The second Indian Ocean dialogue was held in Perth, Australia on 5-7 September 2015. The dialogue plays an important role in bringing together representatives of strategic and foreign policy communities and civil society to discuss maritime-related issues as part of the emergence of a vibrant Indian Ocean community engaged in open-ended regionalism.

The participants discussed six key themes: cooperation in combating maritime transnational crime; maritime security and regional defence cooperation; regional cooperation in search and rescue; blue economy as a driver of economic growth; countering illegal fishing; and cooperation in humanitarian and disaster relief. Participants also heard presentations on non-traditional security threats and deliberative dispute resolution.