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Question

Difficulty: Very hardInternational Relations, Global Summits, and Multilateral Organizations

Regarding the institutional framework, governance, and membership structure of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), which of the following statements are correct?

  1. The Secretariat of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is permanently hosted at Ebene, Mauritius.Answer
  2. B
    All eight member states belonging to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are full member states of IORA.
  3. France is a full member state of IORA due to its overseas department of Réunion located in the southwestern Indian Ocean.Answer
  4. D
    The Chairmanship of the IORA Council of Foreign Ministers rotates among member states for a fixed tenure of five years.

Answer

The correct statements are that the IORA Secretariat is located in Ebene, Mauritius, and that France holds full membership in IORA by virtue of its island department of Réunion.
The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) maintains its permanent Secretariat at Ebene, Mauritius. Furthermore, France joined IORA as a full member state in 2020 on account of its overseas territory of Réunion located in the Indian Ocean.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate the Secretariat location of IORA.
The permanent Secretariat of IORA is situated in Ebene, Mauritius.
Verify foundational administrative headquarters.
2
Analyze SAARC versus IORA membership overlap.
Only coastal South Asian countries (India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka) belong to IORA. Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan are SAARC members but not IORA members.
Differentiate regional organisation membership criteria.
3
Assess the status of non-contiguous extra-regional powers in IORA.
France was granted full membership status in December 2020 because Réunion is an integral French overseas department situated in the Indian Ocean.
Examine territorial basis for multilateral membership.
4
Verify the leadership rotation cycle.
The Chairmanship of the IORA Council of Ministers is held for a two-year tenure.
Confirm rotational governance schedules.

Key Concept

Membership criteria, administrative structure, and governance of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
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Topics

International Relations, Global Summits, and Multilateral Organizations