QUAD

About Quad Group:

• It is a grouping of four democracies namely India, Australia, US and Japan is known as the quadrilateral security dialogue or quad.
• The aim of this grouping is to ensure a free and open international order based on the rule of law in the Indo- Pacific.
• Objectives: The group’s primary objectives include maritime security, addressing the risks of climate change, creating an ecosystem for investment in the region, and boosting technological innovation.
• Brief History of Quad: 
  • Following the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, India, Japan, Australia, and the US created an informal alliance to collaborate on disaster relief efforts.
  • In 2007, then PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe, formalised the alliance, as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or the Quad.
  • However, due to Chinese resistance and reluctance shown by India, it could not move ahead.
  • Later, during the 2017 ASEAN Summits, all four former members re-joined negotiations to revive the quadrilateral alliance.
  • The Quad was upgraded to the ministerial level in September 2019.
  • In March 2021, the first-ever summit of QUAD leaders took place virtually.
  • It was participated by the PMs/Presidents of all the member countries. The summit was hosted by the US.
  • Later, in September 2021, the first in-person meeting of Quad leaders was hosted by the US.
• It is not structured like a typical multilateral organisation, and lacks a secretariat and any permanent decision-making body (like the EU or UN).
• Instead, it has focused on expanding existing agreements between member countries and highlighting their shared values

Q1: What Is Climate Change?

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions.

Source: As PM Modi arrives for summit in US: What is Quad?