Journal of the Indian Ocean Region

The Indo-Pacific is now a central focus of literature addressing maritime matters on the Indian Ocean. This special issue aims to draw contributions on a selection of topics that are not always at the forefront of matters discussed and often overshadowed by harder politico-security debates. In this regard the Guest Editors aim to bring the Indian Ocean-Indo-Pacific nexus to the fore, focusing on selected topical areas as highlighted by IORA and its academic branches. The special issue also aims to include views from African partners of the IORA grouping of countries. Ultimately this special issue envisages highlighting broader IORA members’ views, selected African perspectives on topics raised, but with a preference for fields and developments too often addressed to a lesser extent in the literature on the Indo-Pacific.

Contributions are invited on, but not restricted to, the following topics:

• Theoretical perspectives on the maritime security nexus between the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific
• Viewing the Indo-Pacific as a security catalyst or disruptive development?
• Africa on the Indo-Pacific: Tracing African strategic thinking on the Indo-Pacific debate
• Maritime diplomacy and the Indo-Pacific: A constructive pathway to pursue peace and prosperity?
• Frameworks of cooperation to mitigate confrontational maritime policies
• Mapping the roles of women in the Indo-Pacific debate: Prominent, absent or masked?
• Promoting tourism as a common catalyst for cooperation and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific theatre
• Disaster risk management programmes to foster interstate cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region
• Building national and community resilience in the face of mistrust and competition
• Subsea infrastructure: Ensuring protection of critical communication networks for connectivity and cooperation
• Prioritising climate security: Overcoming competitive economics and destructive oceans grab in the Indo-Pacific
• Dynamics arising in/from the Indo-Pacific: Serving or unsettling the blue economy agenda?
• Analysing regional groupings/communities as promotors of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific
• UNCLOS as a regulatory instrument to promote peace, prosperity and sustainability in the Indo-Pacific
• Integrating regional legal frameworks: Prioritising the rule of law in ensuring peace and security in the Indo-Pacific

Research articles of up to 7,000 words and book reviews of up to 1,500 words will be considered for this special issue.

Graphics, images and tables must be limited to the bare minimum and include permissions and clear references, and be high resolution and formatted.

• For articles, please submit an abstract (maximum 150 words), accompanied by a short (400 word maximum) biography, including your two latest publications.
• For book reviews, please submit a 200 word abstract detailing the relevance of the book and the title, authors/editors and year of publication.

Timeframe

• Abstracts for articles and book reviews should be submitted to Prof. Lisa Otto ([email protected]) and Prof. Michelle Nel ([email protected]) by 13th May 2024.
• Final submissions of contributions for review should be submitted to Prof. Francois Vrey ([email protected]) with CC to Prof. Lisa Otto ([email protected]) and Prof. Michelle Nel ([email protected]) by 4th November 2024.

Expected publication date: second semester of 2025.

All enquiries can be directed to Prof. Francois Vrey ([email protected]).

 

Instructions for AuthorsSubmit an Article