[1] There are also seven observers: China, the European Union, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie,[2][3] the Sovereign Order of Malta,[4] India, Japan and the United Nations.

[1] The organisation coordinates cooperative efforts amongst its member and observer nations which primarily focus on environmental management and preservation.

Some of the more specific areas of focus in its past projects include maritime concerns and fisheries, the needs of growing island states, adapting to climate change outcomes, food security and public health.

Over the course of these projects, the IOC has acquired recognised expertise in the management of marine and coastal environments, fisheries and the preservation of biodiversity.

At the beginning of the 2000s, the IOC constantly advocated the specific needs of developing islands, particularly in conferences organised by the United Nations.

The IOC's project portfolio has expanded considerably: political stability, public health, gender, mobility, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, regional connectivity (digital, air, maritime), trade negotiations, maritime security, food security and agricultural development, fisheries and fisheries surveillance, climate change mitigation, sustainable coastal zone management, waste management, use of earth observation technologies for environmental monitoring, renewable energy, culture, etc.

The Committee of Permanent Liaison Officers (composed of senior officials from member states) is responsible for monitoring the implementation of these decisions.

In 2018 the IOC launched its Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean region (IFC-IOR) in Madagascar, and the Seychelles Regional Centre for Operational Coordination (RCOC) to conduct joint operations as the executive arm of the Maritime Security Architecture (MSA) of the Western Indian Ocean.