Uphold UN Resolution calling to maintain the Indian Ocean as a ‘Zone of Peace’

The Southasia Peace Action Network on its 5th anniversary passes the following five-part Resolution, Sunday 29 March 2026:

The Southasia Peace Action Network, Sapan, commemorating its fifth anniversary in March 2026, reaffirms its commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue, strengthening people-to-people and economic linkages, and promoting collaboration and cooperation across all areas in Southasia and beyond.

While unequivocally condemning the violence and wars in our western borders that has regional and global consequences, we call for the governments of the region to take the following measures:

1. Uphold UN Resolution 2832, calling for the Indian Ocean as a “Zone of Peace” 

The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2832 (XXVI), adopted on 16 December 1971, must be implemented. This landmark resolution declared the Indian Ocean, including its waters, its airspace and its ocean floor, a “Zone of Peace”. 

Today, as we observe the situation around us both with concern and a deep sense of responsibility, we respectfully call on all concerned States to renew their commitment to this vision. We encourage all States with interests in the Indian Ocean to implement the resolution in both letter and spirit, and to engage constructively in efforts that promote peace, stability and mutual trust. 

Initiated by Sri Lanka and subsequently supported by the United Republic of Tanzania, the Resolution called for measures to halt military escalation, eliminate foreign military presence, and ensure the area remains free from nuclear weapons.

The Assembly also called upon the great Powers to enter into consultations with the littoral States of the Indian Ocean to prevent any  further escalation of their military presence in the area and to work towards eliminating  all bases, military installations, logistical supply facilities, nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction from the area. 

By the Declaration, the Assembly further called upon the littoral and hinterland States of the Indian Ocean, the permanent members of the Security Council and other major maritime users of the Indian Ocean to enter into consultations aimed towards the implementation of the Declaration whereby: 

(a) Warships and military aircraft would not use the Indian Ocean for any threat or use of force against any littoral or hinterland State; 

(b) The right to free and unimpeded use of the zone by the vessels of all nations would be assured; 

(c) International agreement would be reached for the maintenance of the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace.

2. Support Afghan women, resolve Pakistan-Afghanistan hostilities 

We express solidarity with the women of Afghanistan who are facing gender apartheid under Taliban rule since August 2021. We condemn the misogynist policies of the regime excluding women from political, economic and cultural life of the country. We demand the immediate lifting of the ban on girls education in Afghanistan which violates the human rights of the girls and epitomises discrimination that is against all civilised norms.

We condemn the bombing of a health facility in Kabul and call for a ceasefire and opening of dialogue for peace between the two countries and a joint struggle against terrorism which has been a menace for both countries.

3. Release the incarcerated upon completion of jail terms, especially cross-border prisoners

• We reiterate our call to governments of the region to release the incarcerated on completion of their jail terms, and to decriminalise inadvertent border crossings, especially for fisherfolk and minors  incarcerated in each other’s country. Promptly return any fishing boats that are confiscated.
• Revive the India-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee on Prisoners and allow medical teams of the other country to periodically visit and conduct inspections. Institute similar bilateral committees between India-Sri Lanka, and India-Bangladesh. 
• Allow consular access to cross-border prisoners and communication between them and their relatives, including the option of online communication. 
• Allow those who are jailed in or who die in Sindh or Gujarat to be repatriated through the sea route or Khokhrapar border rather than having to travel 1000 km up-country to Wagah-Atari border, and then to their homes.
• Decriminialise inadvertent border crossings. 

4. Revive cross-border trade, let people access medical facilities 

We urge the governments to resume cross-border trade and let people access medical facilities.

The suspension of traditional cross border routes has harshly impacted the economy and border communities. These routes play a critical role in sustaining economies and the livelihoods of border communities. 

The humanitarian consequences of trade suspension have been severe, leaving thousands of workers unemployed, triggering  price increases of essential goods threatening food insecurity and limiting access to basic commodities and medicines. Perishable agricultural products have been lost, undermining the incomes of farmers and small traders.

Those needing to travel for medical treatment also suffer as a result of the closure of these routes.

5. Revive SAARC Summit

We call upon the governments of the region to find a mechanism to hold a Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The 18th and most recent SAARC Summit was held on 26–27 November 2014, in Kathmandu, Nepal, with the theme “Deeper Integration for Peace, Progress, and Prosperity”. The 19th summit scheduled for 2016 in Pakistan was indefinitely postponed and needs to be urgently convened.

Adopted: 29 March 2026 by the Southasia Peace Action Network

Resources:

1. Sapan Resolution: Release prisoners on completion of jail term, decriminalise inadvertent border crossings, especially for fisherfolk and minors – joint statement endorsed by over 30 organisations, August 2022
2. Sapan Resolution: A call for SAARC and its member states to revitalise regional cooperation in South Asia, 10 December 2025

3. Sapan Resolution: Rights of the incarcerated in South Asia, 29 August 2021

4. “The Indian Ocean – Challenges and Opportunities” – 1992 symposium

The 1992 symposium, “The Indian Ocean – Challenges and Opportunities” hosted by the Navy Foundation in New Delhi on September 29-30, was a significant early forum discussing regional maritime security, foreshadowing the comprehensive cooperative frameworks later established, such as the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).  Initiated by the then CNS, (late) Admiral Ramdas, in collaboration with the Navy Foundation, headed by the late VAdm  KK Nayyar, the symposium was a significant early initiative in peace building, dialogue and creating a culture of viewing the oceans as a force for connecting and not dividing the rim countries. 

The symposium brought together serving and retired professionals from countries such as China, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the UK, US, among other countries. 

• Context: While specific proceedings are archived, the 1992 seminar addressed emerging maritime security issues, naval cooperation, and the strategic importance of the region to India, as noted in Building blocks for maritime security in the Indian Ocean on Academia.edu.
• Significance: It was a pioneering effort in discussing the “Challenges and Opportunities” of the Indian Ocean, a theme that has matured into the ‘Indian Ocean Naval Symposium’ (IONS), which was later conceived in 2008 by the Indian Navy to increase maritime cooperation among littoral states.
• Legacy: The issues discussed—maritime challenges, cooperation, and security—remain highly relevant, with the Navy Foundation and Indian Navy continuing to facilitate such dialogues to foster a secure Indian Ocean Region (IOR). 

This Symposium was  pathbreaking in many ways

The topics under discussion included 

• Geo Political & Economic Realities (Eastern And Western Region)
• Exploitation Of Undersea Resources – Conflict Potential
• Perceptions Of Sea Power
• Prospects For Regional Naval Cooperation .

It ended by calling for the setting up of an Indian Ocean Panchayat. This informal gathering has continued to meet but with the exclusion of some Indian Ocean Rim countries. 

For Admiral Ramu Ramdas, a Sapan founder member, this was a forerunner of what was to be a life long quest:

• To eschew war
• To create a culture and a demand for Peace..
• To keep dialogue and interaction alive 
• To work collaboratively to ensure that the oceans were seen as ways of uniting and bridging nations, cultures , faiths and ethnicities

(Thanks to Lalita Ramdas for this valuable archival material)

5. Oped: The need to pull together again for Indian Ocean peace

Reproduced from Indian Express, 06 Mar 2026  as some India media sites remain blocked in Pakistan and vice versa. See Sapan press release calling to unban cross-border media

Sri Lanka had pushed the UN to declare the Indian Ocean a zone of peace. The sinking of an Iranian ship changes the environment and puts pressure on a busy sea route

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

West Asia conflict spilled over into the Indian Ocean with the US sinking the Iranian warship IRIS Dena on March 4 within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The frigate, which had participated in a multinational naval exercise at Visakhapatnam, was struck by an American torpedo 40 nautical miles south of Galle. At a Pentagon briefing, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the sinking that killed 87 people, claiming this was the first torpedo attack since the Second World War.

The day after, IRINS Bushehr, another Iranian ship carrying 208 crew members, reported engine failure and was allowed to dock at Trincomalee on humanitarian grounds. That evening, in a carefully worded address, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake articulated the country’s wish to remain neutral while responding to humanitarian crises.

The incidents hold serious strategic, political, economic and security implications for Sri Lanka and the broader region.

The island’s geographical setting, often seen as a blessing, also draws it into naval geopolitics, making it hard for Colombo to carefully balance diplomacy, maritime security and neutrality. Defence experts in Colombo insist that Sri Lanka was guided by international maritime obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the international conventions for the safety of life at sea and for maritime search and rescue as it responded to the distress calls and undertook rescue for human safety.

The frigate’s sinking has widened the conflict zone that mainly involved the US, Israel and Iran, and dragged Sri Lanka and even India closer to it. The incident within Sri Lanka’s EEZ pushed the military confrontation into the island’s immediate maritime neighbourhood, and placed it in a vulnerable spot as the Indian Ocean region may now have to brace for the increased risk of naval activity, surveillance and military incidents. Handling this will pose a major diplomatic challenge while maintaining security cooperation with the US.

As the war moves closer to Sri Lanka, major powers may strive to increase their presence in the Indian Ocean, turning it into a zone for heightened monitoring. Sri Lanka’s strategic location along one of the busiest shipping routes in the world is likely to come under intense pressure, rendering its choices less flexible. It will prove doubly harder to maintain neutrality amid such competing interests.

It is possible that the US would expect Sri Lanka not to assist Iran and its allies under any circumstance, whereas Iran may want to rely on Sri Lanka, whenever the need arises, calling for a precarious balance between a friendly Asian state and Western allies.

The frayed nerves were on display on Friday, when the US embassy in Colombo swiftly clarified on a social media post on visa assistance that it was not a travel advisory update, which has remained at ‘Level 2: Exercise increased caution’ since last October. But it is too early to assume how the US would respond to Sri Lanka’s rescue of Iranian sailors and allowing the docking of another distressed vessel. Sri Lanka should maintain strict neutrality as any perceived bias could strain relations with either the US-led bloc, or Iran and its supporters.

For the region, the developing situation signals an immediately increased security risk. If the conflict intensifies, it could result in more submarines and warships operating in the region, a higher risk of military miscalculations and maritime surveillance around shipping lanes. Unlike at present, the Indian Ocean may turn into a covert war zone with more submarine patrols and military exercises, requiring Sri Lanka to face the risk of both increased incidents and intelligence operations.

The region will also face commercial consequences including rising war-risk insurance premiums for ships, higher freight charges, and changes in shipping routes made by maritime companies. Sri Lanka heavily depends on maritime trade, port traffic and energy imports. If the conflict spreads, the Colombo, Hambantota and Trincomalee ports may see changes in shipping patterns and an immediate loss of revenue.

Meanwhile, defence experts warn that though Colombo’s limited capability to detect submarines or undertake other maritime surveillance may suffice in peacetime, if there is an escalation in the conflict, it would require to urgently modernise its fleet and beef up cooperation with regional navies to maintain security across the Indian Ocean. In such a scenario, India may well want to increase naval patrol near Sri Lanka, expand maritime cooperation and push Sri Lanka to limit other foreign military presence in its waters.

While recent incidents have highlighted Sri Lanka’s strategic importance, its geostrategic location also renders it vulnerable. Sri Lanka may now become more important for naval monitoring, a logistics point for humanitarian or security operations and, most importantly, an area of greater strategic competition among global powers. These competing interests will make it difficult for the island to maintain its conservative neutrality against an increasingly challenging global geopolitical scenario. 

At home, there are increasing domestic political debates and security concerns about the island being dragged into great-power rivalries with its neutral stance even likely to be openly challenged. Sri Lanka’s own security preparedness and the possibility of coming under attack from the US for any perceived assistance, humanitarian or otherwise, to Iran can create a security nightmare for the entire region.

Sri Lanka has been an advocate of maritime peace. Initiated by the then Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the UN General Assembly in December 1971 adopted a resolution declaring the Indian Ocean a ‘Zone of Peace’. It aimed to eliminate great-power military presence, especially nuclear weapons, to ensure security, sovereignty and regional peace. The resolution also called for the elimination of military bases, installations and weapons of mass destruction and to avoid the use of the Indian Ocean for threats against littoral or hinterland states while assuring the right to unimpeded use by all nations.

Bandaranaike’s farsighted non-aligned policy to maintain peace in the Indian Ocean, adroitly balancing competing interests, may prove a hard act to follow in these geopolitically seismic times. The implications are for the entire region to face. It’s a moment to pull together for collective security.

This article by Sri Lankan journalist and Sapan News Advisory Council member opinion piece was first published in the Indian Express,  06 Mar 2026