is about investing in people.

    That starts with making sure people have the skills they need to seize new opportunities.

    Our Grow with Google program has already trained one hundred million people around the world in digital skills.

    And today I’m proud to announce our Global AI Opportunity Fund. This will invest one hundred and twenty million dollars to make AI education and training available in communities around the world. We’re providing this in local languages, in partnership with nonprofits and NGOs.

    We’re also helping to support entrepreneurs for the AI revolution. In Brazil, we worked with thousands of women entrepreneurs to use Google AI to grow their businesses. In Asia, where fewer than six percent of start-ups are founded by women, we’re providing many with mentorship, capital, and training.

    An enabling policy environment

    The third area is one where we especially need the help of the member countries and leaders in this room: creating an enabling policy environment. One that addresses both the risks and worries around new technologies, and also encourages the kinds of applications that improve lives at scale.

    This requires a few things:

    • Government policymaking that supports investments in infrastructure, people, and innovation that benefits humanity,
    • Country development strategies and frameworks like the Global Digital Compact that prioritize the adoption of AI solutions,
    • And smart product regulation that mitigates harms and resists national protectionist impulses — that could widen an AI divide and limit AI’s benefits.

    We are excited to be your partner, and to work with you to make sure bold innovations are deployed responsibly so that AI is truly helpful for everyone.

    The opportunities are too great … the challenges too urgent … and this technology too transformational, to do anything less.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Wilmington Declaration Joint Statement from the Leaders of Australia, India, Japan, and the United  States

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Today, we—Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the United States—met for the fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit, hosted by President Biden in Wilmington, Delaware.
    Four years since elevating the Quad to a leader-level format, the Quad is more strategically aligned than ever before and is a force for good that delivers real, positive, and enduring impact for the Indo-Pacific. We celebrate the fact that over just four years, Quad countries have built a vital and enduring regional grouping that will buttress the Indo-Pacific for decades to come.
    Anchored by shared values, we seek to uphold the international order based on the rule of law. Together we represent nearly two billion people and over one-third of global gross domestic product. We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient. Through our cooperation, the Quad is harnessing all of our collective strengths and resources, from governments to the private sector to people-to-people relationships, to support the region’s sustainable development, stability, and prosperity by delivering tangible benefits to the people of the Indo-Pacific.
    As four leading maritime democracies in the Indo-Pacific, we unequivocally stand for the maintenance of peace and stability across this dynamic region, as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity. We strongly oppose any destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. We condemn recent illicit missile launches in the region that violate UN Security Council resolutions. We express serious concern over recent dangerous and aggressive actions in the maritime domain. We seek a region where no country dominates and no country is dominated—one where all countries are free from coercion, and can exercise their agency to determine their futures. We are united in our commitment to upholding a stable and open international system, with its strong support for human rights, the principle of freedom, rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes and prohibition on the threat or use of force in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter.
    Reflecting the Vision Statement issued by Leaders at the 2023 Quad Summit, we are and will continue to be transparent in what we do. Respect for the leadership of regional institutions, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), is and will remain at the center of the Quad’s efforts.
    A Global Force for Good
    Health Security
    The COVID-19 pandemic reminded the world how important health security is to our societies, our economies, and the stability of our region. In 2021 and 2022, the Quad came together to deliver more than 400 million safe and effective COVID-19 doses to Indo-Pacific countries and almost 800 million vaccines globally, and provided $5.6 billion to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment for vaccine supply to low and middle-income countries. In 2023, we announced the Quad Health Security Partnership, through which the Quad continues to deliver for partners across the region, including through the delivery of pandemic preparedness training.
    In response to the current clade I mpox outbreak, as well as the ongoing clade II mpox outbreak, we plan to coordinate our efforts to promote equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured mpox vaccines, including where appropriate expanding vaccine manufacturing in low and middle-income countries.
    Today we are proud to announce the Quad Cancer Moonshot, a groundbreaking partnership to save lives in the Indo-Pacific region. Building on the Quad’s successful partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic, our collective investments to address cancer in the region, our scientific and medical capabilities, and contributions from our private and non-profit sectors, we will collaborate with partner nations to reduce the burden of cancer in the region.
    The Quad Cancer Moonshot will focus initially on combatting cervical cancer—a preventable cancer that continues to claim too many lives—in the Indo-Pacific region, while laying the groundwork to address other forms of cancer as well. The United States intends to support this initiative, including through U.S. Navy medical trainings and professional exchanges around cervical cancer prevention in the region starting in 2025, and through U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) openness to finance eligible private sector-driven projects to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer, including cervical cancer. Australia is announcing the expansion of the Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer Program (EPICC) with support of the Australian Government and the Minderoo Foundation to AUD 29.6 million, to cover up to eleven countries in the Indo-Pacific in helping advance the elimination of cervical cancer and support complementary initiatives focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. India commits to providing HPV sampling kits, detection kits, and cervical cancer vaccines worth $7.5 million to the Indo-Pacific region.  India, through its $10 million commitment to the WHO’s Global Initiative on Digital Health, will offer technical assistance to interested countries in the Indo-Pacific region for the adoption and deployment of its Digital Public Infrastructure that helps in cancer screening and care. Japan is providing medical equipment, including CT and MRI scanners, and other assistance worth approximately $27 million, including in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste, and is contributing to international organizations such as the Gavi Vaccine Alliance. Quad partners also intend to work, within respective national contexts, to collaborate in advancing research and development in the area of cancer and to increase private sector and non-governmental sector activities in support of reducing the burden of cervical cancer in the region. We welcome a number of new, ambitious commitments from non-governmental institutions, including the Serum Institute of India, in partnership with Gavi, which will support orders of up to 40 million HPV vaccine doses, subject to necessary approvals, for the Indo-Pacific region, and which may be increased consistent with demand. We also welcome a new $100 million commitment from Women’s Health and Empowerment Network to address cervical cancer in Southeast Asia.
    Altogether, our scientific experts assess that the Quad Cancer Moonshot will save hundreds of thousands of lives over the coming decades.
    Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
    Twenty years since the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, when the Quad first came together to surge humanitarian assistance, we continue to respond to the vulnerabilities caused by natural disasters in the Indo-Pacific. In 2022, the Quad established the “Quad Partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief in the Indo-Pacific” and signed Guidelines for the Quad Partnership on HADR in the Indo-Pacific, which enable Quad countries to rapidly coordinate in the face of natural disasters. We welcome Quad governments working to ensure readiness to rapidly respond, including through pre-positioning of essential relief supplies, in the event of a natural disaster; this effort extends from the Indian Ocean region, to Southeast Asia, to the Pacific.
    In May 2024, following a tragic landslide in Papua New Guinea, Quad partners collectively contributed over $5 million in humanitarian assistance. Quad partners are working together to provide over $4 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of Vietnam in light of the devastating consequences of Typhoon Yagi. The Quad continues to support partners in the region in their longer-term resiliency efforts.
    Maritime Security
    In 2022, we announced the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) to offer near-real-time, integrated, and cost-effective maritime domain awareness information to partners in the region. Since then, in consultation with partners, we have successfully scaled the program across the Indo-Pacific region—through the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, with partners in Southeast Asia, to the Information Fusion Center—Indian Ocean Region, Gurugram. In doing so, the Quad has helped well over two dozen countries access dark vessel maritime domain awareness data, so they can better monitor the activities in their exclusive economic zones—including unlawful activity. Australia commits to boosting its cooperation with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency to enhance regional maritime domain awareness in the Pacific through satellite data, training, and capacity building.
    Today we are announcing a new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI), to enable our partners in the region to maximize tools provided through IPMDA and other Quad partner initiatives, to monitor and secure their waters, enforce their laws, and deter unlawful behavior. We look forward to India hosting the inaugural MAITRI workshop in 2025. Furthermore, we welcome the launch of a Quad maritime legal dialogue to support efforts to uphold the rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific. In addition, Quad partners intend to layer new technology and data into IPMDA over the coming year, to continue to deliver cutting edge capability and information to the region.
    We are also announcing today that the U.S. Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard, plan to launch a first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission in 2025, to improve interoperability and advance maritime safety, and continuing with further missions in future years across the Indo-Pacific.  
    We also announce today the launch of a Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project, to pursue shared airlift capacity among our nations and leverage our collective logistics strengths, in order to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Indo-Pacific region.
    Quality Infrastructure
    The Quad remains committed to improving the region’s connectivity through the development of quality, resilient infrastructure.
    We are pleased to announce the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership, which will harness the Quad’s expertise to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific, in collaboration with regional partners. In 2025, we intend to hold a Quad Regional Ports and Transportation Conference, hosted by India in Mumbai. Through this new partnership, Quad partners intend to coordinate, exchange information, share best practices with partners in the region, and leverage resources to mobilize government and private sector investments in quality port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.
    We applaud the expansion of the Quad Infrastructure Fellowships to more than 2,200 experts, and note that Quad partners have already provided well over 1,300 fellowships since the initiative was announced at last year’s Summit. We also appreciate the workshop organized by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in India, working to empower partners across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen power sector resilience.
    Through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, we continue to support and strengthen quality undersea cable networks in the Indo-Pacific, the capacity, durability, and reliability of which are inextricably linked to the security and prosperity of the region and the world. In support of these efforts, Australia launched the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre in July, which is delivering workshops and policy and regulatory assistance in response to requests from across the region. Japan will extend technical cooperation to improve public ICT infrastructure management capacity for an undersea cable in Nauru and Kiribati. The United States has conducted over 1,300 capacity building trainings for telecommunication officials and executives from 25 countries in the Indo-Pacific; today the U.S. announces its intent, working with Congress, to invest an additional $3.4 million to extend and expand this training program.
    Investments in cable projects by Quad partners will help support all Pacific island countries in achieving primary telecommunication cable connectivity by the end of 2025. Since the last Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad partners have committed over $140 million to undersea cable builds in the Pacific, alongside contributions from other likeminded partners. Complementing these investments in new undersea cables, India has commissioned a feasibility study to examine expansion of undersea cable maintenance and repair capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
    We reaffirm our support for the Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles, which are an expression of Pacific voices on infrastructure.
    We underscore our commitment to an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe, reliable and secure digital future to advance our shared prosperity and sustainable development across the Indo-Pacific. In this context, we welcome the Quad Principles for Development and Deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure.
    Critical and Emerging Technologies
    Today, we are proud to announce an ambitious expansion of our partnership to deliver trusted technology solutions to the broader Indo-Pacific region.
    Last year, Quad partners launched a landmark initiative to deploy the first Open Radio Access Network (RAN) in the Pacific, in Palau, to support a secure, resilient, and interconnected telecommunications ecosystem. Since then, the Quad has pledged approximately $20 million to this effort.
    Quad partners also welcome the opportunity to explore additional Open RAN projects in Southeast Asia. We plan to expand support for ongoing Open RAN field trials and the Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA) in the Philippines, building on the initial $8 million in support that the United States and Japan pledged earlier this year. The United States also plans to invest over $7 million to support the global expansion of AORA, including through establishing a first-of-its-kind Open RAN workforce training initiative at scale in South Asia, in partnership with Indian institutions.
    Quad partners will also explore collaborating with the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation to ensure the country’s readiness for nationwide 5G deployment.
    We remain committed to advancing our cooperation on semiconductors through better leveraging of our complementary strengths to realize a diversified and competitive market and enhance resilience of Quad’s semiconductor supply chains. We welcome a Memorandum of Cooperation between Quad countries for the Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network.
    Through the Advancing Innovations for Empowering NextGen Agriculture (AI-ENGAGE) initiative announced at last year’s Summit, our governments are deepening leading-edge collaborative research to harness artificial intelligence, robotics, and sensing to transform agricultural approaches and empower farmers across the Indo-Pacific. We are pleased to announce an inaugural $7.5+ million in funding opportunities for joint research, and welcome the recent signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between our science agencies to connect our research communities and advance shared research principles.
    The United States, Australia, India, and Japan look forward to launching the Quad BioExplore Initiative—a funded mechanism that will support joint AI-driven exploration of diverse non-human biological data across all four countries.
    This project will also be underpinned by the forthcoming Quad Principles for Research and Development Collaborations in Critical and Emerging Technologies.
    Climate and Clean Energy
    As we underscore the severe economic, social, and environmental consequences posed by the climate crisis, we continue to work together with Indo-Pacific partners, including through Quad Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP), to enhance climate and clean energy cooperation as well as promote adaptation and resilience. We emphasize the significant benefits of transitioning to a clean energy economy for our people, our planet, and our shared prosperity. Our countries intend to strengthen our cooperation to align policies, incentives, standards, and investments around creating high-quality, diversified clean energy supply chains that will enhance our collective energy security, create new economic opportunities across the region, and benefit local workers and communities around the world, particularly across the Indo-Pacific.
    We will work together, through policy and public finance, to operationalize our commitment to catalyzing complementary and high-standard private sector investment in allied and partner clean energy supply chains. To this end, Australia will open applications for the Quad Clean Energy Supply Chains Diversification Program in November, providing AUD 50 million to support projects that develop and diversify solar panel, hydrogen electrolyzer and battery supply chains in the Indo-Pacific. India commits to invest $2 million in new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar, and Seychelles. Japan has committed to $122 million grants and loans in renewable energy projects in Indo-Pacific countries. The United States, through DFC, will continue to seek opportunities to mobilize private capital to solar, as well as wind, cooling, batteries, and critical minerals to expand and diversify supply chains.
    We are pleased to announce a focused Quad effort to boost energy efficiency, including the deployment and manufacturing of high-efficiency affordable, cooling systems to enable climate-vulnerable communities to adapt to rising temperatures while simultaneously reducing strain on the electricity grid.
    We jointly affirm our commitment to addressing the challenges posed by climate change and ensure the resilience and sustainability of port infrastructure. Quad partners will leverage our learning and expertise to forge a path towards sustainable and resilient port infrastructure, including through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
    Cyber
    In the face of a deteriorating security environment in the cyber domain, Quad countries intend to enhance our cybersecurity partnership to address common threats posed by state-sponsored actors, cybercriminals, and other non-state malicious actors. Our countries commit to taking concrete steps to increase our collective network defense and advance technical capabilities through greater threat information sharing and capacity building. We plan to coordinate joint efforts to identify vulnerabilities, protect national security networks and critical infrastructure networks, and coordinate more closely including on policy responses to significant cybersecurity incidents affecting the Quad’s shared priorities.
    Quad countries are also partnering with software manufacturers, industry trade groups, and research centers to expand our commitmentto pursuing secure software development standards and certification, as endorsed in the Quad’s 2023 Secure Software Joint Principles. We will work to harmonize these standards to not only ensure that the development, procurement, and end-use of software for government networks is more secure, but that the cyber resilience of our supply chains, digital economies, and societies are collectively improved. Throughout this fall, Quad countries each plan to host campaigns to mark the annual Quad Cyber Challenge promoting responsible cyber ecosystems, public resources, and cybersecurity awareness. We are constructively engaging on the Quad Action Plan to Protect Commercial Undersea Telecommunications Cables, developed by the Quad Senior Cyber Group, as a complementary effort to the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience. Our coordinated actions to protect global telecommunications infrastructure as guided by the Action Plan will advance our shared vision for future digital connectivity, global commerce, and prosperity. 
    Space
    We recognize the essential contribution of space-related applications and technologies in the Indo-Pacific. Our four countries intend to continue delivering Earth Observation data and other space-related applications to assist nations across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen climate early warning systems and better manage the impacts of extreme weather events. In this context, we welcome India’s establishment of a space-based web portal for Mauritius, to support the concept of open science for space-based monitoring of extreme weather events and climate impact.
    Quad Investors Network (QUIN)
    We welcome private sector initiatives—including the Quad Investors Network (QUIN), which facilitates investments in strategic technologies, including clean energy, semiconductors, critical minerals, and quantum. The QUIN is mobilizing a number of investments to promote supply chain resilience, advance joint research and development, commercialize new technologies, and invest in our future workforce.
    People-to-People Initiatives
    The Quad is committed to strengthening the deep and enduring ties between our people, and among our partners. Through the Quad Fellowship, we are building a network of the next generation of science, technology, and policy leaders. Together with the Institute of International Education, which leads implementation of the Quad Fellowship, Quad governments welcome the second cohort of Quad Fellows and the expansion of the program to include students from ASEAN countries for the first time. The Government of Japan is supporting the program to enable Quad Fellows to study in Japan. The Quad welcomes the generous support of private sector partners for the next cohort of fellows, including Google, the Pratt Foundation, and Western Digital.
    India is pleased to announce a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth $500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a 4-year undergraduate engineering program at a Government of India-funded technical institution.
    Working Together to Address Regional and Global Issues
    Today we reaffirm our consistent and unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity. We continue to support implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and are committed to ensuring the Quad’s work is aligned with ASEAN’s principles and priorities.
    We underscore ASEAN’s regional leadership role, including in the East Asia Summit, the region’s premier leader-led forum for strategic dialogue, and the ASEAN Regional Forum. As comprehensive strategic partners of ASEAN, our four countries intend to continue to strengthen our respective relationships with ASEAN and seek opportunities for greater Quad collaboration in support of the AOIP.
    We recommit to working in partnership with Pacific island countries to achieve shared aspirations and address shared challenges. We reaffirm our support for Pacific regional institutions that have served the region well over many years, with the PIF as the region’s premier political and economic policy organization, and warmly welcome Tonga’s leadership as the current PIF Chair in 2024-2025. We continue to support the objectives of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. We and our governments will continue to listen to and be guided at every step by Pacific priorities, including climate action, ocean health, resilient infrastructure, maritime security and financial integrity. In particular, we acknowledge climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific and applaud Pacific island countries’ global leadership on climate action.
    We remain committed to strengthening cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. We strongly support IORA as the Indian Ocean region’s premier forum for addressing the region’s challenges. We recognize India’s leadership in finalizing the IORA Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (IOIP) and express our support for its implementation. We thank Sri Lanka for its continued leadership as IORA Chair through this year and look forward to India’s assuming the IORA Chair in 2025.  
    As Leaders, we are steadfast in our conviction that international law, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the maintenance of peace, safety, security and stability in the maritime domain, underpin the sustainable development, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. We emphasize the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to address challenges to the global maritime rules-based order, including with respect to maritime claims. We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. We continue to express our serious concern about the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea. We condemn the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, including increasing use of dangerous maneuvers. We also oppose efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities.We reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, as reflected in UNCLOS. We re-emphasize the importance of maintaining and upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea, and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law. We re-emphasize the universal and unified character of UNCLOS and reaffirm that UNCLOS sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and the seas must be carried out. We underscore that the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.
    Together, with our global and regional partners, we continue to support international institutions and initiatives that underpin global peace, prosperity and sustainable development. We reiterate our unwavering support for the UN Charter and the three pillars of the UN system. In consultation with our partners, we will work collectively to address attempts to unilaterally undermine the integrity of the UN, its Charter, and its agencies. We will reform the UN Security Council, recognizing the urgent need to make it more representative, inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable through expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of the UN Security Council. This expansion of permanent seats should include representation for Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean in a reformed Security Council.
    We stand for adherence to international law and respect for principles of the UN Charter, including territorial integrity, sovereignty of all states, and peaceful resolution of disputes. We express our deepest concern over the war raging in Ukraine including the terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences. Each of us has visited Ukraine since the war began, and seen this first-hand; we reiterate the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. We also note the negative impacts of the war in Ukraine with regard to global food and energy security, especially for developing and least developed countries. In the context of this war, we share the view that the use, or threat of use, of nuclear weapons is unacceptable. We underscore the importance of upholding international law, and in line with the UN Charter, reiterate that all states must refrain from the threat of or use of force against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state.
    We condemn North Korea’s destabilizing ballistic missile launches and its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). These launches pose a grave threat to international peace and stability. We urge North Korea to abide by all its obligations under the UNSCRs, refrain from further provocations and engage in substantive dialogue. We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula consistent with relevant UNSCRs and call on all countries to fully implement these UNSCRs. We stress the need to prevent any proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to North Korea in the region and beyond. We express our grave concern over North Korea’s use of proliferation networks, malicious cyber activity and workers abroad to fund its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. In that context, we urge all UN Member States to abide by the relevant UNSCRs including the prohibition on the transfer to North Korea or procurement from North Korea of all arms and related materiel. We express deep concern about countries that are deepening military cooperation with North Korea, which directly undermines the global nonproliferation regime. As the mandate of the UN Panel of Experts tasked with monitoring violations of North Korea-related UNSCR sanctions was not renewed, we reiterate our commitment to continued implementation of the relevant UNSCRs which remain in full force. We reconfirm the necessity of immediate resolution of the abductions issue.
    We remain deeply concerned by the worsening political, security and humanitarian situation in Myanmar, including in Rakhine State, and again call for an immediate cessation of violence, the release of all those unjustly and arbitrarily detained, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, resolution of the crisis through constructive and inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders, and a return to the path of inclusive democracy. We reaffirm our strong support for ASEAN-led efforts, including the work of the ASEAN Chair and the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar. We call for full implementation of all commitments under the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus. The ongoing conflict and instability have serious implications for the region, including increases in transnational crime such as cybercrime, the illegal drug trade, and human trafficking. We restate our appeal to all States to prevent the flow of arms and dual-use material, including jet fuel. We remain resolute in our support for the people of Myanmar and commit to continuing to work with all stakeholders in a pragmatic and constructive way, to find a sustainable solution to the crisis in a process which is led by the people of Myanmar and returns Myanmar to the path of democracy.
    We call upon all States to contribute to the safe, peaceful, responsible, and sustainable use of outer space. We remain committed to fostering international cooperation and transparency, as well as confidence-building measures with the goal of improving the security of outer space for all States. We reaffirm the importance of upholding the existing international legal framework for outer space activities, including the Outer Space Treaty, and the obligation of all States Parties to the Treaty not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space in any other manner.
    The Quad reaffirms its commitment to fostering a resilient information environment including through its Countering Disinformation Working Group by supporting media freedom and addressing foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, which undermines trust and sows discord in the international community. We recognize these tactics are intended to interfere with domestic and international interests, and we are committed, together with our regional partners, to leverage our collective expertise and capacity to respond. We reaffirm our commitment to respect international human rights law, strengthen civil society, support media freedom, address online harassment and abuse, including technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and counter unethical practices.
    We unequivocally condemn terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. We are committed to international cooperation and will work with our regional partners in a comprehensive and sustained manner to strengthen their capability to prevent, detect and respond to threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism, including threats posed by the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, consistent with international law. We are committed to working together to promote accountability for the perpetrators of such terrorist attacks. We reiterate our condemnation of terrorist attacks including the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and in Pathankot, and our commitment to pursuing designations, as appropriate, by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee.  We welcome the constructive discussions held at the first Quad Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and the fourth tabletop exercise in Honolulu last year, and look forward to Japan hosting the next meeting and tabletop exercise in November 2024.
    We share great interest in achieving peace and stability in the Middle East. We unequivocally condemn the terror attacks on October 7, 2023. The large-scale loss of civilian lives and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unacceptable. We affirm the imperative of securing the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and emphasize that the deal to release hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza. We underscore the urgent need to significantly increase deliveries of life-saving humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza as well as the crucial need to prevent regional escalation. We urge all parties to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, as applicable. We welcome UNSCR S/RES/2735 (2024), and strongly urge all parties concerned to work immediately and steadily toward the release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire. We call on all parties to take every feasible step to protect the lives of civilians including aid workers, and facilitate the rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian relief to civilians. We also encourage other countries, including those in the Indo-Pacific, to increase their support in order to address the dire humanitarian need on the ground. We underscore that the future recovery and reconstruction of Gaza should be supported by the international community. We remain committed to a sovereign, viable and independent Palestinian state taking into account Israel’s legitimate security concerns as part of a two-state solution that enables both Israelis and Palestinians to live in a just, lasting, and secure peace. Any unilateral actions that undermine the prospect of a two-state solution, including Israeli expansion of settlements and violent extremism on all sides, must end. We underscore the need to prevent the conflict from escalating and spilling over in the region.
    We condemn the ongoing attacks perpetrated by the Houthis and their supporters against international and commercial vessels transiting through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which are destabilizing the region and impeding navigational rights and freedoms and trade flows, and jeopardize the safety of vessels and people on board including sailors.
    We reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We underscore the importance of achieving the SDGs in a comprehensive manner without selectively prioritizing a narrow set of such goals, and reaffirm that the UN has a central role in supporting countries in their implementation. With six years left, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and accelerating progress toward all the SDGs in a comprehensive manner that is balanced across three dimensions – economic, social and environmental. From global health to sustainable development and climate change, the global community benefits when all stakeholders have the opportunity to contribute to addressing these challenges. We affirm our commitment to contributing to and implementing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. We underscore our commitment to strongly engaging constructively in the discussion on advancing sustainable development, including at the Summit of the Future. The Quad continues to realize a safe and secure world where human rights and human dignity are protected, based on the central premise of the SDGs: “Leave no one behind.”
    We, the Quad Leaders, remain dedicated to working in partnership with Indo-Pacific countries in deciding our future and shaping the region we all want to live in.
    Enduring Partners for the Indo-Pacific
    Over the past four years, Quad Leaders have met together six times, including twice virtually, and Quad Foreign Ministers have met eight times in the last five years. Quad country representatives meet together on a regular basis, at all levels, including among ambassadors across the four countries’ extensive diplomatic networks, to consult one another, exchange ideas to advance shared priorities, and deliver benefits with and for partners across the Indo-Pacific region. We welcome our Commerce and Industry ministers preparing to meet for the first time in the coming months. We also welcome the leaders of our Development Finance Institutions and Agencies deciding to meet to explore future investments by the four countries in the Indo-Pacific. Altogether, our four countries are cooperating at an unprecedented pace and scale.
    Each of our governments has committed to working through our respective budgetary processes to secure robust funding for Quad priorities in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure an enduring impact. We intend to work with our legislatures to deepen interparliamentary exchanges, and encourage other stakeholders to deepen engagement with Quad counterparts.
    We look forward to the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting hosted by the United States in 2025, and the next Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by India in 2025. The Quad is here to stay.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: 2024 Quad Leaders’  Summit

    Source: The White House

    On September 21, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. hosted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in Wilmington, Delaware, for the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit.
     
    The Quad was established to be a global force for good. This year, the Quad is proudly executing tangible projects that benefit partner countries across the Indo-Pacific—including in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region. The Quad is working together at unprecedented scope and scale to deliver on Indo-Pacific partners’ priorities. Together, the Quad is leading ambitious projects to help partners address pandemics and disease; respond to natural disasters; strengthen their maritime domain awareness and maritime security; mobilize and build high-standard physical and digital infrastructure; invest in and benefit from critical and emerging technologies; confront the threat of climate change; bolster cyber security; and cultivate the next generation of technology leaders.
     
    ENDURING PARTNERS FOR THE INDO-PACIFIC
     
    Over the past four years, Quad Leaders have met six times, including twice virtually. Quad Foreign Ministers have met eight times, most recently in Tokyo in July. Quad country representatives convene on a regular basis, at all levels, to consult one another, exchange ideas to advance shared priorities, and deliver benefits for partners across the Indo-Pacific region. All Quad governments have institutionalized the Quad at all levels and across a diverse array of departments and agencies. Today, Quad Leaders announced new initiatives to solidify these habits of cooperation and to set up the Quad to endure for the long-term.
     

    • Each Quad government has committed to work through their respective budgetary processes to secure robust funding for Quad priorities in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure an enduring impact.
    • The Quad governments also intend to work with their respective legislatures to deepen interparliamentary exchanges, and encourage other stakeholders to deepen engagement with Quad counterparts. Yesterday, Members of Congress announced the creation of a bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Quad Caucus.
    • In the coming months, Quad Commerce and Industry ministers will meet for the first time.
    • Quad Leaders also welcome the leaders of the Quad Development Finance Institutions and Agencies deciding to meet to explore future investments by the four countries in the Indo-Pacific, including in health security, food security, clean energy, and quality infrastructure. This builds on a previous meeting in 2022 between the heads of the Export Finance Australia, the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, India Export-Import Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
    • The United States will host the 2025 Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting, and India will host the 2025 Quad Leaders Summit.

    GLOBAL HEALTH & HEALTH SECURITY

    In 2023, the Quad announced the Quad Health Security Partnership to strengthen coordination and collaboration in support of health security in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad Health Security Partnership is delivering on its commitments to strengthen the Indo-Pacific’s ability to detect and respond to outbreaks of diseases with epidemic or pandemic potential, including through a set of new initiatives announced today.

    Quad Cancer Moonshot

    • The Quad is launching the historic Quad Cancer Moonshot, a collective effort to leverage public and private resources to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer in the Indo-Pacific, with an initial focus on cervical cancer. Altogether, the Quad Cancer Moonshot announced today is projected to save hundreds of thousands of lives over the coming decades. More information can be found here.

    Pandemic Preparedness

    • Quad countries are committed to supporting health security and resiliency efforts across the region, including continued support for the Pandemic Fund.
    • The Quad reaffirms commitment to bolstering health security across the Indo-Pacific region. In 2024, the Quad Health Security Partnership advanced regional resilience through the second pandemic preparedness table top exercise, building on the success of the Quad Vaccine Partnership to enhance prevention, early detection, and response to potential disease outbreaks, and is exploring developing Standard Operating Procedures for Pandemic Response. The Quad’s collaborative efforts included training health specialists from the Indo-Pacific to strengthen regional capabilities for health emergencies.
    • India will host a workshop on pandemic preparedness and release a white paper outlining emergency public health responses.
    • Australia is increasing the pool of public health specialists who are ready to deploy, in-country or in the region, in response to disease outbreaks, with the first training session to commence in Darwin, Australia, in the coming days.
    • In coordination with Quad partners, the United States is pledging over $84.5 million to partner with fourteen countries in the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats.

    Mpox

    • In response to the current clade I mpox outbreak, as well as the ongoing clade II mpox outbreak, the Quad plans to coordinate our efforts to promote equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured mpox vaccines, including where appropriate expanding vaccine manufacturing in low and middle-income countries.

    HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND DISASTER RELIEF (HADR)

    Twenty years ago, the Quad first came together to respond to the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, surging humanitarian assistance to affected countries. In 2022, Quad Foreign Ministers signed the Guidelines for the Quad Partnership on HADR in the Indo-Pacific. In May 2024, following a tragic landslide in Papua New Guinea, Quad countries coordinated their response in accordance with these guidelines. The Quad collectively provided over $5 million in humanitarian assistance. Quad partners continue to support Papua New Guinea in its longer-term resiliency efforts. The Quad continues to deepen HADR coordination and support partners in the region in their longer-term resiliency efforts.

    • Quad governments are working to ensure readiness to rapidly respond, including through pre-positioning of essential relief supplies, in the event of a natural disaster; this effort extends from the Indian Ocean region, to Southeast Asia, to the Pacific.
    • In the coming months, Quad HADR experts will conduct a tabletop exercise to prepare for potential future disasters in the region.
    • Quad partners are working together to provide over $4 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of Vietnam in light of the devastating consequences of Typhoon Yagi.

    MARITIME SECURITY

    Quad partners are working side-by-side with partners throughout the region to bolster maritime security, improve maritime domain awareness, and uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness and Maritime Training

    • Quad Leaders launched the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) at the 2022 Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo. This initiative provides partners with near-real-time, cost-effective, cutting-edge radio frequency data, enabling them to better monitor their waters; counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; respond to climate change and natural disasters; and enforce their laws within their waters.
    • Since the announcement, in consultation with partners, the Quad has successfully scaled the program across the Indo-Pacific region—through the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, with partners in Southeast Asia, to the Information Fusion Center—Indian Ocean Region, Gurugram. In doing so, the Quad has helped well over two dozen countries access dark vessel maritime domain awareness data, so they can better monitor the activities in their exclusive economic zones—including unlawful activity.
    • In the next phase of implementation, announced today, the Quad intends to layer new technology and data into IPMDA over the coming year, to continue to deliver cutting edge capability and information to the region. The Quad intends to leverage electro-optical data and advanced analytic software to sharpen the maritime domain awareness picture for partners.
    • Today the Quad announced a new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) to enable our partners in the region Indo-Pacific partners to maximize tools provided through IPMDA and other Quad partner initiatives, to monitor and secure their waters, enforce their laws, and deter unlawful behavior. The Quad countries look forward to India hosting the inaugural MAITRI workshop in 2025. 
    • Quad countries are coordinating comprehensive and complementary training across the full suite of legal, operational, and technical maritime security and law enforcement knowledge domains. Quad partners have pledged to expand engagement with regional maritime law enforcement fora, share best practices, and improve civil maritime cooperation.

    Indo-Pacific Logistics Network

    • The Quad launches today a Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project, to pursue shared airlift capacity among the four nations and leverage collective logistics strengths, in order to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Indo-Pacific region. This effort will complement existing efforts with Indo-Pacific partners.

    Coast Guard Cooperation

    • The U.S. Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard plan to launch a first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission in 2025 in the Indo-Pacific to improve interoperability. Through this effort, members of Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard will spend time on board a U.S. Coast Guard vessel operating in the Indo-Pacific.  The Quad intends to continue with further missions in the Indo-Pacific.

    QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE

    The Quad is delivering quality, resilient infrastructure to the region to increase connectivity, build regional capacity, and meet critical needs.

    • This year, the Quad countries’ export credit agencies (ECAs) signed and are implementing a Memorandum of Cooperation, which supports supply chain resilience, critical and emerging technologies, renewable energy, and other high-quality projects in the Indo-Pacific. Quad ECAs are strengthening communication on pipeline information and provision of relevant financing for projects in the Indo-Pacific region, and will pursue joint business promotion efforts that involve industry experts, project developers, and other major market players.
    • The Quad released joint Principles for Development and Deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure, underscoring the Quad’s commitment to an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe, reliable, and secure digital future to advance shared prosperity and sustainable development.
    • The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure organized a workshop in India to empower partners across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen power sector resilience.

    Quad Ports of the Future Partnership

    • The Quad Ports of the Future Partnership will harness the Quad’s expertise to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific, in collaboration with regional partners.
    • In 2025, Quad partners intend to hold the inaugural Regional Ports and Transportation Conference, hosted by India in Mumbai.
    • Through this new partnership, Quad partners intend to coordinate, exchange information, share best practices with partners in the region, and leverage resources to mobilize government and private sector investments in quality port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.

    Quad Infrastructure Fellows

    • The Quad Infrastructure Fellowship was announced at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit to improve capacity and deepen professional networks across the region to design, manage, and attract investment in infrastructure projects. Over the past year, it has expanded to more than 2,200 experts, and Quad partners have already provided well over 1,300 fellowships.

    Undersea Cables and Digital Connectivity

    • Through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, Quad partners continue to support and strengthen quality undersea cable networks in the Indo-Pacific, the capacity, durability, and reliability of which are inextricably linked to the security and prosperity of the region and the world.
    • In support of these efforts, Australia launched the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre in July, which is delivering workshops and policy and regulatory assistance in response to requests from across the region.
    • Japan has conducted capacity building trainings to enhance connectivity and resilience in the Indo-Pacific through cooperation with specialized agencies and international organizations. Japan intends to further extend technical cooperation to improve public information and communication technology infrastructure management capacity for an undersea cable in Nauru and Kiribati.
    • The United States has conducted over 1,300 capacity building trainings for telecommunication officials and executives from 25 countries in the Indo-Pacific; today the U.S. announces its intent, working with Congress, to invest an additional $3.4 million to extend and expand this training program.
    • Investments in cable projects by Quad partners will help support all Pacific island countries in achieving primary telecommunication cable connectivity by the end of 2025. Since the last Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad partners have committed over $140 million to undersea cable builds in the Pacific, alongside contributions from other likeminded partners.
    • Complementing these investments in new undersea cables, India has commissioned a feasibility study to examine expansion of undersea cable maintenance and repair capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

    CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

    The Quad is working in lockstep to stay at the forefront of technology innovation, and remains committed to harnessing emerging technologies for the benefit of people across the Indo-Pacific, and deploying these technologies to facilitate economic prosperity, openness, and connectivity.

    Open Radio Access Network (RAN) and 5G

    • In 2023, Quad partners announced the first-ever Open RAN deployment in the Pacific, in Palau, to support a secure, resilient, and interconnected telecommunications ecosystem. Since then, the Quad has committed approximately $20 million to this effort. Building on this initiative, the Quad announces an expansion of Open RAN collaboration to deliver trusted technology solutions.
    • The Quad plans to expand support for ongoing Open RAN field trials and the Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA) in the Philippines, building on the initial $8 million in support that the United States and Japan pledged earlier this year.
    • In addition, the United States plans to invest over $7 million to support the global expansion of AORA, including through establishing a first-of-its-kind Open RAN workforce training initiative at scale in South Asia, in partnership with Indian institutions.
    • Quad partners also welcome the opportunity to explore additional Open RAN projects in Southeast Asia.
    • Quad partners will also explore collaborating with the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation to ensure the country’s readiness for nationwide 5G deployment.

    Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    • Through the Advancing Innovations for Empowering NextGen Agriculture (AI-ENGAGE) initiative announced at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad governments are deepening leading-edge collaborative research to harness artificial intelligence, robotics, and sensing, to transform agricultural approaches and empower farmers across the Indo-Pacific. The Quad announces an inaugural $7.5+ million in funding opportunities for joint research, and highlights the recent signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation among the four countries’ science agencies to connect research communities and advance shared research principles.
    • The Quad recognizes the importance of advancing international efforts to achieve safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems, including through the outcomes of the Hiroshima AI Process, GPAI New Delhi Ministerial Declaration 2023, and UN General Assembly resolution 78/625 on “Seizing the opportunities of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for sustainable development.” The Quad seeks to further deepen international cooperation on artificial intelligence systems and interoperability among artificial intelligence governance frameworks.
    • Quad countries, through the Standards Sub-Group, launched two Track 1.5 dialogues on AI and Advanced Communications Technologies to promote international standardization cooperation, including frameworks for AI conformity assessment.

    Biotechnology

    • The Quad partners look forward to launching the BioExplore Initiative – a joint effort supported by an initial $2 million in funding to use AI technology to study and analyze biological ecosystems across all four countries. This initiative will help advance our ability to discover and use the diverse capabilities found in living organisms to yield new products and innovations with the potential to diagnose and treat disease, develop resilient crops, generate clean energy, and much more. The initiative will also aim to build technological capacity across the Quad nations. 
    • This project will also be underpinned by the forthcoming Quad Principles for Research and Development Collaborations in Critical and Emerging Technologies, which advances sustainable, responsible, safe and secure collaborations in biotechnologies and other critical technologies among the Quad and across the region.

    Semiconductors

    • Quad Leaders welcome the finalization of a Memorandum of Cooperation for the Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network to facilitate collaboration in addressing semiconductor supply chain risks.

    The Quad Investors Network

    The Quad Investors Network (QUIN) is a nonprofit initiative launched at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit. The QUIN aims to accelerate investments in critical and emerging technologies across the Indo-Pacific region, bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, technologists, and public institutions from the Quad countries to support innovation that aligns with the Quad’s shared values and promotes economic growth, resilience, and regional stability. This year, the QUIN supported ten major strategic investments and partnerships across the Quad in the critical minerals, renewable energy, cybersecurity, and aerospace sectors.

    • The QUIN has advanced additional frameworks to foster the development of new technologies and facilitate investment partnerships for emerging startups, including through finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a startup campus in Tokyo, supported by the QUIN and the Chiba Institute of Technology’s Center for Radical Transformation.
    • The QUIN is also working to establish a new venture accelerator in Tokyo through a collaboration between the University of Tokyo, Northeastern University, and the QUIN.  These collaborations will not only fuel technological advancements but also strengthen the economic ties among the Quad nations, contributing to a more integrated and resilient Indo-Pacific region. 
    • Finally, the QUIN developed a Quantum Center of Excellence, which produced a report this year highlighting ways each Quad country’s Quantum ecosystems can work together to collectively leverage capital and expertise.

    CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY

    The Quad recognizes the existential threat climate change poses to the world, the Indo-Pacific, and in particular island nations in the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean region, and is taking ambitious steps to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, promote clean energy innovation and adoption, and support sustainable development.

    Climate Adaptation

    • The Quad intends to expand its Early Warning Systems and the Climate Information Services Initiative (CIS), announced at the 2023 Leaders’ Summit. This will help improve Pacific Island countries’ access to high-quality climate data and services, and increase partners’ capacity to prepare for and respond to climate change and its impacts.
    • The United States plans to provide 3D-printed automatic weather stations to the Pacific in 2025 to support local weather and climate forecasts, and also train experts in Fiji with the goal of operating a regional center to develop and deploy this technology.
    • Australia is also strengthening Early Warning Systems through Weather Ready Pacific, a Pacific-led initiative supported by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in 2021 that drives and delivers on the EWS4ALL UN initiative in the Pacific.
    • Japan is also enhancing cooperation with Pacific Island countries under its “Pacific Climate Resilience Initiative”, inter alia, by strengthening disaster risk reduction and preparedness through satellite technology and by promoting clean energy through capacity building and installation of renewable energies.
    • The Quad also plans to train experts in Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu to better monitor and forecast flash floods, for timely and accurate warnings, reducing human and economic losses from flash floods.

    Clean Energy

    • Our countries intend to strengthen our cooperation to align policies, incentives, standards, and investments around creating high-quality, diversified clean energy supply chains that will enhance our collective energy security, create new economic opportunities across the region, and benefit local workers and communities around the world, particularly across the Indo-Pacific. We will work together, through policy and public finance, to operationalize our commitment to catalyzing complementary and high-standard private sector investment in allied and partner clean energy supply chains. We note the uniquely complementary capabilities Quad partners share across the battery supply chain, and pledge to focus near-term efforts on strengthening mineral production, recycling, and battery manufacturing across our respective industries.
    • Quad Leaders announced a Quad Clean Energy Supply Chain Diversification Program last year, which aims to support the development of secure and diversified clean energy supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia will open applications for the Quad Clean Energy Supply Chains Diversification Program in November, providing AUD 50 million to support projects that develop and diversify solar panel, hydrogen electrolyzer and battery supply chains. Secure and diversified clean energy supply chains are an integral part of achieving the Indo-Pacific’s collective energy security, emissions reduction goals and transition to a net zero future.
    • India commits to invest $2 million in new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar, and Seychelles.
    • Japan has committed to $122 million grants and loans, both public and private, in renewable energy projects in the Indo-Pacific.
    • The United States, through the DFC, has extended a $250 million loan to Tata Power Solar to construct a solar cell manufacturing facility and a $500 million loan to First Solar to construct and operate a solar module manufacturing facility in India, and continues to seek opportunities to mobilize private capital to solar, as well as wind, cooling, batteries, and critical minerals to expand capacity and diversify supply chains.
    • The Quad announces an initiative to boost energy efficiency, including the deployment and manufacturing of affordable, high-efficiency, cooling systems, to enable climate-vulnerable communities to adapt to rising temperatures while simultaneously reducing strain on the electricity grid. The United States intends to invest an initial $1.25 million of technical assistance financing to this effort.

    CYBER SECURITY

    The Quad is working together to build a more resilient, secure, and complementary cyber security environment for Quad countries and partners.

    • The Quad has [developed/released] the Quad Action Plan to Protect Commercial Undersea Telecommunications Cables, to advance the Quad’s shared vision for future digital connectivity, global commerce, and prosperity.
    • Quad countries are also partnering with software manufacturers, industry trade groups, and research centers to expand the Quad’s commitment to pursuing secure software development standards and certification, as endorsed in the Quad’s 2023 Secure Software Joint Principles.
    • Quad partners will work to harmonize these standards to not only ensure that the development, procurement, and end-use of software for government networks is more secure, but that the cyber resilience of our supply chains, digital economies, and societies are collectively improved.
    • Throughout this fall, each Quad country plans to host events to mark the annual Quad Cyber Challenge promoting responsible cyber ecosystems, public resources, and cybersecurity awareness. This year’s Cyber Challenge campaigns will focus on establishing career pathway programs to increase the number and diversity of global cybersecurity professionals, including increased participation by women, in this rapidly growing field. Last year’s Quad Cyber Challenge included over 85,000 participants across the Indo-Pacific region.
    • Capacity building projects like the Quad Cyber Bootcamp and the international conference on cyber capacity building in the Philippines are important initiatives to enhance cybersecurity and workforce development in the Indo-Pacific region.
    • The Quad is undertaking joint efforts to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities to national security and protection of critical infrastructure networks, and coordinate more closely including on policy responses to sharing of cyber threat information on significant cybersecurity incidents affecting shared priorities.

    COUNTERING DISINFORMATION

    The Quad is working together to foster a resilient information environment, including through its Countering Disinformation Working Group, by supporting media freedom and addressing foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, which undermines trust and sows discord in the international community.

    PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TIES

    Quad countries are building enduring ties between their peoples. Stakeholders from Quad countries have participated in International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and other exchanges, on topics related to cyber security, workforce development for critical and emerging technologies, women in STEM, government transparency and accountability, combating disinformation, and regional maritime governance.

    The Quad Fellowship

    • Together with the Institute of International Education, which leads implementation of the Quad Fellowship, Quad governments welcome the second cohort of Quad Fellows and the expansion of the program to include students from ASEAN countries for the first time. The Government of Japan is supporting the program to enable Quad Fellows to study in Japan. The Quad welcomes the generous support of private sector partners for the next cohort of fellows, including Google, the Pratt Foundation, and Western Digital.
    • The Quad looks forward to the Quad Fellowship Summit in Washington, DC, in October, organized by the Institute of International Education.

    Additional People-to-People Initiatives

    • India announces a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth $500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a 4-year undergraduate engineering program at a Government of India-funded technical institution.

    SPACE

    The Quad recognizes the essential contribution of space-related applications and technologies in the Indo-Pacific. The four countries plan to continue delivering Earth Observation data and other space-related applications to assist nations across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen climate early warning systems and better manage the impacts of extreme weather events.

    • The Quad welcomes India’s establishment of a space-based web portal for Mauritius to support the concept of open science for space-based monitoring of extreme weather events and climate impact.

    Space Situational Awareness Initiative

    • Quad partners intend to share expertise and experience in space situational awareness (SSA), contributing to long-term sustainability of the space environment. Cooperation is intended to leverage SSA and space traffic coordination capabilities in the civil domain, including to help avoid collisions in outer space and manage debris.

     
    COUNTERING TERRORISM
     
    The Quad hosted its first Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) in 2023 and will meet annually to discuss CT threats, Quad CT good practices, and ways the Quad can work together to mitigate acts of terrorism through information sharing, consequence management and strategic messaging.  The Quad CTWG currently focuses on countering the use of unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear devices (CBRN), and the internet for terrorist purposes. The Quad CTWG discusses new CT lines of effort on which to collaborate, hosts technical workshops for establishing CT good practices, and explores ways to engage non-Quad members with Quad-established CT expertise.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: Quad Countries Launch Cancer Moonshot Initiative to Reduce the Burden of Cancer in the  Indo-Pacific

    Source: The White House

    Today, the United States, Australia, India, and Japan are launching a groundbreaking effort to help end cancer as we know it in the Indo-Pacific, starting with cervical cancer, a largely preventable disease that continues to be a major health crisis in the region, and laying the groundwork to address other forms of cancer as well. This initiative is part of a broader set of announcements made at the Quad Leaders Summit.

    The Quad Cancer Moonshot will serve to strengthen the overall cancer care ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific by improving health infrastructure, expanding research collaborations, building data systems, and providing greater support for cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and care.
     
    Cervical cancer, while preventable through vaccination and usually treatable if detected early, remains the third leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the Indo-Pacific region. Fewer than one in 10 women in the Indo-Pacific have completed their human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination series, and fewer than 10% have undergone recent screening. Many countries in the region face challenges related to healthcare access, limited resources, and disparities in vaccination rates. Through this initiative, Quad countries will work to address these gaps by promoting HPV vaccination, increasing access to screenings, and expanding treatment options and care in underserved areas.

    Altogether, our scientific experts assess that the Quad Cancer Moonshot will save hundreds of thousands of lives over the coming decades.
     
    These steps build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s steadfast commitment to ending cancer as we know it. More than two years ago, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden reignited the Cancer Moonshot with the goals of reducing the cancer death rate in the United States by at least half—preventing more than 4 million cancer deaths—by 2047, and improving the experience of people who are touched by cancer.

    Cancer is a global challenge that requires collective action and cooperation beyond any single nation’s effort. By working together, the Quad aims to implement innovative strategies to prevent, detect, treat and alleviate the impact of cancer on patients and their families.  Quad partners also intend to work, within respective national contexts, to collaborate in advancing research and development in the area of cancer and to increase private sector and non-governmental sector activities in support of reducing the burden of cervical cancer in the region. Today Quad countries are pleased to announce the following ambitious commitments from our governments and non-government contributors:
     
     
    QUAD COUNTRIES

    • Quad countries intend to continue their strong commitments to Gavi including with HPV vaccines in the Indo-Pacific, with the United States making an early pledge of at least $1.58 billion over five years.
    • In addition, Quad countries will work together with United Nations agencies on bulk purchasing of HPV diagnostics to bring down the cost of cervical cancer screening, and work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve access to and quality of medical imaging and radiation therapy.

    United States

    • The Department of Defense, through the U.S. Navy, intends to support HPV vaccine expert exchanges with Indo-Pacific partners, starting in 2025. This partnership will enable healthcare professionals from partner nations to receive hands-on training, build capacity, and strengthen healthcare systems across the Indo-Pacific, focusing on preventive health services like HPV vaccination. The initiative aims to bolster regional cooperation on cancer and promote health security in the region.
    • The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncology Center of Excellence intends to arrange a technical visit to India within the next twelve months to set up collaborations with stakeholders under FDA’s ‘Project Asha’.  Working together with the FDA India Office, leading oncologists, patient advocacy groups, clinical trial sponsors, and government stakeholders, this new partnership will focus on capacity-building efforts, including education on the design, conduct, and management of clinical trials, promoting international standards, helping streamline approval processes, sharing regulatory expertise, and increasing cancer clinical trial access.
    • The U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) intends to expand its support as a leading funder of global cancer research and global cancer research training in the Indo-Pacific region. This portfolio currently includes nearly 400 active projects involving investigators and institutions in South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific, including major investments specifically focused on testing cervical cancer vaccination, screening, and treatment interventions and strategies that can meet the needs of women and girls worldwide. The NCI will also expand its support for global cancer control efforts more broadly through scientific support provided to countries via the International Cancer Control Partnership, International Agency for Research on Cancer, and World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center.
    • The NCI will expand ongoing collaborations with nations in the Indo-Pacific region to provide evidence-based cancer information for health professionals and people affected by cancer to this global audience.  NCI will aim to support the public education needs of the Quad Cancer Moonshot Initiative by providing its expert-curated, comprehensive, and authoritative cancer information to health professionals and patients in the Indo-Pacific. This will include a comprehensive collection of information on cancer topics such as adult and pediatric cancer treatment, screening, prevention, genetics, supportive and palliative care, and integrative, alternative, and complementary therapies, including extensive information related to the screening, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cervical cancer. 
    • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will support HPV vaccination programs, improve vaccine distribution and strengthen cancer surveillance and prevention systems in the Indo-Pacific region. This will include working with the Philippines Ministry of Health on an HPV vaccination program evaluation, focusing on behavioral and social drivers to inform future vaccine distribution. CDC will also contribute to broader cancer control efforts by supporting cancer control plan development to strengthen the overall cancer care ecosystem in the region.
    • CDC intends to provide technical assistance and disseminate best practices informed by pilot cervical cancer screening studies in the U.S. Pacific territories and freely associated states, as well as continuing to support CDC-funded national cancer control programs in U.S. Pacific Island Jurisdictions (PIJs). These efforts will involve sharing evidence-based strategies to improve early detection of cervical cancer. In addition, CDC intends to disseminate an implementation guide that can assist PIJ efforts to improve their screening capacity and encourage partnerships to promote cervical cancer screening, including guidance on how to build medical and laboratory capacity to conduct primary HPV testing and follow-up tests, and improve data systems to monitor screening to enhance cancer prevention and care infrastructure.
    • The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will look to support eligible private sector-driven projects to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer, including cervical cancer. In particular, DFC will look to accelerate the deployment of innovative approaches and technologies to underserved communities.
    • The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will look to provide critical financial and technical support to expand HPV vaccination access. The U.S. government, through USAID has made an unprecedented pledge of at least $1.58 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which will bolster global efforts to increase vaccine coverage, including HPV vaccines, in low- and middle-income countries, helping to protect millions of women and girls from cervical cancer across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
    • The State Department, through Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD)-President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), will share best practices on the rapid scale-up of cervical cancer screening and treatment efforts among people living with HIV, including commodity procurement and health system strengthening in low-and-middle-income countries. This collaboration will enhance the integration of cervical cancer screening into existing HIV treatment programs, increasing access to life-saving interventions. It will also focus on improving supply chains for essential medical supplies needed for screening and treatment.

    Australia

    • Through Australian Government and philanthropic contributions, total funding commitments to the Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer (EPICC) consortium will expand to AUD $29.6 million. EPICC is a new program that builds on decades of research and clinician leadership to advance the elimination of cervical cancer across the Indo-Pacific by improving HPV-related policies, planning and readiness in any country in the region. EPICC is piloting HPV programs for future scale-up in Timor-Leste and Solomon Islands, expanding sub-national vaccination programs to support country readiness in Malaysia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, and supporting the establishment of national sustained HPV elimination programs in Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Nauru. EPICC works across six priority areas to eliminate cervical cancer, including strengthening primary prevention through HPV vaccination support, secondary prevention of cervical cancer through HPV screening and treatment for pre-cancer, laboratory strengthening for cervical cancer screening and diagnosis, digital health work to generate data for decision making and strengthened models of care, supporting cervical cancer management (across both treatment and palliative care), and policy and modelling support across all pillars of the cervical cancer elimination pathway.
    • With a total Australian Government commitment of AUD 16.5 million [$11 million], the expanded EPICC project will extend its reach to more women in the Indo-Pacific. It will also support partner organizations in the region working on cervical cancer elimination to participate in the next Global Forum on Cervical Cancer Elimination, which will have a strong Indo-Pacific focus.
    • Through their charity Minderoo Foundation, Dr. Andrew Forrest AO and Nicola Forrest AO are expanding a lifesaving contribution to EPICC with a further AUD13.1 million [$8.81 million]. This additional funding will see EPICC expanded to up to 11 countries in the region and brings Minderoo’s total commitment to AUD21.7 million. The expanded program will see 140,000 women in the Pacific region screened over the next 4 years, as well as the establishment of national elimination programs and the empowerment of governments to sustain the program for future generations of women and girls.

    India

    • India will share technical expertise in digital health through its National Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) portal. As part of its $10 million commitment to support the World Health Organization (WHO) led Global Initiative on Digital Health, India will provide technical assistance to the Indo-Pacific region. This includes offering technical support for the use of its National Non-Communicable Disease portal, which tracks long-term data on cancer screening and care.
    • India commits to providing HPV sampling kits, detection tools and cervical cancer vaccines worth $7.5 million to the Indo-Pacific region. This significant contribution aims to strengthen local efforts to prevent and detect cervical cancer and empower communities with affordable, accessible tools for early detection and prevention, while supporting vaccination programs to reduce the disease burden across the region.
    • India is scaling up population-based screening for oral, breast, and cervical cancers through its National Progamme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases. In particular, India uses the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) method for cervical cancer screening, which is simple, cost effective and efficient and allows healthcare workers to detect early signs of cervical cancer without the need for advanced laboratory infrastructure, making it a model for other regions in the Indo-Pacific.
    • India is expanding access to specialized cancer treatment centers under its “Strengthening of Tertiary Care Cancer Centres” program. The Government of India is supporting both states and union territories to improve treatment capacity across the county, ensuring that people from all parts of the country, including underserved areas, can receive high-quality care.
    • India is committed to affordable cancer treatment through Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). As part of its broader health coverage efforts, PMJAY, India is committed to providing affordable cancer treatments to its citizens, ensuring financial protection for those most in need.
    • India’s commitment to cervical cancer elimination is further supported by implementation research led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The research is focused on enhancing cervical cancer screening, early diagnosis and initiation of treatment. The results and findings will be shared with the Indo-Pacific countries in the coming years, to strengthen regional collaboration.

    Japan

    • Japan is providing medical equipment, including Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners, and other assistance worth approximately $27 million, to countries in the Indo-Pacific region. These countries include Cambodia, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste, as well as contributing to international organizations.
    • Through the Japan International Cooperation Agency and other organizations, Japan has committed approximately $75 million from FY2019 to FY2023 in the Indo-Pacific to combatting cancer including cervical cancer. This includes providing relevant medical equipment and facilities, medical diagnosis, health system strengthening, and technical assistance.
    • Japan is committed to improving the access to vaccines and promoting the women’s health including the prevention and control of cervical cancer through Global Health Initiatives or International Organizations such as Gavi, UNFPA, IPPF. Japan intends to continue its commitment to support this initiative.
    • Toward the achievement of universal health coverage, Japan intends to strengthen capacity for addressing cancer including cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific region by health system strengthening.  Japan will also continue to support combatting cancer including cervical cancer in the region through National Cancer Center Japan’s partnership with each Quad country’s cancer related institution.

    NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

    Collaboration with the private and non-profit sectors of all Quad countries is indispensable to the success of this initiative, as their collective innovation, resources, and commitment will be critical in advancing progress against cancer in the Indo-Pacific region. Quad countries are pleased to announce the following actions from non-government contributors:

    Improving Access to Cancer Screening and Prevention

    • The World Bank is significantly increasing its commitment to cervical cancer prevention and treatment in the Indo-Pacific region through a comprehensive health systems approach, including $400 million in HPV-related investments globally over the next three years. In line with its broader goal to provide quality, affordable health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030, the World Bank, along with the Global Financing Facility (GFF) for Women, Children, and cervical cancer. With projects in countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the World Bank is supporting cervical cancer screening, HPV vaccination, and treatment by integrating these services into primary healthcare systems. This includes expanding access to screening for underserved populations, strengthening service delivery, and leveraging partnerships to improve diagnostics and treatment. In addition, the World Bank is working to address supply chain challenges and ensure the sustainable production and distribution of HPV vaccines, with a focus on increasing access across the region. Through this approach, the World Bank aims to create sustainable and equitable health systems that can address the growing burden of cervical cancer and support long-term health outcomes for women and girls across the Indo-Pacific.
    • Women investors and philanthropists of the Women Health and Economic Empowerment Network (WHEN) will deploy a joint investment of more than $100 million over the next three years, with funding targeted for cervical cancer in Southeast Asia. These funds will be working to fill essential gaps for improving the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cervical cancer. WHEN’s women investors and philanthropists will deploy grant, concessional, and investment capital into HPV screening, medical imaging, pathology, radiotherapy, training for healthcare workers, and the solarization of health facilities.
    • The Serum Institute of India, in partnership with Gavi, will support the procurement of up to 40 million doses of the HPV vaccine for distribution across the Indo-Pacific region. This commitment can be expanded based on demand, ensuring a steady supply of vaccines to address the cervical cancer burden in underserved areas. By increasing access to lifesaving vaccines, this commitment will help prevent cervical cancer and promote equitable healthcare across the region.
    • The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, alongside other donors and countries earlier this year, committed to support cervical cancer elimination. The foundation announced it intends to commit up to US$180 million over four years to help accelerate the global uptake of HPV vaccines, develop new prophylactic HPV and therapeutic vaccines and diagnostic tools and fund clinical studies.
    • Sabin Vaccine Institute, through the Global HPV Consortium (GHC), will support a new country-based coalition to promote cervical cancer elimination. The Cervical Cancer Elimination Consortium-India (CCEC-I) will collaborate with the Government of India, wherever appropriate, to pilot “100 Cervical Cancer Mukt (Cancer Free) Districts” through their integrated SAVE Strategy: Screening, Access to Treatment, Vaccination, Education. This is in continuation of GHC’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, having previously collaborated with Indonesia’s Ministry of Health to support development of their National Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan.
    • Jhpiego, in partnership with the Philippines Department of Health and with support from Roche, is increasing awareness, demand and access for cervical cancer screening by educating women on the importance of HPV testing and the risk of cervical cancer. The Centralized Laboratory Model of Screening project is expanding coverage of cervical cancer screening with introduction of the  WHO elimination strategy-recommended high performance HPV testing, and thermal ablation treatment for precancers, in five highly urbanized Local Government Units of the Philippines – with strengthened referral pathways to ensure a pathway to treatment. 
    • Illumina is committed to supporting the development and adoption of genomic diagnostic tests to fulfill the promise of precision medicine in the Indo-Pacific Region. The objective of this initiative is to ensure that advanced-stage (>50%) and non-HPV driven (~5%) cervical cancer patients receive correct diagnoses and possible suitable therapies such as Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Similar initiatives are being explored with gynecological oncology organizations in Australia and Japan. 
    • Roche Diagnostics is expanding its cervical cancer screening and diagnosis initiatives in the Indo-Pacific region. Roche Diagnostics will expand efforts in the Indo-Pacific to increasing access to screening and raising awareness building on the experience gained in partnership with Japan including on  providing education to women, training healthcare workers, and developing digital solutions for efficient follow-up care; and in partnership with  Australia on promoting cervical cancer screening among under-screened and never-screened groups, including Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and culturally diverse communities.
    • Becton Dickinson & Co. (BD) is making comprehensive investments in cervical cancer screening in the Indo-Pacific.  BD is working with Obstetric and Gynecological Societies to deliver education for clinicians on cervical cancer screening best practices, with an aim of reaching over 1,200 clinicians and support staff by early 2025. BD is also investing in pilots to inform the design of large-scale HPV screening rollout and programs to reach under-served communities. Through their longstanding partnership with Direct Relief, BD is working with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) to facilitate screening for over 20,000 women. Under the program, 400 screening camps will offer screening, diagnosis and mental health support.

    Improving Cancer Care Delivery

    • Project ECHO will accelerate cervical cancer elimination in the Indo-Pacific region through 10 new learning networks that facilitate effective and accessible prevention and care. More than 180 public health organizations in 33 countries leverage the ECHO Model, an evidence-based training and mentorship framework for community-based health care professionals, to improve cancer care delivery. By 2028, Project ECHO will launch at least 10 new communities of practice, with local partners and ministries of health in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and other Indo-Pacific countries to accelerate cervical cancer elimination, including programs for HPV vaccine implementation, treatment of precancerous lesions, and use of essential curative therapies.
    • The American Cancer Society is committed to reduce the global burden of HPV-related cancers by increasing support of civil society organizations globally, including in the Indo-Pacific Region. Support for these organizations, initially focused on cancer civil society organizations and medical societies, includes catalytic grants and technical assistance for implementing evidence-based, low-cost behavioral interventions aimed at optimizing the demand and uptake of life-saving prevention services through widespread healthcare provider trainings. 
    • The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will update its global guidelines on the Management and Care of Women with Invasive Cervical Cancer to incorporate new recommendation-changing scientific evidence on optimal approaches to the treatment of cervical cancer. Once completed, ASCO will work with its members, including their Asia Pacific Regional Council, and partner oncology societies in the Indo-Pacific to support the usage of these guidelines, along with companion guidelines on primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer, by cancer clinicians for improved patient outcomes in the region.
    • The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expanding its Rays of Hope initiative to strengthen radiotherapy and medical imaging capacities in the Indo-Pacific region. Through this initiative, 13 countries and territories have requested support, and efforts are already underway to raise awareness and increase cervical cancer screening rates. The IAEA has designated cancer institutes in Japan, and India as Rays of Hope Anchor Centres, serving as hubs for capacity building in education, training, research, innovation, and quality assurance.
    • The Union for International Cancer Control is committed to working with its 1150 members across 172 countries to address inequities and drive global action in cervical cancer elimination, including in the Indo-Pacific region over the next three years as part of the ‘Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer’. Leveraging flagship convening platforms, established learning opportunities, alongside its rich network and proven ability to collaborate across sectors, UICC will support national partners to improve access to care, sustain progress and ultimately, reduce the burden of cancer for populations around the world.

    Increasing Capacity for Cancer Research, Infrastructure, and Training

    • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Australia’s Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney launch a $40 million public-private partnership that will advance international clinical trials of precision oncology and liquid biopsy technologies, including for the detection and elimination of cervical cancer. A generous donation of $20 million to each institution from Australian philanthropists Mr. Gregory John Poche and the late Mrs. Kay Van Norton Poche, will support this public-private partnership, accelerating the development of cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment tools for the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
    • Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) will support organizations in the Indo-Pacific region in their ability to prevent, detect, and treat cervical cancer, will provide cloud computing credits and enable access to AWS and datasets via the Registry of Open Data on AWS. Researchers are using AWS to identify patterns and variances from datasets secured from the Cancer Genome Atlas and others through AWS.
    • Pfizer will expand the INDovation initiative to build oncology capacity at the primary care level in the Indo-Pacific. INDovation was launched by Pfizer two years ago to support local startups. Under the program, Pfizer has awarded nearly $1 million in grants to startups, including those related to cervical cancer, and worked in partnership with the government and universities. Pfizer is now expanding the program to focus on oncology with the goal of strengthening primary care health centers. Under this phase, Pfizer will award grants to up to 10 startups that can deploy solutions to help enhance early diagnosis and patient services at the primary care setting with potential deployment across primary health centers in the region.
    • Elekta will expand radiotherapy capacity in the Indo-Pacific, closing an important treatment gap in the region to contribute to eliminating cervical cancer. Initiatives include establishing radiotherapy training centers in Southeast Asia, conducting treatment courses with regional medical centers and implementing cloud-based platforms to improve quality of care in radiotherapy through knowledge sharing, and peer review sessions among the member centers of the Asia-Pacific radiation oncology network.
    • MD Anderson commits to expanding their cervical cancer research, training and education programs to the Indo-Pacific region. MD Anderson currently collaborates with the Ministry of Health of Indonesia on the implementation and evaluation of cervical cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment programs and helps train medical providers in-country to perform colposcopy, ablation, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), and surgery. MD Anderson commits to expanding these programs to ministries of health in the Indo-Pacific interested in partnerships to eliminate cervical cancer.

    Increasing Cancer Awareness and Education to Empower People

    • Hologic, a global leader in diagnostic and medical imaging solutions for cervical and breast cancer, is working with government agencies and health care providers in the Indo-Pacific region to educate and raise awareness on cervical cancer. Hologic is currently expanding access to innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence in cervical cancer screening to scale population-based programs to overcome provider shortages in the Indo-Pacific region. In addition, Hologic commits to the continued publication of the Global Women’s Health Index, a comprehensive global survey about women’s health, filling a critical gap in what the world knows about the health and well-being of the world’s women and girls.
    • The Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer will promote HPV vaccination, cervical screening and early treatment projects with partners and collaborators in the Indo-Pacific Region. These efforts will include organizing the Asia-Pacific Workshop in Bangkok to share knowledge and best practices within the region and expanding awareness efforts to further enhance awareness initiatives throughout the Indo-Pacific.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: On-the-Record Press Gaggle APNSA Jake Sullivan at the Quad Leaders  Summit

    Source: The White House

    8:50 A.M. EDT
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Thank you, guys, for being here.  Today, we have the fourth Quad Leaders Summit, fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit, and the first time that President Biden has actually hosted leaders in his hometown and, literally, at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. 
     
    You guys have heard the President say many times that all politics is personal, all diplomacy is personal.  And developing personal relationships has been core to his approach to foreign policy as President.
     
    So, opening his home to the leaders of India, Japan, and Australia is a way of him showing, not just saying, that these leaders matter to him, that the Quad matters to him as a significant foreign policy priority.  And institutionalizing and deepening and elevating the Quad has been one of the things that he’s going to be very proud of when he leaves office and passes the baton to the next President of the United States.
     
    When President Biden came in, within the early months, he held a Quad — a virtual summit, and it was the first time the leaders of the Quad had actually met in any format.  And what the President wanted to do was not just have this be something where leaders convened occasionally, but actually a vehicle for driving deepening cooperation and integration across the region. 
     
    And so, if you look at the last three and a half years, whether it’s on the response to COVID-19 or humanitarian response across the region, or issues like cyber and cyber capacity-building across the region, there’s a range of significant achievements the Quad has already had.  And today, the Quad leaders will announce a number of further steps forward. 
     
    There’ll be the announcement of the Quad Cancer Moonshot, which we’re very excited about, with all four countries coming to the table with resources and capacities to help drive towards the cures to deadly cancers.  And there’ll be more to say on that later today.
     
    There’s the expansion of the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative, which is a mouthful, but is really about integrating new technologies and new capabilities, not just for Quad members, but for countries in Southeast Asia and the rest of the region, for them to understand their maritime domains so they can better manage and regulate them and ensure their security and also ensure that they are delivering economic benefits to the people of the relevant countries. 
     
    There will be — we’ll have an announcement of the expansion of the Quad fellows, which will now not just be fellows from the four countries, but fellows from Southeast Asia as well.
     
    We’ll announce the pre-positioning of relief supplies across the region and the ability for Quad countries to react more rapidly in the case of humanitarian crises and natural disasters.
     
    And the Quad will announce its first-ever coast guard mission together as well, which will show the joint capabilities of the four countries in terms of their ability — in terms of their coast guards. 
     
    So, there’s a number of other things that you’ll see in the fact sheet as well, but this just shows the breadth and range of ways in which the Quad is becoming a feature of the architecture of the Indo-Pacific.  And we hope and expect that that will deepen in the years ahead. 
     
    And the reason I think we can have some confidence in that is there’s genuine bipartisan support for the Quad.  It’s something that really transcends party lines.  And, in fact, over the last 24 hours, we’ve had the announcement of a bipartisan, bicameral Quad Caucus, something I never quite thought I would see, but Republicans and Democrats in both the House and the Senate actually standing up a caucus to support this, this platform, because of the importance that Congress places on it and what it can deliver. 
     
    The last thing I would say is that when you look at the Quad and AUKUS and the Camp David trilateral and our engagement with the Pacific Islands in ASEAN, one thing that has been a hallmark of the President’s foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific has been to move from the traditional hub-and-spoke model, rooted largely in bilateral alliances and bilateral partnerships, to a latticework approach with multiple institutions, overlapping partnerships, different configurations that all add up to genuinely new architecture for the Indo-Pacific, and the Quad is a critical part of that. 
     
    And I think it leaves the United States in a stronger position, with a more dense and capable and dynamic set of partnerships, and with relationships not just between us and our partners, but among our partners, that allow us to deliver greater results and achieve more stability and security and drive towards the ultimate objective, which is a free and open Indo-Pacific. 
     
    So let me stop there, and happy to take your questions. 
     
    Q    Jake, just (inaudible), you didn’t mention China directly in the joint leaders’ statement.  What sort of language should we expect directed at the PRC?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  The Quad isn’t really about any other country.  It’s not directed at another country.  It’s directed at problem solving and standing up for a set of common principles and a common vision for the region. 
     
    So, I don’t think you should expect to see a focus on any particular country, including the PRC, in the Quad leaders’ statement.  That’s been the pattern since the beginning, because the nature and purpose of this institution is really about the kinds of things I just described.  It’s about delivering vaccines, delivering cyber capacity, delivering coast guard capacity, delivering humanitarian assistance, delivering science and technology progress.  So that’s what we’re going to continue to focus on, and that’s what you’ll see in the fact sheet — the joint leaders’ statement. 
     
    Q    But, Jake, as you add more security features to this partnership, you know, is there a risk, a possibility that China, which has already expressed concerns about encirclement related to the Quad, begins to have objections to this cooperation?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Look, I’ll let the PRC speak for itself, and obviously it does speak for itself about a number of different initiatives the United States has taken in the Indo-Pacific.  We’re just going to prove year on year everything that I just said, which is really that the thrust and purpose of the institution writ large and the security features of it are about a positive agenda to enhance security, not just for Quad countries but for other regional partners. 
     
    So, it’s hard for me to see how and why the PRC should object to the four countries, for example, doing a coast guard mission together, or doing cyber trainings for Southeast Asia together, or taking steps with respect to maritime domain awareness.  These do not, to me, indicate any form of aggression or assertive behavior.  They’re fundamentally constructive and positive, and that’s where we’re going to continue to position the Quad. 
     
    Q    Can you speak a little bit to the President’s meeting with Prime Minister Modi and what, if anything, he’ll say about what he wants to do vis-à-vis China and Russia (inaudible)?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I won’t go too deep into the details of what he will say on those issues, which are obviously sensitive and will obviously be critical priorities in the bilateral meeting. 
     
    I will just say this: that the United States has been clear about our view that Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine flouted every norm and principle of international law, that countries like India should step up and support the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that every country everywhere should refrain from supplying inputs to Russia’s war machine for it to be able to continue to prosecute this brutal war.  So they will talk about that. 
     
    The President will also h
    ear from Prime Minister Modi about his trip to Ukraine, which was an important and indeed historic trip, and it will be the opportunity for the two of them to talk about their respective views of the way forward.
     
    And then, with respect to China, you know, they will talk about how they see China’s actions in the region, where China is headed.  And that’s not just true in the security domain, but the economic and technology domain as well.  And we’ll work to try to coordinate approaches to the extent that that makes sense for both countries.
     
    Q    In the past month or so, there’s been a lot of (inaudible) China (inaudible).  There’s been lots of (inaudible) still in the offing.  Can you speak to, like, how the President himself is reviewing the culmination, I guess, of the administration’s China strategy leading up to this?  And should we consider this Quad sort of part of that puzzle, (inaudible)?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I think you should consider this Quad and all of our other actions part of an effort to strengthen the capacity of the United States to defend our interests, support our allies and partners, advance problem solving on critical common challenges, and generally put ourself in a more robust, competitive position writ large.
     
    But I don’t think you should see it again as being directed at China.  And I think this is American foreign policy, in a way at its historic best, which innovation partnerships designed to enhance stability, designed to deliver results, and connected to other partnerships that are going the same thing.
     
    And I think, kind of, over-cranking the emphasis on any one country is missing what I think the central thrust and purpose of these kinds of institutions, including the Quad, are all about.
     
    Q    You mentioned at the top the personal nature of this visit.  And the White House is using the terminology “personal meeting” rather than the usual “bilateral meeting.”  Can you give us a sense of how these meetings are different, what we might expect?  For example, Prime Minister Albanese yesterday, did he get a tour of the house?  See the Corvette?  Were there family members present?  Can you can you give us a flavor of that?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  He did get a bit of a tour of the house.  I don’t think he saw the Corvette, though.  I can’t confirm that for sure, because the two of them sort of went off by themselves for a bit, and I haven’t had a chance to speak to the President about what exactly the Prime Minister saw. 
     
    There weren’t other family members there.  It was really a sort of one-on-one opportunity for President Biden and the Prime Minister to sit and talk.  And then, a few of us joined them, obviously, for part of the meeting when it turned to substance. 
     
    It was just — honestly, the vibe of it was sort of two guys, one at the other guy’s home, talking in broad strokes about where they see the state of the world, about — you know, swapping some stories from their respective political careers, you know, talking about the history of the U.S.-Australia alliance. 
     
    It just kind of had a feeling like if you had someone come over for a cup of coffee or a meal.  You know, that kind of feeling was much more present than, like, a stiff bilateral.  And the President told everybody, “Take off your jackets.  Get comfortable,” which we all obliged. 
     
    So, yeah, I’m very bad at answering questions like that, but that’s my best shot at it. 
     
    Q    Well, if I may, on Sudan, a United Nations panel of experts has accused the United Arab Emirates of supplying arms to the RSF in breach of the weapons embargo on Darfur.  MBZ, I guess, is coming to the White House this week.  Will the President raise those allegations directly with the leader of the United Arab Emirates?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I’ll let the President talk to Sheikh Mohamed privately about Sudan.  I think it would be more effective to do that. 
     
    What I will say is we are concerned about a number of countries and the steps they are taking to perpetuate rather than resolve the conflict.  And I will also say that Sudan will certainly be on the agenda, and the President will be as direct and candid with Sheikh Mohamed as he is with every leader.  And then, after the fact, we’ll share what we feel we can.
     
    And the reason why I’m not, sort of, laying it out all in public right now is: Our ultimate objective is to get the entire conflict in Sudan on a different track than the tragic and horrific track it is on right now.  And I think that requires some intense but sensitive diplomatic conversations with a number of players.  That’s what the President is intending to do writ large.  And as I said, Sudan will certainly be part of the agenda with the UAE President on Monday.
     
    Q    Jake, so (inaudible) President will Japan Prime Minister Kishida.  Do you expect him to talk about that deal between U.S. Steel and Japan Nippon Steel?  And does (inaudible) oppose that deal and try to stop it?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I cannot say yet whether that particular deal will come up in the conversation today.  There are obviously huge priorities in terms of current events and geopolitical trends and economic and technology cooperation.  So, I’m not sure that it will come up.  And the President has spoken to this issue before, but the matter really is, at the moment, in a official process while the transaction is studied by the relevant authorities and the relevant agencies, the U.S. government. 
     
    And so, you know, the President will obviously allow that process to run its course because that’s what’s required under the law.  And then we will see what happens.
     
    Q    Prime Minister Kishida will step down soon.  You going to talk about his contribution, achievement, but what do you expect from the new Japanese prime minister?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  One thing that I do expect, whoever the new Japanese prime minister is, is continued investment in and support for the U.S.-Japan alliance as the cornerstone peace of security in the Indo-Pacific.  And I expect that because the overwhelming majority of the Japanese people support that and because this alliance is bigger than any one leader on either side, in Japan or the United States. 
     
    So I have confidence that the strong bond and partnership between our two countries will continue no matter who takes the helm, although I will say Prime Minister Kishida should be saluted, and President Biden will salute him, as a very significant contributor to the high-water mark we’ve reached in the U.S.-Japan alliance at this point and in Japan’s global leadership role. 
     
    So, it will obviously be different because Prime Minister Kishida is a unique individual, but one thing that we think will remain the same is the strong alliance between the United States and Japan.
     
    Q    Just on the Nippon deal, very quickly: Some proponents of that deal are interpreting last week’s extension as a sign that the President is having second thoughts.  What would you say to them?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I can’t speak to that because I think nobody should overread what happened last week as a substantive expression of views, rather as a matter of process to ensure that the transaction gets the full review that’s appropriate in a case like this, as I said, from the relevant authorities and agencies.  And the President really does want to let that play out. 
     
    Q    You mentioned that it’s not about one country, but of course, China comes to mind over time.  As just recently, they announced sanctions against American companies.  They’re selling weapons to Taiwan.  Taiwan is getting money from the United States to be able to defend themselves.  And the incidents in the past few weeks in (inaudible) has been escalating, not only with Taiwan with China, but also Philippines.
     
    During this meeting, is that top of mind
    , or is this something that you want to address?  Because, I mean, you mentioned the coast guard event shouldn’t be questioned by the Chinese; it’s just an event that they’re going to do as a group.  But from their point of view, they’re talking about it and condemning these types of actions.  Should we worry about China moving forward or being more aggressive as the world is focused on Lebanon, the Middle East, Ukraine?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Well, first of all, it’s true that the front pages of newspapers are filled with stories about the Middle East rather than the Indo-Pacific right now.  But the United States of America is focused in both places.  And there’s probably no better proof point than the fact that we’re sitting here right now, on a Quad Summit day, meeting with leaders of the Indo-Pacific, even as we continue to closely monitor events in the Middle East.
     
    So, if you look at the work that we have done over the last four years, the intense engagement with allies and partners, the work on — this latticework that I described, the efforts to strengthen our own industrial and innovation base, the measures we’ve taken to protect our sensitive technologies, we feel like we are in a very strong position to stand up for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.  And obviously, we are concerned about actions that China has taken, and we speak out about those actions quite directly and candidly. 
     
    But we are also putting the United States and our allies and partners in a position to effectively defend our interests and to defend the rules of the road that have kept the peace in the Indo-Pacific for a long time.  We’re going to continue to do that. 
     
    The other thing I would say is that each of the four members of the Quad has their own approach to the PRC.  There’s not going to be some “Quad approach” to the PRC.  But of course, in the course of the conversation today, the four leaders will have the opportunity to talk about all of the developments in the Indo-Pacific, and obviously the PRC is part of that. 
     
    So, it will be one of the issues or one of the topics that come up among many.
     
    Q    If I may, on Venezuela — because Venezuela is close to China right now, and it’s one of the allies, but also Russia and Iran.  So we know four Americans are detained in the past few days.  The situation is getting just harder and harder to get to an agreement.  We are expecting a meeting at the United Nations to talk about Venezuela, led by Uruguay and other countries.  Do you see any possibility of moving forward in this subject?  We understand the U.S. have supported the talks.  Is it a possibility to go back to Qatar?  Is Qatar in the table again?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  We continue to talk to Qatar, who wants to play a constructive role in engaging the Maduro regime, the opposition, the United States, other players.  At the moment, there’s not much traction on talks, and what we’re instead continuing to see are negative steps by the Maduro regime in the aftermath of an election where we have been very clear our judgment is that Edmundo Gonzalez received the most votes. 
     
    So, we’ll continue to work, particularly with countries in the region, to try to develop a common approach forward to support democracy and a democratic transition in Venezuela.  But I will say that at the moment there is not a substantial diplomatic opportunity to make progress, and we’re going to
    have to keep looking for one.
     
    Q    Jake, on the Middle East, the Lebanese are saying at least 31 were killed in that bombing of a building that apparently targeted at least one Hezbollah commander.  Has the U.S. figured out who exactly was targeted and killed?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  The Israelis have announced, and I believe Hezbollah itself has confirmed, some of the people who were killed in that strike.  And I will let Israel and Hezbollah speak to it, because obviously we don’t have an independent capacity at this point to confirm.  But I believe a fair amount of that is out in the public domain at this point.
     
    Q    If at least one of those was one of those responsible for organizing the barracks bombing back in the ‘80s, how significant would that be that he’s now dead?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  That individual has American blood on his hands and has a Rewards for Justice price on his head.  And he is somebody who the United States promised long ago we would do everything we could to see brought to justice. 
     
    And anytime a terrorist who has murdered Americans is brought to justice, we believe that that is a good outcome.  But again, I’m not in a position this morning, until I have the opportunity to talk again to my Israeli counterparts today, to formally confirm anything; just to say, you know, 1983 seems like a long time ago, but for a lot of families, a lot of people, it was — they’re still living with it every day.
     
    Q    One other.  Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich have been in Washington in recent days, mostly to visit with lawmakers.  Is there any plan for them to meet with the President?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I guess not.  The President met with both of them, obviously, when they came back to the States.  So there wasn’t — we didn’t have a plan for them to sit down this past week or this coming week in Washington.  But, you know, I’m sure he would be happy to see them again at some point. 
     
    Q    There’s a report that I got (inaudible) disagree with about U.S. officials conceding that there won’t be a deal during the President’s term.  What is your assessment of that?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I think that’s crazy.  I mean —
     
    Q    So, it was correct that you’d (inaudible).  (Laughter.)  (Inaudible) disagree with it, that yes —
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  This is not me sitting here saying, “Hey, there will be a deal.”  One can’t know.  And I’ve — you’ve heard me repeatedly use this George Mitchell line of “700 days of failure, one day of success.”  But this is diplomacy.  Every day, you get up and you try to drive towards a deal that brings about a ceasefire, the return of hostages, surge of humanitarian assistance, and ultimately the end of the war.  We’re doing that today.  We’re going to do that tomorrow.  We’re going to do that every day. 
     
    And I do still believe there is a path to get there.  It has been a winding path, a frustrating path, but we are still on that path, and we hope to reach the destination.  But we’re also mindful of the fact and very clear-eyed about the fact that there’s still obstacles in the way; we’re going to do our best to clear them.  And I can’t make any predictions about what’s going to happen, but what I can certainly say is we are not conceding that, period.
     
    Q    But we’ve been waiting a while in terms of a new bridging proposal.  Is that right?  So when is — when do you expect to put that on the table?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I can’t tell you that because we’re not at a point right now where I can — where we’re prepared to put something on the table.  We’re continuing to work with Qatar and Egypt.  They’re talking to Hamas.  We’re talking to Israel.  The Qataris and Egyptians are talking to Israel.  And when we feel ready to take another step, we’ll take another step. 
     
    Q    What’s the holdup?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Well, at the moment, we don’t feel like we’re in a position, if we put something down today, to get both sides to say yes to it.  Could that change over the course of the coming days?  It could.  You know — yeah, I’ll leave it at that for now.
     
    Q    Jake, in terms of the events of last week in Lebanon, do you have any assessments what that has done to the operational capabilities of Hezbollah?  And what is your current level of concern that what you’ve been trying to prevent the last, you know, 11-plus months could st
    art off as (inaudible)?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  It stands to reason that Lebanese Hezbollah’s capabilities have taken a hit.  How significant a hit, how that translates to their ability to represent a threat to Israel, I think we still need some more assessment to reach more guidance on.
     
    The risk of escalation is real; it has been since October 7th.  There are moments where it is more acute than others.  I think we are in one of those moments where it is more acute. 
     
    But I would take a step back and make an observation that I don’t think gets sufficient attention in the reporting on this dynamic, which is that Hezbollah started this whole thing.  Hamas attacks on October 7th, this vicious massacre.  And then, as Nasrallah just said in his speech this week, the way he put it, Nasrallah opened the Northern Front. 
     
    Israel didn’t start just randomly attacking into Lebanon.  Hezbollah and its allies in — its terrorist allies in Lebanon started attacking Israel.  And tens of thousands of Israeli citizens had to leave their homes.  That led to an exchange of fire, and then Lebanese citizens had to leave their homes.  And we’ve been in that dynamic ever since. 
     
    So, that’s an important structural factor that I think, kind of, gets set aside in the commentary and the coverage of the current circumstance.
     
    That being said, the United States’ position is we would like to see calm on the northern border and a durable solution that allows the people on both sides of that border to return to their homes.  We are driving at that.  Amos Hochstein was recently back in the region to work towards that.  I’ve spoken with my Israeli counterparts just in the last couple of days to see how we find a way forward on that. 
     
    And so, while the risk of escalation is real, we actually believe there is also a distinct avenue to getting to a cessation of hostilities and a durable solution that makes people on both sides of the border feel secure, and we’re going to do everything that we can to bring that about. 
     
    Q    And can I just (inaudible) — when you say the risk of escalation is real, are you saying the IDF flattening tower blocks in Beirut is not an escalation?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I think the question he was asking — the heart of his question was: could we get into a wider war that we have been trying to avoid for the last 11 months.  I think that’s what the question was.
     
    Q    Then I’ll ask the question.
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I was answering (inaudible).
     
    Q    I’ll ask the question then: Was the IDF strike an escalation, in your view?
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Look, when I talk about escalation, I mean where does this take us from the point of view of, “Are we going to end up in a wider war.”  We’re not there yet.  I hope we do not get there. 
     
    When you pose a question, “Was this strike escalation?  Was that strike escalation?” the United States is not going to score-keep like that.  There’s a number of different ways to look at this strike.  The chief way I personally look at it goes back to the discussion we were having before, which is it was a strike against a senior terrorist who has both Israeli and American lives on his hands. 
     
    So we could pick any moment, any set of rockets launched by Hezbollah, any set of strikes by Israel, and say, “Is this an escalation?  Is that an escalation?” and so forth.  I think it’s not a particularly useful exercise.  For us, the most useful exercise is to try to drive both parties to a place where we get an agreed and durable outcome that can end the cycle and keep us from ending up in the larger war that, as we were just talking about, we’ve worked so hard to (inaudible).
     
    Q    Is there any announcement that we should expect next week about Haiti?  (Inaudible) report that says that even though we have now the Kenya team there and the security forces, 80 percent of Port-au-Prince is run by gangs.  Things are not getting better for the people.  Violence keep growing.  And of course, we don’t have elections or plan of a government soon. 
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Look, things are not where we would like them to be in Haiti, but I think it is not correct to say that things have not gotten better from a low point when flights were shut down, the port was shut down, it looked like the entire government was going to be run out of the country.
     
    We have improved the situation from that low point, but the progress we have made has been slower and more uneven than we’d like it to be.  Our goal is to continue to enhance the Multilateral Security Support Mission and ultimately work with the United Nations to make sure that it gets institutionalized. 
     
    But I don’t know that we have any particular announcements next week.  Rather, our goal is to use the U.N. General Assembly to get more resources, more contributions, and a common vision around building step by step on what we’ve put in place so that we can improve the situation beyond where it is right now.
     
    MODERATOR:  We have time for about two more questions.
     
    Q    Just a follow-up.  And how can that happen?  I know Colombia wanted to help, but, like, it’s not an actual mission like (inaudible) it was the U.N. (inaudible) — is this a security group, and the U.S. is leading the efforts.  So how the countries will get involved, and how can they operate?  Like, Mexico cannot (inaudible) officers —
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Well, a number of countries have pledged contributions, including police units, former police units.  And so, the first thing that can happen is we can turn those pledges into reality, and then we can work bilaterally with countries like Mexico and Colombia on their legal requirements to try to satisfy them so that they could, in fact, (inaudible).
     
    Q    To put a pin, though, you know, the discussion about China, you know, before, in the lead-up to this, administration officials at the podium were telegraphing that there could be talk about aggressive PRC military action on fair trade practices, tensions over the Taiwan Strait.  You know, preview that there’s going to be discussion of North Korea.  I know you said that the Quad is not about one country, but to China and to many people, it looks like it’s focusing on China.  So I’m curious to what your response to me, to folks that say you’re trying to have it both ways on China. 
     
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I guess what I would say, and I think I said this before, is the leaders are going to talk about all of the significant developments and dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.  Everything you just mentioned fits into that category.  So we don’t take issues off the table to discuss or speak about. 
     
    But my point is that the purpose of the Quad is not to come together around China or any other country.  It’s to come together around how to construct a free and open Indo-Pacific.  And actions and policies that disrupt or undermine that are certainly not just of interest, but are going to be a matter of discussion for Quad members. 
     
    But the way I square the circle is to say these issues are on the agenda because they relate to a free and open Indo-Pacific, but China is not the focus of the Quad, and the Quad is not about one country.  It is about a larger vision that we’re (inaudible).
     
    MODERATOR:  All right, thanks, everyone.
     
    9:26 A.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On-the-Record Press Gaggle APNSA Jake Sullivan at the Quad Leaders  Summit

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    8:50 A.M. EDT MR. SULLIVAN:  Thank you, guys, for being here.  Today, we have the fourth Quad Leaders Summit, fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit, and the first time that President Biden has actually hosted leaders in his hometown and, literally, at his home in Wilmington, Delaware.  You guys have heard the President say many times that all politics is personal, all diplomacy is personal.  And developing personal relationships has been core to his approach to foreign policy as President. So, opening his home to the leaders of India, Japan, and Australia is a way of him showing, not just saying, that these leaders matter to him, that the Quad matters to him as a significant foreign policy priority.  And institutionalizing and deepening and elevating the Quad has been one of the things that he’s going to be very proud of when he leaves office and passes the baton to the next President of the United States. When President Biden came in, within the early months, he held a Quad — a virtual summit, and it was the first time the leaders of the Quad had actually met in any format.  And what the President wanted to do was not just have this be something where leaders convened occasionally, but actually a vehicle for driving deepening cooperation and integration across the region.  And so, if you look at the last three and a half years, whether it’s on the response to COVID-19 or humanitarian response across the region, or issues like cyber and cyber capacity-building across the region, there’s a range of significant achievements the Quad has already had.  And today, the Quad leaders will announce a number of further steps forward.  There’ll be the announcement of the Quad Cancer Moonshot, which we’re very excited about, with all four countries coming to the table with resources and capacities to help drive towards the cures to deadly cancers.  And there’ll be more to say on that later today. There’s the expansion of the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative, which is a mouthful, but is really about integrating new technologies and new capabilities, not just for Quad members, but for countries in Southeast Asia and the rest of the region, for them to understand their maritime domains so they can better manage and regulate them and ensure their security and also ensure that they are delivering economic benefits to the people of the relevant countries.  There will be — we’ll have an announcement of the expansion of the Quad fellows, which will now not just be fellows from the four countries, but fellows from Southeast Asia as well. We’ll announce the pre-positioning of relief supplies across the region and the ability for Quad countries to react more rapidly in the case of humanitarian crises and natural disasters. And the Quad will announce its first-ever coast guard mission together as well, which will show the joint capabilities of the four countries in terms of their ability — in terms of their coast guards.  So, there’s a number of other things that you’ll see in the fact sheet as well, but this just shows the breadth and range of ways in which the Quad is becoming a feature of the architecture of the Indo-Pacific.  And we hope and expect that that will deepen in the years ahead.  And the reason I think we can have some confidence in that is there’s genuine bipartisan support for the Quad.  It’s something that really transcends party lines.  And, in fact, over the last 24 hours, we’ve had the announcement of a bipartisan, bicameral Quad Caucus, something I never quite thought I would see, but Republicans and Democrats in both the House and the Senate actually standing up a caucus to support this, this platform, because of the importance that Congress places on it and what it can deliver.  The last thing I would say is that when you look at the Quad and AUKUS and the Camp David trilateral and our engagement with the Pacific Islands in ASEAN, one thing that has been a hallmark of the President’s foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific has been to move from the traditional hub-and-spoke model, rooted largely in bilateral alliances and bilateral partnerships, to a latticework approach with multiple institutions, overlapping partnerships, different configurations that all add up to genuinely new architecture for the Indo-Pacific, and the Quad is a critical part of that.  And I think it leaves the United States in a stronger position, with a more dense and capable and dynamic set of partnerships, and with relationships not just between us and our partners, but among our partners, that allow us to deliver greater results and achieve more stability and security and drive towards the ultimate objective, which is a free and open Indo-Pacific.  So let me stop there, and happy to take your questions.  Q    Jake, just (inaudible), you didn’t mention China directly in the joint leaders’ statement.  What sort of language should we expect directed at the PRC? MR. SULLIVAN:  The Quad isn’t really about any other country.  It’s not directed at another country.  It’s directed at problem solving and standing up for a set of common principles and a common vision for the region.  So, I don’t think you should expect to see a focus on any particular country, including the PRC, in the Quad leaders’ statement.  That’s been the pattern since the beginning, because the nature and purpose of this institution is really about the kinds of things I just described.  It’s about delivering vaccines, delivering cyber capacity, delivering coast guard capacity, delivering humanitarian assistance, delivering science and technology progress.  So that’s what we’re going to continue to focus on, and that’s what you’ll see in the fact sheet — the joint leaders’ statement.  Q    But, Jake, as you add more security features to this partnership, you know, is there a risk, a possibility that China, which has already expressed concerns about encirclement related to the Quad, begins to have objections to this cooperation? MR. SULLIVAN:  Look, I’ll let the PRC speak for itself, and obviously it does speak for itself about a number of different initiatives the United States has taken in the Indo-Pacific.  We’re just going to prove year on year everything that I just said, which is really that the thrust and purpose of the institution writ large and the security features of it are about a positive agenda to enhance security, not just for Quad countries but for other regional partners.  So, it’s hard for me to see how and why the PRC should object to the four countries, for example, doing a coast guard mission together, or doing cyber trainings for Southeast Asia together, or taking steps with respect to maritime domain awareness.  These do not, to me, indicate any form of aggression or assertive behavior.  They’re fundamentally constructive and positive, and that’s where we’re going to continue to position the Quad.  Q    Can you speak a little bit to the President’s meeting with Prime Minister Modi and what, if anything, he’ll say about what he wants to do vis-à-vis China and Russia (inaudible)? MR. SULLIVAN:  I won’t go too deep into the details of what he will say on those issues, which are obviously sensitive and will obviously be critical priorities in the bilateral meeting.  I will just say this: that the United States has been clear about our view that Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine flouted every norm and principle of international law, that countries like India should step up and support the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that every country everywhere should refrain from supplying inputs to Russia’s war machine for it to be able to continue to prosecute this brutal war.  So they will talk about that.  The President will also hear from Prime Minister Modi about his trip to Ukraine, which was an important and indeed historic trip, and it will be the opportunity for the two of them to talk about their respective views of the way forward. And then, with respect to China, you kn
    ow, they will talk about how they see China’s actions in the region, where China is headed.  And that’s not just true in the security domain, but the economic and technology domain as well.  And we’ll work to try to coordinate approaches to the extent that that makes sense for both countries. Q    In the past month or so, there’s been a lot of (inaudible) China (inaudible).  There’s been lots of (inaudible) still in the offing.  Can you speak to, like, how the President himself is reviewing the culmination, I guess, of the administration’s China strategy leading up to this?  And should we consider this Quad sort of part of that puzzle, (inaudible)? MR. SULLIVAN:  I think you should consider this Quad and all of our other actions part of an effort to strengthen the capacity of the United States to defend our interests, support our allies and partners, advance problem solving on critical common challenges, and generally put ourself in a more robust, competitive position writ large. But I don’t think you should see it again as being directed at China.  And I think this is American foreign policy, in a way at its historic best, which innovation partnerships designed to enhance stability, designed to deliver results, and connected to other partnerships that are going the same thing. And I think, kind of, over-cranking the emphasis on any one country is missing what I think the central thrust and purpose of these kinds of institutions, including the Quad, are all about. Q    You mentioned at the top the personal nature of this visit.  And the White House is using the terminology “personal meeting” rather than the usual “bilateral meeting.”  Can you give us a sense of how these meetings are different, what we might expect?  For example, Prime Minister Albanese yesterday, did he get a tour of the house?  See the Corvette?  Were there family members present?  Can you can you give us a flavor of that? MR. SULLIVAN:  He did get a bit of a tour of the house.  I don’t think he saw the Corvette, though.  I can’t confirm that for sure, because the two of them sort of went off by themselves for a bit, and I haven’t had a chance to speak to the President about what exactly the Prime Minister saw.  There weren’t other family members there.  It was really a sort of one-on-one opportunity for President Biden and the Prime Minister to sit and talk.  And then, a few of us joined them, obviously, for part of the meeting when it turned to substance.  It was just — honestly, the vibe of it was sort of two guys, one at the other guy’s home, talking in broad strokes about where they see the state of the world, about — you know, swapping some stories from their respective political careers, you know, talking about the history of the U.S.-Australia alliance.  It just kind of had a feeling like if you had someone come over for a cup of coffee or a meal.  You know, that kind of feeling was much more present than, like, a stiff bilateral.  And the President told everybody, “Take off your jackets.  Get comfortable,” which we all obliged.  So, yeah, I’m very bad at answering questions like that, but that’s my best shot at it.  Q    Well, if I may, on Sudan, a United Nations panel of experts has accused the United Arab Emirates of supplying arms to the RSF in breach of the weapons embargo on Darfur.  MBZ, I guess, is coming to the White House this week.  Will the President raise those allegations directly with the leader of the United Arab Emirates? MR. SULLIVAN:  I’ll let the President talk to Sheikh Mohamed privately about Sudan.  I think it would be more effective to do that.  What I will say is we are concerned about a number of countries and the steps they are taking to perpetuate rather than resolve the conflict.  And I will also say that Sudan will certainly be on the agenda, and the President will be as direct and candid with Sheikh Mohamed as he is with every leader.  And then, after the fact, we’ll share what we feel we can. And the reason why I’m not, sort of, laying it out all in public right now is: Our ultimate objective is to get the entire conflict in Sudan on a different track than the tragic and horrific track it is on right now.  And I think that requires some intense but sensitive diplomatic conversations with a number of players.  That’s what the President is intending to do writ large.  And as I said, Sudan will certainly be part of the agenda with the UAE President on Monday. Q    Jake, so (inaudible) President will Japan Prime Minister Kishida.  Do you expect him to talk about that deal between U.S. Steel and Japan Nippon Steel?  And does (inaudible) oppose that deal and try to stop it? MR. SULLIVAN:  I cannot say yet whether that particular deal will come up in the conversation today.  There are obviously huge priorities in terms of current events and geopolitical trends and economic and technology cooperation.  So, I’m not sure that it will come up.  And the President has spoken to this issue before, but the matter really is, at the moment, in a official process while the transaction is studied by the relevant authorities and the relevant agencies, the U.S. government.  And so, you know, the President will obviously allow that process to run its course because that’s what’s required under the law.  And then we will see what happens. Q    Prime Minister Kishida will step down soon.  You going to talk about his contribution, achievement, but what do you expect from the new Japanese prime minister? MR. SULLIVAN:  One thing that I do expect, whoever the new Japanese prime minister is, is continued investment in and support for the U.S.-Japan alliance as the cornerstone peace of security in the Indo-Pacific.  And I expect that because the overwhelming majority of the Japanese people support that and because this alliance is bigger than any one leader on either side, in Japan or the United States.  So I have confidence that the strong bond and partnership between our two countries will continue no matter who takes the helm, although I will say Prime Minister Kishida should be saluted, and President Biden will salute him, as a very significant contributor to the high-water mark we’ve reached in the U.S.-Japan alliance at this point and in Japan’s global leadership role.  So, it will obviously be different because Prime Minister Kishida is a unique individual, but one thing that we think will remain the same is the strong alliance between the United States and Japan. Q    Just on the Nippon deal, very quickly: Some proponents of that deal are interpreting last week’s extension as a sign that the President is having second thoughts.  What would you say to them? MR. SULLIVAN:  I can’t speak to that because I think nobody should overread what happened last week as a substantive expression of views, rather as a matter of process to ensure that the transaction gets the full review that’s appropriate in a case like this, as I said, from the relevant authorities and agencies.  And the President really does want to let that play out.  Q    You mentioned that it’s not about one country, but of course, China comes to mind over time.  As just recently, they announced sanctions against American companies.  They’re selling weapons to Taiwan.  Taiwan is getting money from the United States to be able to defend themselves.  And the incidents in the past few weeks in (inaudible) has been escalating, not only with Taiwan with China, but also Philippines. During this meeting, is that top of mind, or is this something that you want to address?  Because, I mean, you mentioned the coast guard event shouldn’t be questioned by the Chinese; it’s just an event that they’re going to do as a group.  But from their point of view, they’re talking about it and condemning these types of actions.  Should we worry about China moving forward or being more aggressive as the world is focused on Lebanon, the Middle East, Ukraine? MR. SULLIVAN:  Well, first of all, it’s true that the front pages of news
    papers are filled with stories about the Middle East rather than the Indo-Pacific right now.  But the United States of America is focused in both places.  And there’s probably no better proof point than the fact that we’re sitting here right now, on a Quad Summit day, meeting with leaders of the Indo-Pacific, even as we continue to closely monitor events in the Middle East. So, if you look at the work that we have done over the last four years, the intense engagement with allies and partners, the work on — this latticework that I described, the efforts to strengthen our own industrial and innovation base, the measures we’ve taken to protect our sensitive technologies, we feel like we are in a very strong position to stand up for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.  And obviously, we are concerned about actions that China has taken, and we speak out about those actions quite directly and candidly.  But we are also putting the United States and our allies and partners in a position to effectively defend our interests and to defend the rules of the road that have kept the peace in the Indo-Pacific for a long time.  We’re going to continue to do that.  The other thing I would say is that each of the four members of the Quad has their own approach to the PRC.  There’s not going to be some “Quad approach” to the PRC.  But of course, in the course of the conversation today, the four leaders will have the opportunity to talk about all of the developments in the Indo-Pacific, and obviously the PRC is part of that.  So, it will be one of the issues or one of the topics that come up among many. Q    If I may, on Venezuela — because Venezuela is close to China right now, and it’s one of the allies, but also Russia and Iran.  So we know four Americans are detained in the past few days.  The situation is getting just harder and harder to get to an agreement.  We are expecting a meeting at the United Nations to talk about Venezuela, led by Uruguay and other countries.  Do you see any possibility of moving forward in this subject?  We understand the U.S. have supported the talks.  Is it a possibility to go back to Qatar?  Is Qatar in the table again? MR. SULLIVAN:  We continue to talk to Qatar, who wants to play a constructive role in engaging the Maduro regime, the opposition, the United States, other players.  At the moment, there’s not much traction on talks, and what we’re instead continuing to see are negative steps by the Maduro regime in the aftermath of an election where we have been very clear our judgment is that Edmundo Gonzalez received the most votes.  So, we’ll continue to work, particularly with countries in the region, to try to develop a common approach forward to support democracy and a democratic transition in Venezuela.  But I will say that at the moment there is not a substantial diplomatic opportunity to make progress, and we’re going tohave to keep looking for one. Q    Jake, on the Middle East, the Lebanese are saying at least 31 were killed in that bombing of a building that apparently targeted at least one Hezbollah commander.  Has the U.S. figured out who exactly was targeted and killed? MR. SULLIVAN:  The Israelis have announced, and I believe Hezbollah itself has confirmed, some of the people who were killed in that strike.  And I will let Israel and Hezbollah speak to it, because obviously we don’t have an independent capacity at this point to confirm.  But I believe a fair amount of that is out in the public domain at this point. Q    If at least one of those was one of those responsible for organizing the barracks bombing back in the ‘80s, how significant would that be that he’s now dead? MR. SULLIVAN:  That individual has American blood on his hands and has a Rewards for Justice price on his head.  And he is somebody who the United States promised long ago we would do everything we could to see brought to justice.  And anytime a terrorist who has murdered Americans is brought to justice, we believe that that is a good outcome.  But again, I’m not in a position this morning, until I have the opportunity to talk again to my Israeli counterparts today, to formally confirm anything; just to say, you know, 1983 seems like a long time ago, but for a lot of families, a lot of people, it was — they’re still living with it every day. Q    One other.  Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich have been in Washington in recent days, mostly to visit with lawmakers.  Is there any plan for them to meet with the President? MR. SULLIVAN:  I guess not.  The President met with both of them, obviously, when they came back to the States.  So there wasn’t — we didn’t have a plan for them to sit down this past week or this coming week in Washington.  But, you know, I’m sure he would be happy to see them again at some point.  Q    There’s a report that I got (inaudible) disagree with about U.S. officials conceding that there won’t be a deal during the President’s term.  What is your assessment of that? MR. SULLIVAN:  I think that’s crazy.  I mean — Q    So, it was correct that you’d (inaudible).  (Laughter.)  (Inaudible) disagree with it, that yes — MR. SULLIVAN:  This is not me sitting here saying, “Hey, there will be a deal.”  One can’t know.  And I’ve — you’ve heard me repeatedly use this George Mitchell line of “700 days of failure, one day of success.”  But this is diplomacy.  Every day, you get up and you try to drive towards a deal that brings about a ceasefire, the return of hostages, surge of humanitarian assistance, and ultimately the end of the war.  We’re doing that today.  We’re going to do that tomorrow.  We’re going to do that every day.  And I do still believe there is a path to get there.  It has been a winding path, a frustrating path, but we are still on that path, and we hope to reach the destination.  But we’re also mindful of the fact and very clear-eyed about the fact that there’s still obstacles in the way; we’re going to do our best to clear them.  And I can’t make any predictions about what’s going to happen, but what I can certainly say is we are not conceding that, period. Q    But we’ve been waiting a while in terms of a new bridging proposal.  Is that right?  So when is — when do you expect to put that on the table? MR. SULLIVAN:  I can’t tell you that because we’re not at a point right now where I can — where we’re prepared to put something on the table.  We’re continuing to work with Qatar and Egypt.  They’re talking to Hamas.  We’re talking to Israel.  The Qataris and Egyptians are talking to Israel.  And when we feel ready to take another step, we’ll take another step.  Q    What’s the holdup? MR. SULLIVAN:  Well, at the moment, we don’t feel like we’re in a position, if we put something down today, to get both sides to say yes to it.  Could that change over the course of the coming days?  It could.  You know — yeah, I’ll leave it at that for now. Q    Jake, in terms of the events of last week in Lebanon, do you have any assessments what that has done to the operational capabilities of Hezbollah?  And what is your current level of concern that what you’ve been trying to prevent the last, you know, 11-plus months could start off as (inaudible)? MR. SULLIVAN:  It stands to reason that Lebanese Hezbollah’s capabilities have taken a hit.  How significant a hit, how that translates to their ability to represent a threat to Israel, I think we still need some more assessment to reach more guidance on. The risk of escalation is real; it has been since October 7th.  There are moments where it is more acute than others.  I think we are in one of those moments where it is more acute.  But I would take a step back and make an observation that I don’t think gets sufficient attention in the reporting on this dynamic, which is that Hezbollah started this whole thing.  Hamas attacks on October 7th, this vicious massacre.  And then, as Nasrallah just said in his speech this we
    ek, the way he put it, Nasrallah opened the Northern Front.  Israel didn’t start just randomly attacking into Lebanon.  Hezbollah and its allies in — its terrorist allies in Lebanon started attacking Israel.  And tens of thousands of Israeli citizens had to leave their homes.  That led to an exchange of fire, and then Lebanese citizens had to leave their homes.  And we’ve been in that dynamic ever since.  So, that’s an important structural factor that I think, kind of, gets set aside in the commentary and the coverage of the current circumstance. That being said, the United States’ position is we would like to see calm on the northern border and a durable solution that allows the people on both sides of that border to return to their homes.  We are driving at that.  Amos Hochstein was recently back in the region to work towards that.  I’ve spoken with my Israeli counterparts just in the last couple of days to see how we find a way forward on that.  And so, while the risk of escalation is real, we actually believe there is also a distinct avenue to getting to a cessation of hostilities and a durable solution that makes people on both sides of the border feel secure, and we’re going to do everything that we can to bring that about.  Q    And can I just (inaudible) — when you say the risk of escalation is real, are you saying the IDF flattening tower blocks in Beirut is not an escalation? MR. SULLIVAN:  I think the question he was asking — the heart of his question was: could we get into a wider war that we have been trying to avoid for the last 11 months.  I think that’s what the question was. Q    Then I’ll ask the question. MR. SULLIVAN:  I was answering (inaudible). Q    I’ll ask the question then: Was the IDF strike an escalation, in your view? MR. SULLIVAN:  Look, when I talk about escalation, I mean where does this take us from the point of view of, “Are we going to end up in a wider war.”  We’re not there yet.  I hope we do not get there.  When you pose a question, “Was this strike escalation?  Was that strike escalation?” the United States is not going to score-keep like that.  There’s a number of different ways to look at this strike.  The chief way I personally look at it goes back to the discussion we were having before, which is it was a strike against a senior terrorist who has both Israeli and American lives on his hands.  So we could pick any moment, any set of rockets launched by Hezbollah, any set of strikes by Israel, and say, “Is this an escalation?  Is that an escalation?” and so forth.  I think it’s not a particularly useful exercise.  For us, the most useful exercise is to try to drive both parties to a place where we get an agreed and durable outcome that can end the cycle and keep us from ending up in the larger war that, as we were just talking about, we’ve worked so hard to (inaudible). Q    Is there any announcement that we should expect next week about Haiti?  (Inaudible) report that says that even though we have now the Kenya team there and the security forces, 80 percent of Port-au-Prince is run by gangs.  Things are not getting better for the people.  Violence keep growing.  And of course, we don’t have elections or plan of a government soon.  MR. SULLIVAN:  Look, things are not where we would like them to be in Haiti, but I think it is not correct to say that things have not gotten better from a low point when flights were shut down, the port was shut down, it looked like the entire government was going to be run out of the country. We have improved the situation from that low point, but the progress we have made has been slower and more uneven than we’d like it to be.  Our goal is to continue to enhance the Multilateral Security Support Mission and ultimately work with the United Nations to make sure that it gets institutionalized.  But I don’t know that we have any particular announcements next week.  Rather, our goal is to use the U.N. General Assembly to get more resources, more contributions, and a common vision around building step by step on what we’ve put in place so that we can improve the situation beyond where it is right now. MODERATOR:  We have time for about two more questions. Q    Just a follow-up.  And how can that happen?  I know Colombia wanted to help, but, like, it’s not an actual mission like (inaudible) it was the U.N. (inaudible) — is this a security group, and the U.S. is leading the efforts.  So how the countries will get involved, and how can they operate?  Like, Mexico cannot (inaudible) officers — MR. SULLIVAN:  Well, a number of countries have pledged contributions, including police units, former police units.  And so, the first thing that can happen is we can turn those pledges into reality, and then we can work bilaterally with countries like Mexico and Colombia on their legal requirements to try to satisfy them so that they could, in fact, (inaudible). Q    To put a pin, though, you know, the discussion about China, you know, before, in the lead-up to this, administration officials at the podium were telegraphing that there could be talk about aggressive PRC military action on fair trade practices, tensions over the Taiwan Strait.  You know, preview that there’s going to be discussion of North Korea.  I know you said that the Quad is not about one country, but to China and to many people, it looks like it’s focusing on China.  So I’m curious to what your response to me, to folks that say you’re trying to have it both ways on China.  MR. SULLIVAN:  I guess what I would say, and I think I said this before, is the leaders are going to talk about all of the significant developments and dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.  Everything you just mentioned fits into that category.  So we don’t take issues off the table to discuss or speak about.  But my point is that the purpose of the Quad is not to come together around China or any other country.  It’s to come together around how to construct a free and open Indo-Pacific.  And actions and policies that disrupt or undermine that are certainly not just of interest, but are going to be a matter of discussion for Quad members.  But the way I square the circle is to say these issues are on the agenda because they relate to a free and open Indo-Pacific, but China is not the focus of the Quad, and the Quad is not about one country.  It is about a larger vision that we’re (inaudible). MODERATOR:  All right, thanks, everyone. 9:26 A.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU and IOC RAS signed a cooperation agreement

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    The State University of Management signed an agreement with the N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    The document was signed by the rector of the State University of Management, Doctor of Economics Vladimir Stroyev and the director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Chemical Sciences Alexander Terentyev.

    The University and the Institute will cooperate in the field of fundamental, exploratory and applied scientific research in the field of chemistry, as well as carry out activities related to innovative scientific research and technological developments. Joint participation in competitions and grants is also envisaged.

    “The signing of the agreement is a logical continuation of the course taken by our university to develop engineering competencies in future managers. We have already concluded cooperation agreements with Avtodor-Engineering, Transmashholding, Mercator Kaluga, and an inter-university student design bureau is operating,” said the rector of the State University of Management.

    After the signing ceremony, the delegation of the State University of Management was given a tour of the Institute. Vladimir Stroyev and Vice-Rector for Science Maria Karelina were shown the library of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which has a collection of scientific periodicals starting from the 19th century, a laboratory in which students from the Higher School of Economics, Moscow State University and the Higher Chemical Complex of the Russian Academy of Sciences carry out laboratory work in organic chemistry. In the Center for Collective Use, the guests were introduced to unique expensive analytical instruments and installations for conducting interdisciplinary research, within the framework of projects of the Russian Science Foundation.

    The guests were told about the specifics of work in the field of solving specific applied problems of chemical technology at the Center for Advanced Catalytic Technologies of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, whose activities are aimed at the interaction of fundamental and applied science in the field of inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry and catalysis. The delegation of the State University of Management also visited the Youth Laboratory of Synthetic Glycovaccines, where young researchers are engaged in obtaining diagnostic tests and 3rd generation carbohydrate vaccines for the detection and prevention of dangerous bacterial and fungal infections. A number of synthesized compounds are being studied as potential drugs for cardiology, oncology and hematology.

    In the near future, it is planned to develop and launch a joint network master’s program for TMH specialists, as well as interaction in the field of research and development in the field of agrobiotechnology and new preservation materials.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 09.22.2024

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    GUU and IOC RAS signed a cooperation agreement

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Fact Sheet: 2024 Quad Leaders’ Summit

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 8:58AM by PIB Delhi

    On September 21, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. hosted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in Wilmington, Delaware, for the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit.

    The Quad was established to be a global force for good. This year, the Quad is proudly executing tangible projects that benefit partner countries across the Indo-Pacific—including in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region. The Quad is working together at unprecedented scope and scale to deliver on Indo-Pacific partners’ priorities. Together, the Quad is leading ambitious projects to help partners address pandemics and disease; respond to natural disasters; strengthen their maritime domain awareness and maritime security; mobilize and build high-standard physical and digital infrastructure; invest in and benefit from critical and emerging technologies; confront the threat of climate change; bolster cyber security; and cultivate the next generation of technology leaders.

    ENDURING PARTNERS FOR THE INDO-PACIFIC

    Over the past four years, Quad Leaders have met six times, including twice virtually. Quad Foreign Ministers have met eight times, most recently in Tokyo in July. Quad country representatives convene on a regular basis, at all levels, to consult one another, exchange ideas to advance shared priorities, and deliver benefits for partners across the Indo-Pacific region. All Quad governments have institutionalized the Quad at all levels and across a diverse array of departments and agencies. Today, Quad Leaders announced new initiatives to solidify these habits of cooperation and to set up the Quad to endure for the long-term.

    Each Quad government has committed to work through their respective budgetary processes to secure robust funding for Quad priorities in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure an enduring impact.

    The Quad governments also intend to work with their respective legislatures to deepen interparliamentary exchanges, and encourage other stakeholders to deepen engagement with Quad counterparts. Yesterday, Members of Congress announced the creation of a bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Quad Caucus.

    In the coming months, Quad Commerce and Industry ministers will meet for the first time.

    Quad Leaders also welcome the leaders of the Quad Development Finance Institutions and Agencies deciding to meet to explore future investments by the four countries in the Indo-Pacific, including in health security, food security, clean energy, and quality infrastructure. This builds on a previous meeting in 2022 between the heads of the Export Finance Australia, the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, India Export-Import Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

    The United States will host the 2025 Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting, and India will host the 2025 Quad Leaders Summit.

    GLOBAL HEALTH & HEALTH SECURITY

    In 2023, the Quad announced the Quad Health Security Partnership to strengthen coordination and collaboration in support of health security in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad Health Security Partnership is delivering on its commitments to strengthen the Indo-Pacific’s ability to detect and respond to outbreaks of diseases with epidemic or pandemic potential, including through a set of new initiatives announced today.

    Quad Cancer Moonshot

    The Quad is launching the historic Quad Cancer Moonshot, a collective effort to leverage public and private resources to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer in the Indo-Pacific, with an initial focus on cervical cancer. Altogether, the Quad Cancer Moonshot announced today is projected to save hundreds of thousands of lives over the coming decades. More information can be found here.

    Pandemic Preparedness

    Quad countries are committed to supporting health security and resiliency efforts across the region, including continued support for the Pandemic Fund.

    The Quad reaffirms commitment to bolstering health security across the Indo-Pacific region. In 2024, the Quad Health Security Partnership advanced regional resilience through the second pandemic preparedness table top exercise, building on the success of the Quad Vaccine Partnership to enhance prevention, early detection, and response to potential disease outbreaks, and is exploring developing Standard Operating Procedures for Pandemic Response. The Quad’s collaborative efforts included training health specialists from the Indo-Pacific to strengthen regional capabilities for health emergencies.

    India will host a workshop on pandemic preparedness and release a white paper outlining emergency public health responses.

    Australia is increasing the pool of public health specialists who are ready to deploy, in-country or in the region, in response to disease outbreaks, with the first training session to commence in Darwin, Australia, in the coming days.

    In coordination with Quad partners, the United States is pledging over $84.5 million to partner with fourteen countries in the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats.

    Mpox

    In response to the current clade I mpox outbreak, as well as the ongoing clade II mpox outbreak, the Quad plans to coordinate our efforts to promote equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured mpox vaccines, including where appropriate expanding vaccine manufacturing in low and middle-income countries.

    HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND DISASTER RELIEF (HADR)

    Twenty years ago, the Quad first came together to respond to the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, surging humanitarian assistance to affected countries. In 2022, Quad Foreign Ministers signed the Guidelines for the Quad Partnership on HADR in the Indo-Pacific. In May 2024, following a tragic landslide in Papua New Guinea, Quad countries coordinated their response in accordance with these guidelines. The Quad collectively provided over $5 million in humanitarian assistance. Quad partners continue to support Papua New Guinea in its longer-term resiliency efforts. The Quad continues to deepen HADR coordination and support partners in the region in their longer-term resiliency efforts.

    Quad governments are working to ensure readiness to rapidly respond, including through pre-positioning of essential relief supplies, in the event of a natural disaster; this effort extends from the Indian Ocean region, to Southeast Asia, to the Pacific.

    In the coming months, Quad HADR experts will conduct a tabletop exercise to prepare for potential future disasters in the region.

    Quad partners are working together to provide over $4 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of Vietnam in light of the devastating consequences of Typhoon Yagi.

    MARITIME SECURITY

    Quad partners are working side-by-side with partners throughout the region to bolster maritime security, improve maritime domain awareness, and uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness and Maritime Training

    Quad Leaders launched the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) at the 2022 Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo. This initiative provides partners with near-real-time, cost-effective, cutting-edge radio frequency data, enabling them to better monitor their waters; counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; respond to climate change and natural disasters; and enforce their laws within their waters.

    Since the announcement, in consultation with partners, the Quad has successfully scaled the program across the Indo-Pacific region—through the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, with partners in Southeast Asia, to the Information Fusion Center—Indian Ocean Region, Gurugram. In doing so, the Quad has helped well over two dozen countries access dark vessel maritime domain awareness data, so they can better monitor the activities in their exclusive economic zones—including unlawful activity.

    In the next phase of implementation, announced today, the Quad intends to layer new technology and data into IPMDA over the coming year, to continue to deliver cutting edge capability and information to the region. The Quad intends to leverage electro-optical data and advanced analytic software to sharpen the maritime domain awareness picture for partners.

    Today the Quad announced a new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) to enable our partners in the region Indo-Pacific partners to maximize tools provided through IPMDA and other Quad partner initiatives, to monitor and secure their waters, enforce their laws, and deter unlawful behavior. The Quad countries look forward to India hosting the inaugural MAITRI workshop in 2025.

    Quad countries are coordinating comprehensive and complementary training across the full suite of legal, operational, and technical maritime security and law enforcement knowledge domains. Quad partners have pledged to expand engagement with regional maritime law enforcement fora, share best practices, and improve civil maritime cooperation.

    Indo-Pacific Logistics Network

    The Quad launches today a Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project, to pursue shared airlift capacity among the four nations and leverage collective logistics strengths, in order to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Indo-Pacific region. This effort will complement existing efforts with Indo-Pacific partners.

    Coast Guard Cooperation

    The U.S. Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard plan to launch a first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission in 2025 in the Indo-Pacific to improve interoperability. Through this effort, members of Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard will spend time on board a U.S. Coast Guard vessel operating in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad intends to continue with further missions in the Indo-Pacific.

    QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE

    The Quad is delivering quality, resilient infrastructure to the region to increase connectivity, build regional capacity, and meet critical needs.

    This year, the Quad countries’ export credit agencies (ECAs) signed and are implementing a Memorandum of Cooperation, which supports supply chain resilience, critical and emerging technologies, renewable energy, and other high-quality projects in the Indo-Pacific. Quad ECAs are strengthening communication on pipeline information and provision of relevant financing for projects in the Indo-Pacific region, and will pursue joint business promotion efforts that involve industry experts, project developers, and other major market players.

    The Quad released joint Principles for Development and Deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure, underscoring the Quad’s commitment to an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe, reliable, and secure digital future to advance shared prosperity and sustainable development.

    The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure organized a workshop in India to empower partners across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen power sector resilience.

    Quad Ports of the Future Partnership

    The Quad Ports of the Future Partnership will harness the Quad’s expertise to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific, in collaboration with regional partners.

    In 2025, Quad partners intend to hold the inaugural Regional Ports and Transportation Conference, hosted by India in Mumbai.

    Through this new partnership, Quad partners intend to coordinate, exchange information, share best practices with partners in the region, and leverage resources to mobilize government and private sector investments in quality port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.

    Quad Infrastructure Fellows

    The Quad Infrastructure Fellowship was announced at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit to improve capacity and deepen professional networks across the region to design, manage, and attract investment in infrastructure projects. Over the past year, it has expanded to more than 2,200 experts, and Quad partners have already provided well over 1,300 fellowships.

    Undersea Cables and Digital Connectivity

    Through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, Quad partners continue to support and strengthen quality undersea cable networks in the Indo-Pacific, the capacity, durability, and reliability of which are inextricably linked to the security and prosperity of the region and the world.

    In support of these efforts, Australia launched the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre in July, which is delivering workshops and policy and regulatory assistance in response to requests from across the region.

    Japan has conducted capacity building trainings to enhance connectivity and resilience in the Indo-Pacific through cooperation with specialized agencies and international organizations. Japan intends to further extend technical cooperation to improve public information and communication technology infrastructure management capacity for an undersea cable in Nauru and Kiribati.

    The United States has conducted over 1,300 capacity building trainings for telecommunication officials and executives from 25 countries in the Indo-Pacific; today the U.S. announces its intent, working with Congress, to invest an additional $3.4 million to extend and expand this training program.

    Investments in cable projects by Quad partners will help support all Pacific island countries in achieving primary telecommunication cable connectivity by the end of 2025. Since the last Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad partners have committed over $140 million to undersea cable builds in the Pacific, alongside contributions from other likeminded partners.

    Complementing these investments in new undersea cables, India has commissioned a feasibility study to examine expansion of undersea cable maintenance and repair capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

    CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

    The Quad is working in lockstep to stay at the forefront of technology innovation, and remains committed to harnessing emerging technologies for the benefit of people across the Indo-Pacific, and deploying these technologies to facilitate economic prosperity, openness, and connectivity.

    Open Radio Access Network (RAN) and 5G

    In 2023, Quad partners announced the first-ever Open RAN deployment in the Pacific, in Palau, to support a secure, resilient, and interconnected telecommunications ecosystem. Since then, the Quad has committed approximately $20 million to this effort. Building on this initiative, the Quad announces an expansion of Open RAN collaboration to deliver trusted technology solutions.

    The Quad plans to expand support for ongoing Open RAN field trials and the Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA) in the Philippines, building on the initial $8 million in support that the United States and Japan pledged earlier this year.

    In addition, the United States plans to invest over $7 million to support the global expansion of AORA, including through establishing a first-of-its-kind Open RAN workforce training initiative at scale in South Asia, in partnership with Indian institutions.

    Quad partners also welcome the opportunity to explore additional Open RAN projects in Southeast Asia.

    Quad partners will also explore collaborating with the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation to ensure the country’s readiness for nationwide 5G deployment.

    Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    Through the Advancing Innovations for Empowering NextGen Agriculture (AI-ENGAGE) initiative announced at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad governments are deepening leading-edge collaborative research to harness artificial intelligence, robotics, and sensing, to transform agricultural approaches and empower farmers across the Indo-Pacific. The Quad announces an inaugural $7.5+ million in funding opportunities for joint research, and highlights the recent signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation among the four countries’ science agencies to connect research communities and advance shared research principles.

    The Quad recognizes the importance of advancing international efforts to achieve safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems, including through the outcomes of the Hiroshima AI Process, GPAI New Delhi Ministerial Declaration 2023, and UN General Assembly resolution 78/625 on “Seizing the opportunities of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for sustainable development.” The Quad seeks to further deepen international cooperation on artificial intelligence systems and interoperability among artificial intelligence governance frameworks.

    Quad countries, through the Standards Sub-Group, launched two Track 1.5 dialogues on AI and Advanced Communications Technologies to promote international standardization cooperation, including frameworks for AI conformity assessment.

    Biotechnology

    The Quad partners look forward to launching the BioExplore Initiative – a joint effort supported by an initial $2 million in funding to use AI technology to study and analyze biological ecosystems across all four countries. This initiative will help advance our ability to discover and use the diverse capabilities found in living organisms to yield new products and innovations with the potential to diagnose and treat disease, develop resilient crops, generate clean energy, and much more. The initiative will also aim to build technological capacity across the Quad nations.

    This project will also be underpinned by the forthcoming Quad Principles for Research and Development Collaborations in Critical and Emerging Technologies, which advances sustainable, responsible, safe and secure collaborations in biotechnologies and other critical technologies among the Quad and across the region.

    Semiconductors

    Quad Leaders welcome the finalization of a Memorandum of Cooperation for the Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network to facilitate collaboration in addressing semiconductor supply chain risks.

    The Quad Investors Network

    The Quad Investors Network (QUIN) is a nonprofit initiative launched at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit. The QUIN aims to accelerate investments in critical and emerging technologies across the Indo-Pacific region, bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, technologists, and public institutions from the Quad countries to support innovation that aligns with the Quad’s shared values and promotes economic growth, resilience, and regional stability. This year, the QUIN supported ten major strategic investments and partnerships across the Quad in the critical minerals, renewable energy, cybersecurity, and aerospace sectors.

    The QUIN has advanced additional frameworks to foster the development of new technologies and facilitate investment partnerships for emerging startups, including through finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a startup campus in Tokyo, supported by the QUIN and the Chiba Institute of Technology’s Center for Radical Transformation.

    The QUIN is also working to establish a new venture accelerator in Tokyo through a collaboration between the University of Tokyo, Northeastern University, and the QUIN. These collaborations will not only fuel technological advancements but also strengthen the economic ties among the Quad nations, contributing to a more integrated and resilient Indo-Pacific region.

    Finally, the QUIN developed a Quantum Center of Excellence, which produced a report this year highlighting ways each Quad country’s Quantum ecosystems can work together to collectively leverage capital and expertise.

    CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY

    The Quad recognizes the existential threat climate change poses to the world, the Indo-Pacific, and in particular island nations in the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean region, and is taking ambitious steps to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, promote clean energy innovation and adoption, and support sustainable development.

    Climate Adaptation

    The Quad intends to expand its Early Warning Systems and the Climate Information Services Initiative (CIS), announced at the 2023 Leaders’ Summit. This will help improve Pacific Island countries’ access to high-quality climate data and services, and increase partners’ capacity to prepare for and respond to climate change and its impacts.

    The United States plans to provide 3D-printed automatic weather stations to the Pacific in 2025 to support local weather and climate forecasts, and also train experts in Fiji with the goal of operating a regional center to develop and deploy this technology.

    Australia is also strengthening Early Warning Systems through Weather Ready Pacific, a Pacific-led initiative supported by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in 2021 that drives and delivers on the EWS4ALL UN initiative in the Pacific.

    Japan is also enhancing cooperation with Pacific Island countries under its “Pacific Climate Resilience Initiative”, inter alia, by strengthening disaster risk reduction and preparedness through satellite technology and by promoting clean energy through capacity building and installation of renewable energies.

    The Quad also plans to train experts in Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu to better monitor and forecast flash floods, for timely and accurate warnings, reducing human and economic losses from flash floods.

    Clean Energy

    Our countries intend to strengthen our cooperation to align policies, incentives, standards, and investments around creating high-quality, diversified clean energy supply chains that will enhance our collective energy security, create new economic opportunities across the region, and benefit local workers and communities around the world, particularly across the Indo-Pacific. We will work together, through policy and public finance, to operationalize our commitment to catalyzing complementary and high-standard private sector investment in allied and partner clean energy supply chains. We note the uniquely complementary capabilities Quad partners share across the battery supply chain, and pledge to focus near-term efforts on strengthening mineral production, recycling, and battery manufacturing across our respective industries.

    Quad Leaders announced a Quad Clean Energy Supply Chain Diversification Program last year, which aims to support the development of secure and diversified clean energy supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia will open applications for the Quad Clean Energy Supply Chains Diversification Program in November, providing AUD 50 million to support projects that develop and diversify solar panel, hydrogen electrolyzer and battery supply chains. Secure and diversified clean energy supply chains are an integral part of achieving the Indo-Pacific’s collective energy security, emissions reduction goals and transition to a net zero future.

    India commits to invest $2 million in new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar, and Seychelles.

    Japan has committed to $122 million grants and loans, both public and private, in renewable energy projects in the Indo-Pacific.

    The United States, through the DFC, has extended a $250 million loan to Tata Power Solar to construct a solar cell manufacturing facility and a $500 million loan to First Solar to construct and operate a solar module manufacturing facility in India, and continues to seek opportunities to mobilize private capital to solar, as well as wind, cooling, batteries, and critical minerals to expand capacity and diversify supply chains.

    The Quad announces an initiative to boost energy efficiency, including the deployment and manufacturing of affordable, high-efficiency, cooling systems, to enable climate-vulnerable communities to adapt to rising temperatures while simultaneously reducing strain on the electricity grid. The United States intends to invest an initial $1.25 million of technical assistance financing to this effort.

    CYBER SECURITY

    The Quad is working together to build a more resilient, secure, and complementary cyber security environment for Quad countries and partners.

    The Quad has [developed/released] the Quad Action Plan to Protect Commercial Undersea Telecommunications Cables, to advance the Quad’s shared vision for future digital connectivity, global commerce, and prosperity.

    Quad countries are also partnering with software manufacturers, industry trade groups, and research centers to expand the Quad’s commitment to pursuing secure software development standards and certification, as endorsed in the Quad’s 2023 Secure Software Joint Principles.

    Quad partners will work to harmonize these standards to not only ensure that the development, procurement, and end-use of software for government networks is more secure, but that the cyber resilience of our supply chains, digital economies, and societies are collectively improved.

    Throughout this fall, each Quad country plans to host events to mark the annual Quad Cyber Challenge promoting responsible cyber ecosystems, public resources, and cybersecurity awareness. This year’s Cyber Challenge campaigns will focus on establishing career pathway programs to increase the number and diversity of global cybersecurity professionals, including increased participation by women, in this rapidly growing field. Last year’s Quad Cyber Challenge included over 85,000 participants across the Indo-Pacific region.

    Capacity building projects like the Quad Cyber Bootcamp and the international conference on cyber capacity building in the Philippines are important initiatives to enhance cybersecurity and workforce development in the Indo-Pacific region.

    The Quad is undertaking joint efforts to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities to national security and protection of critical infrastructure networks, and coordinate more closely including on policy responses to sharing of cyber threat information on significant cybersecurity incidents affecting shared priorities.

    COUNTERING DISINFORMATION

    The Quad is working together to foster a resilient information environment, including through its Countering Disinformation Working Group, by supporting media freedom and addressing foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, which undermines trust and sows discord in the international community.

    PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TIES

    Quad countries are building enduring ties between their peoples. Stakeholders from Quad countries have participated in International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and other exchanges, on topics related to cyber security, workforce development for critical and emerging technologies, women in STEM, government transparency and accountability, combating disinformation, and regional maritime governance.

    The Quad Fellowship

    Together with the Institute of International Education, which leads implementation of the Quad Fellowship, Quad governments welcome the second cohort of Quad Fellows and the expansion of the program to include students from ASEAN countries for the first time. The Government of Japan is supporting the program to enable Quad Fellows to study in Japan. The Quad welcomes the generous support of private sector partners for the next cohort of fellows, including Google, the Pratt Foundation, and Western Digital.

    The Quad looks forward to the Quad Fellowship Summit in Washington, DC, in October, organized by the Institute of International Education.

    Additional People-to-People Initiatives

    India announces a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth $500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a 4-year undergraduate engineering program at a Government of India-funded technical institution.

    SPACE

    The Quad recognizes the essential contribution of space-related applications and technologies in the Indo-Pacific. The four countries plan to continue delivering Earth Observation data and other space-related applications to assist nations across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen climate early warning systems and better manage the impacts of extreme weather events.

    The Quad welcomes India’s establishment of a space-based web portal for Mauritius to support the concept of open science for space-based monitoring of extreme weather events and climate impact.

    Space Situational Awareness Initiative

    Quad partners intend to share expertise and experience in space situational awareness (SSA), contributing to long-term sustainability of the space environment. Cooperation is intended to leverage SSA and space traffic coordination capabilities in the civil domain, including to help avoid collisions in outer space and manage debris.

    COUNTERING TERRORISM

    The Quad hosted its first Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) in 2023 and will meet annually to discuss CT threats, Quad CT good practices, and ways the Quad can work together to mitigate acts of terrorism through information sharing, consequence management and strategic messaging. The Quad CTWG currently focuses on countering the use of unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear devices (CBRN), and the internet for terrorist purposes. The Quad CTWG discusses new CT lines of effort on which to collaborate, hosts technical workshops for establishing CT good practices, and explores ways to engage non-Quad members with Quad-established CT expertise.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Joint Fact Sheet: The United States and India Continue to Expand Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 8:51AM by PIB Delhi

    Today, United States President Joseph R. Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed that the U.S.-India Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership, the defining partnership of the 21st century, is decisively delivering on an ambitious agenda that serves the global good. The Leaders reflected on a historic period that has seen the United States and India reach unprecedented levels of trust and collaboration. The Leaders affirmed that the U.S.-India partnership must be anchored in upholding democracy, freedom, the rule of law, human rights, pluralism, and equal opportunities for all as our countries strive to become more perfect unions and meet our shared destiny. The Leaders commended the progress that has made the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership a pillar of global security and peace, highlighting the benefits of increased operational coordination, information-sharing, and defense industrial innovation. President Biden and Prime Minister Modi expressed unrelenting optimism and the utmost confidence that the tireless efforts of our peoples, our civic and private sectors, and our governments to forge deeper bonds have set the U.S.-India partnership on a path toward even greater heights in the decades ahead.

    President Biden expressed his immense appreciation for India’s leadership on the world stage, particularly Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in the G-20 and in the Global South and his commitment to strengthen the Quad to ensure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. India is at the forefront of efforts to seek solutions to the most pressing challenges, from supporting the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic to addressing the devastating consequences of conflicts around the world. President Biden commended Prime Minister Modi for his historic visits to Poland and Ukraine, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in decades, and for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine, including its energy sector, and on the importance of international law, including the UN charter. The Leaders reaffirmed their support for the freedom of navigation and the protection of commerce, including critical maritime routes in the Middle East where India will assume co-lead in 2025 of the Combined Task Force 150 to work with Combined Maritime Forces to secure sea lanes in the Arabian Sea. President Biden shared with Prime Minister Modi that the United States supports initiatives to reform global institutions to reflect India’s important voice, including permanent membership for India in a reformed U.N. Security Council. The Leaders voiced their view that a closer U.S.-India partnership is vital to the success of efforts to build a cleaner, inclusive, more secure, and more prosperous future for the planet.

    President Biden and Prime Minister Modi applauded the success of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in deepening and expanding strategic cooperation across key technology sectors, including space, semiconductors, and advanced telecommunications. Both Leaders committed to enhance regular engagements to improve the momentum of collaboration in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, and clean energy. They highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration with like-minded partners, including through the Quad and a U.S.-India-ROK Trilateral Technology initiative launched earlier this year to build more secure and resilient supply chains for critical industries and ensure we collectively remain at the leading edge of innovation. The Leaders directed their governments to redouble efforts to address export controls, enhance high technology commerce, and reduce barriers to technology transfer between our two countries, while addressing technology security, including through the India-U.S. Strategic Trade Dialogue. Leaders also endorsed new mechanisms for deeper cyberspace cooperation through the bilateral cybersecurity dialogue. The Leaders recommitted to expand the manufacturing and deployment of clean energy, including finding opportunities to expand U.S.-India cooperation in solar, wind and nuclear energy and the development of small modular reactor technologies.

    Charting a Technology Partnership for the Future

    President Biden and Prime Minister Modi hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for national security, next generation telecommunications, and green energy applications. The fab, which will be established with the objective of manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductors, will be enabled by support from the India Semiconductor Mission as well as a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the U.S. Space Force.

    The Leaders praised combined efforts to facilitate resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains including through GlobalFoundries’ (GF) creation of the GF Kolkata Power Center in Kolkata, India that will enhance mutually beneficial linkages in research and development in chip manufacturing and enable game-changing advances for zero and low emission as well as connected vehicles, internet of things devices, AI, and data centers. They noted GF’s plans to explore longer term, cross-border manufacturing and technology partnerships with India which will deliver high-quality jobs in both of our countries. They also celebrated the new strategic partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the India Semiconductor Mission, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in connection with the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund.

    The Leaders welcomed steps our industry is taking to build safe, secure, and resilient supply chains for U.S., Indian, and international automotive markets, including through Ford Motor Company’s submission of a Letter of Intent to utilize its Chennai plant to manufacture for export to global markets.

    The Leaders welcomed progress toward the first joint effort by NASA and ISRO to conduct scientific research onboard the International Space Station in 2025. They appreciated the initiatives and exchange of ideas under the Civil Space Joint Working Group and expressed hope that its next meeting in early 2025 will open additional avenues of cooperation. They pledged to pursue opportunities to deepen joint innovation and strategic collaborations, including by exploring new platforms in civil and commercial space domains.

    The Leaders also welcomed efforts to enhance collaboration between our research and development ecosystems. They plan to mobilize up to $90+ million in U.S. and Indian government funding over the next five years for the U.S.-India Global Challenges Institute to support high-impact R&D partnerships between U.S. and Indian universities and research institutions, including through identifying options to implement the Statement of Intent signed at the June 2024 iCET meeting. The Leaders also welcomed the launch of a new U.S.-India Advanced Materials R&D Forum to expand collaboration between American and Indian universities, national laboratories, and private sector researchers.

    The Leaders announced the selection of 11 funding awards between the National Science Foundation and India’s Department of Science and Technology, supported by a combined $5+ million grant to enable joint U.S.-India research projects in areas such as next-generation telecommunications, connected vehicles, machine learning. The Leaders announced the award of 12 funding awards under the National Science Foundation and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, research collaboration with a combined outlay of nearly $10 million to enable joint U.S.-India basic and applied research in the areas of semiconductors, next generation communication systems, sustainability & green technologies and intelligent transportation systems. Furthermore, NSF and MeitY are exploring new opportunities for research collaboration to enhance and synergize the basic and applied research ecosystem on both sides.

    The Leaders celebrated that India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) along with National Science Foundation of the United States announced the first joint call for collaborative research projects in February 2024 to address complex scientific challenges and innovate novel solutions that leverage advances in synthetic and engineering biology, systems and computational biology, and other associated fields that are foundational to developing future biomanufacturing solutions and advance the bioeconomy. Under the first call for proposals, joint research teams responded enthusiastically and results are likely to be announced by the end of 2024.

    The Leaders also highlighted additional cooperation we are building across artificial intelligence (AI), quantum, and other critical technology areas. They highlighted the second convening of the U.S.-India Quantum Coordination Mechanism in Washington in August and welcomed the announcement of seventeen new awards for binational research and development cooperation on artificial intelligence and quantum via the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (IUSSTF). They welcomed new private sector cooperation on emerging technologies, such as through IBM’s recent conclusion of memoranda of understanding with the Government of India, which will enable IBM’s watsonx platform on India’s Airawat supercomputer and drive new AI innovation opportunities, enhance R&D collaboration on advanced semiconductor processors, and increase support for India’s National Quantum Mission.

    The Leaders commended ongoing efforts to build more expansive cooperation around 5G deployment and next-generation telecommunications; this includes the U.S. Agency for International Development’s plans to expand the Asia Open RAN Academy with an initial $7 million investment to grow this workforce training initiative worldwide, including in South Asia with Indian institutions.

    The Leaders welcomed progress since the November 2023 signing of an MOU between the Commerce Department and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to enhance the two countries’ innovation ecosystems under the “Innovation Handshake” agenda. Since then, the two sides have convened two industry roundtables in the U.S. and India to bring together startups, private equity and venture capital firms, corporate investment departments, and government officials to forge connections and to accelerate investment in innovation.

    Powering a Next Generation Defense Partnership

    President Biden welcomed the progress towards India concluding procurement of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian) remotely piloted aircraft and their associated equipment, which will enhance the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of India’s armed forces across all domains.

    The Leaders recognized the remarkable progress under the U.S.-India Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap, including ongoing collaboration to advance priority co-production arrangements for jet engines, munitions, and ground mobility systems. They also welcomed efforts to expand defense industrial partnerships, including the teaming of Liquid Robotics and Sagar Defence Engineering for the co-development and co-production of unmanned surface vehicle systems that strengthen undersea and maritime domain awareness. The Leaders applauded the recent conclusion of the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA), enhancing the mutual supply of defense goods and services. Both Leaders committed to advance ongoing discussions on aligning their respective defense procurement systems to further enable the reciprocal supply of defense goods and services.

    President Biden welcomed India’s decision to set a uniform Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5 percent on the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sector, including on all aircraft and aircraft engine parts thereby simplifying the tax structure and paving the way for building a strong ecosystem for MRO services in India. The Leaders also encouraged the industry to foster collaboration and drive innovation to support India’s efforts to become a leading aviation hub. The Leaders welcomed commitments from U.S. industry to further increase India’s MRO capabilities, including for the repair of aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.

    The Leaders hailed the teaming agreement on the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft recently signed between Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, the two companies that co-chair the U.S.-India CEO Forum. Building on longstanding industry cooperation, this agreement will establish a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India to support the readiness of the Indian fleet and global partners who operate the C-130 Super Hercules aircraft. This marks a significant step in U.S.-India defense and aerospace cooperation and reflects the two sides’ deepening strategic and technology partnership ties.

    The Leaders lauded the growing defense innovation collaboration between our governments, businesses, and academic institutions fostered by the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) initiative launched in 2023, and noted progress achieved during the third INDUS-X Summit in Silicon Valley earlier this month. They welcomed the enhanced collaboration between the Indian Ministry of Defence’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and US Department of Defence’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) through the Memorandum of Understanding signed at the Silicon Valley Summit. The efforts via the INDUSWERX consortium to facilitate pathways for defense and dual-use companies in the INDUS-X network to access premier testing ranges in both countries, were appreciated.

    The Leaders also recognized the clear fulfillment of the shared goal to build a defense innovation bridge under INDUS-X through the launch of “joint challenges” designed by the U.S. DoD’S DIU and the Indian MoD’s Defence Innovation Organization (DIO). In 2024, our governments have separately awarded $1+ million to U.S. and Indian companies that developed technologies focused on undersea communications and maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). Building on this success, a new challenge was announced at the most recent INDUS-X Summit that focused on Space Situational Awareness (SSA) in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

    The Leaders welcomed ongoing efforts to deepen our military partnership and interoperability to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific, noting that India hosted our most complex, largest bilateral, tri-service exercise to date during the March 2024 TIGER TRIUMPH exercise. They also welcomed the inclusion of new technologies and capabilities, including a first-ever demonstration of the Javelin and Stryker systems in India, on the margins of the ongoing bilateral Army YUDH ABHYAS exercise.

    The Leaders welcomed the conclusion of the Memorandum of Agreement regarding the Deployment of Liaison Officers, and the commencement of deployment process of the first Liaison Officer from India in US Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

    The Leaders commended work to advance cooperation in advanced domains, including space and cyber, and looked forward towards the November 2024 bilateral cyber engagement to enhance the U.S.-India cyber cooperation framework. Areas of new cooperation will include threat information sharing, cybersecurity training, and collaboration on vulnerability mitigation in energy and telecommunications networks. The Leaders also noted the second U.S.-India Advanced Domains Defense Dialogue in May 2024, which included the first-ever bilateral defense space table-top exercise.

    Catalyzing the Clean Energy Transition

    President Biden and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the U.S.-India Roadmap to Build Safe and Secure Global Clean Energy Supply Chains, which launched a new initiative to accelerate the expansion of safe and secure clean energy supply chains through U.S. and Indian manufacturing of clean energy technologies and components. In its initial phase, the U.S. and India would work together to unlock $1 billion of multilateral financing to support projects across the clean energy value chain for renewable energy, energy storage, power grid and transmission technologies, high efficiency cooling systems, zero emission vehicles, and other emerging clean technologies.

    The Leaders also highlighted the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)’s partnership with India’s private sector to expand clean energy manufacturing and diversify supply chains. To date, DFC has extended a $250 million loan to Tata Power Solar to construct a solar cell manufacturing facility and a $500 million loan to First Solar to construct and operate a solar module manufacturing facility in India.

    The Leaders lauded the strong collaboration under the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP), most recently convened on September 16, 2024 in Washington DC to strengthen energy security, create opportunities for clean energy innovation, address climate change and create employment generation opportunities, including through capacity building, and collaboration between industry and R&D.

    The Leaders welcomed collaboration on a new National Center for Hydrogen Safety in India and affirmed their intent to utilize the new Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) to enhance collaboration on clean energy manufacturing and global supply chains, including through public-private task forces on hydrogen and energy storage.

    The Leaders also announced a new Memorandum of Cooperation between the U.S. Agency for International Development and the International Solar Alliance aimed at promoting more responsive and sustainable power systems that leverage diverse renewable energy sources.

    The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate the development of diverse and sustainable supply chains for critical minerals under the Minerals Security Partnership targeting strategic projects along the value chain. The Leaders looked forward to the signing of the Critical Minerals Memorandum of Understanding at the forthcoming U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue and pledged to hasten bilateral collaboration to secure resilient critical minerals supply chains through enhanced technical assistance and greater commercial cooperation.

    The Leaders welcomed the progress made on joint efforts since 2023 for India to work toward IEA membership in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement on an International Energy Program.

    The two Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating the manufacturing and deployment of renewable energy, battery storage and emerging clean technology in India. They welcomed the ongoing progress between India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to provide up to $500 million each to anchor the Green Transition Fund as well as encourage private sector investors to match these efforts. Both sides look forward to the expeditious operationalization of the Green Transition Fund.

    Empowering Future Generations and Promoting Global Health and Development

    The Leaders welcomed India’s signature and ratification of the Agreements under Pillar III, Pillar IV and the overarching Agreement on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The Leaders underscored that IPEF seeks to advance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness of the economies of its signatories. They noted the economic diversity of the 14 IPEF partners that represents 40 percent of global GDP and 28 percent of global goods and services trade.

    President Biden and Prime Minister Modi celebrated the new U.S.-India Drug Policy Framework for the 21st Century and its accompanying Memorandum of Understanding, which will deepen collaboration to disrupt the illicit production and international trafficking of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals, and deepen a holistic public health partnership.

    The two Leaders signaled their commitment to the objectives of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drugs Threats and work towards combatting the threat of synthetic drugs and their precursors through mutually agreed initiatives to promote public health through coordinated actions.

    The Leaders applauded the first-ever U.S.-India Cancer Dialogue held in August 2024, which brought together experts from both countries to increase research and development to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer. The Leaders applauded the recently launched Bio5 partnership between the United States, India, ROK, Japan, and the EU, driving closer cooperation on pharmaceutical supply chains. The Leaders applauded the Development Finance Corporation’s $50 million loan to Indian company Panacea Biotech to manufacture hexavalent (six-in-one) vaccines for children, reaffirming our joint commitment to advance shared global health priorities, including bolstering support for primary healthcare.

    The leaders welcomed the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Small Business Administration for promoting cooperation between U.S. and Indian small and medium-size enterprises by improving their participation in the global market place through capacity building workshops in areas such as trade and export finance, technology and digital trade, green economy and trade facilitation. The MoU also provides for the joint conduct of programs for women entrepreneurs to empower them and facilitate trade partnership between women-owned small businesses of the two countries. The Leaders celebrated that, since the June 2023 State visit, the Development Finance Corporation has invested $177 million across eight projects to support Indian small businesses and drive economic growth.

    The Leaders welcomed enhanced cooperation on agriculture between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in areas such as climate-smart agriculture, agriculture productivity growth, agriculture innovation, and sharing best practices related to crop risk protection and agriculture credit. The two sides will also enhance cooperation with the private sector through discussions on regulatory issues and innovation to enhance bilateral trade.

    The Leaders welcomed the formal launch of the new U.S.-India Global Digital Development Partnership, which aims to bring together U.S. and Indian private sector companies, technology and resources to deploy the responsible use of emerging digital technologies in Asia and Africa.

    The Leaders welcomed strengthened trilateral cooperation with Tanzania through the Triangular Development Partnership, led by the U.S. Agency for International Development and India’s Development Partnership Administration to jointly address global development challenges and foster prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. The partnership focuses on advancing renewable energy projects, including solar energy, to enhance energy infrastructure and access in Tanzania, thereby bolstering energy cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. They also desired to explore the expansion of the triangular development partnership in areas of health cooperation, particularly for critical technical areas of mutual interest including digital health and capacity building of nurses and other frontline health workers.

    The Leaders acknowledged the July 2024 signing of a bilateral Cultural Property Agreement that will facilitate implementation of the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. The agreement marked the culmination of years of diligent work by experts from both countries and fulfills President Biden’s and Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to enhance cooperation to protect cultural heritage highlighted in the joint statement when they met in June 2023. In this context, the leaders welcomed the repatriation of 297 Indian antiquities from the U.S. to India in 2024.

    The Leaders look forward to building on India’s ambitious G20 presidency to deliver on shared priorities for the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, including: bigger, better, and more effective MDBs, including by following through on Leaders’ pledges in New Delhi to boost the World Bank’s capacity to help developing countries address global challenges, while recognizing the imperative of achieving the sustainable development goals; a more predictable, orderly, timely and coordinated sovereign debt restructuring process; and a pathway to growth for high-ambition developing countries that are facing financing challenges amid mounting debt burdens by increasing access to finance and unlocking fiscal space taking into account country specific circumstances.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Fact Sheet: Quad Countries Launch Cancer Moonshot Initiative to Reduce the Burden of Cancer in the Indo-Pacific

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 8:55AM by PIB Delhi

    Today, the United States, Australia, India, and Japan are launching a groundbreaking effort to help end cancer as we know it in the Indo-Pacific, starting with cervical cancer, a largely preventable disease that continues to be a major health crisis in the region, and laying the groundwork to address other forms of cancer as well. This initiative is part of a broader set of announcements made at the Quad Leaders Summit .

    The Quad Cancer Moonshot will serve to strengthen the overall cancer care ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific by improving health infrastructure, expanding research collaborations, building data systems, and providing greater support for cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and care.

    Cervical cancer, while preventable through vaccination and usually treatable if detected early, remains the third leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the Indo-Pacific region. Fewer than one in 10 women in the Indo-Pacific have completed their human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination series, and fewer than 10% have undergone recent screening. Many countries in the region face challenges related to healthcare access, limited resources, and disparities in vaccination rates. Through this initiative, Quad countries will work to address these gaps by promoting HPV vaccination, increasing access to screenings, and expanding treatment options and care in underserved areas.

    Altogether, our scientific experts assess that the Quad Cancer Moonshot will save hundreds of thousands of lives over the coming decades. These steps build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s steadfast commitment to ending cancer as we know it. More than two years ago, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden reignited the Cancer Moonshot with the goals of reducing the cancer death rate in the United States by at least half—preventing more than 4 million cancer deaths—by 2047, and improving the experience of people who are touched by cancer.

    Cancer is a global challenge that requires collective action and cooperation beyond any single nation’s effort. By working together, the Quad aims to implement innovative strategies to prevent, detect, treat and alleviate the impact of cancer on patients and their families. Quad partners also intend to work, within respective national contexts, to collaborate in advancing research and development in the area of cancer and to increase private sector and non-governmental sector activities in support of reducing the burden of cervical cancer in the region. Today Quad countries are pleased to announce the following ambitious commitments from our governments and non-government contributors:

    QUAD COUNTRIES

    Quad countries intend to continue their strong commitments to Gavi including with HPV vaccines in the Indo-Pacific, with the United States making an early pledge of at least $1.58 billion over five years.

    In addition, Quad countries will work together with United Nations agencies on bulk purchasing of HPV diagnostics to bring down the cost of cervical cancer screening, and work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve access to and quality of medical imaging and radiation therapy.

    United States

    The Department of Defense, through the U.S. Navy, intends to support HPV vaccine expert exchanges with Indo-Pacific partners, starting in 2025. This partnership will enable healthcare professionals from partner nations to receive hands-on training, build capacity, and strengthen healthcare systems across the Indo-Pacific, focusing on preventive health services like HPV vaccination. The initiative aims to bolster regional cooperation on cancer and promote health security in the region.

    The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncology Center of Excellence intends to arrange a technical visit to India within the next twelve months to set up collaborations with stakeholders under FDA’s ‘Project Asha’. Working together with the FDA India Office, leading oncologists, patient advocacy groups, clinical trial sponsors, and government stakeholders, this new partnership will focus on capacity-building efforts, including education on the design, conduct, and management of clinical trials, promoting international standards, helping streamline approval processes, sharing regulatory expertise, and increasing cancer clinical trial access.

    The U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) intends to expand its support as a leading funder of global cancer research and global cancer research training in the Indo-Pacific region. This portfolio currently includes nearly 400 active projects involving investigators and institutions in South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific, including major investments specifically focused on testing cervical cancer vaccination, screening, and treatment interventions and strategies that can meet the needs of women and girls worldwide. The NCI will also expand its support for global cancer control efforts more broadly through scientific support provided to countries via the International Cancer Control Partnership, International Agency for Research on Cancer, and World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center.

    The NCI will expand ongoing collaborations with nations in the Indo-Pacific region to provide evidence-based cancer information for health professionals and people affected by cancer to this global audience. NCI will aim to support the public education needs of the Quad Cancer Moonshot Initiative by providing its expert-curated, comprehensive, and authoritative cancer information to health professionals and patients in the Indo-Pacific. This will include a comprehensive collection of information on cancer topics such as adult and pediatric cancer treatment, screening, prevention, genetics, supportive and palliative care, and integrative, alternative, and complementary therapies, including extensive information related to the screening, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cervical cancer.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will support HPV vaccination programs, improve vaccine distribution and strengthen cancer surveillance and prevention systems in the Indo-Pacific region. This will include working with the Philippines Ministry of Health on an HPV vaccination program evaluation, focusing on behavioral and social drivers to inform future vaccine distribution. CDC will also contribute to broader cancer control efforts by supporting cancer control plan development to strengthen the overall cancer care ecosystem in the region.

    CDC intends to provide technical assistance and disseminate best practices informed by pilot cervical cancer screening studies in the U.S. Pacific territories and freely associated states, as well as continuing to support CDC-funded national cancer control programs in U.S. Pacific Island Jurisdictions (PIJs). These efforts will involve sharing evidence-based strategies to improve early detection of cervical cancer. In addition, CDC intends to disseminate an implementation guide that can assist PIJ efforts to improve their screening capacity and encourage partnerships to promote cervical cancer screening, including guidance on how to build medical and laboratory capacity to conduct primary HPV testing and follow-up tests, and improve data systems to monitor screening to enhance cancer prevention and care infrastructure.

    The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will look to support eligible private sector-driven projects to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer, including cervical cancer. In particular, DFC will look to accelerate the deployment of innovative approaches and technologies to underserved communities.

    The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will look to provide critical financial and technical support to expand HPV vaccination access. The U.S. government, through USAID has made an unprecedented pledge of at least $1.58 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which will bolster global efforts to increase vaccine coverage, including HPV vaccines, in low- and middle-income countries, helping to protect millions of women and girls from cervical cancer across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

    The State Department, through Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD)-President’s Emergency Plan for Relief (PEPFAR), will share best practices on the rapid scale-up of cervical cancer screening and treatment efforts among people living with HIV, including commodity procurement and health system strengthening in low-and-middle-income countries. This collaboration will enhance the integration of cervical cancer screening into existing HIV treatment programs, increasing access to life-saving interventions. It will also focus on improving supply chains for essential medical supplies needed for screening and treatment.

    Australia

    Through Australian Government and philanthropic contributions, total funding commitments to the Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer (EPICC) consortium will expand to AUD $29.6 million. EPICC is a new program that builds on decades of research and clinician leadership to advance the elimination of cervical cancer across the Indo-Pacific by improving HPV-related policies, planning and readiness in any country in the region. EPICC is piloting HPV programs for future scale-up in Timor-Leste and Solomon Islands, expanding sub-national vaccination programs to support country readiness in Malaysia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, and supporting the establishment of national sustained HPV elimination programs in Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Nauru. EPICC works across six priority areas to eliminate cervical cancer, including strengthening primary prevention through HPV vaccination support, secondary prevention of cervical cancer through HPV screening and treatment for pre-cancer, laboratory strengthening for cervical cancer screening and diagnosis, digital health work to generate data for decision making and strengthened models of care, supporting cervical cancer management (across both treatment and palliative care), and policy and modelling support across all pillars of the cervical cancer elimination pathway.

    With a total Australian Government commitment of AUD 16.5 million [$11 million], the expanded EPICC project will extend its reach to more women in the Indo-Pacific. It will also support partner organizations in the region working on cervical cancer elimination to participate in the next Global Forum on Cervical Cancer Elimination, which will have a strong Indo-Pacific focus.

    Through their charity Minderoo Foundation, Dr. Andrew Forrest AO and Nicola Forrest AO are expanding a lifesaving contribution to EPICC with a further AUD13.1 million [$8.81 million]. This additional funding will see EPICC expanded to up to 11 countries in the region and brings Minderoo’s total commitment to AUD21.7 million. The expanded program will see 140,000 women in the Pacific region screened over the next 4 years, as well as the establishment of national elimination programs and the empowerment of governments to sustain the program for future generations of women and girls.

    India

    India will share technical expertise in digital health through its National Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) portal. As part of its $10 million commitment to support the World Health Organization (WHO) led Global Initiative on Digital Health, India will provide technical assistance to the Indo-Pacific region. This includes offering technical support for the use of its National Non-Communicable Disease portal, which tracks long-term data on cancer screening and care.

    India commits to providing HPV sampling kits, detection tools and cervical cancer vaccines worth $7.5 million to the Indo-Pacific region. This significant contribution aims to strengthen local efforts to prevent and detect cervical cancer and empower communities with affordable, accessible tools for early detection and prevention, while supporting vaccination programs to reduce the disease burden across the region.

    India is scaling up population-based screening for oral, breast, and cervical cancers through its National Progamme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases. In particular, India uses the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) method for cervical cancer screening, which is simple, cost effective and efficient and allows healthcare workers to detect early signs of cervical cancer without the need for advanced laboratory infrastructure, making it a model for other regions in the Indo-Pacific.

    India is expanding access to specialized cancer treatment centers under its “Strengthening of Tertiary Care Cancer Centres” program. The Government of India is supporting both states and union territories to improve treatment capacity across the county, ensuring that people from all parts of the country, including underserved areas, can receive high-quality care.

    India is committed to affordable cancer treatment through Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). As part of its broader health coverage efforts, PMJAY, India is committed to providing affordable cancer treatments to its citizens, ensuring financial protection for those most in need.

    India’s commitment to cervical cancer elimination is further supported by implementation research led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The research is focused on enhancing cervical cancer screening, early diagnosis and initiation of treatment. The results and findings will be shared with the Indo-Pacific countries in the coming years, to strengthen regional collaboration.

    Japan

    Japan is providing medical equipment, including Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners, and other assistance worth approximately $27 million, to countries in the Indo-Pacific region. These countries include Cambodia, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste, as well as contributing to international organizations.

    Through the Japan International Cooperation Agency and other organizations, Japan has committed approximately $75 million from FY2019 to FY2023 in the Indo-Pacific to combatting cancer including cervical cancer. This includes providing relevant medical equipment and facilities, medical diagnosis, health system strengthening, and technical assistance.

    Japan is committed to improving the access to vaccines and promoting the women’s health including the prevention and control of cervical cancer through Global Health Initiatives or International Organizations such as Gavi, UNFPA, IPPF. Japan intends to continue its commitment to support this initiative.

    Toward the achievement of universal health coverage, Japan intends to strengthen capacity for addressing cancer including cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific region by health system strengthening. Japan will also continue to support combatting cancer including cervical cancer in the region through National Cancer Center Japan’s partnership with each Quad country’s cancer related institution.

    NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

    Collaboration with the private and non-profit sectors of all Quad countries is indispensable to the success of this initiative, as their collective innovation, resources, and commitment will be critical in advancing progress against cancer in the Indo-Pacific region. Quad countries are pleased to announce the following actions from non-government contributors:

    Improving Access to Cancer Screening and Prevention

    The World Bank is significantly increasing its commitment to cervical cancer prevention and treatment in the Indo-Pacific region through a comprehensive health systems approach, including $400 million in HPV-related investments globally over the next three years. In line with its broader goal to provide quality, affordable health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030, the World Bank, along with the Global Financing Facility (GFF) for Women, Children, and cervical cancer. With projects in countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the World Bank is supporting cervical cancer screening, HPV vaccination, and treatment by integrating these services into primary healthcare systems. This includes expanding access to screening for underserved populations, strengthening service delivery, and leveraging partnerships to improve diagnostics and treatment. In addition, the World Bank is working to address supply chain challenges and ensure the sustainable production and distribution of HPV vaccines, with a focus on increasing access across the region. Through this approach, the World Bank aims to create sustainable and equitable health systems that can address the growing burden of cervical cancer and support long-term health outcomes for women and girls across the Indo-Pacific.

    Women investors and philanthropists of the Women Health and Economic Empowerment Network (WHEN) will deploy a joint investment of more than $100 million over the next three years, with funding targeted for cervical cancer in Southeast Asia. These funds will be working to fill essential gaps for improving the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cervical cancer. WHEN’s women investors and philanthropists will deploy grant, concessional, and investment capital into HPV screening, medical imaging, pathology, radiotherapy, training for healthcare workers, and the solarization of health facilities.

    The Serum Institute of India, in partnership with Gavi, will support the procurement of up to 40 million doses of the HPV vaccine for distribution across the Indo-Pacific region. This commitment can be expanded based on demand, ensuring a steady supply of vaccines to address the cervical cancer burden in underserved areas. By increasing access to lifesaving vaccines, this commitment will help prevent cervical cancer and promote equitable healthcare across the region.

    The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, alongside other donors and countries earlier this year, committed to support cervical cancer elimination. The foundation announced it intends to commit up to US$180 million over four years to help accelerate the global uptake of HPV vaccines, develop new prophylactic HPV and therapeutic vaccines and diagnostic tools and fund clinical studies.

    Sabin Vaccine Institute, through the Global HPV Consortium (GHC), will support a new country-based coalition to promote cervical cancer elimination. The Cervical Cancer Elimination Consortium-India (CCEC-I) will collaborate with the Government of India, wherever appropriate, to pilot “100 Cervical Cancer Mukt (Cancer Free) Districts” through their integrated SAVE Strategy: Screening, Access to Treatment, Vaccination, Education. This is in continuation of GHC’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, having previously collaborated with Indonesia’s Ministry of Health to support development of their National Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan.

    Jhpiego, in partnership with the Philippines Department of Health and with support from Roche, is increasing awareness, demand and access for cervical cancer screening by educating women on the importance of HPV testing and the risk of cervical cancer. The Centralized Laboratory Model of Screening project is expanding coverage of cervical cancer screening with introduction of the WHO elimination strategy-recommended high performance HPV testing, and thermal ablation treatment for precancers, in five highly urbanized Local Government Units of the Philippines – with strengthened referral pathways to ensure a pathway to treatment.

    Illumina is committed to supporting the development and adoption of genomic diagnostic tests to fulfill the promise of precision medicine in the Indo-Pacific Region. The objective of this initiative is to ensure that advanced-stage (>50%) and non-HPV driven (~5%) cervical cancer patients receive correct diagnoses and possible suitable therapies such as Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Similar initiatives are being explored with gynecological oncology organizations in Australia and Japan.

    Roche Diagnostics is expanding its cervical cancer screening and diagnosis initiatives in the Indo-Pacific region. Roche Diagnostics will expand efforts in the Indo-Pacific to increasing access to screening and raising awareness building on the experience gained in partnership with Japan including on providing education to women, training healthcare workers, and developing digital solutions for efficient follow-up care; and in partnership with Australia on promoting cervical cancer screening among under-screened and never-screened groups, including Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and culturally diverse communities.

    Becton Dickinson & Co. (BD) is making comprehensive investments in cervical cancer screening in the Indo-Pacific. BD is working with Obstetric and Gynecological Societies to deliver education for clinicians on cervical cancer screening best practices, with an aim of reaching over 1,200 clinicians and support staff by early 2025. BD is also investing in pilots to inform the design of large-scale HPV screening rollout and programs to reach under-served communities. Through their longstanding partnership with Direct Relief, BD is working with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) to facilitate screening for over 20,000 women. Under the program, 400 screening camps will offer screening, diagnosis and mental health support.

    Improving Cancer Care Delivery

    Project ECHO will accelerate cervical cancer elimination in the Indo-Pacific region through 10 new learning networks that facilitate effective and accessible prevention and care. More than 180 public health organizations in 33 countries leverage the ECHO Model, an evidence-based training and mentorship framework for community-based health care professionals, to improve cancer care delivery. By 2028, Project ECHO will launch at least 10 new communities of practice, with local partners and ministries of health in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and other Indo-Pacific countries to accelerate cervical cancer elimination, including programs for HPV vaccine implementation, treatment of precancerous lesions, and use of essential curative therapies.

    The American Cancer Society is committed to reduce the global burden of HPV-related cancers by increasing support of civil society organizations globally, including in the Indo-Pacific Region. Support for these organizations, initially focused on cancer civil society organizations and medical societies, includes catalytic grants and technical assistance for implementing evidence-based, low-cost behavioral interventions aimed at optimizing the demand and uptake of life-saving prevention services through widespread healthcare provider trainings.

    The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will update its global guidelines on the Management and Care of Women with Invasive Cervical Cancer to incorporate new recommendation-changing scientific evidence on optimal approaches to the treatment of cervical cancer. Once completed, ASCO will work with its members, including their Asia Pacific Regional Council, and partner oncology societies in the Indo-Pacific to support the usage of these guidelines, along with companion guidelines on primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer, by cancer clinicians for improved patient outcomes in the region.

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expanding its Rays of Hope initiative to strengthen radiotherapy and medical imaging capacities in the Indo-Pacific region. Through this initiative, 13 countries and territories have requested support, and efforts are already underway to raise awareness and increase cervical cancer screening rates. The IAEA has designated cancer institutes in Japan, and India as Rays of Hope Anchor Centres, serving as hubs for capacity building in education, training, research, innovation, and quality assurance.

    The Union for International Cancer Control is committed to working with its 1150 members across 172 countries to address inequities and drive global action in cervical cancer elimination, including in the Indo-Pacific region over the next three years as part of the ‘Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer’. Leveraging flagship convening platforms, established learning opportunities, alongside its rich network and proven ability to collaborate across sectors, UICC will support national partners to improve access to care, sustain progress and ultimately, reduce the burden of cancer for populations around the world.

    Increasing Capacity for Cancer Research, Infrastructure, and Training

    Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Australia’s Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney launch a $40 million public-private partnership that will advance international clinical trials of precision oncology and liquid biopsy technologies, including for the detection and elimination of cervical cancer. A generous donation of $20 million to each institution from Australian philanthropists Mr. Gregory John Poche and the late Mrs. Kay Van Norton Poche, will support this public-private partnership, accelerating the development of cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment tools for the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

    Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) will support organizations in the Indo-Pacific region in their ability to prevent, detect, and treat cervical cancer, will provide cloud computing credits and enable access to AWS and datasets via the Registry of Open Data on AWS. Researchers are using AWS to identify patterns and variances from datasets secured from the Cancer Genome Atlas and others through AWS.

    Pfizer will expand the INDovation initiative to build oncology capacity at the primary care level in the Indo-Pacific. INDovation was launched by Pfizer two years ago to support local startups. Under the program, Pfizer has awarded nearly $1 million in grants to startups, including those related to cervical cancer, and worked in partnership with the government and universities. Pfizer is now expanding the program to focus on oncology with the goal of strengthening primary care health centers. Under this phase, Pfizer will award grants to up to 10 startups that can deploy solutions to help enhance early diagnosis and patient services at the primary care setting with potential deployment across primary health centers in the region.

    Elekta will expand radiotherapy capacity in the Indo-Pacific, closing an important treatment gap in the region to contribute to eliminating cervical cancer. Initiatives include establishing radiotherapy training centers in Southeast Asia, conducting treatment courses with regional medical centers and implementing cloud-based platforms to improve quality of care in radiotherapy through knowledge sharing, and peer review sessions among the member centers of the Asia-Pacific radiation oncology network.

    MD Anderson commits to expanding their cervical cancer research, training and education programs to the Indo-Pacific region. MD Anderson currently collaborates with the Ministry of Health of Indonesia on the implementation and evaluation of cervical cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment programs and helps train medical providers in-country to perform colposcopy, ablation, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), and surgery. MD Anderson commits to expanding these programs to ministries of health in the Indo-Pacific interested in partnerships to eliminate cervical cancer.

    Increasing Cancer Awareness and Education to Empower People

    Hologic, a global leader in diagnostic and medical imaging solutions for cervical and breast cancer, is working with government agencies and health care providers in the Indo-Pacific region to educate and raise awareness on cervical cancer. Hologic is currently expanding access to innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence in cervical cancer screening to scale population-based programs to overcome provider shortages in the Indo-Pacific region. In addition, Hologic commits to the continued publication of the Global Women’s Health Index, a comprehensive global survey about women’s health, filling a critical gap in what the world knows about the health and well-being of the world’s women and girls.

    The Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer will promote HPV vaccination, cervical screening and early treatment projects with partners and collaborators in the Indo-Pacific Region. These efforts will include organizing the Asia-Pacific Workshop in Bangkok to share knowledge and best practices within the region and expanding awareness efforts to further enhance awareness initiatives throughout the Indo-Pacific.

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    MJPS/ST/SKS

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: The Wilmington Declaration Joint Statement from the Leaders of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 8:15AM by PIB Delhi

    Today, we—Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the United States—met for the fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit, hosted by President Biden in Wilmington, Delaware.

    Four years since elevating the Quad to a leader-level format, the Quad is more strategically aligned than ever before and is a force for good that delivers real, positive, and enduring impact for the Indo-Pacific. We celebrate the fact that over just four years, Quad countries have built a vital and enduring regional grouping that will buttress the Indo-Pacific for decades to come.

    Anchored by shared values, we seek to uphold the international order based on the rule of law. Together we represent nearly two billion people and over one-third of global gross domestic product. We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient. Through our cooperation, the Quad is harnessing all of our collective strengths and resources, from governments to the private sector to people-to-people relationships, to support the region’s sustainable development, stability, and prosperity by delivering tangible benefits to the people of the Indo-Pacific.

    As four leading maritime democracies in the Indo-Pacific, we unequivocally stand for the maintenance of peace and stability across this dynamic region, as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity. We strongly oppose any destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. We condemn recent illicit missile launches in the region that violate UN Security Council resolutions. We express serious concern over recent dangerous and aggressive actions in the maritime domain. We seek a region where no country dominates and no country is dominated—one where all countries are free from coercion, and can exercise their agency to determine their futures. We are united in our commitment to upholding a stable and open international system, with its strong support for human rights, the principle of freedom, rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes and prohibition on the threat or use of force in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter.

    Reflecting the Vision Statement issued by Leaders at the 2023 Quad Summit, we are and will continue to be transparent in what we do. Respect for the leadership of regional institutions, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), is and will remain at the center of the Quad’s efforts.

    A Global Force for Good

    Health Security

    The COVID-19 pandemic reminded the world how important health security is to our societies, our economies, and the stability of our region. In 2021 and 2022, the Quad came together to deliver more than 400 million safe and effective COVID-19 doses to Indo-Pacific countries and almost 800 million vaccines globally, and provided $5.6 billion to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment for vaccine supply to low and middle-income countries. In 2023, we announced the Quad Health Security Partnership, through which the Quad continues to deliver for partners across the region, including through the delivery of pandemic preparedness training.

    In response to the current clade I mpox outbreak, as well as the ongoing clade II mpox outbreak, we plan to coordinate our efforts to promote equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured mpox vaccines, including where appropriate expanding vaccine manufacturing in low and middle-income countries.

    Today we are proud to announce the Quad Cancer Moonshot, a groundbreaking partnership to save lives in the Indo-Pacific region. Building on the Quad’s successful partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic, our collective investments to address cancer in the region, our scientific and medical capabilities, and contributions from our private and non-profit sectors, we will collaborate with partner nations to reduce the burden of cancer in the region.

    The Quad Cancer Moonshot will focus initially on combatting cervical cancer—a preventable cancer that continues to claim too many lives—in the Indo-Pacific region, while laying the groundwork to address other forms of cancer as well. The United States intends to support this initiative, including through U.S. Navy medical trainings and professional exchanges around cervical cancer prevention in the region starting in 2025, and through U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) openness to finance eligible private sector-driven projects to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer, including cervical cancer. Australia is announcing the expansion of the Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer Program (EPICC) with support of the Australian Government and the Minderoo Foundation to AUD 29.6 million, to cover up to eleven countries in the Indo-Pacific in helping advance the elimination of cervical cancer and support complementary initiatives focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. India commits to providing HPV sampling kits, detection kits, and cervical cancer vaccines worth $7.5 million to the Indo-Pacific region. India, through its $10 million commitment to the WHO’s Global Initiative on Digital Health, will offer technical assistance to interested countries in the Indo-Pacific region for the adoption and deployment of its Digital Public Infrastructure that helps in cancer screening and care. Japan is providing medical equipment, including CT and MRI scanners, and other assistance worth approximately $27 million, including in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste, and is contributing to international organizations such as the Gavi Vaccine Alliance. Quad partners also intend to work, within respective national contexts, to collaborate in advancing research and development in the area of cancer and to increase private sector and non-governmental sector activities in support of reducing the burden of cervical cancer in the region. We welcome a number of new, ambitious commitments from non-governmental institutions, including the Serum Institute of India, in partnership with Gavi, which will support orders of up to 40 million HPV vaccine doses, subject to necessary approvals, for the Indo-Pacific region, and which may be increased consistent with demand. We also welcome a new $100 million commitment from Women’s Health and Empowerment Network to address cervical cancer in Southeast Asia.

    Altogether, our scientific experts assess that the Quad Cancer Moonshot will save hundreds of thousands of lives over the coming decades.

    Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)

    Twenty years since the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, when the Quad first came together to surge humanitarian assistance, we continue to respond to the vulnerabilities caused by natural disasters in the Indo-Pacific. In 2022, the Quad established the “Quad Partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief in the Indo-Pacific” and signed Guidelines for the Quad Partnership on HADR in the Indo-Pacific, which enable Quad countries to rapidly coordinate in the face of natural disasters. We welcome Quad governments working to ensure readiness to rapidly respond, including through pre-positioning of essential relief supplies, in the event of a natural disaster; this effort extends from the Indian Ocean region, to Southeast Asia, to the Pacific.

    In May 2024, following a tragic landslide in Papua New Guinea, Quad partners collectively contributed over $5 million in humanitarian assistance. Quad partners are working together to provide over $4 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of Vietnam in light of the devastating consequences of Typhoon Yagi. The Quad continues to support partners in the region in their longer-term resiliency efforts.

    Maritime Security

    In 2022, we announced the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) to offer near-real-time, integrated, and cost-effective maritime domain awareness information to partners in the region. Since then, in consultation with partners, we have successfully scaled the program across the Indo-Pacific region—through the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, with partners in Southeast Asia, to the Information Fusion Center—Indian Ocean Region, Gurugram. In doing so, the Quad has helped well over two dozen countries access dark vessel maritime domain awareness data, so they can better monitor the activities in their exclusive economic zones—including unlawful activity. Australia commits to boosting its cooperation with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency to enhance regional maritime domain awareness in the Pacific through satellite data, training, and capacity building.

    Today we are announcing a new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI), to enable our partners in the region to maximize tools provided through IPMDA and other Quad partner initiatives, to monitor and secure their waters, enforce their laws, and deter unlawful behavior. We look forward to India hosting the inaugural MAITRI workshop in 2025. Furthermore, we welcome the launch of a Quad maritime legal dialogue to support efforts to uphold the rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific. In addition, Quad partners intend to layer new technology and data into IPMDA over the coming year, to continue to deliver cutting edge capability and information to the region.

    We are also announcing today that the U.S. Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard, plan to launch a first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission in 2025, to improve interoperability and advance maritime safety, and continuing with further missions in future years across the Indo-Pacific. 

    We also announce today the launch of a Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project, to pursue shared airlift capacity among our nations and leverage our collective logistics strengths, in order to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Indo-Pacific region.

    Quality Infrastructure

    The Quad remains committed to improving the region’s connectivity through the development of quality, resilient infrastructure.

    We are pleased to announce the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership, which will harness the Quad’s expertise to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific, in collaboration with regional partners. In 2025, we intend to hold a Quad Regional Ports and Transportation Conference, hosted by India in Mumbai. Through this new partnership, Quad partners intend to coordinate, exchange information, share best practices with partners in the region, and leverage resources to mobilize government and private sector investments in quality port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.

    We applaud the expansion of the Quad Infrastructure Fellowships to more than 2,200 experts, and note that Quad partners have already provided well over 1,300 fellowships since the initiative was announced at last year’s Summit. We also appreciate the workshop organized by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in India, working to empower partners across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen power sector resilience.

    Through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, we continue to support and strengthen quality undersea cable networks in the Indo-Pacific, the capacity, durability, and reliability of which are inextricably linked to the security and prosperity of the region and the world. In support of these efforts, Australia launched the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre in July, which is delivering workshops and policy and regulatory assistance in response to requests from across the region. Japan will extend technical cooperation to improve public ICT infrastructure management capacity for an undersea cable in Nauru and Kiribati. The United States has conducted over 1,300 capacity building trainings for telecommunication officials and executives from 25 countries in the Indo-Pacific; today the U.S. announces its intent, working with Congress, to invest an additional $3.4 million to extend and expand this training program.

    Investments in cable projects by Quad partners will help support all Pacific island countries in achieving primary telecommunication cable connectivity by the end of 2025. Since the last Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad partners have committed over $140 million to undersea cable builds in the Pacific, alongside contributions from other likeminded partners. Complementing these investments in new undersea cables, India has commissioned a feasibility study to examine expansion of undersea cable maintenance and repair capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

    We reaffirm our support for the Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles, which are an expression of Pacific voices on infrastructure.

    We underscore our commitment to an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe, reliable and secure digital future to advance our shared prosperity and sustainable development across the Indo-Pacific. In this context, we welcome the Quad Principles for Development and Deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure.

    Critical and Emerging Technologies

    Today, we are proud to announce an ambitious expansion of our partnership to deliver trusted technology solutions to the broader Indo-Pacific region.

    Last year, Quad partners launched a landmark initiative to deploy the first Open Radio Access Network (RAN) in the Pacific, in Palau, to support a secure, resilient, and interconnected telecommunications ecosystem. Since then, the Quad has pledged approximately $20 million to this effort.

    Quad partners also welcome the opportunity to explore additional Open RAN projects in Southeast Asia. We plan to expand support for ongoing Open RAN field trials and the Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA) in the Philippines, building on the initial $8 million in support that the United States and Japan pledged earlier this year. The United States also plans to invest over $7 million to support the global expansion of AORA, including through establishing a first-of-its-kind Open RAN workforce training initiative at scale in South Asia, in partnership with Indian institutions.

    Quad partners will also explore collaborating with the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation to ensure the country’s readiness for nationwide 5G deployment.

    We remain committed to advancing our cooperation on semiconductors through better leveraging of our complementary strengths to realize a diversified and competitive market and enhance resilience of Quad’s semiconductor supply chains. We welcome a Memorandum of Cooperation between Quad countries for the Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network.

    Through the Advancing Innovations for Empowering NextGen Agriculture (AI-ENGAGE) initiative announced at last year’s Summit, our governments are deepening leading-edge collaborative research to harness artificial intelligence, robotics, and sensing to transform agricultural approaches and empower farmers across the Indo-Pacific. We are pleased to announce an inaugural $7.5+ million in funding opportunities for joint research, and welcome the recent signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between our science agencies to connect our research communities and advance shared research principles.

    The United States, Australia, India, and Japan look forward to launching the Quad BioExplore Initiative—a funded mechanism that will support joint AI-driven exploration of diverse non-human biological data across all four countries.

    This project will also be underpinned by the forthcoming Quad Principles for Research and Development Collaborations in Critical and Emerging Technologies.

    Climate and Clean Energy

    As we underscore the severe economic, social, and environmental consequences posed by the climate crisis, we continue to work together with Indo-Pacific partners, including through Quad Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP), to enhance climate and clean energy cooperation as well as promote adaptation and resilience. We emphasize the significant benefits of transitioning to a clean energy economy for our people, our planet, and our shared prosperity. Our countries intend to strengthen our cooperation to align policies, incentives, standards, and investments around creating high-quality, diversified clean energy supply chains that will enhance our collective energy security, create new economic opportunities across the region, and benefit local workers and communities around the world, particularly across the Indo-Pacific.

    We will work together, through policy and public finance, to operationalize our commitment to catalyzing complementary and high-standard private sector investment in allied and partner clean energy supply chains. To this end, Australia will open applications for the Quad Clean Energy Supply Chains Diversification Program in November, providing AUD 50 million to support projects that develop and diversify solar panel, hydrogen electrolyzer and battery supply chains in the Indo-Pacific. India commits to invest $2 million in new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar, and Seychelles. Japan has committed to $122 million grants and loans in renewable energy projects in Indo-Pacific countries. The United States, through DFC, will continue to seek opportunities to mobilize private capital to solar, as well as wind, cooling, batteries, and critical minerals to expand and diversify supply chains.

    We are pleased to announce a focused Quad effort to boost energy efficiency, including the deployment and manufacturing of high-efficiency affordable, cooling systems to enable climate-vulnerable communities to adapt to rising temperatures while simultaneously reducing strain on the electricity grid.

    We jointly affirm our commitment to addressing the challenges posed by climate change and ensure the resilience and sustainability of port infrastructure. Quad partners will leverage our learning and expertise to forge a path towards sustainable and resilient port infrastructure, including through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

    Cyber

    In the face of a deteriorating security environment in the cyber domain, Quad countries intend to enhance our cybersecurity partnership to address common threats posed by state-sponsored actors, cybercriminals, and other non-state malicious actors. Our countries commit to taking concrete steps to increase our collective network defense and advance technical capabilities through greater threat information sharing and capacity building. We plan to coordinate joint efforts to identify vulnerabilities, protect national security networks and critical infrastructure networks, and coordinate more closely including on policy responses to significant cybersecurity incidents affecting the Quad’s shared priorities.

    Quad countries are also partnering with software manufacturers, industry trade groups, and research centers to expand our commitmentto pursuing secure software development standards and certification, as endorsed in the Quad’s 2023 Secure Software Joint Principles. We will work to harmonize these standards to not only ensure that the development, procurement, and end-use of software for government networks is more secure, but that the cyber resilience of our supply chains, digital economies, and societies are collectively improved. Throughout this fall, Quad countries each plan to host campaigns to mark the annual Quad Cyber Challenge promoting responsible cyber ecosystems, public resources, and cybersecurity awareness. We are constructively engaging on the Quad Action Plan to Protect Commercial Undersea Telecommunications Cables, developed by the Quad Senior Cyber Group, as a complementary effort to the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience. Our coordinated actions to protect global telecommunications infrastructure as guided by the Action Plan will advance our shared vision for future digital connectivity, global commerce, and prosperity. 

    Space

    We recognize the essential contribution of space-related applications and technologies in the Indo-Pacific. Our four countries intend to continue delivering Earth Observation data and other space-related applications to assist nations across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen climate early warning systems and better manage the impacts of extreme weather events. In this context, we welcome India’s establishment of a space-based web portal for Mauritius, to support the concept of open science for space-based monitoring of extreme weather events and climate impact.

    Quad Investors Network (QUIN)

    We welcome private sector initiatives—including the Quad Investors Network (QUIN), which facilitates investments in strategic technologies, including clean energy, semiconductors, critical minerals, and quantum. The QUIN is mobilizing a number of investments to promote supply chain resilience, advance joint research and development, commercialize new technologies, and invest in our future workforce.

    People-to-People Initiatives

    The Quad is committed to strengthening the deep and enduring ties between our people, and among our partners. Through the Quad Fellowship, we are building a network of the next generation of science, technology, and policy leaders. Together with the Institute of International Education, which leads implementation of the Quad Fellowship, Quad governments welcome the second cohort of Quad Fellows and the expansion of the program to include students from ASEAN countries for the first time. The Government of Japan is supporting the program to enable Quad Fellows to study in Japan. The Quad welcomes the generous support of private sector partners for the next cohort of fellows, including Google, the Pratt Foundation, and Western Digital.

    India is pleased to announce a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth $500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a 4-year undergraduate engineering program at a Government of India-funded technical institution.

    Working Together to Address Regional and Global Issues

    Today we reaffirm our consistent and unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity. We continue to support implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and are committed to ensuring the Quad’s work is aligned with ASEAN’s principles and priorities.

    We underscore ASEAN’s regional leadership role, including in the East Asia Summit, the region’s premier leader-led forum for strategic dialogue, and the ASEAN Regional Forum. As comprehensive strategic partners of ASEAN, our four countries intend to continue to strengthen our respective relationships with ASEAN and seek opportunities for greater Quad collaboration in support of the AOIP.

    We recommit to working in partnership with Pacific island countries to achieve shared aspirations and address shared challenges. We reaffirm our support for Pacific regional institutions that have served the region well over many years, with the PIF as the region’s premier political and economic policy organization, and warmly welcome Tonga’s leadership as the current PIF Chair in 2024-2025. We continue to support the objectives of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. We and our governments will continue to listen to and be guided at every step by Pacific priorities, including climate action, ocean health, resilient infrastructure, maritime security and financial integrity. In particular, we acknowledge climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific and applaud Pacific island countries’ global leadership on climate action.

    We remain committed to strengthening cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. We strongly support IORA as the Indian Ocean region’s premier forum for addressing the region’s challenges. We recognize India’s leadership in finalizing the IORA Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (IOIP) and express our support for its implementation. We thank Sri Lanka for its continued leadership as IORA Chair through this year and look forward to India’s assuming the IORA Chair in 2025. 

    As Leaders, we are steadfast in our conviction that international law, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the maintenance of peace, safety, security and stability in the maritime domain, underpin the sustainable development, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. We emphasize the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to address challenges to the global maritime rules-based order, including with respect to maritime claims. We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. We continue to express our serious concern about the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea. We condemn the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, including increasing use of dangerous maneuvers. We also oppose efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities.We reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, as reflected in UNCLOS. We re-emphasize the importance of maintaining and upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea, and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law. We re-emphasize the universal and unified character of UNCLOS and reaffirm that UNCLOS sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and the seas must be carried out. We underscore that the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.

    Together, with our global and regional partners, we continue to support international institutions and initiatives that underpin global peace, prosperity and sustainable development. We reiterate our unwavering support for the UN Charter and the three pillars of the UN system. In consultation with our partners, we will work collectively to address attempts to unilaterally undermine the integrity of the UN, its Charter, and its agencies. We will reform the UN Security Council, recognizing the urgent need to make it more representative, inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable through expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of the UN Security Council. This expansion of permanent seats should include representation for Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean in a reformed Security Council.

    We stand for adherence to international law and respect for principles of the UN Charter, including territorial integrity, sovereignty of all states, and peaceful resolution of disputes. We express our deepest concern over the war raging in Ukraine including the terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences. Each of us has visited Ukraine since the war began, and seen this first-hand; we reiterate the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. We also note the negative impacts of the war in Ukraine with regard to global food and energy security, especially for developing and least developed countries. In the context of this war, we share the view that the use, or threat of use, of nuclear weapons is unacceptable. We underscore the importance of upholding international law, and in line with the UN Charter, reiterate that all states must refrain from the threat of or use of force against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state.

    We condemn North Korea’s destabilizing ballistic missile launches and its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). These launches pose a grave threat to international peace and stability. We urge North Korea to abide by all its obligations under the UNSCRs, refrain from further provocations and engage in substantive dialogue. We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula consistent with relevant UNSCRs and call on all countries to fully implement these UNSCRs. We stress the need to prevent any proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to North Korea in the region and beyond. We express our grave concern over North Korea’s use of proliferation networks, malicious cyber activity and workers abroad to fund its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. In that context, we urge all UN Member States to abide by the relevant UNSCRs including the prohibition on the transfer to North Korea or procurement from North Korea of all arms and related materiel. We express deep concern about countries that are deepening military cooperation with North Korea, which directly undermines the global nonproliferation regime. As the mandate of the UN Panel of Experts tasked with monitoring violations of North Korea-related UNSCR sanctions was not renewed, we reiterate our commitment to continued implementation of the relevant UNSCRs which remain in full force. We reconfirm the necessity of immediate resolution of the abductions issue.

    We remain deeply concerned by the worsening political, security and humanitarian situation in Myanmar, including in Rakhine State, and again call for an immediate cessation of violence, the release of all those unjustly and arbitrarily detained, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, resolution of the crisis through constructive and inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders, and a return to the path of inclusive democracy. We reaffirm our strong support for ASEAN-led efforts, including the work of the ASEAN Chair and the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar. We call for full implementation of all commitments under the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus. The ongoing conflict and instability have serious implications for the region, including increases in transnational crime such as cybercrime, the illegal drug trade, and human trafficking. We restate our appeal to all States to prevent the flow of arms and dual-use material, including jet fuel. We remain resolute in our support for the people of Myanmar and commit to continuing to work with all stakeholders in a pragmatic and constructive way, to find a sustainable solution to the crisis in a process which is led by the people of Myanmar and returns Myanmar to the path of democracy.

    We call upon all States to contribute to the safe, peaceful, responsible, and sustainable use of outer space. We remain committed to fostering international cooperation and transparency, as well as confidence-building measures with the goal of improving the security of outer space for all States. We reaffirm the importance of upholding the existing international legal framework for outer space activities, including the Outer Space Treaty, and the obligation of all States Parties to the Treaty not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space in any other manner.

    The Quad reaffirms its commitment to fostering a resilient information environment including through its Countering Disinformation Working Group by supporting media freedom and addressing foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, which undermines trust and sows discord in the international community. We recognize these tactics are intended to interfere with domestic and international interests, and we are committed, together with our regional partners, to leverage our collective expertise and capacity to respond. We reaffirm our commitment to respect international human rights law, strengthen civil society, support media freedom, address online harassment and abuse, including technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and counter unethical practices.

    We unequivocally condemn terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. We are committed to international cooperation and will work with our regional partners in a comprehensive and sustained manner to strengthen their capability to prevent, detect and respond to threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism, including threats posed by the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, consistent with international law. We are committed to working together to promote accountability for the perpetrators of such terrorist attacks. We reiterate our condemnation of terrorist attacks including the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and in Pathankot, and our commitment to pursuing designations, as appropriate, by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee. We welcome the constructive discussions held at the first Quad Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and the fourth tabletop exercise in Honolulu last year, and look forward to Japan hosting the next meeting and tabletop exercise in November 2024.

    We share great interest in achieving peace and stability in the Middle East. We unequivocally condemn the terror attacks on October 7, 2023. The large-scale loss of civilian lives and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unacceptable. We affirm the imperative of securing the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and emphasize that the deal to release hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza. We underscore the urgent need to significantly increase deliveries of life-saving humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza as well as the crucial need to prevent regional escalation. We urge all parties to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, as applicable. We welcome UNSCR S/RES/2735 (2024), and strongly urge all parties concerned to work immediately and steadily toward the release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire. We call on all parties to take every feasible step to protect the lives of civilians including aid workers, and facilitate the rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian relief to civilians. We also encourage other countries, including those in the Indo-Pacific, to increase their support in order to address the dire humanitarian need on the ground. We underscore that the future recovery and reconstruction of Gaza should be supported by the international community. We remain committed to a sovereign, viable and independent Palestinian state taking into account Israel’s legitimate security concerns as part of a two-state solution that enables both Israelis and Palestinians to live in a just, lasting, and secure peace. Any unilateral actions that undermine the prospect of a two-state solution, including Israeli expansion of settlements and violent extremism on all sides, must end. We underscore the need to prevent the conflict from escalating and spilling over in the region.

    We condemn the ongoing attacks perpetrated by the Houthis and their supporters against international and commercial vessels transiting through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which are destabilizing the region and impeding navigational rights and freedoms and trade flows, and jeopardize the safety of vessels and people on board including sailors.

    We reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We underscore the importance of achieving the SDGs in a comprehensive manner without selectively prioritizing a narrow set of such goals, and reaffirm that the UN has a central role in supporting countries in their implementation. With six years left, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and accelerating progress toward all the SDGs in a comprehensive manner that is balanced across three dimensions – economic, social and environmental. From global health to sustainable development and climate change, the global community benefits when all stakeholders have the opportunity to contribute to addressing these challenges. We affirm our commitment to contributing to and implementing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. We underscore our commitment to strongly engaging constructively in the discussion on advancing sustainable development, including at the Summit of the Future. The Quad continues to realize a safe and secure world where human rights and human dignity are protected, based on the central premise of the SDGs: “Leave no one behind.”

    We, the Quad Leaders, remain dedicated to working in partnership with Indo-Pacific countries in deciding our future and shaping the region we all want to live in.

    Enduring Partners for the Indo-Pacific

    Over the past four years, Quad Leaders have met together six times, including twice virtually, and Quad Foreign Ministers have met eight times in the last five years. Quad country representatives meet together on a regular basis, at all levels, including among ambassadors across the four countries’ extensive diplomatic networks, to consult one another, exchange ideas to advance shared priorities, and deliver benefits with and for partners across the Indo-Pacific region. We welcome our Commerce and Industry ministers preparing to meet for the first time in the coming months. We also welcome the leaders of our Development Finance Institutions and Agencies deciding to meet to explore future investments by the four countries in the Indo-Pacific. Altogether, our four countries are cooperating at an unprecedented pace and scale.

    Each of our governments has committed to working through our respective budgetary processes to secure robust funding for Quad priorities in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure an enduring impact. We intend to work with our legislatures to deepen interparliamentary exchanges, and encourage other stakeholders to deepen engagement with Quad counterparts.

    We look forward to the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting hosted by the United States in 2025, and the next Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by India in 2025. The Quad is here to stay.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister attends Quad Cancer Moonshot event

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 8:23AM by PIB Delhi

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the Quad Cancer Moonshot event hosted by President Joseph R Biden Jr., on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware.

    Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister deeply appreciated this thoughtful initiative of President Biden aimed at preventing, detecting and treating cervical cancer. He stated that the program would go a long way in providing affordable, accessible and quality health-care to people in Indo-Pacific countries. He noted that India was also undertaking a mass cervical cancer screening program in the country. Talking of India’s health security efforts, he mentioned that the country has developed a cervical cancer vaccine and is working on an AI based treatment protocol for the disease. 

    As India’s contribution to the Cancer Moonshot initiative, Prime Minister, in keeping with India’s vision of ONE WORLD, ONE HEALTH, announced the dedication of a grant of US $7.5 million to cancer testing, screening, and diagnostics in the Indo-Pacific region. Prime Minister also announced that India will provide support for radiotherapy treatment and capacity building for cancer prevention in the Indo-Pacific. He also mentioned that Indo-Pacific countries will be benefiting from the supply of 40 million doses of vaccine from India under GAVI and QUAD programs. Prime Minister noted that when the Quad acts, it is not just for nations, it is for the people and that is the true essence of its human-centric approach.

    India will also offer technical assistance to interested countries in the Indo-Pacific region on DPI for cancer screening, care and continuum through its US$ 10 million contribution to WHO’s-Global Initiative on Digital Health.

    Through the Cancer Moonshot initiative, the Quad leaders committed to work together to address gaps in the cervical cancer care and treatment ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific countries. A Joint Cancer Moonshot Fact Sheet was released on the occasion.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: English rendering of PM’s address to the Indian Diaspora, New York, USA

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 23 SEP 2024 3:58AM by PIB Delhi

    Bharat Mata ki – Jai!

    Bharat Mata ki – Jai!

    Bharat Mata ki – Jai!

    Namaste U.S.! Now even our “Namaste” has gone multinational, transitioning from local to global, and it’s all because of you. Every Indian who holds Bharat close to their heart has made this possible.

    Friends, 

    You’ve come here from far and wide. Some faces are familiar, while others are new. Your love is a great honour for me. I recall the days when I wasn’t a PM, wasn’t a CM, wasn’t a leader at all. Back then, I used to come here as an inquisitive traveller, eager to see and understand this land, carrying many questions in my mind. Even when I held no official position, I had already toured almost 29 states in America. Later, when I became a CM, I continued connecting with you through technology. As a PM, too, I’ve received immense affection and warmth from you. In 2014, it was Madison Square; Sam Jose in 2015; Houston in 2019; Washington in 2023; and now New York in 2024, and each time, you surpass the last record.

    Friends, 

    I’ve always recognized the strength of the Indian diaspora. Even when I held no official post, I understood it, and I understand it today. You have always been Bharat’s strongest brand ambassadors for me. That’s why I call you the ‘Rashtradoot’ (nation’s emissaries). You’ve connected America to Bharat and Bharat to America. Your skills, talent, and commitment are unparalleled. Though you’ve crossed seven seas, no ocean is deep enough to separate you from the Bharat that resides in your hearts. What Maa Bharti has taught us, we can never forget. Wherever we go, we treat everyone like family. Embracing diversity, living it, and integrating it into our lives—these are our values, embedded in our very being. We are from a country with hundreds of languages and dialects, home to every religion and sect. Yet, we move forward as one and united. In this very hall, some speak Tamil, others Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Marathi, or Gujarati. Our languages may differ, but our spirit is one: “Bharat Mata ki Jai” (Victory to Mother Bharat), the spirit of Indianness. This is our greatest strength in connecting with the world. These values naturally make us ‘Vishwa Bandhu’ (global friend). As our scriptures say, तेन त्यक्तेन भुंजीथा: meaning those who sacrifice are the ones who truly enjoy. We find happiness by doing good to others and by sacrificing.  Wherever we live, this spirit remains unchanged. We contribute maximum to the societies we live in. In America, be it as doctors, researchers, tech professionals, scientists, or in other professions, you’ve soared high, and the world has witnessed it.  Just a short while ago the T-20 Cricket World Cup was held here and the USA team played amazingly, and the world has also seen the contribution of the Indians living here in that team.

    Friends, 

    For the world, AI means artificial intelligence, but I believe AI stands for America-India. This America-India spirit is the AI power of the new world, elevating Bharat-America relations. I salute all of you, the Indian diaspora. 

    Friends, 

    Wherever I go in the world, I hear nothing but praise for the Indian diaspora from every leader. Just yesterday, President Biden invited me to his home in Delaware. His warmth and hospitality were truly touching. This honour is for 140 crore Indians, for your hard work, for the millions of Indians living here. I extend my gratitude to President Biden and to all of you. 

    Friends, 

    The year 2024 is crucial for the world. On one side, we see conflicts and tensions among nations, while on the other, some countries are celebrating democracy. Bharat and America are together in this celebration of democracy. Elections are upcoming here in the U.S., while Bharat has already held its elections. These elections in Bharat were the largest in human history. You can imagine: almost double the number of voters as the total population of the U.S., and more voters than the entire population of Europe! So many people cast their votes in Bharat. When we see the scale of Bharat’s democracy, it fills us with pride. A three-month-long polling process, 15 million polling staff, over a million polling stations, more than 2,500 political parties, more than 8,000 candidates, thousands of newspapers in different languages, hundreds of radio stations, TV news channels, millions of social media accounts, lakhs of social media channels—all of this makes Bharat’s democracy vibrant. It’s an era of expanding freedom of expression, and our electoral process undergoes scrutiny at this level.

    And friends, 

    This long election process has led to something unprecedented in Bharat this time. What happened? What happened? What happened? ‘Abki Baar – ’ (This time again—), ‘Abki Baar – ’ (This time again—), ‘Abki Baar – ’ (This time again—)!

    Friends, 

    Our government has been re-elected for the third time. This hadn’t happened in Bharat in the last 60 years. The mandate the people of Bharat has given us is huge and significant. In this third term, we have even greater goals to achieve. We must move forward with three times the strength and three times the speed. You’ll remember one word: PUSHP (flower). Yes, consider it a lotus, I have no objections. PUSHP, and I define this PUSHP. P for Progressive Bharat, U for Unstoppable Bharat, S for Spiritual Bharat, H for Humanity First Bharat, and P for Prosperous Bharat. Together, these five petals of PUSHP will shape a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India).

    Friends, 

    I am the first Prime Minister of Bharat born after independence. During the freedom struggle, millions of Indians dedicated their lives to Swaraj (self-rule). They didn’t think of their personal interests or comfort zones; they forgot everything and fought against the British. Some were hanged, some were shot, some endured torturous imprisonment, and many spent their youth in jail.

    Friends, 

    We couldn’t die for our country, but we can surely live for it. Dying wasn’t in our destiny, but living is our destiny. Right from day one, my mind and mission has been clear. I couldn’t give my life for ‘Swaraj’ (independence), but I decided to dedicate my life to ‘Suraj’ (good governance) and a ‘Samridh’ (prosperous) Bharat. A large part of my life was spent wandering across the country for years. Wherever I found food, I ate; wherever I found a place to sleep, I slept. From the shores of the ocean to the mountains, from deserts to snow-covered peaks, I met people from every region, got to know and understand them. I gained first-hand experience of my country’s life, its culture, and its challenges. Though my path was different, destiny brought me into politics. I never imagined becoming a Chief Minister, but I became Gujarat’s longest-serving CM for 13 years. I remained Gujarat’s Chief Minister for 13 years and then people promoted me to Prime Minister. But the lessons I learned traveling through the country have shaped my governance model, both at the state and central levels. Over the past 10 years, the success of this governance model is evident to you and the world. And now, with great trust, the people of Bharat have given me a third term. I approach this third term with three times the sense of responsibility.

    Friends, 

    Today, Bharat is one of the world’s youngest nations. Bharat is filled with energy and dreams. Every day, new records are being set. Every day, new news. Just today, we received great news: Bharat won gold in both men’s and women’s categories at the Chess Olympiad. But let me tell you one more thing, which will require even more applause. For the first time in nearly 100 years, this has happened! The whole country and every Indian is proud of our chess players. There’s another AI driving Bharat. And what is that? It is A for Aspirational and I for Bharat: Aspirational Bharat. This is our new energy. The aspirations of millions of Indians are driving Bharat’s growth. Every aspiration is giving rise to new achievements, and every achievement is fuelling new aspirations. In just one decade, Bharat has risen from the 10th to the 5th largest economy. Now every Indian wants Bharat to quickly become the third-largest economy. Today, a large section of Bharat’s population has seen their basic needs met. Over the past 10 years, crores of people have gained access to clean cooking gas, piped water, electricity, and toilets. These crores of people now aspire to a better quality of life.

    Friends,

    Now, the people of Bharat don’t just want roads; they want magnificent expressways. Now, the people of Bharat don’t just want rail connectivity; they want high-speed trains. Every city in Bharat aspires to have metro services, and every city wants its own airport. Every citizen, whether from a village or a city, wants world-class facilities, and we are seeing the results of these aspirations. In 2014, only 5 cities in Bharat had metro services; today, 23 cities have metros. Bharat now has the second-largest metro network in the world, and it is expanding every day.

    Friends,

    In 2014, only 70 cities in Bharat had airports; today, more than 140 cities have airports. In 2014, fewer than 100 gram panchayats had broadband connectivity; today, more than 200,000 panchayats have it. In 2014, Bharat had around 140 million LPG consumers; today, the number has risen to over 310 million. What used to take years to accomplish is now being completed in months. There is a new confidence in Bharat’s people, a determination to reach their goals. Development in Bharat is becoming a people’s movement, and every Indian is becoming an equal partner in this movement of development. They believe in Bharat’s success and in its achievements.

    Friends,

    Today, Bharat is a land of opportunities. Bharat no longer waits for opportunities; Bharat creates opportunities. Over the past 10 years, Bharat has prepared a new launching pad for opportunities in every sector. Look at this – just in the last decade, and this will make you proud, 25 crore people have been lifted out of poverty. How did this happen? It happened because we changed the old mindset and approach. We focused on empowering the poor. We connected more than 500 million people to the banking system, provided more than 550 million people with free medical treatment up to 500,000 rupees, gave over 40 million families proper housing, and through collateral-free loans, we provided millions of people with ease of credit. Many such initiatives helped people lift themselves out of poverty, and those who have emerged from poverty today form the neo-middle class, which is driving Bharat’s development at a faster pace.

    Friends,

    We have prioritized women-led development alongside women’s welfare. The crores of houses built by the government have been registered in the name of women. Out of the crores of bank accounts opened, more than half were in women’s names. Over the past decade, 10 crore Indian women have joined the Micro Entrepreneurship Scheme. Let me give you another example. We are making significant efforts to integrate agriculture with technology in Bharat, and today, drones are being used extensively in farming. While drones may not be new to you, what might surprise you is this: do you know who is taking responsibility for them? It’s rural women. We are training thousands of women to become drone pilots, and this remarkable technological revolution in agriculture is being driven by rural women.

    Friends,

    The areas once neglected have now become national priorities. Bharat is more connected today than ever before. You may be astonished to learn the current size of Bharat’s 5G market. Would you mind if I told you? Today, Bharat’s 5G market is larger than that of the United States, and this achievement has been made within just two years. Now, Bharat is working on Made-in-India 6G. How did this happen? It happened because we devised policies to advance this sector. We invested in Made-in-India technology, affordable data, and mobile phone manufacturing. Today, nearly every major mobile brand in the world is Made in India. Bharat is now the second-largest mobile manufacturer globally. There was a time, before my tenure, when we were importing mobile phones; today, we are exporting them.

    Friends, Bharat no longer lags behind. Now, Bharat creates new systems and leads the way. Bharat has introduced the world to a new concept of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). DPI has promoted equality and become a powerful tool in reducing corruption. Bharat’s UPI is now capturing the world’s attention. While you may have a wallet in your pocket, in Bharat, people have both physical wallets and e-wallets on their phones. Many Indians no longer carry physical documents, as they now use DigiLocker. When travelling to airports, they seamlessly use DigiYatra. This has become the launching pad for digital public infrastructure, innovation, job creation, and every related technology.

    Friends,

    Bharat will not stop now, nor will it slow down. Bharat envisions a future where as many global devices as possible operate on Made-in-India chips. We have made the semiconductor sector the foundation of Bharat’s accelerated growth. In June last year, Bharat announced incentives for the semiconductor industry, and just a few months later, the foundation stone for Micron’s first semiconductor unit was laid. To date, five such units have been approved in Bharat. The day is not far when you will see Made-in-India chips here in America as well. This small chip will elevate Bharat’s journey towards development to unprecedented heights, and that’s Modi’s promise.

    Friends,

    The resolve and commitment towards reforms in Bharat today are unprecedented. Our Green Energy Transition Programme is a prime example of this. Despite accounting for 17 percent of the world’s population, Bharat’s contribution to global carbon emissions is only 4 percent. We played no part in harming the planet. In fact, compared to the rest of the world, our impact is nearly negligible. We, too, could have fuelled our growth by relying on carbon emissions, but we chose the path of green transition, guided by our deep-rooted respect for nature. As a result, we are investing heavily in solar, wind, hydro, green hydrogen, and nuclear energy. Bharat was the first country in the G20 to achieve the Paris climate goals. Since 2014, our solar energy capacity has increased by over 30 times. We are working to make every home in the country a solar-powered home. To achieve this, we have launched an extensive rooftop solar mission. Today, our railway stations and airports are transitioning to solar energy. From homes to streets, Bharat has embarked on a journey towards energy-efficient lighting. These efforts are generating a large number of green jobs in Bharat.

    Friends,

    21st-century Bharat is advancing through education, skills, research, and innovation. You are all familiar with the name Nalanda University. Not long ago, Bharat’s ancient Nalanda University was revived in a modern form. Today, it’s not only the university but also the spirit of Nalanda that is being reborn. We are creating a modern educational ecosystem that attracts students from across the globe to come to Bharat and study. Over the past 10 years, something remarkable has happened in Bharat. In this period, one new university has been built in Bharat every week, two new colleges have been established every day, and one new ITI has opened each day. In a decade, the number of IIITs has risen from 9 to 25, IIMs from 13 to 21, and AIIMS has tripled to 22. The number of medical colleges has nearly doubled in the same period. Today, even the world’s top universities are coming to Bharat. Bharat is now renowned. The world has long witnessed the power of Indian designers; now it will witness the brilliance of ‘Design in India’.

    Friends,

    Today, Bharat’s partnerships are expanding globally. Previously, Bharat followed a policy of Equal Distance, but now it embraces a policy of Equal Proximity. We are also becoming a strong voice for the Global South. You may have noticed that, due to Bharat’s initiative, the African Union was granted permanent membership at the G20 Summit. Today, when Bharat speaks on the global stage, the world listens. Not long ago, when I said, “This is not the era of war,” the gravity of the statement was understood worldwide.

    Friends,

    Whenever there is a crisis anywhere in the world, Bharat is one of the first to respond. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we sent vaccines and medicines to over 150 countries. Whether it was an earthquake, a cyclone, or a civil war, we were among the first to offer assistance. This is a reflection of the values and teachings passed down by our ancestors.
    Friends,

    Bharat is emerging as a new catalyst on the global stage, and its influence will be felt across all sectors. Bharat’s role will be crucial in accelerating global growth, promoting global peace, advancing climate action, closing the global skills gap, driving innovation, and stabilising the global supply chain.

    Friends,

    For Bharat, power and capability are symbolised by “ज्ञानायदानायचरक्षणाय”, meaning knowledge is for sharing, wealth is for caring, and power is for protecting. Therefore, Bharat’s priority is not to impose its dominance but to enhance its influence. We are not like fire that burns; we are like the sun’s rays that provide light. We do not seek to dominate the world but to contribute to its prosperity. Whether it’s promoting yoga, advocating for superfood millets, or championing the Mission LiFE vision (Lifestyle for the Environment), Bharat is prioritizing human-centric growth alongside GDP-centric growth. I urge you all to promote Mission LiFE as much as possible here. Small changes in our lifestyle can have a significant positive impact on the environment.

    You may have heard, and perhaps some of you have already participated, in a movement that’s gaining momentum in Bharat. Across the country, people are planting a tree in honour of their mothers (Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam). If your mother is alive, plant a tree along with her. If she is no longer with us, plant a tree in her memory – carry a picture of her with you and plant a tree. This movement is taking place in every corner of Bharat, and I encourage all of you to initiate a similar campaign here. This will not only honour the mothers who gave us life but also our Mother Earth.

    Friends,

    Bharat today dreams big and pursues those dreams with determination. The Paris Olympics concluded just a few days ago, and the next host will be the USA. Soon, you will also witness the Olympics being held in Bharat. We are making every possible effort to host the 2036 Olympics. Whether in sports, business, or entertainment, Bharat has become a centre of global attraction. Today, Indian leagues like the IPL rank among the world’s top leagues, and Indian films are making waves internationally. Bharat is also soaring in global tourism. There is a growing interest in celebrating Indian festivals across different countries. I notice that people in cities everywhere are now learning Garba for Navratri—this reflects their love for Bharat.

    Friends,

    Today, every country seeks to learn more about Bharat. I have something else that will bring you joy. Just yesterday, America returned 300 ancient inscriptions and statues to Bharat, some as old as 1,500 to 2,000 years, which had been stolen from Bharat So far, the United States has returned around 500 such artefacts to Bharat. This is not just about the return of a few items; it is a tribute to our rich heritage spanning thousands of years. It is a matter of pride for Bharat and for all of you. I am deeply grateful to the US government for this gesture.

    Friends,

    The partnership between Bharat and the United States is growing stronger by the day. Our collaboration is for the benefit of the world. We are enhancing cooperation across all sectors, and your convenience has been taken into account as well. Last year, I announced that our government would open a new Consulate in Seattle, which has now become operational. I had also sought your suggestions for the opening of two more consulates, and I am pleased to inform you that, based on your feedback, Bharat has decided to open two new consulates in Boston and Los Angeles.

    I am also delighted to announce the establishment of the Thiruvalluvar Chair for Tamil Studies at the University of Houston. This will further help in propagating the philosophy of the great Tamil saint Thiruvalluvar to the world.

    Friends,

    This event of yours has truly been remarkable. The cultural programme that took place here was fantastic. I have been informed that thousands of people wished to attend this event, but the venue proved to be too small. I apologise to those whom I couldn’t meet today. I look forward to meeting all of you next time, at another venue on another day. However, I know the enthusiasm will remain the same, and the passion will remain undiminished. May you all stay healthy and prosperous, and continue to strengthen the India-US friendship. With these wishes, I extend my heartfelt thanks to you all!

    Join me in saying:

    Bharat Mata ki Jai!

    Bharat Mata ki Jai!

    Bharat Mata ki Jai!

    Many thanks.

    DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MEDIA ADVISORY: Sanders to Lead HELP Committee Hearing on Outrageous Ozempic and Wegovy Prices with Novo Nordisk CEO

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 – As millions of Americans struggle with diabetes and obesity, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), on Tuesday will lead the committee in a hearing to examine why Novo Nordisk charges the American people the highest prices in the world for its lifesaving drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy. Epidemiologists have estimated that more than 40,000 lives per year could be saved if Wegovy and other weight-loss drugs were made affordable and widely available in the United States.
    Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen will join the hearing to provide in-person testimony on a solo panel.
    “I want to thank Mr. Jørgensen for our discussions and for his agreeing to voluntarily testify before the HELP Committee about the outrageously high cost of Ozempic and Wegovy in the United States,” said Sanders. “The American people are sick and tired of paying, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. They deserve to hear from Mr. Jørgensen.”
    Novo Nordisk has made nearly $50 billion in sales from these two products alone. Yet, Novo Nordisk currently charges Americans with Type 2 diabetes $969 a month for Ozempic, while this same exact drug can be purchased for just $155 in Canada, $122 in Denmark, and just $59 in Germany. Incredibly, Novo Nordisk also charges Americans with obesity $1,349 a month for Wegovy, while this same exact product can be purchased for just $186 in Denmark, $140 in Germany, and $92 in the United Kingdom.
    In March of 2024, a study from researchers at Yale University found these drugs could be profitably manufactured for less than $5 a month, or $57 per year. Earlier this week at an expert discussion hosted by Sanders, the chairman announced that some CEOs of major generic pharmaceutical companies are willing to sell Ozempic to Americans for less than $100 per month, at a profit. More than 250 physicians also came together earlier this week to call on Congress to rein in the exorbitant prices of GLP-1s, like Ozempic and Wegovy.
    If half of all adults in the U.S. took these weight loss drugs, it would cost $411 billion per year – $5 billion more than what Americans spent on all prescription drugs at the pharmacy counter in 2022.
    This hearing builds on the HELP Committee’s previous efforts to ensure pharmaceutical companies provide life-saving medicines at affordable prices, including taxpayer funded prescription drugs, COVID vaccines, inhalers, and insulin.
    DetailsWhat: Senate HELP Committee hearing titled, “Why Is Novo Nordisk Charging Americans with Diabetes and Obesity Outrageously High Prices for Ozempic and Wegovy?”When: 10:00 a.m. ET, Tuesday, September 24, 2024Where: Room 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building. The discussion will also be livestreamed on the HELP Committee’s website and Sanders’ social media.Who:
    Senate HELP Committee members
    Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EIB at #UNGA79: Strengthening the multilateral system, reinforcing investment in global health and climate finance

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • President Nadia Calviño leads EIB delegation to 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
    • The EIB will announce new initiatives on financing global health, and climate.
    • Multilateral Development Banks present latest climate finance effort of $125 billion.

    At the 79th United Nations General Assembly, European Investment Bank (EIB) President Nadia Calviño will join partners and global leaders to present new solutions and innovative financing approaches to tackle global challenges.

    The EIB initiatives include support for women’s health with the Gates Foundation, the launch of new investment plans to strengthen primary healthcare alongside the World Health Organisation (WHO). EIB President Calviño will be accompanied by Vice-Presidents Ambroise Fayolle and Thomas Östros. She will be meeting heads of United Nations agencies, Multilateral Development Banks and leading private sector figures to explore ways of deepening collaboration. 

    President Calviño said: “We are proud to contribute to the UN Summit of the Future to create and scale up solutions for today’s challenges, paving the way for a stronger, more inclusive and connected multilateralism. That’s what we are here to do – with a focus on high-impact investments outside the EU – we are announcing new projects and initiatives alongside our partners to deliver primary health care, women’s health, as well as stepping up finance for  climate action and resilience.” 

    Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) today announced that their global climate finance reached a record high of $125 billion in 2023. Mobilised global private finance nearly doubled to $101 billion compared to 2022. The combined total climate finance from the MDBs, including the European Investment Bank, is more than double the amount provided in 2019, when MDBs announced their ambition to increase climate finance volumes over time at the United Nations Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit.

    Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle, responsible for Climate Action and Just Transition at the EIB, said: “The combined efforts from the world’s Multilateral Development Banks to deliver $125 billion in direct investments last year for climate action sends the strong message that the MDBs are working as a system to deliver and that the global community can count on MDBs, including the EIB, to accelerate global climate action. As the largest multilateral lender for climate action projects, the EIB will continue to support high impact operations such as breakthrough technologies, climate adaptation and a just transition for the most vulnerable to climate change. To make the green transition a success, we must make sure that climate action works for everybody.”

    On 23rd September, Multilateral Banks will also come together in New York on the margins of the United Nations for a high-level roundtable on the new Health Impact Investment Platform for primary healthcare financing co-hosted by the EIB and the World Health Organisation. The roundtable will spotlight country-level action to boost community based health and vaccination. The event will be livestreamed on EIB and WHO channels.

    Vice-President Thomas Östros, responsible for Health financing and Energy said: “Our collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic showed that we can achieve more when we work together. It also highlighted the need for greater collaboration to address current global health challenges and to prepare for potential future emergencies. In the coming days, we will announce new initiatives that I believe will significantly enhance the health of communities worldwide”.                                                        

    EIB at UNGA

    The EIB delegation will be participating in a number of events on the margins  of the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA). President Calviño and Vice-President Fayolle will take part in a Project Syndicate event on Climate Finance on Sunday 22nd September which also includes Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados,  Gabriel Boric, President of Chile, Marina Silva, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Brazil, Mafalda Duarte, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund and Mukhtar Babayev, President-Designate of COP29 and Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan.

    A fireside chat on 23rd September 11.00 EDT between President Calviño and WHO Director-General Dr.Tedros Ghebreyesus will be livestreamed on UN and EIB channels, as part of the SDG Media Zone events.

    Media interviews

    For interview requests with members of the EIB delegation please get in touch with the .

    Background information

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It is active in more than 160 countries and makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals.

    EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm dedicated to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance.  EIB Global is designed to foster strong, focused partnership within Team Europe, alongside fellow development finance institutions, and civil society. EIB Global brings the Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through our offices across the world. 

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Revolutionizing Nutrition: Industry, Academia, Regulator Deliberate to Leverage the Potential of Ayurveda Aahar

    Source: Government of India

    Revolutionizing Nutrition: Industry, Academia, Regulator Deliberate to Leverage the Potential of Ayurveda Aahar

    Exclusive session dedicated to ‘Ayush Food Innovations for a Sustainable World’ held on day -2 of World Food India 2024

    Posted On: 20 SEP 2024 7:38PM by PIB Delhi

    On the second day of World Food India 2024, the Ministry of Ayush organized an exclusive session on “Revolutionizing Nutrition: Ayush Food Innovations for a Sustainable World,” at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The session brought industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, and innovative startups together to explore the vast potential of Ayush foods and nutraceuticals from global markets perspective.

    The 90-minute session focused on how Ayurvedic principles and products can be adapted to modern nutritional needs while retaining their ancient therapeutic benefits. All speakers actively engaged in the discussion that covered topics around the theme including, startup growth, international market expansion, and the science behind Ayush-based nutrition.

    Director All India Institute of Ayurveda Prof. Tanuja Nesari mentioned in her opening remarks that “Ayurvedic food is not only healthy but also tastes great. However, many people still think that if it’s Ayurvedic, it won’t be tasty.”There is a need to emphasize that Ayurvedic food can be both nutritious and flavorful, addressing the misconception that health-oriented food might lack taste.

    Dr. Anupam Srivastava, Professor & Head, Department of Ras Shastra & Bhaishjya Kalpana, National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA) emphasized on Revolutionizing Nutrition: Ayush Food Innovations for a Sustainable World. He highlighted the significance of food security in India and the concept of Ayurveda Ahara. He discussed its benefits, various categories and the regulatory requirements.

    Mr. Viral Tiwari, Co-Founder, Nuskha Kitchen shared insights on ‘Accelerating Growth and Innovation in Ayush Startups, Mr. Ashish Dixit, Head Regulatory Affairs, Dabur, Expanding Global Reach explained the the topic ‘Elevating Ayush Nutrition for International Markets’. Dr. Manish Pande, Director & Head of Project Analysis and Documentation Division (PAD Division), Quality Council of India (QCI) delved deeply on the subject of ‘Ensuring Quality and Compliance’ and Dr. Sonali Mohan, VP – R&D & BD (North), Avesthagen shared here views on ‘Ensuring Holistic Health while Addressing Stigma and Perceptions’.

    The session moderator Dr. Radhe Krishan, Senior Media Advisor, Ministry of Ayush proposed the vote of thanks and lauded the participants of the session for their inputs and anticipated that this will help the stakeholders, especially, startups to gain multifaceted insights into the innovations happening around Ayurveda Aahar.

    The well attended event was tailored for professionals in the Ayush and wellness sectors, including policymakers, business leaders, investors, regulatory officials, and academics. It was an opportunity to explore innovations and expand the global market for Ayush practices.

    The session was aimed to build awareness and drive growth in the Ayush sector. All the Participants gained insights into strategies for market expansion, enhancing quality standards, and leveraging collaboration for international success.

    *****

    SK

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Health Minister Shri J P Nadda lists out achievements of the Union Health Ministry in the First 100 Days of the New Government

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Health Minister Shri J P Nadda lists out achievements of the Union Health Ministry in the First 100 Days of the New Government

    Ayushman Bharat is the world’s largest publicly funded health coverage program: Shri JP Nadda

    “The U-WIN portal has been developed for full digitization of vaccination services for complete vaccination record of pregnant women and children from birth to 17 years under the Universal Immunization Programme”

    “There has been 98% increase in medical colleges from 387 in 2013-14 to 766 in 2024-25”

    “MBBS Seats increased by 64,464 (i.e., 125%) from 2013-14 (51,348 seats) to 2024-25 (11,5812 seats) while the number of PG seats increased by 39,460 (i.e., 127%) from 2013-14 (31,185 seats) to 2024-25 (73,111 seats)”

    “In the first phase, BHISHM Cubes are being placed in 25 AIIMS and Institutes of National Importance for rapid deployment in the respective region in case of disaster / health emergencies”

    “Union Health Ministry in consultation with the States/UTs is preparing a detailed rollout plan for logistics and training of health professionals for the introduction of the new TB treatment regimen early next year”

    Posted On: 20 SEP 2024 4:48PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda highlighted the key achievements of the Union Health Ministry in the first 100 days of the government at a press conference, here today. Union Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav and Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel were also present.

    The Union Health Minister noted that around Rs.15 lakh crores of investment have been made in the last 100 days with speed and scale across different ministries. He noted that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched several key initiatives aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery and access in India. The following are some of the achievements made in the last 100 days across different health schemes:

    Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY:

    Shri Nadda said that the recent announcement of expansion of the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY scheme to include all senior citizens, irrespective of income group, aged 70 years and above will potentially benefit around 6 crore individuals across 4.5 crore families. Highlighting that Ayushman Bharat is the world’s largest publicly funded health coverage program, Shri Nadda informed that the expanded scheme will be implemented from October this year.

    U-WIN Portal:

    Another significant advancement is the U-WIN Portal which has been developed for full digitization of vaccination services for complete vaccination record of pregnant women and children from birth to 17 years under the Universal Immunization Programme. The citizen-centric services of the digital platform include ‘Anytime Access’ and ‘Anywhere’ vaccination services, Self-Registration by citizens using the U-WIN web-portal or the U-WIN citizen mobile application, automated SMS alerts, universal QR-based eVaccination Certificate and utility to create their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID for themselves and Child ABHA ID for their children. The portal is in 11 regional languages including Hindi.

    Stating that “the U-WIN portal has been developed for full digitization of vaccination services for complete vaccination record of pregnant women and children from birth to 17 years under the Universal Immunization Programme”, he informed that the portal is already operational on pilot basis. As on 16th September 2024, 6.46 crore beneficiaries have been registered, 1.04 crore vaccination sessions have been held and 23.06 crore administered vaccine doses have been recorded on the portal.

    New TB Treatment Regimen & Made-in-India TB Diagnostics:

    A shorter and more efficacious treatment regimen is now available for use under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) which would help in reducing the treatment duration from 9-12 months to 6 months. It has been validated along with Health Technology Assessment (HTA) by ICMR. Shri Nadda informed that the Union Health Ministry in consultation with the State/UT governments is preparing a detailed rollout plan for logistics and training of health professionals for the introduction of this new regimen early next year. He also highlighted the expected reduction in duration of the treatment regimen in approximately 75,000 DRTB cases across the country.

    In order to ensure country wide coverage for TB and Drug Resistance diagnosis by ‘state of the art’ molecular methods, a new indigenous diagnostic system (Patho detect) has been validated by ICMR, along with field feasibility. Shri Nadda stated that it would lead to reduction in turn-around times for test results, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality of TB patients.

    Deployment of BHISM Cubes:

    BHISHM Cubes are portable and rapidly deployable modular medical facility intended to provide emergency lifesaving clinical care in event of disaster/public health emergencies. Union Health Minister stated that BHISM cubes have the capacity to handle about 200 cases of diverse nature in emergency situations such as trauma, bleeding, burns, fractures, etc. In the 1st Phase, BHISHM Cubes will be placed in 25 AIIMS and Institutes of National Importance (INIs) for rapid deployment in the respective region in case of disaster / health emergencies. States may also deploy at strategic locations subsequently. India has gifted four BHISHM Cubes to Ukraine during the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s visit to the country recently.

    Use of Drone Services:

    Drones service aid in rapid, cost-effective and safe delivery of medical supplies and samples in hard-to-reach and tough terrains. Fifteen (15) AIIMS/INIs/NE institutions have been identified for Drone Services. Drone trials and trainings have been completed in 12 institutes. Shri Nadda said that drones provide safe, accurate reliable pickup & delivery of medicines, vaccines, blood, diagnostic specimens & other life-saving items to difficult-to-reach facilities.

    Medical Education:

    Increase in Medical Colleges:

    The Union Health Minister said that the increase in medical colleges and MBBS and PG seats would lead to increase in the availability of doctors in the healthcare system.

    There is an increase of 8.07% in Medical Colleges from 706 in 2023-24 to 766 in 2024-25. There has been 98% increase in medical colleges from 387 in 2013-14 to 766 in 2024-25. During the same period, 379 new medical colleges have been established and, presently there are 766 (Govt: 423, Pvt: 343) medical colleges in the Country.

    Increase in MBBS seats:

    There is an increase of 6.30 % in MBBS seats from 1,08,940 in 2023-24 to 1,15,812 in 2024-25. MBBS Seats increased by 64,464 (i.e., 125%) from 2013-14 (51,348 seats) to 2024-25 (11,5812 seats).

    Increase in PG seats:

    There is an increase of 5.92% in PG seats from 69,024 in 2023-24 to 73,111 in 2024-25. During the last ten years, the number of PG seats increased by 39,460 (i.e., 127%) from 2013-14 (31,185 seats) to 2024-25 (73,111 seats).

    Operationalization of National Medical Register:

    National Medical Register (NMR) is a comprehensive dynamic database for all allopathic (MBBS) registered doctors in India. NMR is linked with Aadhaar ID of the doctors that ensures the individual’s authenticity.

    Shri Nadda said that NMR being a key component of the country’s Ayushman Bharat digital mission, it would be part of Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR). He further said that NMR will ensure provision of data covering details of around 13 lakh doctors in the country – State-wise, those who have left the country, those who have lost their license to practice, or details of doctors who have lost their lives.

    National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS):

    Virtual National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) Assessment of Ayushman Arogya Mandir -Sub Centre:

    NQAS are set of standards designed to ensure and improve the quality of healthcare services in District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, Ayushman Arogya Mandir – Primary Health Centre, Ayushman Arogya Mandir – Urban Primary Health Centre and Ayushman Arogya Mandir – Sub Health Centre.

    Shri Nadda said that as on 31st August 2024, 13,782 Public Health Facilities are NQAS Certified. A total of 5,784 Public Health Facilities have been NQAS Certified from 1st April 2024 till date, in which 3,134 facilities (including 2,734 Ayushman Arogya Mandir – Sub Centers) have been NQAS certified at all levels in the first 100 days.

    The virtual National Quality Assurance Standards assessments for Ayushman Arogya Mandir-Sub Centres commenced on August 1st after requisite trainings. 58 assessments have been done, with 104 more assessments scheduled to take place by end of September, 2024. “This will give an impetus to ensuring Quality standards for all levels of public health care facilities improving comprehensive primary healthcare of citizens” Shri Nadda said.

    National Quality Assurance Standards for Integrated Public Health Laboratories:

    Release of NQAS for IPHLs spread across district level health facilities is aimed at improving the quality and competence of management and testing systems in IPHLs. This will positively impact the reliability of test results and enhance the quality of diagnostics & patient care.

    Establishment of AIIMS in Darbhanga:

    Union Cabinet has approved setting up of new AIIMS at Darbhanga on 15.09.2020 at an estimated cost of Rs. 1264 Crore. Shri Nadda  stated that the issue of allotment of land for AIIMS Darbhanga, which was pending for over 3 years has been finally settled and the Government of Bihar has allotted and since handed over 150.13 acres of land on 12.8.2024 required for AIIMS Darbhanga. He further noted that AIIMS institutions would serve to fill the gap in affordable tertiary healthcare services and reduce out of pocket expenditure.

    Completion of Super Specialty Blocks:

    Completion of construction works of Super Specialty Blocks (SSB) has been taken up as upgradation projects of existing Government Medical Colleges under PMSSY of four Government Medical Colleges in Bihar, these include:

    a) Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Bhagalpur

    b) Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College, Gaya

    c) Sri Krishna Medical College, Muzaffarpur

    d) Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital.

    The launch of Super Specialty Blocks in Government Medical Colleges (Bihar) would serve to fill the gap in affordable tertiary healthcare services and reduce out of pocket expenditure, Shri Nadda highlighted.

    Launch of Food Import Rejection Alerts:

    The Union Minister also highlighted the introduction of the Food Import Rejection Alerts (FIRA), an online portal designed to notify the public and relevant food safety authorities about food import rejections at Indian borders and training of food street vendors by the FSSAI. The portal has been launched today at the second edition of the Global Food Regulators Summit 2024 hosted by FSSAI at Bharat Mandapam.

    Shri Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Smt. LS Changsan, Addl. Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Shri Dhirendra Ojha, Principal DG, PIB, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were present on the occasion.

    *****

    MV

    HFW/ PC on 100 Days Achievement/20September2024/1

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Colleagues File Amicus Brief Urging Court to Uphold Medicare’s Ability to Negotiate Lower Prescription Drug Prices

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined Senate colleagues in filing an amicus brief supporting the federal law they helped pass to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. The brief, which was filed in AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals v. Becerra; Bristol Myers Squibb Co. v. Becerra; and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Becerra, urges the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to uphold the constitutionality of Congress allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for consumers. The brief argues that the Constitution empowers Congress to enact policy reforms and improve federal programs.
    “Appellants now attempt to accomplish through judicial action what they could not through the legislative process. Appellants’ position in this litigation boils down to the argument that the United States Constitution prohibits the federal government from negotiating the prices of the products it purchases,” wrote the Senators. “Appellants seek to prevent reform of a purchasing process that Congress itself made. They argue that Congress, having created this process, now cannot unmake the process or even amend it for the benefit of the American public and the American taxpayer.”
    “As the Appellees’ brief ably explains, the Appellants’ position is wrong as a matter of constitutional law. Congress improves laws all the time. Congress has the right and indeed the duty to do so,” they continued. “The Program takes nothing from the pharmaceutical industry—not its drugs and not its patents. The Program does not coerce industry participants to do or say anything. Like every other market participant, manufacturers may sell their products at prices buyers think is fair (or not fair) and buyers may make market choices in turn.”
    The Senators conclude by asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to affirm that there has been no constitutional violation in allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for consumers.
    The lawmakers’ amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit can be read in full HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been leading the fight to lower prescription drug costs. Earlier this year, she introduced bipartisan legislation to lower out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors. Senator Rosen also announced that starting this year, Nevada seniors will have their annual out-of-pocket costs for brand-name prescription drugs effectively capped at $3,300 a year as a result of the legislation she helped pass. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, Senator Rosen helped lower prescription drug costs for seniors, lower health care premiums, and cap the insulin costs for those on Medicare Part D at $35/month per prescription.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada announces new support for global polio eradication efforts

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The world is on the verge of eradicating polio, but humanitarian crises, overstretched health systems and the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic have created new challenges. Canada has played a leading role in the global health response to polio, and we are stepping up once again.

    September 20, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    The world is on the verge of eradicating polio, but humanitarian crises, overstretched health systems and the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic have created new challenges. Canada has played a leading role in the global health response to polio, and we are stepping up once again.

    Today, at the Rotary International conference held in Toronto, Ontario, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, announced $151 million in funding as the next step in Canada’s support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).

    With this Canadian investment, GPEI and partners like UNICEF and the World Health Organization will deliver and expand quality, accessible polio immunization and health services around the world. This includes increased access to polio immunization for the most vulnerable populations, including women and girls, and in conflict-affected regions where there is little or no access to essential health services.

    Efforts will focus on stopping the transmission of all forms of poliovirus by vaccinating more than 370 million children annually against polio, preventing 600,000 children annually from suffering from paralysis and death; improving vaccine uptake and communications activities to support polio vaccination; continuing disease surveillance and containment activities; and strengthening health systems.

    The funding announced today will make a significant and meaningful difference in polio eradication efforts and in protecting those who are most affected. It will mean more children can live polio-free lives with good health. And it will take us one step closer to ending polio forever. 

    “This new commitment brings Canada’s historical contribution to eradicating polio to over $1 billion. This funding will support UNICEF and the WHO’s efforts to eliminate polio worldwide, helping to ensure that 370 million children are vaccinated annually against polio. Together, we will end polio, and build a healthier future for children everywhere.”

    – Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development

    MIL OSI Canada News –