Madagascar within the framework of the Indian Ocean Commission

Rakotomalala Harimanohy Louisette Mangatina Estera PhD in History Postgraduate student; Department of Theory and History of International Relations; P. Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 6 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russia rmanohyi@gmail.com Other publications by this author

Introduction

The relevance of the topic of this study is due to the low level of academic interest on the part of both Russian and foreign scientists in the work of the Indian Ocean Commission.

The object of the study is the activities of the Indian Ocean Commission.

The subject of the study is the role of the Republic of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean Commission.

The purpose of the study is to determine the place of the Republic of Madagascar in the activities of the Indian Ocean Commission.

Tasks in the research process: to study the history of the Indian Ocean Commission, identify key areas of the CIO's activities, identify key financial partners of the CIO, analyze key ongoing projects of the CIO, determine the role of foreign partners in the activities of the CIO, determine the effectiveness of the CIO, identify key potential benefits for the Republic of Madagascar from membership in the CIO.

Theoretical and methodological basis of the research. This scientific work is based on the theory of political realism, which implies the permanent struggle of key players in the international arena represented by national states for their own national interests.

In the course of the research, the author used the following methods: problem-chronological method, analysis, comparative analysis, deduction.

The scientific novelty of this study is based on, firstly, the identification of the Indian Ocean Commission as an instrument of France's neocolonial influence in the Western Indian Ocean region; secondly, the identification of the key potential benefits of the Republic of Madagascar within the Indian Ocean Commission.

The history of the creation and activities of the Indian Ocean Commission

According to information provided on the official website of the Indian Ocean Commission (CIO), this organization was founded in accordance with the "Declaration of Port Louis (fr. Déclaration de Port Louis)" on December 21, 1982, signed in the city of the same name (Republic of Mauritius) by the official representatives of the Republic of Mauritius, the Republic of Madagascar and the Republic of Seychelles ^[1]. The institutionalization of the CIO as an intergovernmental organization (IGOs) occurred in 1984 as part of the signing of the Victorian Agreement (fr. Accord de Victoria), officially referred to as the "General Agreement on Cooperation (fr. l'accord général de coopération)" ^[2]. Over time, the composition of the CIO expanded: in 1986, the Union of the Comoros and France (overseas region of Reunion) joined the Commission ^[3]. The final step towards the formation of the CIO is the signing of the Additional Protocol of the Victorian Agreement (French: Protocol additionnel à l'accord de Victoria) and the Headquarters Agreement (French: Accord de siège) in 1989, which established the establishment of the CIO headquarters in the city of Eben (Mauritius) ^[4].

The main mission of the Indian Ocean Commission is "to strengthen the links between the islands of the Indian Ocean region and to support Member States on the path to sustainable development." The key areas of KIO's activity include:

1. Peace and stability;

2. Safety at sea;

3. Food security;

4. Conservation of the environment;

5. Fishing;

6. Adaptation to climate change;

7. Development of island States;

8. Public health;

9. Cultural self-expression ^[5].

The key financial partners of the Indian Ocean Commission are:

1. French Development Agency (fr. Agence française de développement);

2. African Development Bank (fr. Banque africaine de développement);

3. The World Bank;

4. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization);

5. Fund for International Agricultural Development (French: Fonds international de développement agricole);

6. French Global Environment Fund (French Fonds français pour l'environnement mondial);

7. The Green Climate Fund;

8. The European Union;

9. The International Organization of French-speaking Countries (fr. Organization internationale de la francophonie) ^[6].

In order to analyze the history of the CIO's activities, it is necessary to investigate the current projects of the Indian Ocean Commission.:

1. Improving resilience to natural disasters and managing the response process – The main objectives of this project are to improve understanding of disaster risk reduction and strengthen disaster response capacity in the Indian Ocean region. The key sponsor of this project is the European Union, which has invested more than 6 million euros ^[7];

2. ECOFISH – this project is aimed at supporting the development of local fisheries in order to increase the number of jobs in the fishing industry. The key methods of implementing the objectives of this project are the development of regional policies in the field of marine biodiversity conservation, strengthening the capacity to prevent illegal fishing, and the development of small-scale fishing. The main sponsor of this project is the European Union. The budget of this project is 28 million euros ^[8];

3. Entrepreneurship and Business Cooperation Development Program – the key goal of this project is to develop economic cooperation between the European Union and the countries of the region through the creation of a European business center. The main sponsor of this project is also the European Union, which has invested about 8 million euros ^[9];

4. ExPLOI (English Indian Ocean Plastic Expedition) – this project is aimed at developing a circular economy in the region, based on the principle of reuse of renewable resources; this project also focuses on information coverage of the consequences of environmental pollution by plastic. The key sponsors of this project are the French development Agency and the French Global Environment Fund. The project budget was 6.7 million euros ^[10];

5. Food Security Program – the key objectives of this project are the development of the food industry in the region, the commercialization of the food industry market, and the development of a policy of compliance with phytosanitary standards. The European Union became the sponsor of this project (budget – 16 million euros) ^[11];

6. Governance, peace and stability – this project, sponsored by the French development Agency (budget – 8 million euros), is aimed at developing the political system of the countries of the region on the Western model, including strengthening electoral processes and institutionalism, increasing the participation of citizens in the political and public life of states ^[12];

7. Ensuring maritime security (English MASE Program) is a project funded by the European Union (budget – 42 million euros), aimed at countering the threat of attacks by Somali pirates ^[13] and others.

Based on the information obtained during the analysis of the CIO's current projects, it can be concluded that all the key activities of the Commission, concluded in 14 projects, are fully funded by foreign sponsors, which include both the European Union and various French agencies and foundations. Moreover, it is worth paying attention to the position of France in the activities of the CIO, which consists in significant financial, economic and foreign policy (ideological) control of the organization's activities, which is confirmed by the following information:

1. According to information from the official website of the French Foreign Ministry, Paris sponsors about 40% of the Commission's total budget ^[14];

2. Of the 14 relevant CIO projects, 6 are being implemented with the financial support of various previously designated French agencies.;

3. The focus of the key projects of the CIO on sensitive areas for the French Republic: the supply of agricultural and fishery products from the states of the Western Indian Ocean region. According to The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), agricultural and fishery products account for at least 8% of French imports, which is comparable to the volume of imports of pharmaceutical products, electronics and motor vehicles ^[15];

4. According to the Russian analytical center "Rybar", from April 20 to April 26, joint military exercises "Tulip-2025" were held in the territory of the Republic of Madagascar with France, the Comoros and the Republic of Mauritius. Experts note that these exercises are one of the episodes of France's systematic policy of consolidating its position in the region after the failure in West Africa. The French are seeking to restore the Diego Suarez military base, located in Northern Madagascar ^[16].

Summing up all the above, we can conclude that the Indian Ocean Commission, established as a regional organization for South-East Africa, aimed at "strengthening ties between the islands of the Indian Ocean region and supporting Member States on the path to sustainable development," has transformed into an instrument of France's neocolonial influence in the region. A significant part of the CIO's current projects are aimed at satisfying French interests in establishing supplies of agricultural and fishing products to Europe. Moreover, on the part of France, the CIO member states act as a springboard for the further expansion of Paris' influence in the Indian Ocean.

Analysis of the effectiveness of the Indian Ocean Commission

According to research by both Russian and foreign scientists, the effectiveness of the Indian Ocean Commission remains questionable: as reported by Dr. Kurbanov R.A. in his article "The Indian Ocean Basin Commission: history of development, institutional framework and areas of activity", the low efficiency of the Commission is primarily due to the low budget, formed through EU sponsorship. The author notes that the specific activities of the CIO are implemented through industry programs, the effectiveness of which also remains questionable ^[16]. In order to determine the effectiveness of the CIO, it is necessary to analyze the results of the CIO in key areas of the Commission's activities.:

1. Peace and stability. Of course, there have been no armed conflicts in this region for a significant number of years, but the "peace and stability" of the region is being disrupted by the territorial dispute between the Republic of Madagascar and France related to the Epars Islands (Glorieuse, Juan de Nova, Europa and Bassas da India), which many states support. in accordance with UNGA resolutions A/RES/34/91 and A/RES/35/123 ^[17];

2. Safety at sea. A key aspect of maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean is the activity of Somali pirates who hijack commercial vessels passing near the east coast of Africa. According to information from Vietnamese researcher Quoc Tien Lee, the number of attacks by Somali pirates on cargo ships reached its peak in 2011 (237 attacks), decreasing from year to year, reaching only 3 attacks in 2017 ^[18]. However, according to the International Chamber of Commerce, the number of attacks by Somali pirates in 2024 reached 9 cases ^[19];

3. Food security. According to the World Bank, at the time of 2022, the prevalence of food insecurity in the countries of the region remains significant: Madagascar – 14.9%, Comoros – 27.4%, Mauritius – 10.2%, France (Reunion) – 2.3%, Seychelles – 3.2%. Moreover, it is important to understand that the percentage of the population without access to food in all countries of the region except the Seychelles has increased since 2015 ^[20];

4. Fishing. According to the World Bank, the volume of fish caught by the states of the region has changed significantly since the establishment of the CIO (1986-2022): France (717 thousand tons – 535 thousand tons), Madagascar (84 thousand tons – 127 thousand tons), Mauritius (13 thousand tons – 33 thousand tons), Comoros (10 thousand tons – 19 thousand tons), Seychelles (5 thousand tons – 138 thousand tons) ^[21];

5. The development of island States. The analysis of the development of the island States of the region is based on the following indicators: GDP, HDI, poverty rate, Gini index:

5.1. GDP. The GDP growth of the region's countries is shown in the time period 1986-2023. Madagascar (4.35 billion – 15.79 billion US dollars (+262%)), Mauritius (1.48 billion – 14.64 billion US dollars (+889%)), Seychelles (221 million – 2.14 billion US dollars(+868%)), Comoros (279 million – 1.35 billion US dollars(+383%)) ^[22];

5.2. HDI. The change in the human development index will be considered in the time period 1999-2022. Madagascar (0.431–0.487), Mauritius (0.670–0.796), Seychelles (0.755–0.802), Comoros (0.458–0.586) ^[23]. Thus, it can be noted that, according to the human development index, the Seychelles entered the group of countries with very high HDI, Mauritius – the group with high HDI, the Comoros – the group with medium HDI, Madagascar has not changed its position in the HDI structure;

5.3. The level of poverty. According to the World Bank, in the last decade (2010s), the poverty distribution structure (daily per capita income is less than 2.15 US dollars) in the region was as follows: Madagascar (2012) – 80.7%, Comoros (2014) – 18.6%, Seychelles (2018) – 0.5%, Mauritius (2017) – 0.1%. Based on the available data, it is safe to say that only Seychelles (1.3% in 2013) and Mauritius (0.3% in 2006) have been able to reduce poverty, while the number of people with a daily income of less than 2.15 US dollars per day in the Republic of Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros has increased. Madagascar (66.9% in 1999) and the Comoros (14.6% in 2004) ^[24].

6. Public health. According to the Global Health Security Index, the CIO member states are in the following positions in the overall quality of the healthcare system: Mauritius – 79th place (39.7/100), Seychelles – 120th place (31.8/100), Madagascar – 130th place (30.4/100), Comoros – 175th place (24.9/100) ^[25]. It is important to note that compared to 2019, only Mauritius was able to improve its performance, when Madagascar, Seychelles and the Comoros dropped even lower in the GHS rating ^[26].

Summing up all the above, we can conclude that the effectiveness of the Indian Ocean Commission remains questionable due to the weak effectiveness of the CIO in key areas of its activities: the development of peace and stability in the region, food security, and public health showed the least effectiveness. The results of the overall development of the island States can be considered contradictory, as the GDP and HDI indicators of the States in the region have increased, but this has not affected the poverty level in the Republic of Madagascar and the Comoros. The development of maritime safety and fishing has shown the greatest effectiveness.

Potential benefits of the Republic of Madagascar under the Indian Ocean Commission

Based on the results obtained earlier, it is safe to say that the Indian Ocean Commission, after France joined it, became an instrument of the latter's influence on the states of the region. The Republic of Madagascar, being the largest player in the Commission among the island States in terms of area, population, GDP, etc., attracts the most attention from France, which can result in significant benefits for Antananarivo.:

1. The development of agriculture in Madagascar with the assistance of Paris will make it possible to truly ensure the food security of both Madagascar and other states in the region ^[27]. Within the framework of the CIO, Madagascar is the most profitable state for the development of agriculture due to the presence of a large amount of arable land, a significant population and cheap labor;

2. Successes in ensuring the safety of navigation in the Western Indian Ocean can ensure significant growth of the largest seaport of the Republic of Madagascar, the port of Tuamasina ^[28];

3. The influence of the environmental agenda of Western countries can, if successfully implemented, ensure the security of the Republic of Madagascar from the already existing impact on the state from the process of climate change: according to the United Nations, the Republic of Madagascar is one of the most susceptible to climate change states, faced with droughts and cyclones, previously unusual for this state, in the South and South-In the east of the country ^[29].

Thus, it can be concluded that the key benefits of the membership of the Republic of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean Commission are concentrated on the French influence within this organization and include the development of agriculture, the development of port infrastructure and the solution of environmental problems.

Conclusion

Summing up all of the above, we can conclude that one of the few integration associations on the African continent, represented by the Indian Ocean Commission, aimed at "strengthening ties between the islands of the Indian Ocean region and supporting member States on the path to sustainable development," has transformed into an instrument of France's neocolonial influence in the region, which consists in providing voluminous the supply of agricultural and fishing products to Europe and the creation of a springboard for further expansion of influence in the Indian Ocean.

The key result of the conducted analysis of the effectiveness of the Indian Ocean Commission, based on the study of key areas of its activities, is the definition of the organization as ineffective. According to the results of the organization's activities in its key sectors, the development of peace and stability in the region, food security, and public health have shown the least effectiveness. The results of the overall development of the island States can be considered contradictory, as the GDP and HDI indicators of the States in the region have increased, but this has not affected the poverty level in the Republic of Madagascar and the Comoros. The development of maritime safety and fishing has shown the greatest effectiveness.

The author considers the potential benefits of the Republic of Madagascar within the framework of the Indian Ocean Commission to be the development of agriculture in Madagascar with the assistance of France, ensuring the development of the port infrastructure of the Republic of Madagascar, and ensuring food security for both the Republic of Madagascar and other States in the region by highlighting and addressing key environmental issues.