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Contents
International Organisation .......................................................................................................................... 10
World Economic Forum........................................................................................................................... 10
UN Security Council(UNSC) .................................................................................................................... 11
International Monetary Fund (IMF):........................................................................................................ 14
UN General Assembly .............................................................................................................................. 18
International organization for migration .................................................................................................. 22
UNHRC................................................................................................................................................... 22
World Bank ............................................................................................................................................. 24
International Court of Justice (ICJ).......................................................................................................... 27
World Health Organisation (WHO).......................................................................................................... 30
International Atomic Energy Agency ........................................................................................................ 36
World Trade Organisation (WTO) ........................................................................................................... 37
UNCITRAL ............................................................................................................................................. 45
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)........................................................... 46
International Criminal Court (ICC) ......................................................................................................... 47
UN Statistical Commission ....................................................................................................................... 50
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)........................................................................................... 51
UN Democracy Fund................................................................................................................................ 53
UNESCO ................................................................................................................................................. 54
UNICEF .................................................................................................................................................. 55
United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) .......................................... 55
5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5) ........................................................................ 56
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) ................................................................... 56
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) .............. 58
India and UN launch Global Capacity Building Initiative .......................................................................... 58
UN Report on Children and Armed Conflict ............................................................................................. 58
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) ........................................... 59
CAG Murmu elected as vice chair of UN external auditor panel ................................................................ 60
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) ............................................................................... 60
India to have more people than China by mid-2023 ................................................................................... 61
World Customs Organization (WCO):...................................................................................................... 62
United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues ............................................................................ 62
Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) ............................................................ 63
World Food Program ............................................................................................................................... 63
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) .................................................. 63
International Energy Agency (IEA) .......................................................................................................... 65

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 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ........................................................................................................ 66
World Intellectual Property Organization(WIPO) .................................................................................... 67
African Union .......................................................................................................................................... 68
OPEC...................................................................................................................................................... 69
AIIB ........................................................................................................................................................ 70
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) ............................................................. 70
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) .................................................................................... 71
New Development Bank ........................................................................................................................... 73
The Digital Public Goods Alliance ............................................................................................................ 73
World Press Freedom Index: .................................................................................................................... 74
Multidimensional Poverty Index of UNDP ................................................................................................ 74
Henley Passport Index: ............................................................................................................................ 75
Global Hunger Index (GHI) ..................................................................................................................... 76
Global Economic Prospects report ............................................................................................................ 77
The Global Report on the Food Crises (GRFC) ......................................................................................... 77
Global Unemployment Outlook - ILO Report 2024 ................................................................................... 78
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) - 2023 ............................................................................................... 80
WTO negotiation session on Fisheries Subsidies ........................................................................................ 80
G-33 Ministerial Statement on Agriculture Trade Negotiations at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference G-
33 Ministerial Meeting, Abu Dhabi, 25 February 2024 .............................................................................. 81
Are Interpol’s notices being politically exploited? ............................................................................. 83
Groupings ................................................................................................................................................... 85
North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) ............................................................................................. 85
European Union (EU): ............................................................................................................................. 87
G20 ......................................................................................................................................................... 91
African Union:......................................................................................................................................... 98
BIMSTEC ............................................................................................................................................... 99
BRICS..................................................................................................................................................... 99
ASEAN.................................................................................................................................................. 100
East Asia Summit .................................................................................................................................. 101
SCO ...................................................................................................................................................... 102
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) ........................................................................................... 103
‘Chip 4’ alliance..................................................................................................................................... 103
AUKUS ................................................................................................................................................. 103
Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) ............................................................................................. 104
APEC: ................................................................................................................................................... 105
OPEC.................................................................................................................................................... 105

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 Five Eyes intelligence alliance ................................................................................................................. 106
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) ................................................................................................... 107
C+C5 groups ......................................................................................................................................... 107
Mineral Security Partnership (MSP) ...................................................................................................... 108
India-Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC): ........................................................................................ 108
Paris Club. ............................................................................................................................................ 109
St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) ........................................................................... 109
QUAD ................................................................................................................................................... 110
Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) ............................................................................. 111
Border Road Initiative (BRI).................................................................................................................. 111
Protection & Indemnity (P&I) Club ....................................................................................................... 112
IBSA Forum .......................................................................................................................................... 113
NSG ...................................................................................................................................................... 113
Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU) .......................................................................................................... 113
Axis of resistance ................................................................................................................................... 114
Places in News ........................................................................................................................................... 115
Burkina Faso ......................................................................................................................................... 115
Chad ..................................................................................................................................................... 115
Rwanda ................................................................................................................................................. 116
Sudan .................................................................................................................................................... 116
Tanzania ............................................................................................................................................... 117
Zimbabwe ............................................................................................................................................. 118
Congo: .................................................................................................................................................. 118
Horn of Africa ....................................................................................................................................... 118
Uganda.................................................................................................................................................. 120
Gabon ................................................................................................................................................... 121
Sierra Leone .......................................................................................................................................... 121
Gambia ................................................................................................................................................. 121
Libya..................................................................................................................................................... 121
Middle East and Central Asia................................................................................................................. 122
Gaza Strip: ............................................................................................................................................ 124
West Bank: ............................................................................................................................................ 125
Egypt .................................................................................................................................................... 126
Jordan ................................................................................................................................................... 126
Lebanon: ............................................................................................................................................... 126
Mukaab City ......................................................................................................................................... 127
Nagorno-Karabakh Enclave ................................................................................................................... 127

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Qatar: ................................................................................................................................................... 127
Turkey .................................................................................................................................................. 127
Tunisia .................................................................................................................................................. 128
Europe .................................................................................................................................................. 128
Belarus .................................................................................................................................................. 132
Albania.................................................................................................................................................. 132
North Sea .............................................................................................................................................. 132
Kosovo-Serbia ....................................................................................................................................... 133
Greece ................................................................................................................................................... 134
Spain ..................................................................................................................................................... 134
Baltic Sea .............................................................................................................................................. 135
Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor (OL3) .......................................................................................................... 136
Venice Grand Canal............................................................................................................................... 136
Bastille Day Parade................................................................................................................................ 137
Dublin ................................................................................................................................................... 137
Lampedusa Island (Italy) ....................................................................................................................... 137
Iceland .................................................................................................................................................. 137
The Nordic Baltic Eight (NB8) ................................................................................................................ 138
Asia ....................................................................................................................................................... 138
South China Sea .................................................................................................................................... 140
Singapore .............................................................................................................................................. 141
Gilgit-Baltistan ...................................................................................................................................... 141
Afghanistan ........................................................................................................................................... 142
Maldives ................................................................................................................................................ 142
Sri Lanka .............................................................................................................................................. 143
Myanmar .............................................................................................................................................. 143
Japan .................................................................................................................................................... 144
Pakistan ................................................................................................................................................ 145
Bhutan .................................................................................................................................................. 146
Damascus .............................................................................................................................................. 146
Guantanamo Bay ................................................................................................................................... 146
Cocos Islands ......................................................................................................................................... 147
India-Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC).......................................................................................... 147
Red Sea ................................................................................................................................................. 148
Lake Titicaca's ...................................................................................................................................... 150
Palau ..................................................................................................................................................... 152
Gulf of Aden:......................................................................................................................................... 152

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 Gulf of Oman: ....................................................................................................................................... 152
Venezuela dispute with Guyana over oil-rich region ................................................................................ 153
Honduras .............................................................................................................................................. 153
Papua New Guinea ................................................................................................................................ 154
Solomon Islands ..................................................................................................................................... 154
Record drop in Suez Canal transits due to Houthis’ attacks ..................................................................... 154
Why have fresh protests erupted in Senegal? .......................................................................................... 156
India sends assistance to cholera-hit Zambia ........................................................................................... 157
China moves its nationals into its vacant ‘defense villages’ along LAC ..................................................... 157
Israel Army to evacuate Gaza’s Rafah ........................................................................................................ 158
A history of the Northern Ireland conflict ............................................................................................... 159
Nearly 400 Ethiopians have died of starvation ......................................................................................... 160
Myanmar’s civil war and India’s interests .............................................................................................. 161
Back from Arctic winter voyage, scientists ‘happy to see Sun’ again ........................................................ 162
Neighboring Countries .............................................................................................................................. 167
Sri Lanka .............................................................................................................................................. 167
China: ................................................................................................................................................... 167
Pakistan: ............................................................................................................................................... 168
Russia ................................................................................................................................................... 169
UAE ...................................................................................................................................................... 169
Myanmar .............................................................................................................................................. 170
Maldives ................................................................................................................................................ 171
Bilateral relations ...................................................................................................................................... 171
India-US ................................................................................................................................................ 171
India-Germany ...................................................................................................................................... 173
India-Canada ........................................................................................................................................ 173
International Events .................................................................................................................................. 174
Sakharov freedom award ....................................................................................................................... 174
Oscar .................................................................................................................................................... 175
Booker Prize .......................................................................................................................................... 175
International Prize Of Statistics.............................................................................................................. 176
Nobel Prize ............................................................................................................................................ 176
Grammy ................................................................................................................................................ 178
Kenneth Boulding Award ....................................................................................................................... 178
Marconi Prize 2023 ................................................................................................................................ 179
PEN / Nabokov Award ........................................................................................................................... 179
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour ..................................................................................................... 179

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 UNESCO’s 2023 Prix Versailles ............................................................................................................. 180
Miscellaneous ............................................................................................................................................ 180
Wolf Warrior Diplomacy ....................................................................................................................... 180
Global Security Initiative (GSI) .............................................................................................................. 180
Beijing Accord ....................................................................................................................................... 181
China Targets athletes from Arunachal .................................................................................................. 181
Dalai Lama ............................................................................................................................................ 181
Major Non-NATO Ally status................................................................................................................. 182
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) .................................................................................. 182
World Hindi Conference ........................................................................................................................ 182
Munich security conference .................................................................................................................... 183
International Mother Language Day 2023 – ‘Ekushey February’............................................................. 183
UN declares international decade of indigenous languages (2022-32) ........................................................ 183
Friendshoring ........................................................................................................................................ 183
Raisina Security Dialogue ...................................................................................................................... 184
Wagner Group of mercenaries ............................................................................................................... 184
Summit for Democracy .......................................................................................................................... 185
Language Friendship Bridge .................................................................................................................. 185
Comstock Act 1873 ................................................................................................................................ 186
25 Years Of Good Friday Agreement ...................................................................................................... 186
Germany ends nuclear era by shutting down last three power plants ....................................................... 186
India to host two-day international Buddhist conference ......................................................................... 186
Washington Declaration ......................................................................................................................... 187
Global Partnership on AI summit ........................................................................................................... 187
Hiroshima AI Process (HAP).................................................................................................................. 189
Chief Guest of Republic Day .................................................................................................................. 189
Strategic Partnership Council ................................................................................................................ 190
Global Maritime India Summit 2023 ...................................................................................................... 190
OSOWOG ............................................................................................................................................. 191
Akhaura-Agartala rail link..................................................................................................................... 191
India and UK announce Infrastructure Financing Bridge ........................................................................ 191
What is Inflation Reduction Act (IRA): .................................................................................................. 192
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement For Trans-Pacific Partnership ............................................. 192
UNESCO names Kozhikode ‘city of literature’ ....................................................................................... 192
Olympic: ............................................................................................................................................... 193
Bangladesh is building memorial to honor Indian heroes of 1971 war ...................................................... 195
Bletchley Park birthplace of modern computing: .................................................................................... 195

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Bletchley Declaration ............................................................................................................................. 195
BDS movement ...................................................................................................................................... 196
Tax Havens............................................................................................................................................ 197
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC): ................................................................................ 197
India to be in UK safe list for Asylum seekers ......................................................................................... 197
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) ............................................................................ 198
FIPIC summit........................................................................................................................................ 198
Arab League .......................................................................................................................................... 198
Cape Town Convention .......................................................................................................................... 198
Laws of the war ..................................................................................................................................... 199
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,1961 ................................................................................... 200
‘Gender in physics’ meet in Mumbai ...................................................................................................... 201
Nuclear liability law ............................................................................................................................... 201
Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 .................................................................................. 201
Persona non grata .................................................................................................................................. 202
White Phosphorus bomb ........................................................................................................................ 202
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) ................................................................................... 203
The UN Refugee Convention 1951 .......................................................................................................... 204
General Comment No. 26 ....................................................................................................................... 204
G20 Global south ................................................................................................................................... 205
PravasiBharatiya Divas 2023 .................................................................................................................. 205
WHO Launches Global Network to Detect Infectious Disease Threat ....................................................... 205
Russia suspends New START treaty ....................................................................................................... 205
M1 Abrams tank.................................................................................................................................... 206
Patriot Missiles ...................................................................................................................................... 206
Ex Dharma Guardian ............................................................................................................................ 207
Exercise Cobra Warrior......................................................................................................................... 207
Exercise Mosi II ..................................................................................................................................... 207
Indus Shield 2023................................................................................................................................... 207
Exercise MILAN:................................................................................................................................... 207
The Donkey Route ................................................................................................................................. 207
Henry Kissinger ..................................................................................................................................... 208
Sparking Disability Inclusive Rural Transformation (SPARK) project .................................................... 208
1M1B Activate Impact Summit .............................................................................................................. 208
Colombo Security Conclave.................................................................................................................... 208
Migrations ............................................................................................................................................. 209
Senegal’s pink lake is on the verge of disappearing .................................................................................. 209

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Exercise Desert Knight........................................................................................................................... 210
Maiden embarkation of scientists from Indian Ocean Countries onboard Antarctic expedition ................. 210
UN’s Genocide Convention..................................................................................................................... 210
Djibouti Code of Conduct: ..................................................................................................................... 211
Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness for Innovation(CEPI) ...................................................................... 212
Atlas of Impunity:.................................................................................................................................. 212

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 International Organisation
World Economic Forum
Why in the news?
● The 53rd annual meeting of WEF theme of the 53rd Annual Meeting would be ‘Cooperation in a
Fragmented World‘
● India climbs eight places to 127 in Global gender index: WEF report
What is World Economic Forum
● The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
● It brings together members of political and business leaders each year to discuss major issues that impact the
global economy.
● The WEF has no independent decision-making power, but seeks to influence powerful people to make
decisions that benefit the global community.
● The organization is funded through its own membership, which includes many prominent business and
political figures.
● WEF is based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland.
Some major reports published by WEF are:
● Energy Transition Index.
● Global Competitiveness Report.
● Global IT Report (WEF along with INSEAD, and Cornell University publishes this report).
● Global Gender Gap Report.
● Global Risk Report.
● Global Travel and Tourism Report.
● The Future of Jobs Report
● Net-Zero Industry Tracker
What is Gender Gap Report
● It benchmarks countries on their progress towards gender parity in four Key dimensions with Sub Metrices:
Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, Political
Empowerment.
● On each of the four sub-indices as well as on the overall index the GGG index provides scores between 0
and 1, where 1 shows full gender parity and 0 is complete imparity.
● It is the longest-standing index, which tracks progress towards closing these gaps over time since its
inception in 2006.
● The objective of Gender Gap Report is to serve as a compass to track progress on relative gaps between
women and men on health, education, economy and politics.
What is the recent trends in Global gender index:
● India has been ranked 127 out of 146 countries in gender parity as per the Gender Gap Report, 2023
published by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
● India was ranked 135 in 2022.
● As per the Gender Gap Report, 2023, India’s immediate neighbours such as Pakistan have been ranked at
142, Bangladesh at 59, China at 107, Nepal at 116, Sri Lanka at 115 and Bhutan at 103.
● Iceland has remained the most gender-equal country for the 14th consecutive year as per the index.
● India has improved by 1.4% points from 2022, marking a partial recovery towards its 2020 parity level.
● The report also noted that India had closed 64.3% of the overall gender gap, but the country reached only
36.7% parity in economic participation and opportunity.
Some latest initiative of WEF:
● First Movers Coalition for Food to Create up to $20 Billion Value Chain for Sustainable Farming
● A global impact coalition incubated by the World Economic Forum relaunches as the independent Global
Impact Coalition.
● Tropical Forest Alliance Facilitates Trade of ‘Deforestation-Free’ Soybeans from Brazil to China.
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 ● World Economic Forum Launches Global Initiative to Invest in Urban Innovation Ecosystems
● EDISON Alliance brings together leaders from across industries and governments to mobilize a global
movement for digital inclusion
● World Economic Forum and Partners to Develop First Zero-Emissions Road Freight Cluster in India.
● World Economic Forum’s Blue Food Partnership Launches Roadmap to Strengthen Sustainable Growth
in Aquaculture.
What is Global risks report 2023
● It is Released by: World Economic Forum (WEF)
What is the key finding of Report:
● ‘Failure to mitigate climate change’ as well as ‘failure of climate change adaptation’ are the two most
severe risks facing the world in the next decade, followed by ‘natural disasters and extreme weather
events’ and ‘Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse’.
● The ‘cost of living’ ranks as the top most serious global risk in the short term (over the next two years).
● In 10 countries, natural disasters and extreme weather events were perceived to be the top most severe risk in
the short term or in the next two years.

United Nation:
UN Security Council(UNSC)
Why in the news?
1. UNSC Sanction committee blacklist lashkar’s Makki
2. India concluded its eighth stint at UNSC.
3. UNSC reform
4. UNSC adopted resolution to call for pause in Gaza
5. Article 99 of UN Charter
6. UNSC clear Gaza aid resolution
What is UNSC:
● The UN Security Council was established by the UN Charter in 1945. It is one of the six principal organs of
the United Nations.
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 ● Its primary responsibility is to work to maintain international peace and security.
● The council is headquartered in New York
● The UNSC has 15 members: the five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members elected for
two-year term
● The five permanent members are the United States, the Russian Federation, France, China and the United
Kingdom.
● Each member of the Security Council has one vote. Decisions of the Security Council on matters are made by
an affirmative vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members. A “No”
vote from one of the five permanent members blocks the passage of the resolution.
● Any member of the United Nations which is not a member of the Security Council may participate, without
vote, in the discussion of any question brought before the Security Council whenever the latter considers
that the interests of that member are specially affected.
● It is the only body of UN which has teeth to bite.It has a major say in all critical appointment in UN
● Chapter VI of the UN charter gives a mandate to UNSC to settle disputes peacefully through mediation
and secure a ceasefire through peacekeeping force.
● Chapter VII of UN charter give power to UNSC to impose military and economic sanctions
What is the concept of technical hold:
● China had blocked the move by placing a technical hold on the proposal.
● Placing a technical hold effectively blocks the proposal until it is withdrawn.
● This measure (Technical hold) can last for up to six months at a time under the Security Council’s procedures.
What is UNSC Al-Qaeda and ISIL Sanctions Committee
● The ISIL (Da-esh) and Al Qaida sanctions committee is also known as the 1267 sanctions committee.
● It is one of the most important UN subsidiary bodies working to combat terrorism, particularly in relation to
ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities.
● This committee oversees the implementation of sanctions pursuant to UNSC resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989
(2011) and 2253 (2015).
What is the sanctions regime of UNSC
● Under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the UN Security Council can take action to maintain or
restore international peace and security.
● Sanctions measures, under Article 41 of the UN Charter, encompass a broad range of enforcement options
that do not involve the use of armed force.
● The measures can range from economic and trade embargoes to more targeted measures against specific
individuals, companies or entities, such as the freezing of funds and travel bans.
● Currently, the UNSC has 15 active sanctions regimes.
● The sanctions regimes focus on supporting political processes in armed conflicts, nuclear non-
proliferation and counter-terrorism.
What is Sanctions committee of UNSC
● Each sanctions regime is administered by a sanctions committee that consists of all 15 members of the
Security Council.
● These sanctions committees ensure the implementation of the sanctions and can decide by consensus to
adopt targeted sanctions against specific individuals, enterprises or entities.
What is the functions of UNSC sanctions committee
● Once an entity or an individual is included in the list it gets designated as the “Global Terrorist”.
● The member states are required to:
o Freeze funds and financial assets of that individual/entity,
o Enforce a travel ban,
o Cut off access to arms and related materials.
How was India stint at UNSC:
● India completed its eighth stint at UNSC as a non-permanent member.

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 ● The focus area of India was maritime security, terrorism, UN peacekeeping, reformed multilateralism and
the Global South.
● India was elected Chair of three important UNSC Committees: the Taliban Sanctions Committee, Libyan
Sanctions Committee and Counterterrorism Committee.
● The Prime Minister of India chaired for the first time a UNSC meeting on maritime security.
● The Presidential Statement issued was the first holistic document on this issue which, for the first time, had
a direct reference to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as international law setting out the legal
framework in the context of maritime activities. It also called for, inter alia, freedom of navigation,
antipiracy and combating terror and transnational crime at sea.
● India has enhanced the focus on terrorism. As a Chair of the UNSC Counterterrorism Committee (CTC), the
CTC meeting to India in October 2022.This resulted in the listing of Abdul Rehman Makki, Deputy
Amir/Chief of the Lashkar E Taiba as a terrorist.
● In August 2021, India piloted the first UNSC resolution in more than five decades, calling for accountability
for crimes against peacekeepers.
What is the Procedure for the reform of UNSC
● The UNSC reform requires an amendment to the Charter of the United Nations.
● In the first stage, the UN General Assembly must approve the reform by a two-thirds majority.
● After approval from the UN General Assembly, the amended Charter must then be ratified by at least two-
thirds of the member states, including the five permanent Security Council members.
● According to Article 108 of the Charter all the permanent members of the Security Council must ratify
the amendment otherwise it will not be accepted.
What are different committee of UNSC:
● The United Nations Security Council operates various committees to address specific issues and fulfill its
mandate. Some of these committees include:
● Counter-Terrorism Committee: Established in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, this committee
aims to enhance the ability of UN member states to prevent terrorist acts within their borders and across
regions.
● Non-Proliferation Committee: Created in response to the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological
weapons, this committee operates under UN Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) to address threats to
international peace and security.
● United Nations Military Staff Committee: This committee assists in planning UN military measures and
regulating armaments.
● Sanctions Committees: The Security Council employs mandatory sanctions to pressure states or entities
into complying with its objectives without resorting to force. Sanctions can include economic and trade
measures, arms embargoes, travel bans, and other targeted restrictions.
What is UNSC Resolutions:
● A United Nations Security Council resolution is a United Nations resolution adopted by the fifteen members
of the Security Council
● The UN Charter specifies in Article 27 that a draft resolution on non-procedural matters is adopted if nine
or more of the fifteen Council members vote for the resolution, and if it is not vetoed by any of the five
permanent members.
● The term “resolution” does not appear in the text of the United Nations Charter.
● Resolutions by the Security Council are legally binding.
● In instances where the council fails to achieve consensus or secure a majority vote for a resolution, an
alternative option is the issuance of a non-binding presidential statement. Such statements are adopted
through consensus, serving as a means to exert political pressure. They act as a cautionary signal that the
Council is closely monitoring the situation, with the implication that additional actions might be taken in
the future.
What is Article 99 of the UN Charter:
● The UN Charter serves as the foundational document of the United Nations, granting the organization the
authority to address various global issues.

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 ● Although member states are legally bound by the Charter, practical enforcement mechanisms are limited.
● Article 99 of the Charter provides the Secretary-General with discretionary power to bring to the Security
Council's attention any matter deemed a threat to international peace and security.
● This provision emphasizes the need for the Secretary-General to exercise political judgment, tact, and
integrity.
● According to the UN, if the Secretary-General invokes Article 99, the President of the Security Council is
obligated to convene a Council meeting to address the matter.
When has Article 99 been invoked in the past:
● Article 99 of the UN Charter, which grants the Secretary-General the authority to bring matters threatening
international peace and security to the attention of the Security Council, has been seldom utilized.
● Historical instances include its invocation during the upheaval in the Republic of the Congo in 1960
following the end of Belgium's colonial rule, as well as a complaint by Tunisia in 1961 against France's
military actions.
● The current Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is expected to address the Security Council on the
situation in Gaza and advocate for a humanitarian ceasefire this week.
● UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric described the use of Article 99 as a "very dramatic constitutional move"
by the Secretary-General.
How was Article 99 invoked:
● UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter in a letter to the UNSC
President, expressing concern about the escalating threats to international peace and security in the Israel-
Palestine conflict.
● Guterres highlighted the severe human suffering and trauma in the region, condemned recent attacks, and
called for a humanitarian ceasefire.
● The UAE presented a draft resolution to the UNSC based on Guterres' letter, demanding an immediate
ceasefire, but achieving unanimous support, especially from permanent members like the US and Britain who
back Israel's actions, remains uncertain.
● The resolution requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the five permanent members.
● The vote is expected after Guterres briefs the council on Gaza.
International Monetary Fund (IMF):
Why in the news:
● IMF clears $3billion bailout for Sri Lanka
● IMF approves $15.6billion loan to Ukraine
● Pakistan gets final IMF nod for $3-bn loan in stand-by arrangement
● IMF and FSB to flesh out global crypto rules
What is the International Monetary Fund:
● The International Monetary Fund is an international organization that was established in 1944 to promote
international economic cooperation, exchange rate stability and resources to member countries experiencing
economic difficulties.
● It is headquartered in Washington D.C., United States, and currently has 190 member countries.
● It is governed by a Board of Governors, which is composed of one governor from each member country.
● Each member country has a number of votes in the IMF based on its quota system which reflects a member's
relative size in the global economy.
India and IMF:
● India holds a significant SDR quota and votes in the IMF, benefiting from technical assistance and financial
aid during crises.
● India currently holds 2.75% of SDR quota, and 2.63% of votes in the IMF
● The IMF has supported India during economic challenges, offering advice and financing assistance.
● SDR is one of the components of the Foreign Exchange Reserves (FER) of India.
How does the IMF help countries:

14
 ● The IMF basically lends money, often in the form of special drawing rights (SDRs), to troubled economies
that seek the lender’s assistance.
● SDRs simply represent a basket of five currencies, namely theS. dollar, the euro, the Chinese yuan, the
Japanese yen, and the British pound.
● The IMF carries out its lending to troubled economies through a number of lending programs such as the
extended credit facility, the flexible credit line, the stand-by agreement,
● Countries receiving the bailout can use the SDRs for various purposes depending on their individual
circumstances.

What are IMF Bailouts:

● Bailout is a general term for extending financial support to a company/country facing a potential bankruptcy
threat.
● It can take the form of loans, cash, bonds, or stock purchases.
● A bailout may or may not require reimbursement but is often accompanied by greater oversight and
regulations.
What are the different types of Bailouts
Stand-by Arrangements
● Description: Short-term lending programs for countries with temporary balance of payments problems.
● Duration: 1-2 years
● Conditionality: Specific macroeconomic policies for stabilization
Extended Fund Facility
● Description: Medium-term lending programs to address balance of payments difficulties from structural
weaknesses
● Duration: Longer Term
● Conditionality: Extensive conditionality and significant reforms
Rapid Financing Instrument
● Description: Loan program providing quick financing for countries with urgent balance of payments needs.
● Duration: Flexible
● Conditionality: Fewer conditions and shorter application process
How does the IMF help countries ?
● The IMF basically lends money, often in the form of special drawing rights (SDRs), to troubled economies
that seek the lender’s assistance
● The IMF carries out its lending to troubled economies through a number of lending programs such as:
● the extended credit facility,
● the flexible credit line,
● the stand-by agreement, etc.
● Countries receiving the bailout can use the SDRs for various purposes depending on their individual
circumstances. Any money that they receive from the IMF is likely to go towards addressing these urgent issues.
What is Special Drawing Rights

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 ● The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1969
to supplement its member countries’ official reserves.
● The SDR is neither a currency nor a claim on the IMF. Rather, it is a potential claim on the freely usable
currencies of IMF members. SDRs can be exchanged for these currencies.
● The value of the SDR is calculated from a weighted basket of major currencies, including the U.S. dollar, the
euro, Japanese yen, Chinese yuan, and British pound.
● The interest rate on SDRs or SDR is the interest paid to members on their SDR holdings.
What is Extended Fund Facility
● The Extended Fund Facility (EFF) is a lending facility of the Fund of the IMF and it was established in
1974.
● The EFF provides financial assistance to countries facing serious medium-term balance of payments (BoP)
problems because of structural weaknesses that require time to address.
● To help countries implement medium-term structural reforms, the EFF offers longer program engagement
and a longer repayment period.
● Eligibility: All member countries of IMF facing actual or potential external financing needs are eligible.
● Conditions: Countries’ policy commitments are expected to focus on structural reforms to address
institutional or economic weaknesses, in addition to policies to maintain macroeconomic stability.
● Duration :Typically approved for periods of 3 years, but may be approved for periods as long as 4 years to
implement deep and sustained structural reforms.
● Repayment :Over 4½–10 years in 12 equal semi-annual installments.
Has India availed the EFF in the past?
● In 1980, India had borrowed $ 3.9 billion ,a record amount then under an extended fund facility from the
IMF.
● However, the then Government did not avail of the full amount as the economy recovered.
● During the 1991 economic crisis, India borrowed $ 2.2 billion from the IMF under two standby
arrangements, between 1991 and 1993.
● A little over a decade later, India emerged as a creditor to the Fund — as its economy recovered and its
balance of payments position improved substantially.
What is the Paris Club:
● The Paris Club is a group of mostly western creditor countries that grew from a 1956 meeting in which
Argentina agreed to meet its public creditors in Paris.
● It describes itself as a forum where official creditors meet to solve payment difficulties faced by debtor
countries.
● Their objective is to find sustainable debt-relief solutions for countries that are unable to repay their bilateral
loans.
● Members:
○ Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel,
Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United
Kingdom and the United States.
● All 22 are members of the group called Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD).
What is Spring meeting6
● The IMF and World Bank meet each autumn in what is officially known as the Annual Meetings of the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group and each spring in the Spring Meetings of the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. Names of the two groups are alternated each
year so a different one has top billing.
● The autumn meetings are customarily held in Washington, D.C., United States for two consecutive years,
and in another member country in the third year.
● At the spring and annual meetings there are meetings of the World Bank-IMF Development Committee and
the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC).

16
 ● Each committee is made up of ministers or central bank governors. There are equivalent numbers and the
same constituency systems as are used at the Executive boards of the institutions. At the annual meetings, the
governors of the World Bank and IMF also meet in plenary sessions.
What is Financial Stability Board (FSB)
● FSB is an international body that monitors and makes recommendations about the global financial system.
● It was established in April 2009 after the G20 Summit in London as the successor to the Financial Stability
Forum.
What is the Mandate of FSB:
● To coordinate at the international level the work of national financial authorities and international
standard-setting bodies and to develop and promote the implementation of effective regulatory,
supervisory, and other financial sector policies.
● The FSB, working through its members, seeks to strengthen financial systems and increase the stability of
international financial markets.
● Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland.
● The board includes all G20 major economies.
● The FSB consists of 68 member institutions.
● It comprises several central banks, ministries of finance, and supervisory and regulatory authorities from 25
jurisdictions, a s well as 10 international organizations and six Regional Consultative Groups (RCGs).
● The FSB’s decisions are not legally binding on its members – instead the organization operates by moral
suasion and peer pressure, in order to set internationally agreed policies and minimum standards that its
members commit to implementing at national level.
Framework:
● The Plenary, which serves as the sole decision-making body.
● The Steering Committee, which takes forward operational work in between Plenary meetings.
● Three Standing Committees, each with specific but complementary responsibilities.
● The FSB’s decisions are not legally binding on its members.
● India and FSB:
● India is an active Member of the FSB, having three seats in its Plenary represented by Secretary (Dept of
Economic Affairs), Deputy Governor-RBI, and Chairman-SEBI.
What are the key reports published by IMF:
● World Economic Outlook
● Global Financial Stability Report
What is Crypto-assets:
● Crypto assets are purely digital assets that use public ledgers over the internet to prove ownership.
● They use cryptography, peer-to-peer networks and distributed ledger technology (DLT) – such as
blockchain – to create, verify and secure transactions.
● They can have different functions and characteristics: they may be used as a medium of exchange; a way to
store value; or for other business purposes.
● Crypto assets generally operate independently of a central bank, central authority or government.
● Some of the more common types of crypto assets are:
o Cryptocurrency
o Utility Tokens
o Security Tokens
o Non-Fungible Tokens
o Stable coins
● A simpler way to understand a crypto asset is that they are digital assets except:
o Crypto assets use cryptography
o This kind of asset depends on distributed ledger technology.
o One does not need a third such as a bank to issue crypto assets like what happens with bitcoins.
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 o Crypto assets have three primary uses: as an investment, a means of exchange, and to access goods and
services.
UN General Assembly
Why in the news:
1. General Assembly divided over UN reforms
2. The UN is celebrating 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
3. Political declaration on pandemics approved
4. Annual session of the UN General Assembly
5. Emergency special sessions of UNGA
6. UN Cybercrime Treaty
7. UN Central Emergency Response Fund
8. India abstains from voting on U.N. resolution on Israel
9. UNGA passed a resolution seeking opinion from the ICJ regarding the accountability of countries
towards climate change reduction, based on the promises they have made by these countries to the
UNFCCC.
Some facts about United Nations General Assembly (UNGA):
● It was established in 1945 under the Charter of the United Nations and is headquartered in New York City.
● It is one of the six principal organs of the UN and serves as the main policy-making organ of the
Organization.
● It provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by
the Charter of the United Nations.
● Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.
Some facts about UNGA Session:
● The theme of the 78th session of UNGA is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating
action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress
and the sustainability for all.”
● Dennis Francis is the President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly,
What is President of the General Assembly (PGA):
● Any Member State can put forward a candidate for PGA.
● He/she is not required to be, but always has been, a citizen of the Member State presenting the candidacy.
● The PGA is elected in his/her personal capacity for a one-year term
● The Member State of the PGA cannot at the same time hold the office of Vice-President or Chair of a Main
Committee. Thus, the five permanent members of the Security Council, who are always Vice-Presidents,
cannot hold the office of the PGA.
● The Presidency of the General Assembly rotates among the five regional groups, namely:
o Group of Asian States,
o Group of Eastern European States,
o Group of Latin American and Caribbean States,
o Group of African States,
o Western European and other States Group.
● The President is elected by a simple majority vote of the General Assembly.
● The President is elected at least three months before formally assuming office, usually in mid-June.
What is the role and mandate of the President of the General Assembly (PGA):
● The PGA is the guardian of the General Assembly Rules of Procedure but has no say in the actual decision-
making of the General Assembly; in fact, the PGA does not have a vote in the General Assembly.
● Even on procedural matters, the PGA always remains under the authority of the General Assembly.
● Hence, PGA has very little formal power. It depends on the moral authority and convening power of the office
as main instruments to keep the 193 Member States working together.
What is Emergency special sessions of UNGA:
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 ● An emergency special session of the United Nations (UN) refers to an unplanned meeting of the UN General
Assembly. Its purpose is to address pressing issues and provide urgent recommendations on a specific matter.
● The UN Charter grants the General Assembly the authority to convene an emergency special session. If
the General Assembly is not in a regular session, it can assemble for an emergency special session within
twenty-four hours of a request.
● The process for calling an emergency special session is outlined in the Rules of Procedure of the General
Assembly. These rules govern the steps and requirements for organizing such sessions
● An emergency special session can be initiated in two ways:
o By the Security Council: If the Security Council deems it necessary, they can request such a session
through a vote of at least seven of its members.
o By Majority of UN Members: Alternatively, a majority of the United Nations' member states can also
trigger the convening of an emergency special session.
● Since 1950, only 11 emergency special sessions of the General Assembly have been held.
● These resolutions passed in the special session are not legally-binding. These are symbolic of the world
opinion on the crisis and carry political weight as they represent the will of the entire UN membership.
What is 2023 the International Year of Millets
What are millets?
● Millets, hardy dryland crops grown in Asian and African countries, are gaining popularity for their nutritional
qualities
How was the International Year decided?
● Generally, a member nation makes a proposal to the UN through a relevant agency, such as the FAO in
case of millets.
● India’s proposal to FAO went through internal approvals before being presented at the UN General
Assembly and was approved with the support of 71 countries.
● India was the Chair, and Nigeria and ICRISAT are the Vice-Chair of the FAO International Committee
for the International Year of Millets.
● While this is a UN-wide event, because millets fall under food and agriculture, the FAO is the corresponding
implementing agency coordinating with relevant technical experts, several UN member countries and
representatives from all regions, and stakeholders such as academia, private sector, and civil society.
What is Political declaration on pandemics
● Declaration title: Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response
● Aim of the declaration is to prevent catastrophic health and socio-economic impacts that were experienced
during COVID-19.
● The declaration encourages, “fair, equitable, and timely sharing of benefits of pathogens with pandemic
potential, including genomic sequences and information, through a multilateral system.”
● It resolved to address the global shortfall of health workers in accordance with the Global Strategy on
Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030 by investing in education and employment.
● The declaration emphasized that health workers should be protected from all forms of violence, attacks,
harassment, and discriminatory practices.
● The declaration also called on member nations to take measures to counter the effect of health-related
misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and stigmatisation, especially on social media platforms, on
people’s physical and mental health, including vaccine hesitancy.
● The declaration emphasized the need for a Pandemic Accord.
What is Climate Action Summit(CAS):
● CAS organized by: United Nations Secretary- General.
● Held at: New York, USA
● Aim: To accelerate action by governments, business, finance, local authorities and civil society, and hear from
“first movers and doers”.
● The design and outcomes of the Summit will be delivered on three distinct but interrelated acceleration tracks
– ambition, credibility and implementation.

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 ● China, the United States and India — who collectively account for about 42% of global greenhouse gas
emissions and are the top three emitters in that order — were all absent from the CAS.
● The criteria for countries to be considered for a speaking slot at the summit were: that they would be
expected to present updated pre-2030 Nationally Determined Contributions (as agreed in Glasgow);
updated net-zero targets; energy transition plans with commitments to no new coal, oil and gas; fossil fuel
phase-out plans; more ambitious renewable energy targets; Green Climate Fund pledges; and economy-wide
plans on adaptation and resilience.
What is India’s transition plans:
● India last updated its climate pledges in 2022 of reducing emissions intensity — or the volume of emissions
per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) — by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030, a 10% increase from what it
agreed to in 2015.
● The government committed to meet 50% of its electric power needs from renewable, non-fossil fuel energy
sources — up from 40% committed at the Paris agreement.
● It is assured to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3bn tonnes of CO2-equivalent [GtCO2e] through
additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
● In 2021, Prime Minister of India committed to India achieving net zero by 2070.
● The scientific assessment is that India’s commitment, alongside similar commitments by G-20 economies, are
insufficient to keep temperatures from keeping below 2oC by the end of the century.
● India’s low per capita emissions and contribution to the carbon already in the atmosphere has led other analysts
to suggest that India has committed “more than its fair share” to keeping to the Paris-agreed limits.
What is Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN)
● The UNGA President in October 2022, tried to revive the process of introducing reforms by appointing two
negotiators for the programme of reform to look after the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) as co-
chairs.
● The appointed negotiators included two Permanent Representatives namely Tareq M.A.M. Albanai of Kuwait
and Michal Mlynar of Slovakia.
● The IGN is the team that takes care of the issue of UN reform.
Some details about UN Central Emergency Response Fund:
● CERF was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005 as the United Nations global
emergency response fund.
● CERF enables humanitarian responders to deliver life-saving assistance whenever and wherever crises strike.
● It comprises two windows:
o The Rapid Response window initiates coordinated relief when new crises arise,
o The Underfunded Emergencies window sustains relief operations in areas lacking alternative
funding.
● CERF is overseen by the Emergency Relief Coordinator on behalf of the UN
● Secretary-General, with support from the CERF secretariat.
● It's funded by UN Member States, regional governments, corporate donors, foundations, and individuals,
having enabled over $5.5 billion in assistance in 100+ countries.

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What is UNGA Resolutions:
● United Nations resolutions are formal expressions of the opinion or will of United Nations organ s.
● A United Nations General Assembly Resolution is a decision or declaration voted on by all member states of
the United Nations in the General Assembly.
● General Assembly resolutions usually require a simple majority (50 percent of all votes plus one) to pass.
● However, if the General Assembly determines that the issue is an “important question” by a simple majority
vote, then a two-thirds majority is required;
● “important questions” are those that deal significantly with the maintenance of international peace and
security, admission of new members to the United Nations, suspension of the rights and privileges of
membership, the expulsion of members, operation of the trusteeship system, or budgetary questions.
● Although General Assembly resolutions are generally non-binding towards member states.
Some details about the resolution of UNGA on Climate change:
● The UNGA passed a resolution seeking opinion from the ICJ regarding the accountability of
countries towards climate change reduction, based on the promises they have made by these countries to
the UNFCCC.
● The resolution passed by consensus had been pushed through by one of the smallest countries in the world,
the Pacific Island of Vanuatu.
● This island was devastated in 2015 by the effects of Cyclone Pam, believed to have been spurred by climate
change.

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International organization for migration
Why in news:
1. 73 Europe-bound migrants are missing and presumed dead in shipwreck off Libya
What is International Organization for Migration
● IOM is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to
governments and migrants, including refugees, internally displaced persons and migrant workers.
● IOM was established in 1951 as Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) to help
resettle people displaced by World War II.
● It was granted Permanent Observer status to UN General Assembly in 1992.
● Cooperation agreement between IOM and the UN was signed in 1996.
● World Migration Report is published every year by International Organization for Migration (IOM) of
the UN.
● IOM works in four broad areas of migration management:
● Migration and development,
● Facilitating migration,
● Regulating migration and
● Forced migration.
● It has 175 Member States., a further 8 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries.
● India is a member of IOM.

UNHRC
Why in news:
1. China and Russia Fail to Defund UN Human Rights Work
2. India rejects UN expert’s remark on Manipur
3. 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Some facts about UNHRC:
● It is an intergovernmental body within the United Nations system.
● The UNHRC replaced the former UN Commission on Human Rights.
● It was created by the UNGA on March 15, 2006, and the body met in its first session in June, 2006.
● The Council is made up of 47 UN Member States who are elected by majority vote through a direct and
secret ballot at the UNGA.
● The membership of the Council is based on equitable geographical distribution.
o African and Asia-Pacific states have 13 seats each,
o Latin American and Caribbean states have 8 seats,
o Western European and other states have 7 seats, and
o Eastern European states have 6 seats.
● The UNGA takes into account the candidate States’ contribution to the promotion and protection of human
rights, as well as their voluntary pledges and commitments in this regard.
● The members serve for three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two
consecutive terms.
What is Special Procedure Mandate Holders (SPMH):
● The term ‘special procedures’ refers to the list of mechanisms established by the Human Rights Council to
report and advise on human rights from a thematic and country-specific perspective.
● Special procedures mandate-holders are either an individual (called a Special Rapporteur (SR) or
Independent Expert (IE)) or a Working Group (WG) of five members.
● Mandate holders serve in their personal capacities, they are not UN staff and do not receive salaries or
other financial remuneration for their work.
● Mandate holders are appointed by the Human Rights Council and their work is supported by the OHCHR.

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 ● As part of their mandates, special procedures examine, advise and publicly report on human rights issues
and situations. They conduct thematic studies and convene expert consultations, contribute to the
development of international human rights standards, engage in advocacy and provide advice for technical
cooperation.
How UN Human rights funded:
● Almost two thirds of UN Human Rights’ income come from voluntary contributions from Member States
and other donors.
● The remainder is covered by the UN regular budget.
Some facts about UN Regular Budget
● The UN regular budget, approved by the General Assembly, is funded by “assessed contributions” from
each Member State.
● These are determined by a formula that takes into account the size and strength of their respective national
economies.
● The 2023 regular budget is the fourth annual budget prepared in accordance with the UN management
reform agenda.
● Indeed, during its seventy-second session, the General Assembly approved the proposed change from a
biennial to an annual budget cycle on a trial basis, beginning with the programme budget for 2020.
● The General Assembly reviewed the implementation of the annual budget at its seventy-seventh session in
September 2022, with a view to taking a final decision.
What is India’s Contribution in UN Budget
● India has paid USD 29.9 million in UN regular budget assessments for the year 2022.
● Apart from regular contribution, India has contributed four lakh US dollars to four Voluntary Trust Funds as
part of its commitment to global promotion and protection of human rights and support for United Nations
Human Rights.
● The four Trust Funds to which contribution has been made includes,
o Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture,
o Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation,
o Voluntary Fund for financial and technical assistance for the implementation of Universal
Periodic Review,
o Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to support the participation of Least Developed
Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDs) in the work of the council.
Some facts about High Commissioner for Human Rights:
● The High Commissioner for Human Rights is the principal human rights official of the United Nations.
● The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is accountable to the Secretary-General and
is responsible for all the activities of OHCHR, as well as for its administration.
● Roles:
● Carries out the functions specifically assigned to him or her by the General Assembly in its resolution
48/141 of 20 December 1993 and subsequent resolutions of policy-making bodies;
● Advises the Secretary-General on the policies of the United Nations in the area of human rights;
● Ensures that support is given to the projects, activities, organs and bodies of the human rights programme.
● Represents the Secretary-General at meetings of human rights organs and at other human rights events; and
carries out special assignments as decided by the Secretary-General.
● Appointment:
● In accordance with General Assembly resolution 48/141, the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights is appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and approved by the General
Assembly, with due regard to geographical rotation for a fixed term of four years with a possibility
of one renewal for another fixed term of four years.
What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
● The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a concise document comprising a preamble and
30 articles outlining fundamental rights and freedoms.

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 ● Article 1 emphasizes the inherent freedom and equality of all human beings, while Article 2 asserts that
everyone is entitled to these rights without discrimination.
● The declaration further addresses the rights to life, liberty, and security of person, prohibiting slavery,
torture, and degrading treatment.
● It emphasizes equality before the law, the right to a fair trial, and the entitlement to seek asylum from
persecution in other countries.
● The UDHR also safeguards freedom of religion, opinion, expression, peaceful assembly, and the right to
education.
● The UDHR, together with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its two Optional
Protocols, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), form the
so – called International Bill of Human Rights.
● It is not a legally binding treaty
Why and how was it drawn up:
● The Universal Declaration of Human Rights emerged from the collective determination of political leaders,
driven by the "never again" sentiment following two world wars and the Holocaust.
● Complementing the U.N. Charter, the foundational document of the United Nations, the UDHR was
conceived as a "road map" to secure the rights of every individual.
● Eleanor Roosevelt, widow of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, chaired the drafting committee,
composed of members from eight countries, selected for geographical representation.
● With the participation of over 50 U.N. member countries, the General Assembly approved the declaration
on Dec. 10, 1948, with unanimous support except for eight abstentions.
● Despite the prevalence of colonial rule at that time, the drafting process, according to Amnesty
International, avoided dominance by powerful nations.
● Smaller nations played a strategic role, ensuring the final text pledged human rights for all, and female
delegates championed equal rights for men and women.
What did it achieve:
● While not legally binding as a treaty, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) has profoundly
influenced many countries' legal frameworks, serving as the foundation for international human rights
law.
● It has inspired over 70 global and regional human rights treaties and played a pivotal role in movements
such as decolonization, anti-apartheid, and fights against gender discrimination, LGBTQ+ rights, and
racism.
● The Vienna Declaration of 1993 is built upon the principles of the 1948 declaration.
World Bank
Why in news:
1. IFC says to stop funding new coal related infra projects
2. Bridgetown Initiative
3. Green groups protest against World Bank funding of projects.
4. CEA Nageswaran calls on World Bank to make governance indicators transparent
Some facts about World Bank:
● The WB is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low
and middle-income/developing countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.
● It was established along with the IMF at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference.
● The WB is the collective name for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
and International Development Association (IDA), two of five international organisations owned by the
WB Group.
● The World Bank comprises five institutions managed by its country members:
○ The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which provides loans to
middle-income and creditworthy lower-income countries;

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 ○ the International Development Association (IDA), which provides interest-free long-term loans,
grants, technical assistance, and policy advice to low-income developing countries;
○ the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which provides loans and loan guarantees and equity
financing to the private sector in developing countries;
○ the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), which provides loan guarantees and
insurance to foreign investors against loss caused by non-commercial risks in developing countries;
and
○ the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), which does not provide
finance and is responsible for the settlement of investment disputes between foreign investors and
their clients
How to become member of World Bank:
● To join the World Bank Group, a country must first become a member of the IMF.
● To become members of the IDA, IFC, and MIGA, the countries must first become members of IBRD.
How does the World Bank work ?
● The World Bank is not really a bank - it's more a way for the countries of the world to borrow money as
cheaply as possible, so that developing countries can take out cheap loans to help tackle poverty and
inequality.
● It gets its money from borrowing on international capital markets. The 188 countries that are members of
the World Bank each declare a certain amount of money that they are willing to pay into the Bank.
● This gives the bank the money and security to basically borrow as cheaply as possible from international
credit markets. If you are an investor, you know that the World Bank is a pretty safe place to lend your
money, as it is backed up by all the world’s richest countries.
● As the World Bank can borrow very cheaply, it means it can lend out loans to developing countries at a very
low interest. So in short, it's a way for developing countries to access cheap loans, which they would never be
able to do in the normal credit markets, as they would be seen as too risky borrowers
● In 2014, the Bank established its twin goals, aimed at measuring success in promoting sustainable
economic development:
o To end extreme poverty by 2030, by decreasing the percentage of people living on less than $1.90
day (increased from $1.25 in 2015) to less than 3 percent of the global population, and
o to promote shared prosperity, by improving the living standards of the bottom 40 percent of the
population in every country.
What is the International Finance Corporation (IFC):
● It is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset management services
to encourage private sector development in developing countries.
● It is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States.
● It was established in 1956 as the private sector arm of the World Bank Group to advance economic development
by investing in strictly for-profit and commercial projects that purport to reduce poverty and promote
development.
● The IFC is owned and governed by its member countries, but has its own executive leadership and staff that
conduct its normal business operations.
● It is a corporation whose shareholders are member governments that provide paid-in capital and which have
the right to vote on its matters.
What is International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
● The IBRD calls itself a global development cooperative. It has a membership of 189 countries.
● It is the world’s largest development bank.
● It provides loans, guarantees, advisory services, and risk management products to middle-income and
creditworthy low-income countries.
● Middle-income countries represent more than 60% of the IBRD’s portfolio.
● IBRD finances investments across all sectors and offers technical support and expertise at every stage of a
project.
● IBRD deals only with sovereign governments and not private players.
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 ● It also assists governments in augmenting the investment climate of countries, removing service delivery
bottlenecks, and strengthening institutions and policies.
● IBRD sources most of its funds from the world’s financial markets.
IBRD and India
● India is a founding member of IBRD.
● It started lending to India in 1949, the first project being undertaken for the Indian Railways.
● Since the 1960s, the IBRD has been an important source of long-term funding for India.
● India is the largest IBRD client of the World Bank.
● India is a blend country, which means it is transitioning from a lower-middle-income to a middle-income
country.
● India is eligible for loans from both the IBRD and the IDA.
What is International Development Association (IDA)
● The main objective of the IDA is to provide grants and concessional loans to the world’s poorest countries.
What is Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
● MIGA’s chief goal is to enhance cross-border investment in developing countries by giving guarantees
(political risk insurance and credit enhancement) to lenders and investors.
● The agency’s guarantees to protect investments against non-commercial risks.
● It emphasizes on Fragile and Conflict-affected States.
● Political risk insurance products:
● Coverage against losses due to war, terrorism, and civil disturbance.
● Coverage against expropriation by governments.
● Coverage against breach of contract.
● Protection against losses arising from an inability to legally convert local currency into hard currency.
● Credit enhancement – protection when governments fail to honor financial obligations.
● India became a member of the MIGA in 1994.
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
● ICSID engages in international investment dispute settlement.
● It settles disputes between investors and governments.
● It also settles state-state disputes under investment treaties and free trade agreements and acts as an
administrative registry.
● The Centre provides for settlement of disputes by arbitration, conciliation, or fact-finding.
● It also disseminates information on international law on foreign investment.
● India is not a member of the ICSID because it claims that the ICSID’s functioning and structure are
biased towards the developed countries.
What is Bridgetown Initiative:
● The Bridgetown Initiative is a proposal to reform the world of development finance, particularly how rich
countries help poor countries cope with and adapt to climate change.
● Barbados sets out three key steps in the Bridgetown Initiative. The first involves changing some of the
terms around how funding is loaned and repaid. The aim is to stop developing nations spiralling into a debt
crisis when their borrowing is forced up by successive disasters like floods, droughts and storms.
What is Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JET-P)
● JETP is a financing mechanism. In a Partnership, wealthier nations fund a coal-dependent developing nation
to support the country’s own path to phase-out coal and transition towards clean energy while addressing the
social consequences.
● JETP funding can go through grants, loans, or investments.
● It is emerging as the key mechanism for multilateral financing by developed countries to support an energy
transition in developing countries.
● Particularly relevant with insertion of the phrase ‘phase-down’ of coal in the Glasgow Pact.
● Recently South Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam have joined it.
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 ● India is yet to join the JET-Partnership.
World Bank’s lending capacity could get a $100b boost from new pledges
● World Bank Group President Ajay Banga proposed new contributions from wealthy countries combined with
balance sheet changes could boost the bank's lending capacity by $100 billion to $125 billion over a decade
● the contributions would come outside the bank's normal shareholding structure and regular country
contributions to the International Development Association fund for the poorest countries.
● China, India and Brazil got larger shareholding in the bank in a 2018 capital increase and would likely want
more say in a future capital increase.
● World Bank Group (WBG) uses trust funds, a financing arrangement set up with contributions from one or
more development partner, to complement core funding from the International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), and the International
Finance Corporation (IFC), in support of the World Bank Group’s goals.
What are the reports published by World Bank:
● World Development Reports
● Ease of Doing Business
● Global Economic Prospects
● Global Financial Development Report
What is Worldwide Governance Indicators:
● The World Governance Indicators (WGI) constitute a research dataset that consolidates the perspectives
of a significant number of respondents, including corporate, citizen, and expert survey participants from
both developed and developing nations, regarding the quality of governance.
● The WGI was developed in 1999 by two World Bank researchers, Daniel Kaufmann and Aart Kraay. The
data are updated annually each September
● The WGI covers six key dimensions of governance:
o Voice and Accountability
o Political Stability and Absence of Violence
o Government Effectiveness
o Regulatory Quality
o Rule of Law
o Control of Corruption
● Various reports on which India’s WGI ranking based on-
o Economist Intelligence Unit
o Varieties of Democracy Project
o Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom
o Freedom House Report
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Why in the news?
1. A group of sixteen countries has launched an effort to tackle the issue of climate change at the United
Nations. The group is led by Vanuatu and seeks an advisory opinion from the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) on climate change.
2. The United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden and Ukraine have launched a case against Iran at the United
Nations' highest court over the downing in 2020 of a Ukrainian passenger jet and the deaths of all 176
passengers and crew.
3. UNGA passed a resolution seeking opinion from the ICJ regarding the
4. UN bars altering Guyana control of territory.
5. South Africa’s genocide case against Israel
Some facts about ICJ:
● The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).
● It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946.
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 ● The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).
● The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and
to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and
specialized agencies.
● The ICJ has 15 judges who are elected to nine-year terms by the UN General Assembly and Security
Council, which vote simultaneously but separately.
● To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes in both bodies.
● A third of the court is elected every three years.
● The president and vice-president of the court are elected for three-year terms by secret ballot. Judges are
eligible for re-election.
● Four Indians have been members of the ICJ so far.
● Justice Dalveer Bhandari, former judge of the Supreme Court, has been serving at the ICJ since 2012.
Others being R S Pathak (1989-91), Nagendra Singh (1973-88), Sir Benegal Rau (1952-53).
● It is assisted by a Registry, its administrative organ. Its official languages are English and French.
India at the ICJ:
● India has been a party to a case at the ICJ on six occasions, four of which have involved Pakistan.
● They are:
● Right of Passage over Indian Territory (Portugal v. India, culminated 1960);
● Appeal Relating to the Jurisdiction of the ICAO Council (India v. Pakistan, culminated 1972);
● Trial of Pakistani Prisoners of War (Pakistan v. India, culminated 1973);
● Aerial Incident of 10 August 1999 (Pakistan v. India, culminated 2000)
● Obligations concerning Negotiations relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to Nuclear
Disarmament (Marshall Islands v. India, culminated 2016);
● Kulbhushan Jadhav (India v. Pakistan, culminated 2019).
Some more details about the Initiative by Vanuatu
● Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Vanuatu are at relatively higher risk due to rising sea levels and
increasing temperatures.
● Vanuatu launched an initiative on September 2021 through UNGA to seek an advisory opinion from ICJ
on the “legal obligations of all countries to prevent and redress the adverse effects of climate change”.
● More than 100 countries have backed Vanuatu in its initiative.
● The draft resolution seeks answers on the following aspects:
● International obligations of countries for the protection of the climate from anthropogenic emissions of
greenhouse gases.
● It is suggested by some scholars that ICJ can also use general and customary international law (CIL)
to fill the gaps in these treaties.
● Thus, it can use the ‘no harm’ principle (an important part of CIL) to highlight equivocal provisions of
the Paris Agreement.
● As per the ‘no harm’ principle states are under an obligation that activities within their jurisdiction
do not damage other countries.
● It would seek answers on the legal consequences for countries that have caused significant harm to the
climate and the SIDS.
● The resolution further demands clarification on climate reparations, which is a long-standing demand in
the direction of climate justice.
Is the advisory opinion of the ICJ binding?
● The ICJ is being asked for an advisory opinion, which by definition would not be legally binding as an
ICJ judgment.
● However, its clarification of international environmental laws would make the process more streamlined.
● The ICJ opinion would carry legal weight and moral authority in dealing with contentious issues such as:
o climate reparations by the developed world,

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 o legal culpability for countries that do not achieve their NDC promises, and
o climate support to the most vulnerable parts of the world battling the effects of global warming.
Difference between ICJ vs ICC:

More about theVenezuela and Guyana’s crisis:

● The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Venezuela to refrain from taking any action that would
alter Guyana's control over the disputed Essequibo region.
● The ruling, while not explicitly halting Venezuela's planned referendum on the territory's future, stated that
Venezuela must avoid any action modifying the current situation in Essequibo.
● Guyana had sought the ICJ's intervention, expressing concerns that the referendum was a prelude to
Venezuela annexing the disputed territory.
● The ICJ's legally binding order will remain in place until a final decision is reached in the case brought by
Guyana against Venezuela, a process that could take years.
● Both countries interpreted the ruling as supporting their positions.
● Venezuela, despite not recognizing the ICJ's jurisdiction, considered it a victory as the court did not halt
the referendum plans.

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 ● Guyana welcomed the decision, emphasizing that Venezuela is prohibited from annexing or trespassing
upon Guyanese territory.
● The territorial dispute has a long history, dating back to the 1899 border decision and exacerbated by oil
and mineral resources in the region.
World Health Organisation (WHO)
Why is news:
1. WHO accuses China of withholding COVID data – GISAID
2. Covid is no longer an emergency
3. 75 years of WHO
4. WHO declares mpox is no longer public health emergency of global concern
5. Pandemic Treaty
6. Centre and WHO to launch Global Initiative on Digital Health
7. Centre seeks inclusion of traditional medicine on WHO’s list
8. Half the global population not fully covered by essential health services
9. WHO releases first-of-its-kind patient safety rights charter ahead of Patient Safety Day
10. Title 42
11. India had highest number of TB cases globally in 2022
12. Spike in Pneumonia cases in China
13. Lancet Countdown report calls for climate-driven health action
14. World Health Assembly approves draft resolution on health action plan for indigenous people
15. The Alma Ata Declaration of Primary Health Care:
Some facts about World Health Organization (WHO):
● The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for
international public health.
● It was founded in 1948.
● Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it has six regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide.
● It is an intergovernmental organization and works in collaboration with its member states usually
through the Ministries of Health.
● Some of the important objectives of WHO are:
○ Lead global efforts to expand universal health coverage.
○ Focus on the areas of disease prevention, control and elimination, and the promotion of health and
well-being.
○ Provide leadership on global health issues, set standards for public health, and provide technical
assistance and support to countries.
○ Collaborate with various partners, including other UN agencies, governments, civil society
organizations, and the private sector.
What is the governance structure and functioning of WHO:
● The structure of the WHO governance is specifically crafted to facilitate the execution of its mandate and
the attainment of its objectives. This structure comprises:
● Membership: The WHO currently boasts 194 member states.
● World Health Assembly (WHA): Serving as the highest decision-making body, the WHA is constituted
by representatives from all member states.
● Secretariat: Tasked with implementing the policies and programs approved by the WHA.
● Director-General: The Director-General leads the WHA and is assisted by a senior management team.
● Regional Offices: The WHO operates six regional offices, namely Africa, the Americas, Southeast Asia,
Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific. Each regional office is responsible for
coordinating and supporting the WHO's initiatives within its designated geographic area.
What is the funding mechanism of WHO:
● WHO gets its funding from two main sources
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 ○ Assessed Contributions: Countries contribute dues to maintain their membership in the
Organization.
○ Voluntary Contributions: Member States, in addition to their assessed contributions, and various
partners such as United Nations organizations, intergovernmental organizations, philanthropic
foundations, and the private sector, contribute voluntarily to support the WHO's initiatives.
What is Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID)
● The GISAID platform was launched on the occasion of the Sixty-first World Health Assembly in May 2008.
● GISAID is a global science initiative and primary source for genomic data of influenza viruses and and
the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19.
● Headquarters: Munich, Germany
● In 2010 the Federal Republic of Germany became the official host of the GISAID platform and its database
(named EpiFlu) providing sustainability of the platform and stability through its public-private-partnership with
the GISAID Initiative to this day.
● In 2013 the European Commission recognized GISAID as a research organization and partner in the
PREDEMICS consortium, a project on the Preparedness, Prediction and the Prevention of Emerging Zoonotic
Viruses with Pandemic Potential using multidisciplinary approaches.
● Key role:
● The Initiative ensures that open access to data in GISAID is provided free-of-charge to all individuals that
agreed to identify themselves and agreed to uphold the GISAID sharing mechanism governed through
its Database Access Agreement.
How is International Health Regulated
● While disease outbreaks and other acute public health risks are often unpredictable and require a range of
responses, the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) provide an overarching legal framework that
defines countries’ rights and obligations in handling public health events and emergencies that have the
potential to cross borders.
● The IHR are an instrument of international law that is legally-binding on 196 countries, including the 194
WHO Member States. The IHR grew out of the response to deadly epidemics that once overran Europe.
● They create rights and obligations for countries, including the requirement to report public health events.
The Regulations also outline the criteria to determine whether or not a particular event constitutes a
“public health emergency of international concern”.
● At the same time, the IHR require countries to designate a National IHR Focal Point for communications
with WHO, to establish and maintain core capacities for surveillance and response, including at designated
points of entry.
● Additional provisions address the areas of international travel and transport such as the health documents
required for international traffic.
● Finally, the IHR introduce important safeguards to protect the rights of travellers and other persons in
relation to the treatment of personal data, informed consent and non-discrimination in the application of
health measures under the Regulations.
How is IHR Implemented:
● The responsibility for implementing the IHR rests upon all States Parties that are bound by the Regulations
and on WHO. Governments are responsible, including all of their sectors, ministries, levels, officials and
personnel for implementing IHR at the national level.
● WHO plays the coordinating role in IHR implementation and, together with its partners, helps countries to
build capacities.
● The IHR require that all countries have the ability to do the following:
● Detect: Make sure surveillance systems can detect acute public health events in timely matter
● Assess and report: Use the decision instrument in Annex 2 of the IHR to assess public health event and
report to WHO through their National IHR Focal Point those that may constitute a public health
emergency of international concern
● Respond: Respond to public health risks and emergencies
● The goal of country implementation is to limit the spread of health risks to neighbouring countries and to
prevent unwarranted travel and trade restrictions.
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Some facts about Monkeypox
● Monkeypox was first reported in 1958 in laboratory monkeys and the first human case was reported in 1970
in a nine month old baby in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
● Nigeria reported its first case of monkeypox in humans in 1970 when one case was detected; there were two
human cases of monkeypox in Nigeria in 1978.
● And after nearly four decades of not reporting any cases, monkeypox (West African clade) made a re-
emergence in Nigeria in September 2017 with a total of 558 cases reported till now.
● In November last year, the disease’s name was changed by WHO from ‘monkeypox’ to ‘mpox’ to reduce
racial and sexual stigma surrounding it.
How Monkeypox Spread:
● Based on epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 122 confirmed or probable cases of human monkeypox
cases in Nigeria, researchers found both primary zoonotic and human to human transmission.
● Like all diseases that are endemic only to Africa, while efforts were made to prevent an outbreak in the non-
endemic countries outside Africa, no serious international attempts were made to stop the outbreak in Nigeria
nor study the virus characteristics.
● The current outbreak in Europe and North America is the first instance when large scale human to human
transmission has been reported outside Africa.
● There are no clear answers to how humans are infected as the host animal that behaves as a reservoir for the
virus has not been identified in the wild. And how the virus spreads from animals to humans is not known.
● The current outbreak appears to have spread primarily among men who have sex with men.
● The virus is not transmitted through semen or vaginal fluids but the skin to skin contact during sex can
result in virus spread.
Some facts about ‘Zero-draft’ of the pandemic treaty:
● The World Health Organization’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) published a ‘zero-draft’ of the
pandemic treaty on February 1
● It was established based on recognising the “catastrophic failure of the international community in showing
solidarity and equity in response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic
● the draft noted “common but differentiated responsibilities and capabilities in pandemic
prevention, preparedness, response and recovery of health systems” as one of its guiding principles
● As per this draft, if and when a pandemic occurs, parties must “take appropriate measures to support
time-bound waivers of intellectual property rights that can accelerate or scale up manufacturing of pandemic-
related products.”
● The draft strengthens this point by defining what a pandemic means and constituting a time-bound
response.
● As per the draft, an outbreak is considered a pandemic when an infection spreads quickly globally — with
high morbidity and mortality.
● Other factors are — infecting immunologically naive human populations, pushing health systems to their
capacity and beyond, and triggering social and economic disruptions, where mitigation measures require
coordinated efforts across the geographical spectrum.
● The constitution of a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing system (PABS) under the WHO is another key
element of the draft.
● To ensure fair and equitable benefit-sharing, the draft details 20 per cent access for the WHO to
pandemic-related products, including diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics. Here, 10 per cent each will
be designated for donation and sale at affordable prices, respectively.
● The WHO Global Pandemic Supply Chain and Logistics Network, was also prosed under the draft.
Some background of previous accord:
● The WHO already has binding rules known as the International Health Regulations, which in 2005 set
out countries’ obligations where public health events have the potential to cross borders
● These include advising the WHO immediately of a health emergency and measures on trade and travel
● Adopted after the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, these regulations are still considered appropriate for regional
epidemics, such as Ebola but inadequate for a global pandemic
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 ● It would be only the second such health accord after the 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,
a treaty which aims to reduce smoking via taxation and rules on labeling and advertising..
Additional Info:
The International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR):
● It provide an overarching legal framework that defines countries’ rights and obligations in handling public
health events and emergencies that have the potential to cross borders.
● The IHR are an instrument of international law that is legally-binding on 196 countries, including the
194 WHO Member States. The IHR grew out of the response to deadly epidemics that once overran Europe.
● They create rights and obligations for countries, including the requirement to report public health events.
● The Regulations also outline the criteria to determine whether or not a particular event constitutes a “public
health emergency of international concern”.
● The IHR requires countries to designate a National IHR Focal Point for communications with WHO, to
establish and maintain core capacities for surveillance and response, including at designated points of entry.
● Additional provisions address the areas of international travel and transport such as the health documents
required for international traffic.
● The IHR introduce important safeguards to protect the rights of travellers and other persons in relation to
the treatment of personal data, informed consent and non-discrimination in the application of health
measures under the Regulations.
What is Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH)
WHO-managed network of stakeholders organized to facilitate the implementation of the Global Strategy on Digital
Health 2020–2025.
Key Points of the Initiative
● Aims to focus on data convergence, health platform interface, and global investments in digital health.
● A digital platform to include an investment tracker, ask tracker, and library of existing digital health platforms.
● Innovations to enhance universal health convergence and healthcare service delivery.
● Funding support from global partners was secured for the initiative.
● Emphasis on data security with India's citizen-centric data ownership policy.
● It addresses challenges like duplication of efforts and product-focused digital health transformation through
four key pillars:
1. Country Needs Tracker: Informs digital health investments based on country priorities.
2. Country Resource Portal: Identifies traditional and innovative resource opportunities, enhancing
transparency and reducing duplication risk. Enables standards-based analysis of resourcing gaps.
3. Transformation Toolbox: Advocates for quality-assured tools and resources, empowering countries
to manage national digital health transformation.
4. Convening and Knowledge Exchange: Promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing across global,
regional, and national digital health networks.
What is WHO’s Triple Billion targets for the period 2019-2023:
● WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work aims to have 1 billion more people benefit from UHC
by 2025, while also contributing to the targets of 1 billion more people better protected from health
emergencies and 1 billion more people enjoying better health and well-being.
What is Module-2 of ICD:
● Aim: To put the Indian system of medicine on the world map and provide it with a common standardized
language.
● The joint use of ICD-11’s chapter on traditional medicine along with other chapters on neoplasm, patient
safety, and injuries, can enhance the reporting of adverse events. It will enable the integration of traditional
medicine into insurance coverage and reimbursement systems, in line with larger WHO objectives relating
to universal health coverage.
● It will also link traditional medicine practices with global conventional medicine’s norms and standard
development.
What is National Ayush Morbidity and Standardized Terminologies Electronic (NAMASTE) portal:

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 ● It is a comprehensive web-portal for Standardized Terminologies and National Morbidity Codes of
Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Systems of Medicine and WHO-ICD-10 and ICD-11.
What is Ayush Health Information Management System (A-HIMS):
A-HMIS is a comprehensive IT platform to effectively manage all functions of health care delivery systems and
patient care in Ayush facilities.
● It is the first of its kind citizen centric service from Government of India to provide Electronic Health Record
and Personal Health Record facility to the recipients of Ayush Health Services catered through Research
Councils, National Institutes and other related agencies under Ministry of Ayush, Government of India.
Some facts about International Classification of Diseases (ICD) of WHO:
● ICD-11 came into effect from January 2022.
● It contains around 17,000 unique codes and more than 1,20,000 codable terms, which are now entirely
digital.
● ICD provides a common language that allows health professionals to share standardized information
across the world.
● The traditional medicine module of the 11th revision provides a list of diagnostics categories to collect and
report on traditional medicine conditions in a standardized and internationally comparable manner.
● ICD-11 has facilitated the inclusion of Module-1, which covers traditional medicine conditions originating
in ancient China, which are now commonly used in China, Japan, Korea, and elsewhere around the world.
Some facts about the patient safety rights charter:
● The charter also sought to assist governments and other stakeholders to ensure the voices of patients are heard
and their right to safe health care is protected.
● The mistakes in patient safety occur due to system or process failures, underlining the importance
of understanding the underlying causes of errors in medical care.
● The WHO unveiled two new resources at the conference for patient safety— astorytelling toolkit to guide
patients and families in sharing their experience related to harmful events within health care and Global
Knowledge Sharing Platform that will support the exchange of global resources, best practices, tools and
resources related to patient safety.
● The upcoming World Patient Safety Day, to be celebrated on September 17, 2023 this year, aims to
emphasize the crucial role of listening to patients, families and caregivers.
What is Title 42
● “Title 42” is a public health order that was invoked by the Trump administration in March 2020 to expel
most migrants caught at the U.S.-Mexico border without allowing them to seek asylum.
● The order was based on the premise that migrants posed a risk of spreading COVID-19 in detention
facilities and communities. However, many critics argued that Title 42 was a pretext to restrict immigration and
violate human rights.
● Recently, the USA President announced lifting Title 42. This means that migrants who cross the border
will be able to request asylum, a legal right under U.S. and international law..
What is the status of TB cases in India:
● In 2022, India reported the highest number of tuberculosis cases globally, accounting for a staggering 27
percent of the worldwide burden, according to the 2023 Global TB report by the World Health
Organization (WHO).
● Among the top eight high burden countries, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria,
Bangladesh, and the Democratic Republic of Congo were also included, with India leading the list.
● India recorded 2.8 million TB cases in 2022, with a case fatality ratio of 12 percent, resulting in an
estimated 342,000 deaths, including both HIV-negative and HIV-positive individuals.
● The report emphasizes that multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) remains a public health crisis, with
110,000 cases recorded in India in 2022.
● The report also highlights a global recovery in TB diagnosis and treatment services, showing signs of
reversing the adverse effects of COVID-19 disruptions on TB services.
● In 2022, 7.5 million people were diagnosed with TB, marking the highest number since WHO began global
TB monitoring in 1995.

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 ● The TB incidence rate increased by 3.9 percent between 2020 and 2022, reversing a two-decade-long decline
of about 2 percent per year.
Some facts about Lancet Countdown report
● The 8th annual report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change has shed light on the
alarming convergence of factors that jeopardize the well-being of individuals, public health, and healthcare
systems on a global scale..
● The reports reveals that the health impacts of climate change are surging worldwide, causing a devastating
toll on lives and livelihoods.
● Adults over 65 years of age and infants under one year old, who are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat,
are now experiencing twice as many heatwave days per year than they would have in 1986-2005.
● The increasing destructiveness of extreme weather events jeopardizes water security and food production,
putting millions of people at risk of malnutrition.
● 127 million more people are experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity in 122 countries in 2021,
compared to the annual numbers seen between 1981 and 2010.
● The warmer seas have increased the area of the world’s coastline suitable for the spread of Vibrio bacteria
that can cause illness and death in humans by 329km every year since 1982, putting a record 1.4 billion people
at risk of diarrhoeal disease, severe wound infections, and sepsis.
● In Europe, where Vibrio-suitable coastal waters have increased by 142km every year.
● These rising risks of climate change are also worsening global health inequities.
Some facts about the Lancet Countdown:
● The Lancet Countdown works to ensure that health is at the centre of how governments understand and
respond to climate change.
● Their work ranges from ensuring policymakers have access to high-quality evidence-based guidance,
through to providing the health profession with the tools they need to improve public health.
● The 2015 Lancet Commission’s conclusion – that ‘tackling climate change could be the greatest global
health opportunity of the 21st century’ highlighted the need for a global monitoring system with the ability
to engage policymakers and support health professionals.
● In 2016 the Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change was formed to address
this gap, beginning with a public consultation to identify key areas of health and climate change to track and
monitor.
● The collaboration recognises that the voice of the health profession is essential in driving forward progress on
climate change and realising the health benefits of a robust response.
● Publishing annually in The Lancet, with strategic and financial support from the Welcome Trust.
● It is hosted by University College London.
What is the approve draft of World Health Assembly:
● The plan will be up for consideration at the 79th World Health Assembly in 2026.
● The draft resolution was proposed by Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, the
European Union and its Member States, Guatemala, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
the United States of America and Vanuatu.
● The resolution noted that the indigenous peoples are disproportionately subject to poverty, poor housing,
cultural barriers, violence, including gender-based violence, racism, experiencing disability, pollution
and lack of access to education, economic opportunities, social protection, water, and sanitation, as well
as appropriate resilience planning for climate change and natural and other emergencies.
● WHO’s 194 member states were urged to develop a collection of ethical data to identify specific
requirements of indigenous people and fill in the gaps.
● They were also urged to have an intersectional approach to their politics that overcomes geographical barriers,
digital connectivity, information availability, remoteness and disability.
● Another approach proposed was to use evidence-based traditional medicine, along with medical services
offered at the primary healthcare level, which also includes mental health and wellness services.
Some facts about the Alma Ata Declaration of Primary Health Care:
● In 1978, the International Conference on Primary Health Care was held in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan.

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 ● The Alma Ata declaration of primary health care, which mandated basic health care for all citizens, was not
implemented in its entirety, resulting in partial coverage of the population and partial responsibility of the
government to pay for health care.
● It mandated all health promotion activities, and the prevention of diseases including vaccinations and
treatment of minor illnesses and accidents to be free for all using government resources, especially for the
poor.
International Atomic Energy Agency
Why in news:
1. IAEA meets with Iranians amid enrichment concerns
2. Atoms4Food:
3. 5 tonnes of uranium missing in Libya
4. Japan’s Release of Fukushima Water into the Ocean
Some facts about IAEA:
● Widely known as the world’s “Atoms for Peace and Development” organization within the United Nations
family, the IAEA is the international centre for cooperation in the nuclear field.
● Establishment:
● The IAEA was created in 1957 in response to the deep fears and expectations generated by the discoveries
and diverse uses of nuclear technology.
● Headquarter: Vienna, Austria.
● Objective:
● The Agency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and
peaceful use of nuclear technologies.
● In 2005, it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work for a safe and peaceful world.
● Board of Governors:
● 22 member states (must represent a stipulated geographic diversity) — elected by the General Conference
(11 members every year) – 2 year term.
● At least 10 members states — nominated by the outgoing Board.
● Board members each receive one vote.
● Functions:
● It is an independent international organization that reports annually to the United Nation General Assembly.
● When necessary, the IAEA also reports to the UN Security Council in regards to instances of members’ non-
compliance with safeguards and security obligations.
What is Atoms4Food:
● Atoms4Food is a project that aims to solve global hunger and improve food security through the use of
nuclear processes and advanced technologies.
● Developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the initiative tailors solutions to specific country needs.
● The Atoms4Food initiative at the 2023 World Food Forum in Rome.
● It utilizes nuclear and isotope technology to improve agricultural and livestock productivity, manage
natural resources, reduce food losses, ensure food safety, enhance nutrition, and address climate change
challenges.
● The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture supports the safe and
effective use of nuclear technologies for global food security and sustainable agricultural development.
● The Atoms4Food Initiative is collaborated with traditional and non-traditional partners, including other
UN Agencies, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), international
financial institutions, development agencies, foundations, industry, national academia and research
institutions,
What are different Atoms4Food services:
● Assessment Mission: Conducting a comprehensive assessment to identify food security needs and develop a
customized plan to address challenges.
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 ● Crop Variety Improvement Service: Creating crop improvement programs through nuclear plant
mutation breeding to enhance the resilience and nutritional value of crops.
● Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Service: Utilizing nuclear and isotopic science for precise
data on soil fertility, crop yield, fertilizer availability, and water irrigation systems.
● Animal Production and Health Service: Assessing the epidemiological status of animal diseases,
implementing preventive measures, and enhancing veterinary capacities.
● Insect Pest Control Service: Employing nuclear-based sterile insect techniques to control insect pests
affecting agricultural production.
● Food Safety and Control Service: Evaluating laboratory capabilities and conducting food hazard
surveillance to ensure food safety.
● Public Health Nutrition Service: Providing evidence-based insights on nutritional value and diet quality
using stable isotope techniques to inform impactful nutrition programs.
What is Uranium enrichment
● Uranium enrichment is a process that is necessary to create an effective nuclear fuel out of mined uranium
by increasing the percentage of uranium-235 which undergoes fission with thermal neutrons.
● Nuclear fuel is mined from naturally occurring uranium ore deposits and then isolated through chemical
reactions and separation processes.
● These chemical processes used to separate the uranium from the ore are not to be confused with the
physical and chemical processes used to enrich the uranium.
● Naturally occurring uranium does not have a high enough concentration of Uranium-235 at only about
0.72% with the remainder being Uranium-238.
● Due to the fact that uranium-238 is fissionable and not fissile, the concentration of uranium-235 must be
increased before it can be effectively used as a nuclear fuel.
World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Why in news:
1. India opposes inclusion of ‘environment sustainability and trade’ in WTO Ministerial agenda
2. The mini-ministerial meeting on agriculture at the World Trade Organization
3. India under fire at WTO for avoiding questions on MSP
4. India to appeal WTO panel ruling on ICT import tariffs
5. WTO IT Agreement
6. India has opposed the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) introduced by the European
Union.
7. Inclusion of cryptocurrency in the e-commerce sector negotiations at the World Trade Organization
(WTO) recommended by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI).
8. India's Stance on Fisheries Subsidies at WTO
9. Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS) at WTO Ministerial Conference
10. Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT)
Some facts about W.T.O
● W.T.O is an international institution that oversees the rules for global trade among nations.
● It officially began operations on January 1, 1995, in accordance with the 1994 Marrakesh Agreement, thus
replacing the 1948 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
● WTO has 164 member countries and 25 observer countries and governments.
What is the Structure of Governance of WTO
● Ministerial Conference
o The highest authority within the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which typically convenes every
two years. This gathering includes all WTO members, which consist of countries or customs unions.
The Ministerial Conference holds the authority to make decisions concerning any aspect of the
multilateral trade agreements.
● General Council

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 o Situated in Geneva, the General Council serves as the WTO's primary decision-making body,
convening regularly to execute the WTO's functions.
o It comprises representatives, often ambassadors or equivalent officials, from all member
governments and possesses the mandate to act on behalf of the Ministerial Conference, which holds
infrequent sessions every two years.
o The General Council also convenes, following different procedures, as the General Council, the
Trade Policy Review Body, and the Dispute Settlement Body (DSU).
● Three councils, each with jurisdiction over distinct areas of trade, report to the General Council:
o The Council for Trade in Goods (Goods Council)
o The Council for Trade in Services (Services Council)
o The Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Council)
● These councils are responsible for overseeing the implementation of WTO agreements pertaining to their
respective trade domains and encompass all WTO members.
● Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB)
o The General Council, in its capacity as the TPRB, conducts trade policy reviews of WTO Members
as part of the Trade Policy Review Mechanism) and considers regular reports on trade policy
development submitted by the Director-General.
o This forum is open to all WTO Members.
● Dispute Settlement Body (DSB)
o The General Council assumes the role of the Dispute Settlement Body in handling disputes among
WTO members. Such disputes may arise concerning any agreement outlined in the Final Act of the
Uruguay Round, which is subject to the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the
Settlement of Disputes .
o The DSB holds the authority to:
▪ Establish dispute settlement panels
▪ Refer matters to arbitration
▪ Adopt reports from panels, the Appellate Body, and arbitration
▪ Monitor the implementation of recommendations and rulings outlined in these reports
▪ Authorize the suspension of trade concessions in cases of non-compliance with these
recommendations and rulings.
● Appellate Body
● Established in 1995 under Article 17 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the
Settlement of Disputes, the Appellate Body comprises seven individuals and serves a four-year term.
● This standing body hears appeals from panel reports in disputes initiated by WTO Members.
● The Appellate Body may affirm, amend, or overturn the legal findings and conclusions presented by a
panel.
● Once the Appellate Body Reports are approved by the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), they must be accepted
by the involved parties.
● The Appellate Body is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
What are the stages in WTO Dispute Settlement:
● Once a complaint has been filed with the WTO, there are two main ways to resolve a dispute:
o Mutually Acceptable Solution: The parties reach a mutually acceptable solution, particularly during
the phase of bilateral consultations;
o Adjudication: It includes the subsequent implementation of the panel and Appellate Body reports,
which are binding on the parties once adopted by the DSB.
● The WTO dispute settlement process is divided into three stages:
o Parties’ discussions;
o Adjudication by panels and, if relevant, by the Appellate Body.
o Ruling implementation includes the potential of countermeasures if the losing party fails to
implement the ruling.
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What is the recent development at WTO agri talks
● The recent mini-ministerial meeting on agriculture at the World Trade Organization (WTO) encountered
challenges, primarily centered around divisive issues like public stockholding for food security and domestic
support for farmers.
● Notable disagreements persist between developed and developing nations, with India, part of the G-33
grouping and African nations, seeking a permanent solution for domestic food security.
● India's public stockholding program, particularly for rice, faced opposition from major food grain exporters
like the US and Canada, accusing it of distortion in the global foodgrain market.
● India, however, argues for flexibility in farm support.
● The WTO Director-General acknowledged the lack of progress in agriculture negotiations, emphasizing
the need for political guidance.
● The upcoming 13th Ministerial Conference in February 2024 is anticipated to address these issues, with
the United Arab Emirates urging ministers to provide political guidance to break the deadlock.
● The farm sector, facing challenges such as food insecurity, climate change impacts, and the COVID-19
pandemic, requires comprehensive structural solutions to sustainably address a growing world
population.
What are Agri Subsidies
In WTO terminology, subsidies in general are identified by “boxes” which are given the colours of traffic lights:
green (permitted), amber (slow down — i.e. need to be reduced), red (forbidden).

39
 ● The Agriculture Agreement has no red box, although domestic support exceeding the reduction
commitment levels in the amber box is prohibited; and there is a blue box for subsidies that are tied to
programmes that limit production.
● There are also exemptions for developing countries (sometimes called an “S&D box” or “development box“,
including provisions in Article 6.2 of the Agreement).
What is Amber box
● Nearly all domestic support measures considered to distort production and trade (with some exceptions) fall
into the amber box, which is defined in Article 6 of the Agriculture Agreement as all domestic supports
except those in the blue and green boxes.
● These include measures to support prices, or subsidies directly related to production quantities.
● These supports are subject to limits. “De minimis” minimal supports for both product-specific and non-
product-specific support are allowed, defined as a share of the value of agricultural production.
● This threshold is generally 5% of the value of agricultural production for developed countries, 10%
for most developing countries — although some WTO members agreed to a different level when they
negotiated to join the WTO.
● Furthermore, 32 WTO members with larger subsidies than the de minimis levels at the beginning of the
post-Uruguay Round reform period committed to reducing these support levels.
● The reduction commitments are expressed in terms of a “Total Aggregate Measurement of Support” (Total
AMS) which includes all supports for specified products together with supports that are not for specific
products, in one single figure. In the Agriculture Agreement, AMS is defined in Article 1 and Annexes 3
and 4.
Blue box
● This is the “amber box with conditions” — conditions designed to reduce distortion.
● Any support that would normally be in the amber box, is placed in the blue box if the support also requires
farmers to limit production (details set out in Paragraph 5 of Article 6 of the Agriculture Agreement).
● At present there are no limits on spending on blue box subsidies.
Green box
● The green box is defined in Annex 2 of the Agriculture Agreement.
● In order to qualify, green box subsidies must not distort trade, or at most cause minimal distortion.
● They have to be government-funded (not by charging consumers higher prices) and must not involve price
support.
● They tend to be programmes that are not targeted at particular products, and include direct income
supports for farmers that are not related to (are “decoupled” from) current production levels or prices.
● They also include environmental protection and regional development programmes.
● “Green box” subsidies are therefore allowed without limits, provided they comply with the policy-specific
criteria set out in Annex 2.

Development Box
● Article 6.2 of the Agriculture Agreement allows developing countries additional flexibilities in providing
domestic support.
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 ● The type of support that fits into the developmental category are measures of assistance, whether direct or
indirect, designed to encourage agricultural and rural development and that are an integral part of the
development programmes of developing countries.
● They include investment subsidies which are generally available to agriculture in developing country
members, agricultural input subsidies generally available to low-income or resource-poor producers in
developing country members, and domestic support to producers in developing country members to encourage
diversification from growing illicit narcotic crops.
De minimis
● The World Trade Organisation (WTO) defines de minimis as the “minimal amounts of domestic support
that are allowed even though they distort trade — up to 5% of the value of production for developed
countries, 10% for developing”.
What is Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM)
● The WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures disciplines the use of subsidies, and it
regulates the actions countries can take to counter the effects of subsidies.
● Under the agreement, a country can use the WTO’s dispute-settlement procedure to seek the withdrawal of
the subsidy or the removal of its adverse effects. Or the country can launch its own investigation and
ultimately charge extra duty (“countervailing duty”) on subsidized imports that are found to be hurting
domestic producers.
● All countries that become members of the WTO will automatically be subject to the Subsidies Agreement
What is the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA)
● The Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) is a WTO treaty that was negotiated during the Uruguay Round of
the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and formally ratified in 1994 at Marrakesh,
Morocco.
● The AoA came into effect in 1995. According to its provisions, developing countries were to complete their
reduction commitments by 2000 and developing countries by 2004.
● The Least Developed Countries were not required to make any reductions.
● The Agreement covers products that are normally considered part of agriculture but excludes forestry
and fishery products and also rubber, sisal, jute, coir and abaca.
Some facts about Peace Clause:
● India faced pressure at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for avoiding questions raised on India’s minimum
support price (MSP) programmes for food grains, especially rice, as subsidies have crossed the prescribed limits.
● Members like the U.S., Australia, Canada, the EU, and Thailand have asked India to reply to questions asked
on its public stockholding (PSH) programmes at the WTO agriculture committee meeting.
● India’s MSP policies are under scrutiny as India became the first country to invoke the Bali “peace clause”
to justify the breach of the 10% ceiling (of the total value of rice production) for rice support in 2018-2019
and 2019-2020.
● The Bali “peace clause” permits developing countries to exceed the 10% ceiling without invoking legal
action by members.
● However, it is subjected to stringent terms and conditions which include not distorting global trade and not
affecting the food security of other members.
● India has, however, insisted that it has provided the best possible information and clarifications at the
consultations held.
What is G33
● The G33 (or the Friends of Special Products in agriculture) is a coalition of developing and least developed
countries. Despite the name, there are currently 48 member nations including China, Cuba, India,
Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan etc.
● It was established prior to the 2003 Cancun ministerial conference, which was coordinated during the
Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations, specifically in regard to agriculture.
● Dominated by India, The group has "defensive" concerns regarding agriculture in relation to World Trade
Organization negotiations, and seeks to limit the degree of market opening required of developing countries.
Why India to appeal WTO panel ruling on ICT import tariffs:

41
 ● The dispute settlement panel of the World Trade Organization (WTO) had ruled that India had violated
global trading rules in a dispute with the European Union (EU), Japan and Taiwan over import duties on IT
products.
● The EU, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and Japan dragged India to the WTO dispute in 2019 on imposing tariffs
on certain information and communications technology goods.
● These products include mobile phones, microphones, transmission apparatus for radio broadcasting etc.
● As per these petitions, India is signatory to the 1996 Information Technology Agreement (ITA).
● Hence, it is required to eliminate tariffs on a range of products, including mobile handsets.
● Many countries had complained that the imposition of tariffs on IT products by India was against the
principles agreed upon under ITA.
What options does India have after the present WTO ruling.
● India has the option to appeal against the present ruling.
● If India does so, the case will sit in legal purgatory since the WTO’s top appeals bench is no longer
functioning due to U.S. opposition to judge appointments.
● Legal purgatory is a term used to describe a situation where a legal case or dispute is in a state of
limbo, without resolution or a clear path forward.
What is Information Technology Agreement
● India is a signatory to the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) (now also known as ITA-
1), a plurilateral agreement of WTO. As on date, there are altogether 75 member signatories, including 27
EU member countries, accounting for about 97 percent of the world trade in Information Technology (IT)
products.
● India joined the ITA on 25th March 1997.
● During the last year, some of the developed country members of the ITA – USA, European Union and
Japan- have again proposed in the ITA Committee meetings to broaden the scope and coverage of the
ITA (it is being referred as ITA-2).
● These proposals basically relate to increasing the coverage of IT products on which customs duty would be
bound at zero; addressing non-tariff measures; and expanding the number of signatory countries to
include new signatories such as Argentina, Brazil and South Africa.
● Proponents of ITA expansion have prepared a consolidated list containing IT products (combining products
of interest of all proponents of ITA 2), on which tariff reductions are being sought has been prepared and
circulated amongst WTO members. Same is under active discussions in the WTO these days.
What is the issue of India with Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM):
● India fears that CBAM will cripple the export of its carbon-intensive products to the EU.
● While India’s exports may be limited to aluminium, iron, and steel, and affect only 1.8% of its total exports
to the EU, India has reportedly decried CBAM as being protectionist and discriminatory.
What is EU’s concern:
● The EU’s concern is that while it has a mechanism for its domestic industries, emissions embedded in products
imported from other countries may not be priced in a similar way due to a lack of stringent policies or due to
less stringent policies in those countries.
● This would put its industries at a disadvantage.
● To tackle this, the impacted industries in the EU had so far been receiving free allowances or permits under the
ETS.
● The EU also apprehends the phenomenon of ‘carbon leakage’, that is, due to the application of ETS, European
firms operating in carbon-intensive sectors might possibly shift to those countries that have less stringent GHG
emission norms.
How CBAM will resolve this concern?
● CBAM is levelling the playing field for the EU industries.
● Under the CBAM, imports of certain carbon-intensive products, namely cement, iron and steel, electricity,
fertilizers, aluminium, and hydrogen, will have to bear the same economic costs borne by EU producers
under the ETS.
o The price to be paid will be linked to the weekly average of the emissions priced under the ETS.
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 o However, where a carbon price has been explicitly paid for the imported products in their country of
origin, a reduction can be claimed.
WTO’s consistency with the CBAM:
● A cornerstone principle of WTO law is non-discrimination.
● Under this law, countries are required to accord equal treatment to ‘like’ products irrespective of their country
of origin (most-favoured-nation treatment) and to treat foreign-made ‘like’ products as they treat domestic ones
(national treatment principle).
● Discriminatory nature of CBAM:
o While the CBAM’s design is origin-neutral in appearance, it may, in its application, discriminate
between goods from different countries on account of an inadequate carbon pricing policy, or due to
onerous reporting requirements that importers would be subject to.
o There are no clear provisions for which products are considered ‘like’.
o The CBAM violates WTO law for discriminating between EU and foreign products covered by CBAM
based on embedded emissions.
What is Article XX of the GATT:
● Even if the EU’s CBAM is discriminatory, there could be a claim for justifying it under the General
Exceptions clause given in Article XX of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
● Under Article XX, measures taken by countries that otherwise violate GATT obligations are permitted if,
o first, they fall under one of the listed policy grounds, and
o second, if they satisfy the requirements of the introductory clause of Article XX, known as the chapeau.
● One of the listed policy grounds in Article XX is the ‘conservation of exhaustible natural resources’.
● CBAM would fall under this category.
● However, it is doubtful if it would satisfy the chapeau, which inter alia requires that countries do not apply
measures in a manner that results in arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between countries where
the same conditions prevail
What is the Global Trade Research Initiative.(GTRI)
● It is a think tank that focuses on conducting research and analysis related to global trade, international
economics, and various policy issues concerning trade and commerce.
● The organization aims to provide insights and recommendations to policymakers, businesses, and other
stakeholders to facilitate informed decision-making and promote effective trade policies at the global level.
What were the suggestions of GTRI on cryptocurrency:
● GTRI suggested inclusion of cryptocurrency in the e-commerce sector.
● The Ongoing WTO negotiations involve two key aspects: a. Joint initiative on e-commerce: Discussions
encompass tariffs, customs clearance, paperless trading, online privacy, and cybersecurity, impacting 89 WTO
members. b. E-commerce moratorium: Introduced in 1998, the moratorium restricts countries from
applying customs duties on electronic transmissions, last extended for two years in June 2022.
● India has chosen to abstain from these talks, citing concerns about unregulated digital trade and
emphasizing the need to preserve policy space for digital advancement and revenue generation through
customs duties.
● India's opposition to the continuation of the e-commerce moratorium is based on the argument that it
disproportionately affects developing countries.
● The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's impact assessment indicates a substantial
potential tariff revenue loss for developing countries, emphasizing the need to regulate imports and foster
revenue generation.
● The GTRI emphasizes the importance of considering cryptocurrency within the WTO's e-commerce
negotiations to establish an updated regulatory framework that aligns with the evolving global digital trade
landscape.
What was India's Stance on Fisheries Subsidies at WTO
Asymmetrical Agreement Rejection:

43
 ● India refuses to agree to an "asymmetrical" agreement on reducing fisheries subsidies that lead to
overfishing. Specific carveouts are insisted upon to protect resource-poor fishers and preserve the space for
capacity development.
Protection of Livelihood:
● The livelihoods of 9 million people, mainly resource-poor and dependent on fishing, need protection. India
demands exemption for poor fishers from subsidy cuts, regardless of their fishing locations.
Exemption for Developing Nations:
● India seeks exemption for all fishers in developing nations from subsidy cuts within the exclusive economic
zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles. A 25-year exemption from subsidy cuts for fishing in waters beyond EEZ
is also requested.
Special & Differential Treatment:
● These demands align with the concept of special and differential treatment for developing nations. India
emphasizes the need to safeguard the interests of developing countries in WTO negotiations.
Upcoming WTO Meeting:
● Trade Ministers from 164 WTO nations will convene in Abu Dhabi on February 24-29 to negotiate various
agreements, including curbing fisheries subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing.
Partial Agreement Status:
● While a partial agreement on curbing harmful fisheries subsidies was reached at the previous WTO MC12 in
2021, only about 55 nations have adopted it so far, falling short of the required 110.
Concerns about Developed Nations:
● India criticizes developed nations, including the EU, Japan, Norway, the US, and even non-developed nations
like China, for their distant water fishing practices and extensive subsidies to their fishing communities.
Equitable Resource Sharing:
● India asserts that environmental concerns should be shared equitably. Developed nations, having different
capacities, should bear more substantial cuts to create space for others' development.
Call for Equitable Responsibility:
● India maintains that if there are environmental concerns, responsibilities should be shared equitably, with
developed nations taking on more significant cuts to accommodate the development of others.
Adoption of Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS) at WTO Ministerial Conference:
Some facts about the Agreement:
● Prohibits subsidies for Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and overfished stocks.
● Restricts subsidies for fishing on high seas beyond coastal jurisdictions.
● Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) allows Developing and Least Developed Countries a two-year
transition period without obligations.
Exempted Areas:
● No prohibition on subsidies for vessels not engaged in IUU.
● Permits subsidies for overfished stocks if aimed at rebuilding to a sustainable level.
Global Fisheries Subsidies:
● Estimated at $35.4 billion in 2018; $22.2 billion for capacity-enhancing subsidies.
● UN General Assembly tasked WTO to deliver an agreement against harmful fisheries subsidies.
India’s Demand:
● India seeks a 25-year transition period to end over-capacity and over-fishing (OCOF) subsidies within its
EEZ.
● Rooted in national interest due to India’s extensive coastline and the importance of the blue economy.
● Aims to protect livelihoods, especially of small-scale artisanal fishers.
What is Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT):
Definition:
● S&DT is a set of provisions in international trade agreements that offers preferential treatment to developing
countries, recognizing their unique challenges and needs.

44
Objective:
● To address the developmental, financial, and trade-related constraints faced by developing nations.
Key Features:
● Flexibilities: Provides flexibility in meeting certain commitments or obligations, considering the developmental
stage of the country.
● Transitional Periods: Allows extended timelines or transition periods for implementing certain provisions.
● Technical Assistance: Includes support in capacity building, technology transfer, and financial assistance.
● Market Access: Grants preferential market access, including tariff reductions and exemptions.
UNCITRAL
Why in news:
1. Court in The Hague rejects Indian govt plea against $111-million award to Devas investors
2. UN convention to promote legal certainty in judicial sale of ships signed
What was the issue:
● The district court of The Hague has rejected India's request to set aside a compensation award of $111
million, awarded to foreign investors in the Bengaluru satellite services startup Devas Multimedia, over
the cancellation of a 2005 satellite deal with ISRO's Antrix Corporation.
● The tribunal's award was made in favor of three Mauritius-based investors in Devas Multimedia in 2020.
● India's plea was based on a Supreme Court order from January 2022, upholding the liquidation of Devas
Multimedia on charges of fraud.
● The district court ruled that the allegations of fraud had already been considered and rejected by the Court
of Appeal of The Hague, and thus the award stands.
What is United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL):
● The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law is a subsidiary body of the United Nations
General Assembly.
● Its mandate is to further the progressive harmonization and unification of the law of international trade.
● It is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law.
● UNCITRAL was established by the UN General Assembly in 1996.
● The Commission is composed of seventy Member States elected by the General Assembly.
● Membership is structured so as to be representative of the world's various geographic regions and its
principal economic and legal systems.
● Members of the Commission are elected for terms of six years, the terms of half the members expiring
every three years.
● UNCITRAL carries out its work at annual sessions held alternately in New York City and Vienna, where it is
headquartered.
● The Tribunal is constituted in accordance with the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules 1976 is seated at the
Hague, Netherlands,
● Since its inception, India is only one of eight countries that has been a member of UNCITRAL.
● The UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency (1997) (MLCBI) is designed to assist States in
developing a modern, harmonized and fair insolvency framework to more effectively address instances of
cross-border proceedings concerning debtors experiencing severe financial distress or insolvency.
What is the Beijing Convention On the Judicial Sale of Ships,.
● It aims to promote legal certainty and predictability at the international level by creating a uniform regime
for the international effects of ‘judicial’ sales of ships.
● The Beijing Convention On the Judicial Sale of Ships, as it is now known, was developed by the United
Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) to address the problem of bona fide new
owners finding themselves dealing with previous creditors laying claim to the ship as security for a loan.
● The convention establishes a harmonised regime for giving international effect to judicial sales.
● By ensuring legal certainty to the title that the purchaser acquires in the ship as it navigates internationally,
the convention is designed to maximise the price that the ship is able to attract in the market and the
proceeds available for distribution among creditors, and to promote international trade.
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 ● The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) said it was supporting the establishment of the convention
by acting as the repository for these notices and certificates of judicial sale.
● Information on pending and completed judicial sales of ships will be accessible online via a dedicated module
on IMO’s Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) platform.
● With the Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships having now been adopted, the
IMO is encouraging member states to ratify the agreement.
Some facts about International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
● The international Maritime Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for
regulating shipping.
● It promotes cooperation between governments in the regulation of shipping engaged in international trade and
encourages the adoption of the highest practicable standards concerning maritime safety, efficiency of
navigation, and prevention and control of marine pollution.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Why in news:
1. UNCTAD warns that Developed countries benefit the most from green technologies
2. Generalized System of Preferences (GSPs)
Some facts about UNCTAD:
● UNCTAD stands for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and is a body of the
United Nations system that focuses on promoting economic development, particularly in developing
countries.
● UNCTAD was formed in 1964, as part of the United Nations system.
● It was established to promote economic development, particularly in developing countries, and to facilitate
trade and investment.
● The objectives of UNCTAD include promoting international trade, reducing trade barriers, supporting
developing countries in their efforts to integrate into the global economy, and fostering sustainable
development.
● UNCTAD provides research, analysis, and technical assistance to developing countries, to help them
improve their trade and investment policies.
● It also provides a forum for dialogue between developed and developing countries on trade and development
issues.
● UNCTAD has 195 member states and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
● UNCTAD conducts research and analysis on various trade and development issues, and publishes reports and
policy recommendations. It also provides technical assistance and capacity building to developing countries,
and organizes conferences and meetings on trade and development issues.
● UNCTAD works closely with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and provides technical assistance to
developing countries in their WTO negotiations.
What are the flagship reports UNCTAD:
● Trade and Development Report
● World Investment Report
● The Least Developed Countries Report
● Economic Development in Africa Report
● Information Economy Report
● Technology and Innovation Report
● Review of Maritime Transport
Some facts from the ‘Frontier Technology Readiness Index’:
● According to the ‘frontier technology readiness index’ included in this report, only a few developing
countries have the capacity needed to take advantage of frontier technologies such as blockchain, drones
and solar power.

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 ● Although developing countries are the least prepared to use frontier technologies, several economies in
Asia have made important policy changes that have enabled them to perform better than expected
according to their gross domestic product per capita.
● India remains the greatest performer, ranking at 67 positions better than expected, followed by the
Philippines (54 positions better) and Vietnam (44 better).
● UNCTAD calls on governments in developing countries to align environmental, science, technology,
innovation and industrial policies.
● It urges them to prioritize investment in greener and more complex sectors, to provide incentives to shift
consumer demand towards greener goods and to boost investment in research and development.
What is Generalized System of Preferences (GSPs):
● It was instituted in 1971 under the aegis of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD).
● It is aimed at creating an enabling trading environment for developing countries.
● The countries which grant GSP preferences are Australia, Belarus, Canada, the European Union, Iceland,
Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Norway, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, Turkey and the United
States of America.
● The provision and utilization of trade preferences is a key goal the Istanbul Program of Actions adopted at
the UN LDC IV in 2013, as further reaffirmed in SDGs Goal 17.
● The objective of UNCTAD’s support on GSP and other preferential arrangements is to help developing
countries to increase utilization of GSP and other trade preferences.
What is European Union’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSPs)
● It is a set of EU rules allowing exporters from developing countries to pay less or no duties on their exports
to the European Union.
● The EU adopted a new Generalized Scheme of Preferences in 2012.
● The Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) has 3 strands:
○ GSP general arrangement: for all beneficiary countries
○ GSP+: A special scheme with entire removal of tariffs on essentially the same product categories as
those covered by the general arrangement. The countries need to ratify and implement international
conventions relating to human and labour rights, environment and good governance.
○ Everything But Arms: A special arrangement for least developed countries (as recognised and
classified by the UN) giving them duty- and quota-free access for all products, except arms and
ammunitions.
International Criminal Court (ICC)
Why in news:
1. ICC issues arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes
2. Armenia’s Parliament votes to join International Criminal Court (ICC)
3. Israel, Hamas, and the laws of war
Some facts about International Criminal Court (ICC):
● The International Criminal Court is a permanent court to prosecute serious international crimes committed by
individuals.
● It tries crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.
● The court was established to fight global impunity and bring to justice criminals under international law,
regardless of their rank or stature.
● It is different from the United Nations’ International Court of Justice, also at The Hague.
● The Head Quarter of ICC is in The Hague, The Netherlands
● Statute: Before the ICC became functional in 2002, its founding treaty was adopted by the UN General
Assembly in 1998 in Rome, Italy, thereby making it the Rome Statute.
What is the Composition and voting power:
● The Court’s management oversight and legislative body, the Assembly of States Parties, consists of one
representative from each state party.
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 ● Each state party has one vote and “every effort” has to be made to reach decisions by consensus. If
consensus cannot be reached, decisions are made by vote.
● The Assembly is presided over by a president and two vice-presidents, who are elected by the members to
three-year terms.
How does the ICC function?
● Judges & Prosecutors
● The court carries out its investigations through the Office of the Prosecutor and has 18 judges.
● Both the judges and prosecutors hold non-renewable nine-year terms.
● Process
● There are pre-trial, trial, and appellate benches in the ICC.
● The prosecutor conducts a preliminary examination in a matter, before seeking permission from pre-trial
judges to open a full investigation.
● The initial examination must conclude that the crimes in question are of sufficient gravity.
● Ways to open investigations
● The prosecutor can open an investigation in three ways:
o when a case is referred by a member country in its own territory;
o when a case is referred by the UN Security Council;
o when the prosecutor takes up a case proprio motu or on his own.
● Non-member states can also be investigated in three ways:
o if alleged crimes were perpetrated by non-members in member states,
o if the non-members accept the court’s jurisdiction,
o when the Security Council authorizes it.
Does the ICC have the authority to prosecute President Putin?
● Russia has repeatedly said that it does not.
● The ICC’s jurisdiction is limited to offences that occurred after it came into existence on July 1, 2002, and
were committed either in a country that has ratified the agreement, or by a national of a country that has
ratified the agreement.
● Russia is not one of the 123 States Parties to the Rome Statute that recognise the authority of the ICC.
● Even Ukraine is not a State Party to the Rome Statute.
● However, in 2014, Ukraine accepted the jurisdiction of the Court over alleged crimes committed on its
territory from November 2013 to February 2014.
● Again, in 2015, it accepted the ICC’s jurisdiction from 20 February 2014 onwards, with no end date.
Is there a risk of arrest for Putin outside Russia?
● Only if he travels to a State Party to the ICC — like South Africa — and only in theory.
● This is the first time that the ICC has issued an arrest warrant against the head of one of the five
permanent members of the UN Security Council.
● Sudan’s former President Omar al-Bashir and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi are the only other leaders to
have been indicted by the ICC while serving as head of state.
What are the Ten key facts about the legal process
● The ICC does not prosecute those under the age of 18 when a crime was committed.
● Before the Prosecutor can investigate, she must conduct a preliminary examination considering such
matters as sufficient evidence, jurisdiction, gravity, complementarity, and the interests of justice.
● When investigating, the Prosecutor must collect and disclose both incriminating and exonerating evidence.
● The defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty. The burden of proof lies with the Prosecutor.
● During all stages of proceedings (Pre-Trial, Trial and Appeals), the defendant has the right to information
in a language he or she fully understands, thus the ICC proceedings are conducted in multiple languages,
with teams of interpreters and translators at work.
● Pre-Trial judges issue warrants of arrest and ensure there is enough evidence before a case can go to trial.

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 ● Before a case is committed to trial (during the Pre-Trial phase), the defendant is referred to as a suspect. Once
the case is committed to trial, since at that point the charges have been confirmed, the defendant is referred to
as the accused.
● Trial judges hear the evidence from the Prosecutor, Defence, and the Victims’ lawyers, render a verdict,
and if a person is found guilty, the sentence and decision on reparations.
● Appeals judges render decisions on appeals from the Prosecutor or Defence.
● If a case is closed without a verdict of guilt, it can be reopened if the Prosecutor presents new evidence.
What is the Trust Fund for Victims
● Though the Trust Fund for Victims is separate from the Court, it was created in 2004 by the Assembly of
States Parties, in accordance with article 79 of the Rome Statute.
● The Fund’s mission is to support and implement programmes that address harms resulting from genocide,
crimes of humanity, war crimes and aggression.
● To achieve this mission, the TFV has a two-fold mandate:
● (i) To implement Court-Ordered reparations
● (ii) To provide physical, psychological, and material support to victims and their families. By assisting
victims to return to a dignified and contributory life within their communities, the TFV contributes to
realizing sustainable and long-lasting peace by promoting restorative justice and reconciliation.
How one can become member of ICC:
● To become a member of the ICC or State party to the Rome Statute, countries have to sign the statute and
ratify it under their respective legislatures.
● 123 countries are currently members of the ICC, with African countries making up the largest bloc.
● Notably, countries including India, China, Iraq, North Korea and Turkey never signed the Rome Statute.
● Others including the US, Russia, Israel and Syria signed, but never ratified
What are the laws of war:
● Two fundamental aspects of international law govern conflicts.
o Jus ad Bellum: This aspect of international law addresses the conditions and justifications for
countries to use force in their international relations. It is regulated by the United Nations (UN)
Charter.
o Jus in Bello: Jus in bello concerns the rules that dictate how a war is to be fought, specifying what
military actions are permissible. Even if a country is justified under the UN Charter to use force, it
must adhere to these rules.
● This law of war, known as international humanitarian law (IHL), outlined in customary international law,
the 1949 Geneva Conventions, and the 1977 Additional Protocols, prescribes rules to protect civilians and
minimize suffering during armed conflicts. Regardless of the justness of their cause, warring parties must
abide by IHL.
What are war crimes:
● War crimes encompass grave breaches of humanitarian laws within conflicts.
● The Rome Statute of the ICC provides the definition, which draws from the principles of the 1949 Geneva
Conventions.
● It centers on the principle of individual accountability for actions committed on behalf of a state or its
armed forces. Illustrative examples include hostage-taking, deliberate killings, torture or inhumane
treatment of prisoners of war, and the recruitment of child soldiers.
What is Criteria for War Crimes:
● International humanitarian law employs three key principles to determine whether an individual or military
has committed a war crime:
o Distinction: This principle forbids targeting objectives that are likely to cause excessive harm to
civilians or civilian infrastructure compared to the expected military advantage.
o Proportionality: Proportionality restricts the use of disproportionate force in response to an attack.
For instance, it prohibits indiscriminate retaliation, such as bombing an entire city for the death of a
single soldier.

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 o Precaution: Parties involved in a conflict are obligated to take measures that prevent or minimize
harm to the civilian population.
What are the Geneva Conventions (1949):
● The Geneva Conventions, established in 1949 along with their Additional Protocols, represent crucial
international agreements that set forth fundamental regulations to mitigate the cruelty of armed conflict.
● These conventions provide safeguards for non-combatants i.e. civilians, medical personnel, humanitarian
workers and individuals who are no longer able to participate in combat i.e. injured, sick, and shipwrecked
military personnel, as well as prisoners of war.
● The First Geneva Convention protects wounded and sick soldiers on land during war.
● The Second Geneva Convention protects wounded, sick and shipwrecked military personnel at sea during
war.
● The Third Geneva Convention applies to prisoners of war, including a wide range of general protections
such as humane treatment, maintenance and equality across prisoners, conditions of captivity,
questioning and evacuation of prisoners, transit camps, food, clothing, medicines, hygiene and right to
religious, intellectual, and physical activities of prisoners.
● The Fourth Geneva Convention protects civilians, including those in occupied territory. The other Geneva
Conventions were concerned mainly with combatants rather than civilians.
● Two Protocols of 1977: Additional to the four 1949 Geneva Conventions were adopted in 1977. They
strengthen the protection of victims of international (Protocol I) and non-international (Protocol II)
armed conflicts and place limits on the way wars are fought.
● In 2005, a third Additional Protocol was adopted creating an additional emblem, the Red Crystal, which
has the same international status as the Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems.

UN Statistical Commission
Why in news:
● India has been elected to the highest statistical body of the United Nations for a four-year term beginning
January 1, 2024.
Some facts about UN Statistical Commission
● The United Nations Statistical Commission, established in 1947, is the highest body of the global statistical
system bringing together the Chief Statisticians from member states from around the world.
● It is the highest decision-making body for international statistical activities, responsible for setting of
statistical standards and the development of concepts and methods, including their implementation at the
national and international level.
● The Statistical Commission oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), and it is
a Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council.
● Sessions: The 54th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission was held on 28 February – 3 March
2023.
What is the Mandate of UN Statistical Commission:
● The Statistical Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council. Commission shall assist
the Council:
● In promoting the development of national statistics and the improvement of their comparability;
● In the coordination of the statistical work of specialized agencies;
● In the development of the central statistical services of the Secretariat;
● In advising the organs of the United Nations on general questions relating to the collection, analysis and
dissemination of statistical information;
● In promoting the improvement of statistics and statistical methods generally.
● Items considered
● The Statistical Commission considers special issues of concern in international statistical development,
methodological issues, coordination and integration of international statistical programmes, support of
technical cooperation activities in statistics and organizational matters.
● Frequency of meetings
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 ● In July 1999 the Economic and Social Council decided that the Commission should meet annually for
four days each session, starting in the year 2000.
● Membership
● The Commission consists of 24 member countries of the United Nations elected by the United Nations
Economic and Social Council on the basis of an equitable geographical distribution according to the following
pattern:
● Five members from African States;
● Four members from Asia-Pacific States;
● Four members from Eastern European States;
● Four members from Latin American and Caribbean States;
● Seven members from Western European and other States.
● The term of office of members is four years.
● Bureau
o The officers of the Commission, also referred to as the Bureau, are the Chairman, 3 Vice-
chairmen and the Rapporteur.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

Why in news:
1. World leaders gathered at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
2. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People
3. China faces grilling in review of key rights by UN committee
Some facts about UN Economic and Social Council (UN-ECOSOC):
● Established by the UN Charter in 1945, it is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy
dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as implementation
of internationally agreed development goals.
● It has 54 members, elected by the UN General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms.
● It is the UN's central platform for reflection, debate and innovative thinking on sustainable development.
● Each year, ECOSOC structures its work around an annual theme of global importance to sustainable
development.
● It coordinates the work of the 14 UN specialized agencies,ten functional commissions and five regional
commissions, receives reports from nine UN funds and programmes and issues policy recommendations to the
UN system and to member states.
What are the few Important Bodies under the Purview of ECOSOC:
o International labour Organization (ILO)
o Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
o United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
o World Health Organization (WHO)
o Bretton Woods Twins (World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund)
o United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
o Apart from these there are various Functional and Regional Commissions, Standing Committees,
Ad Hoc and Expert Bodies as well.
What is High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development(HLPF):
● The event was held in New York from July 10-19, 2023 under the auspices of the Economic and Social
Council.
● HLPF (formed on 9 July 2013) is a subsidiary body of both the United Nations General Assembly and the
United Nations Economic and Social Council responsible for the entire organization's policy on sustainable
development.
● HLPF is the central global platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and SDGs.
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 ● Headquarter: New York, USA
● The theme of the HLPF meeting is Sustainable and Resilient Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic.
● This year’s HLPF recognised the unprecedented challenges created by the global health crisis, especially those
related to poverty.

What is
Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development:
● The APFSD is an annual, inclusive intergovernmental forum to support follow-up and review of progress
on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the
regional level, while serving as a regional preparatory meeting to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF).
● The Forum provides a regional perspective on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development by identifying regional trends and sharing best practices and lessons learned.
● Since its inaugural session in 2014, the APFSD has brought governments, civil society, the private sector, and
other stakeholders together to prepare for the HLPF and to support regional efforts to accelerate the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Some facts about the Declaration:
● The Declaration is a comprehensive statement addressing the human rights of indigenous peoples.
● It emphasizes rights of indigenous peoples to live in dignity, to maintain and strengthen their own institutions,
cultures and traditions and to pursue their self-determined development, in keeping with their own needs and
aspirations
● Other U.N. bodies address indigenous rights through Conventions such as the International Labour
Organization’s (ILO) Convention No.169 and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (Article 8j).
● UN Declarations are generally not legally binding.
● It was drafted and formally debated for over 20 years prior to being adopted by the General Assembly in
2007.
● It was started in 1982 when the UN-ECOSOC established the Working Group on Indigenous Populations.
What are the rights ensured by the Declaration:
● The Declaration, however, is widely viewed as not creating new rights.
● It addresses both individual and collective rights, cultural rights and identity, rights to education, health,
employment, language, and others.
● Recognizes subsistence rights and rights to lands, territories and resources.

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 ● All human rights and fundamental freedoms as recognized in the Charter of the UN, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and the rest of international human rights law.
● Right to be free from any kind of discrimination.
● Right to self-determination– By that right they can freely determine their political status and pursue their
economic, social and cultural development.
Some facts about UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR):
● The CESCR was set up in 1985 by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.
● It was constituted with an aim to monitor on its behalf the implementation of the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESR), which has been ratified by 169 countries.
● The countries that are parties to the covenant are required to submit reports to the CESCR every five years on
how they protect the economic, social and cultural rights.
● The committee examines each report and addresses its concerns and recommendations to the State
party in the form of concluding observations.
● The Members of the CESCR serve in their personal capacities as experts and do not represent their
countries even though they may be nominated by their own nation.
● The CECSR meets in Geneva and holds two sessions per year, consisting of a three-week plenary and a one-
week pre-sessional working group.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
● The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty
adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (GA).
● It commits its parties to work toward the granting of economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) to the Non-
Self-Governing and Trust Territories and individuals, including labour rights and the right to health, the
right to education, and the right to an adequate standard of living.
● India ratified the treaty in 1979.
● A further four countries, including the United States, have signed but not ratified the Covenant.
● The ICESCR (and its Optional Protocol) is part of the International Bill of Human Rights, along with
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR), including the latter’s first and second Optional Protocols.
● The Covenant is monitored by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
● Optional Protocol :
● The Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is a side-
agreement to the Covenant which allows its parties to recognise the competence of the Committee on
Economic Social and Cultural Rights to consider complaints from individuals
UN Democracy Fund
Why in news:
● India, a founding member of UNDEF, has no objections to the Fund giving grants to NGOs funded by
George Soros,
Some facts about UNDEF
Background :
● India and the US were prime movers behind the UN Democracy Fund in 2005, when they were negotiating
the civilian nuclear co-operation deal.
● UNDEF was created by UN Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan in 2005 as a United Nations General Trust
Fund to support democratization efforts around the world.
Role
● UNDEF funds projects that empower civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the
participation of all groups in democratic processes.
● The large majority of UNDEF funds go to local civil society organizations.
● In this way, UNDEF plays a novel and unique role in complementing the UN’s other, more traditional
work — the work with Governments — to strengthen democratic governance around the world.
Finance
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 ● UNDEF subsists entirely on voluntary contributions from Governments; in 2021, it reached almost 220
million dollars in contributions and counts more than 45 countries as donors, including many middle- and
low-income States in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
● In 15 Rounds of Funding so far, UNDEF has supported over 880 two-year projects in more than 130
countries.
● Grants ranging from US$100,000 to US$300,000 support initiatives in the areas of:
● Support for Electoral Processes
● Women’s Empowerment
● Media and Freedom of Information
● Rule of Law and Human Rights
● Strengthening Civil Society Interaction with Government
● Youth Engagement
UNDEF Composition:
● The Advisory Board, constituted by the Secretary General, includes eight largest Member State
contributors and six other states to reflect diverse geographical representation.
● India has been a member of the Board since the beginning.
● The Advisory Board considers the proposals from NGOs and recommends proposals for approval by the
Secretary General.
India’s Contribution to UNDEF:
● India gave $5 million to the fund in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011.
● The contributions began dipping from 2012 ($4.71 m) and the following year it was $1.85 million.
● After no contribution in 2017, India was back with $100,000 in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, it
gave $150,000.
UNESCO
Why in news:
1. UN top prize for 3 Iranian women journalists who reported protests
2. US decides to rejoin UNESCO
3. UNESCO declares Gwalior the ‘city of music’
4. Pakistan beat India to bag UNESCO Vice chair
Some facts about UNESCO:
● The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) operates as a specialized
agency within the United Nations (UN), striving to foster global peace through collaborative efforts in the
fields of Education, Sciences, and Culture.
● UNESCO was founded in 1945 as the successor to the League of Nations’ International Committee on
Intellectual Cooperation
● It has194 member states and 12 associate members, as well as partners in the non-governmental,
intergovernmental, and private sector
● Membership of UNESCO is governed by Articles II and XV of the Constitution and by rules 98 to 101 of
the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference.
● Membership of the United Nations carries with it the right to membership of UNESCO.
● States that are not members of the United Nations may be admitted to UNESCO, upon recommendation
of the Executive Board, by a two-thirds majority vote of the General Conference.
● Three UNESCO member states are not UN members: Cook Islands, Niue, and Palestine.
● Two UN member states Israel and Liechtenstein are not UNESCO members
● UNESCO is governed by the General Conference, composed of member states and associate members,
which meets biannually to set the agency’s programmes and the budget.
● It also elects members of the Executive Board, which manages UNESCO’s work, and appoints every four
years a Director-General, who serves as UNESCO’s chief administrator
UN top prize for 3 Iranian women journalists
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 ● UNESCO marked World Press Freedom Day by awarding its annual World Press Freedom Prize to three
imprisoned Iranian female journalists. The winners, NiloufarHamedi,
ElahehMohammadi, and NargesMohammadi, were recognized for their work in reporting on human rights
abuses in Iran and their commitment to truth and accountability.
● The UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize, named after Colombian journalist Guillermo Cano who was
assassinated in 1986, is awarded to those who have made an outstanding contribution to press freedom.
What are key reports published by UNESCO
● Global Education Monitoring Report
● The United Nations World Water Development Report
● World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development
● Global Ocean Science Report
UNICEF
Why in the news?
1. The Vaccine Confidence Project
Some facts about UNICEF
● UNICEF is a special program of the United Nations (UN) devoted to aiding national efforts to improve the
health, nutrition, education, and general welfare of children.
● UNICEF was created in 1946 as International Children’s Emergency Fund (ICEF) by the UN relief
Rehabilitation Administration to help children affected by World War II.
● UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations in 1953.
● The name was shortened to United Nations Children Fund but it is still referred to as UNICEF.
● It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights,
to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.
● UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989.
● It strives to establish children’s rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behavior
towards children.
● Awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1965 for “promotion of brotherhood among the nations”.
● Headquarters: New York City
● It works in over 190 countries and territories with 7 regional offices.
● UNICEF is governed by an Executive Board consisting of 36 members that are elected to terms of three
years by the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council
Some facts about The Vaccine Confidence Project:
● According to the data collected by The Vaccine Confidence Project and published by UNICEF, out of the
55 countries studied, only China, India, and Mexico showed improvement in the popular perception of
the importance of vaccines for children.
● As per the data, vaccine confidence has been on a decline in countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea,
Papua New Guinea, Ghana, and Senegal.
● The report also noted that the growing threat of vaccine hesitancy was mainly due to factors such as
misleading information and declining trust in vaccine efficacy.
● Further, UNICEF India has released its global flagship report titled “The State of the World’s Children
2023: For Every Child, Vaccination” which underlines the importance of childhood immunisation.
● The report pointed out that about 67 million children missed out on vaccinations between 2019 and 2021
and the vaccination coverage levels decreased in 112 countries.
United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
Why in news:
1. Representatives of Nithyananda’S Kailasa At Un Event
Some facts about Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR):
● CESCR is a body of 18 independent experts that monitors the implementation of the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) — a treaty signed in 1966 — by its state
parties.
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 ● Established on May 29, 1985, the committee seeks to develop a constructive dialogue with Member States,
determine whether the Covenant’s norms are being implemented in Member States and assess how the
implementation and enforcement of the Covenant could be improved.
5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5)
Why in news:
1. Doha Political Declaration
Concept :
● The Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) concluded with adoption
of the ‘Doha Political Declaration’ by the world leaders.
● The declaration made by the head of the states is a key outcome of the second part of LDC5 conference held
under the theme “From Potential to Prosperity” at Qatar from March 5-9, 2023.
● It was adopted a year after the text of DPoA for the Decade (2022-2031) was agreed upon during the first part
of the LDC5 conference on March 17, 2022 in New York.
Some facts about the Declaration
● This declaration focuses on implementing the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) — the 10-year plan to
put the world’s 46 most vulnerable countries back on track to achieving the UN-mandated Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG).
● The five key deliverables from the DPoA– an online university, a graduation support package, a food
stock holding solution, an investment support center and a crisis mitigation and resilience building
mechanism – will answer key challenges facing the LDCs, and set the path for a more prosperous, equitable
future.
● The political declaration made at Qatar is significant since it comes amid simultaneous global risks of rising
cost of living and inflation as well as climate change impacts.
What are Least Developed Country (LDC)
● They are developing countries listed by the UN that exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic
development.
● The concept first originated in the late 1960s and was codified under UN resolution 2768 passed in
November 1971.
● According to the UN, an LDC is defined as “a country that exhibits the lowest indicators of socioeconomic
development, with low levels of income, human capital and economic diversification, high levels of
economic vulnerability, and a population that is disproportionately reliant on agriculture, natural
resources, and primary commodities.”
● The UN identifies three criteria for a country to be classified as an LDC:
● It must have a gross national income (GNI) per capita below the threshold of USD 1,230 over a
three-year average.
● It must perform poorly on a composite human assets index based on indicators including nutrition,
health and education.
● The country must demonstrate economic vulnerability such as being prone to natural disasters and
possessing structural economic constraints.
● Countries must meet a selection from all three criteria simultaneously and are reviewed on a three-
year basis by the UN.
● Currently, the UN lists 46 countries that qualify as LDCs. Of those, 33 are from Africa, nine from Asia,
three from the Pacific and one from the Caribbean.
● Note :
● Bhutan, the mountainous, landlocked country that is consistently ranked one of the happiest in the world,
will on December 13th of this year, become the seventh nation to graduate from the United Nations’ (UN)
list of Least Developed Countries (LDC).

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Why in news:
1. Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC)
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What is the Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC)
● The GMC serves as an outreach initiative by the Indian Navy, creating a multinational platform for
collaboration between maritime security practitioners and academia to generate practical maritime insights.
● Previously, this biennial event was conducted in 2017, 2019, and 2021.
● The 4th edition of the GMC is being held from October 29 to 31 under the auspices of the Indian Navy and
in partnership with the Naval War College in Goa.
● During GMC-23, Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, will be hosting chiefs of navies, heads of
maritime forces, and senior representatives from 12 Indian Ocean littoral countries. These countries
include Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles,
Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
● The theme for the 2023 GMC is "Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean Region: Converting Common
Maritime Priorities into Collaborative Mitigating Frameworks."
What is United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS):
● The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a global treaty that was adopted and
signed in 1982, effectively replacing the four Geneva Conventions from April 1958.
● These conventions covered various aspects, including the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, the
continental shelf, the high seas, and issues related to fishing and the preservation of living resources in
the high seas.
● As per UNCLOS, the sea is divided into 5 parts:
o Internal Waters
o Territorial sea
o Contiguous Zone
o Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
o High Seas
● The Convention has created three new institutions on the international scene:
o The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
o The International Seabed Authority
o The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
● It is the only international agreement that lays forth a structure for state authority in maritime areas.

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The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Why in news:
1. UNRWA has decided to suspend its relief work in Lebanon's largest refugee camp
2. Israel-Hamas war
Some facts about UNRWA:
● It is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 when nearly three-quarters of a
million Palestinians became refugees in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab- Israeli war.
● It was mandated to support Palestinian refugees and their patrilineal descendants who fled or were expelled
from their homes during the 1948 Palestine War and 1967 Six-Day War.
● UNRWA was originally designed as a temporary agency, though its mandate has been continuously renewed
every three years by the General Assembly.
● It provides services in its five fields of operations i.e. Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza Strip and West Bank,
including East of Jerusalem.
● UNRWA is unique in that it delivers services directly to its beneficiaries.
● It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States. It also receives some
funding from the Regular Budget of the United Nations.
● It reports only to the UN General Assembly.
● It was originally headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, but was moved to Vienna, Austria, in 1978. In 1996
the General Assembly moved the agency to the Gaza Strip to demonstrate the Assembly’s commitment to the
Arab-Israeli peace process.
● Its chief officer, the commissioner-general—the only leader of a UN agency to report directly to the
General Assembly and is appointed by the UN secretary-general with the approval of an Advisory
Commission.
● It supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees across its five fields of operation. Its
services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and
improvement, protection and microfinance.
India and UN launch Global Capacity Building Initiative
More about the news:
● India and the United Nations have launched a collaborative project to assist countries in the Global South. It
focuses on sharing India's development experiences and expertise through capacity-building programs.
● The initiative was introduced at the India-UN for the Global South event in New York.
● This initiative complements the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, which has supported 75
development projects in 61 countries over the past six years.
● UN India and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will collaborate to utilize India's Technical and
Economic Cooperation platform, strengthening the initiative's impact.
● The initiative will implement development-related goals from India's G20 Presidency, including advancing
progress on Sustainable Development Goals, technological transformation, and building Digital Public
Infrastructure.
What is Global South:
● The Global South is a term often used to identify the regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
● The term “Global South” was first coined by a social activist Carl Oglesby in 1969.
● It is an analogous term to "Third World" and "Periphery" that denote regions outside Europe and North
America, mostly low-income and often politically or culturally marginalized countries.
● Countries of the Global South have been described as newly industrialized or in the process of
industrializing, and are frequently current or former subjects of colonialism.
● As such, the term does not refer to geographical south; for example, most of the Global South is
geographically within the Northern Hemisphere.
UN Report on Children and Armed Conflict
Why in news :
1. After 12 years, UN drops India from its report on children & conflict
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Some Key Details:
● The United Nations Secretary-General has taken India off a list of countries mentioned in a report on
children and armed conflict.
● Previously India was included in the list over the alleged recruitment and use of boys by armed groups in
J&K and their detention, killing and maiming by security forces.
● This is the first time since 2010 that India has not been named in the report alongside countries like Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Lake Chad basin, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines.
● The report said India has been “removed from the report in 2023” in view of measures taken by the
government to “better protect children”.
Some facts about Children and Armed Conflict Report:
● The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict serves as the
leading UN advocate for the protection and well-being of children affected by armed conflict.
● The annual report presents a comprehensive picture of child soldiers, highlights the disproportionate impact
of war on children and identifies them as the primary victims of armed conflict.
● The first Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict was named in 1997 by the Secretary-
General to help enhance the protection of children affected by armed conflict, and foster international
cooperation to that end.
● The Special Representative must also raise awareness about the plight of these children, and promote the
monitoring and reporting of abuses.
● In accordance with the mandate, the Special Representative reports annually to the General Assembly and
the Human Rights Council.
Some facts about United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
● It is an international agreement that is legally binding on the members.
● It consists of 54 articles that spell out various children’s rights and also the measures governments should take
in order to make these rights available to children.
● The CRC was adopted by the United Nations in 1989. It entered into force in 1990 after receiving the
minimum of 20 ratifications.
● It has been ratified by all members of the UN except for the United States. It is the most widely ratified
human rights treaty in the history of the world.
Core principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
● Non-discrimination
● Right to life, survival and development
● Best interests of the child
● Respect for the child’s views
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Some details about United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA):
● The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was established in
December 1991 by the UN General Assembly to enhance the global response to complex emergencies and
natural disasters.
● It is the successor to the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator (UNDRO).
● Initially, the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) was formed shortly thereafter by the UN Secretary-
General, but in 1998, it was merged into OCHA. This merger solidified OCHA's role as the UN's primary
focal point for major disasters.
● OCHA's mandate expanded to encompass humanitarian response coordination, policy development, and
advocacy.
● Its diverse activities include the organization and monitoring of humanitarian funding, policy advocacy,
policy-making, and the exchange of information to facilitate swift-response teams for emergency relief
efforts.
● OCHA is led by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief
Coordinator (USG/ERC), who serves a five-year term.

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 ● OCHA played a pivotal role in organizing the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, and
it serves as an observer within the United Nations Development Group.
● The headquarters of OCHA is based in two locations i.e New York and Geneva.
What is OCHA's Strategic Plan 2023-2026:
● The OCHA Strategic Plan 2023-2026 outlines six transformational priorities to address the challenges of
this rapidly changing landscape:
o A coherent humanitarian response that is people centered, context specific, contributes to community
resilience and promotes concrete protection outcomes
o Systematic and predictable leadership on access
o Durable solutions to protracted internal displacement
o Humanitarian response that is inclusive and leaves no one behind
o Catalytic humanitarian financing that delivers impact in people’s lives
o Strategic analysis of risks and trends to adapt to an evolving landscape
CAG Murmu elected as vice chair of UN external auditor panel
More about the news:
● Girish Chandra Murmu, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, has been elected as the Vice-Chair
of the UN Panel of External Auditors during the sixty-third session held at the UN headquarters in New York
from 20-21 November 2023.
● This appointment reflects India's dedication to the highest standards of external audit and active
involvement in shaping the global audit landscape.
● The Panel, composed of heads of 12 Supreme Audit Institutions globally, oversees the external audit of the
UN Secretariat, funds, programmes, and specialized agencies, conducting financial, performance, and
compliance audits of UN entities.
● The meeting also served as a platform for discussions on follow-up actions related to the Secretary-
General's response, with Murmu leading discussions on financial and management issues affecting UN
organizations.
Some facts about UN Panel of External Auditors
● The Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations, the Specialized Agencies and the International Atomic
Energy Agency was established by the General Assembly Resolution 1438 (XIV) of 5 December 1959.
● It is made up of:
o The members of the United Nations Board of Auditors;
o The external auditors of the Specialized Agencies of the United Nations and of the International
Atomic Energy Agency.
● The main objectives of the Panel are to further the coordination of the audits for which its members are
responsible, and to exchange information on audit methods and findings.
● The Panel may submit to the executive heads of the organizations audited any observations or
recommendations it may wish to make in relation to the accounts and financial procedures of the organization
concerned.
● The executive heads of the participating organizations may also, through their auditors, submit requests to
the Panel for its opinion or recommendation on any matter within its competence.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Why in news:
1. Myanmar opium farming booming after coup, says UN’s drug office
Some fact about United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
● It was established in 1997 and was named as a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in
2002.

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 ● The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is established to implement the Organization’s drug
programme and crime programme in an integrated manner, addressing the interrelated issues of drug
control, crime prevention and international terrorism in the context of sustainable development and
human security.
● It acts as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the United Nations
International Drug Control Program (UNDCP) and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Division of the United Nations Office at Vienna.
Some fact about World Drug Report
● The UNODC releases the World Drug Report annually.
● The report gives valuable information relating to drug abuse worldwide, the trends in the production and use
of illicit drugs of various types, etc.
● Other Important Publications: Surveys to Monitor Illicit Crops, Regional Crime Studies, and Policy Reviews.

India to have more people than China by mid-2023

Why in news:
● India is probably the world’s most populous country already. The latest estimates from the United Nations (UN)
say India’s population is expected to surpass that of mainland China by around 3 million people by the end of
June 2023.
Some facts about United Nations Population Fund
● It is a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly and works as a sexual and reproductive health agency.
● The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) establishes its mandate.
● It was established as a trust fund in 1967 and began operations in 1969.
● In 1987, it was officially renamed the United Nations Population Fund but the original abbreviation, ‘UNFPA’
for the United Nations Fund for Population Activities was retained.
● UNFPA works directly to tackle Sustainable Development Goals on health (SDG3), education (SDG4)
and gender equality (SDG5).
● UNFPA is not supported by the UN budget, instead, it is entirely supported by voluntary contributions of
donor governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, foundations and individuals.
● The State of World Population report is UNFPA’s annual flagship publication.
● HQ :New York
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Key-highlights of the UN Report
● According to demographic data from the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA)-
● Grouping the population
● 25 percent of India’s population is estimated at below 14 years old
● 18 percent is estimated in the 10-19 year age group
● 26 percent in the 10-24 year bracket
● 68 percent in the 15-64 year age group
● 7 percent is estimated to be over 65 years old
● In contrast, 17% of China’s population is estimated to be below 14 years of age, and 14 percent is estimated
to be above 65 years old.
● The UN report estimates India’s population will hit 1428.6 million my mid-2023, while China’s (excluding
Hong Kong and Macao, Special Administrative Regions of China, and Taiwan Province of China) is
estimated to reach 1425.7 million.
● Asia’s third-largest economy will soon house almost a fifth of humanity, more than the populations of Europe,
Africa, or the Americas.
● Distant third: The United States is estimated to be a distant number three in the rankings, with nearly 340
million people.
● The report says eight countries will account for half the projected growth in global population by 2050:
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines
and Tanzania.
World Customs Organization (WCO):
Why in news:
1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called for the use of technology and intergovernmental
cooperation to apprehend the masterminds behind smuggling and illicit trade networks.
Some facts about World Customs Organization (WCO):
● The World Customs Organization (WCO) was established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council
(CCC) with a mission to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations globally.
● It serves as the global center of Customs expertise and is the sole international organization with expertise
in Customs matters, representing the voice of the international Customs community.
● The WCO is divided into six regions, each represented by a regionally elected Vice-Chairperson to the
WCO Council.
● The organization acts as a platform for national Customs delegates to engage in dialogue, exchange
experiences, and benefit from various Conventions and international instruments. It also provides
technical assistance and training services to its members.
● In addition to facilitating legitimate international trade, the WCO is recognized for its efforts in combating
fraudulent activities globally.
● It administers the World Trade Organization's Agreements on Customs Valuation, which establish a
system for determining the value of imported goods, and the Rules of Origin, which are used to ascertain
the origin of a particular commodity.
United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
● The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues or Local Communities and Indigenous
Peoples Platform (LCIPP) is an open and inclusive space under the UNFCCC secretariat and brings together
people and their knowledge systems to build a climate-resilient world for all.
● The forum was established in 2000 and provides advice and recommendations on indigenous issues to the
Economic and Social Council.
● Purpose of the platform:
● The platform has been established to strengthen the knowledge, technologies, practices, and efforts of
local communities and indigenous peoples related to addressing and responding to climate change, to
facilitate the exchange of experience and the sharing of best practices and lessons learned on mitigation and
adaptation in a holistic and integrated manner and to enhance the engagement of local communities and
indigenous peoples in the UNFCCC process.
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Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)
Why in news:
1. NHRC Accreditation by GANHRI
Concept :
● The credibility and independence of the National Human Rights Commission of India have
been questioned by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), the
international body that accredits NHRIs based on their compliance with the UN-mandated Paris Principles.
Some facts about Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)
● It is a global network of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) that aims to promote and protect human
rights around the world.
● They are independent bodies that monitor report and advise on human rights issues in their respective
countries.
● They also cooperate with regional and international human rights mechanisms, such as the United Nations
Human Rights Council and the Universal Periodic Review.
● GANHRI is celebrating 30 years of the Paris Principles and 75 years of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights in 2023. It invites all stakeholders to join its efforts to advance human rights for all.
World Food Program
Why in news:
1. Three employees for the World Food Programme (WFP), a UN body that delivers food assistance to
vulnerable communities, were killed after the RSF and armed forces exchanged fire at a military base in
Kabkabiya, in the west of the country.
Some facts about World Food Programme
● The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies
and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from
conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
● It was founded in 1961 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) with its headquarters in Rome, Italy.
● It is also a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), a coalition of UN
agencies and organizations aimed at fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
● It works closely with the other two Rome-based UN agencies:
● The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which helps countries draw up policy and change
legislation to support sustainable agriculture
● The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which finances projects in poor rural
areas.
● The WFP has no independent source of funds, it is funded entirely by voluntary donations. Its principal
donors are governments, but the organization also receives donations from the private sector and individuals.
● The WFP has been awarded with the Nobel Prize for Peace 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger, bettering
conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
What are the Report Released by WFP
● Global Report on Food Crisis– The Global Report on Food Crises describes the scale of acute hunger in the
world. It provides an analysis of the drivers that are contributing to food crises across the globe.
● The report is produced by the Global Network against Food Crises, an international alliance working to
address the root causes of extreme hunger.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Why in news:
1. OECD’s Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) framework
2. OECD-Tax Deal
Some fact about OECD

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 ● The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international,
intergovernmental economic organization of 38 countries that works to build better policies for better lives.
● OECD was founded in the year 1961 to stimulate world trade and economic progress headquartered at
Paris, France.
● OECD originated in 1948, as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) to govern the
predominantly US-funded Marshall Plan for post-war reconstruction on the continent.
● Most OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index (HDI) and
are regarded as developed countries. OECD members are democratic countries that support free-market
economies.
● India is a key partner of OECD.
What is OECD’s AEOI Framework
● Provides for sharing of financial account details among signatory countries with an aim to check tax evasion.
● India currently has AEOI with 108 jurisdictions for receiving financial information and with 79 jurisdictions
for sending information automatically.
● Flow of information has helped us in increasing tax collection and revenue buoyancy has increased
What is OECD’s Tax Transparency report
● The ‘Tax Transparency in Asia 2023’ report was launched at the meeting of the Asia Initiative of the Global
Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.
● Currently 167 jurisdictions are members of the Global Forum which include all G20 countries.
About Common Reporting Standard (CRS)
● The Common Reporting Standard (CRS) is developed in response to the G20 request and approved by the
OECD Council on 15 July 2014.
● It requires jurisdictions to obtain information from their financial institutions and automatically
exchange that information with other jurisdictions on an annual basis.
● It specifies the financial account information to be exchanged, the financial institutions required to report,
the different types of accounts and taxpayers covered, as well as common due diligence procedures to be
followed by financial institutions.
What is Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS):
● BEPS involves tax planning strategies used by multinational enterprises to exploit gaps in tax regulations,
resulting in substantial tax avoidance.
● The term "erosion" signifies the reduction or weakening of the tax base in higher-tax jurisdictions.
● Certain corporate tax havens facilitate BEPS mechanisms, allowing companies to move profits to these
havens and further avoid paying taxes even within these jurisdictions.
● BEPS strategies have been attributed predominantly to American technology and life science
multinationals.
● Developing countries are disproportionately affected by BEPS due to their reliance on corporate income
tax, leading to annual revenue losses estimated at USD 100-240 billion.
What is Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan 13:
● The OECD has devised an Action Plan, known as "Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan
13," aimed at ensuring that multinational enterprises accurately report their profits in the countries where
they are earned.
Some facts about Country-by-Country (CbC) Report:
● The BEPS Action 13 report (Transfer Pricing Documentation and Country-by-Country Reporting) requires
multinational enterprises (MNEs) to annually report specific information for each tax jurisdiction in
which they conduct business. This report is known as the Country-by-Country (CbC) Report.
What are the Two Pillars of the BEPS Framework:
1. Dealing with Transnational and Digital Companies: This pillar focuses on ensuring that multinational
enterprises, especially digital companies, pay taxes in the jurisdictions where they operate and generate
profits.

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 2. Dealing with Low-Tax Jurisdictions: This pillar aims to establish a global minimum corporate tax rate,
currently proposed at 15%, to prevent cross-border profit shifting and treaty shopping among low-tax
countries.
About Amount A of Pillar One
● Amount A of Pillar One is a proposed solution as part of the OECD's two-pillar approach to address the tax
challenges arising from the digitalization and globalization of the economy.
● It aims to reallocate a share of profits from the largest and most profitable multinational enterprises
(MNEs) to the market jurisdictions where they operate, irrespective of their physical presence.
● This serves as a means to ensure that these companies pay taxes in the countries where they generate
revenue, thereby preventing profit shifting and ensuring a fair distribution of tax obligations.
Expected Outcomes:
● Countries offering lower tax rates and traditional tax havens might face a decline in their attractiveness if the
framework is implemented.
What will be the impact on India:
● India may need to withdraw the equalization levy imposed on multinational companies such as Google,
Amazon, and Facebook once the global tax framework is enforced.
What is India's Involvement:
● India ratified the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty-Related Measures in July 2019,
demonstrating its commitment to curbing BEPS.
Overview of the Multilateral Convention:
● The convention is a result of the OECD/G20 BEPS Project and aims to address base erosion and profit
shifting through tax planning strategies that exploit gaps in tax regulations.
● It focuses on preventing treaty abuse and resolving disputes through the Mutual Agreement Procedure,
implementing two minimum standards.
● This Convention works in conjunction with existing tax treaties, altering their application to enforce the
BEPS measures effectively.
● While ensuring consistency and certainty in BEPS implementation, it also offers flexibility for countries to
exclude specific tax treaties and opt-out of certain provisions through reservations.
International Energy Agency (IEA)
Why in news:
1. IEA membership of India
Some facts about IEA:
● The International Energy Agency is an autonomous Intergovernmental Organisation established in 1974 in
Paris, France.
● MISSION – To ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its member countries and beyond. Its mission
is guided by four main areas of focus: energy security, economic development, environmental awareness
and engagement worldwide
● India became an Associate member of IEA in March 2017 but it was in engagement with IEA long before
its association with the organization.
● IEA Clean Coal Centre is dedicated to providing independent information and analysis on how coal can
become a cleaner source of energy, compatible with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
● Established in the wake of the 1973-1974 oil crisis, to help its members respond to major oil supply
disruptions, a role it continues to fulfill today.
○ IEA’s mandate has expanded over time to include tracking and analyzing global key energy trends,
promoting sound energy policy, and fostering multinational energy technology cooperation.
● It has 30 members at present. The IEA family also includes eight association countries.
○ A candidate country must be a member country of the OECD. But all OECD members are not
IEA members.
○ To become member a candidate country must demonstrate that it has:

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 ■ Crude oil and/or product reserves equivalent to 90 days of the previous year’s net
imports, to which the government has immediate access (even if it does not own them
directly) and could be used to address disruptions to global oil supply.
■ A demand restraint programme to reduce national oil consumption by up to 10%.
■ Legislation and organization to operate the Coordinated Emergency Response Measures
(CERM) on a national basis.
■ Legislation and measures to ensure that all oil companies under its jurisdiction report
information upon request.
■ Measures in place to ensure the capability of contributing its share of an IEA collective
action.
●Reports:
○ Global Energy & CO2 Status Report.
○ World Energy Outlook.
○ World Energy Statistics.
○ World Energy Balances.
○ Energy Technology Perspectives.
Why membership is a challenge for India?
● There are two pre-conditions for IEA membership that India currently does not fulfill.
● First is membership in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), and
● Maintaining oil stocks equivalent to at least 90 days of net imports (at present the capacity is around 74 days
of reserves)
● Further there will be expectations from the global energy industry that India will implement much-needed
reforms in the energy industry in India.
● At present India is a IEA Association country. In 2021 India signed Framework for a Strategic Partnership
committing to strengthening collaboration and engagement.

Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

Why in news:
1. FATF suspends membership of Russia.
What is FATF:
● The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 during the G7
Summit in Paris.
● The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory
and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to
the integrity of the international financial system.
● Its Secretariat is located at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
headquarters in Paris.
● FATF members include 39 countries, including the United States, India, China, Saudi Arabia, Britain,
Germany, France, and the EU as such.
● India became a member of FATF in 2010.
● The FATF Plenary is the decision-making body of the FATF. It meets three times per year.
What are the two type of list of FATF:
● Grey List: Grey list is also called as “Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring”. Countries that are
considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list.
This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.
● Black List: The black list is called as High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action .Countries known
as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) are put in the blacklist. These countries support terror
funding and money laundering activities. The FATF revises the blacklist regularly, adding or deleting entries.
North Korea, Iran and Myanmar are in the black list.
What are the consequences of being on the FATF blacklist:
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 ● No financial aid is given to them by the International Monetary Fund , the World Bank, the Asian
Development Bank and the European Union
● They also face a number of international economic and financial restrictions and sanctions.
Some concepts about Russia Suspension from FATF
● Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has suspended Russia’s membership over Moscow’s invasion of
Ukraine.
● The move marks the first suspension of a country from the Financial Action Task Force.
● The FATF identified Russia’s involvement in the arms trade and malicious cyber-activities, as well as
evasion activities.
● The suspension comes after a campaign by Ukraine for FATF to add Russia to the FATF blacklist.
What is the Implications of FATF suspension of Russia:
● The suspension of Russia means Russia can no longer attend the group’s meetings both physically and
virtually and can no longer access FATF documents. However, Russia remains accountable for
implementing FATF’s anti-money-laundering standards.
● Russia since June 2022 has been restricted from holding any leadership or advisory roles or
participating in decision-making on standard-setting, peer-review processes, and governance and
membership issues.
● Note : On February 24, FATF also added Nigeria and South Africa to its ‘grey list’, while removing
Morocco and Cambodia from the list.

World Intellectual Property Organization(WIPO)

Why in news:
1. The Intergovernmental Committee of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) met in Geneva
to finalize a new treaty regarding Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and
Folklore.
Some facts about the Treaty:
● The treaty would make it mandatory for patent applicants to declare or disclose their use of genetic resources
and any associated traditional knowledge.
● The two main aims of the new treaty are:
o To enhance the efficacy, transparency and quality of the patent system with regard to genetic resources
and associated traditional knowledge; and
o Prevention of patents being granted for inventions that are not novel or inventive.
● Issues in the draft treaty: It categorically excludes any provision that is already addressed by other
international instruments.
o The access and benefit-sharing and misappropriation, which are already dealt with in the CBD, the
Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources (GR) and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of
Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the CBD, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic
Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, are
not part of new treaty.
o There is no comprehensive definition of ‘Traditional Knowledge’ till date.
o Leaves out the Digital Sequence Information from its scope.
● India’s stand on this:
o India wants researchers to disclose the exact source of the GR, instead of merely mentioning the country
of origin as the draft treaty stipulates.
o India has proposed a definition: “Traditional Knowledge associated with Genetic Resources” means
any knowledge which is “evolving, generated in a traditional context, whether documented or not,
collectively preserved, and transmitted from generation to generation and including but not limited to
know-how, skills, innovations, practices, and learning, that are associated with GRs.”
Biopiracy of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge:

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 ● Biopiracy refers to the practice of commercially exploiting naturally occurring biochemical or genetic material,
especially by obtaining patents that restrict its future use, while failing to pay fair compensation to the
community from which it originates.
What Third World Network:
● TWN is an independent non-profit international research and advocacy organization involved in issues
relating to development, developing countries and North-South affairs.
● TWN was formed in November 1984 in Penang, Malaysia at the concluding session of an International
Conference on "The Third World: Development or Crisis?"organised by the Consumers' Association of
Penang and attended by over a hundred participants from 21 countries.
● At this conference, TWN was formed to especially strengthen cooperation among civil society groups in the
South.
● Its mission is to bring about a greater articulation of the needs and rights of peoples in the South, a fair
distribution of world resources, and forms of development which are ecologically sustainable and fulfill human
needs.
African Union
Why in news:
1. African Union Summit
2. Maputo Protocol
Concept:
● Israel condemned the “severe” expulsion of a diplomat from the African Union summit in Addis Ababa,
accusing Iran of orchestrating the move with help from Algeria and South Africa.
Some facts About African Union
● The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries
of the African Continent.
● Formation:
● In 1963, the Organization of African Unity was founded by the independent states of Africa. The
organization aimed to promote cooperation between African states.
● The 1980 Lagos Plan of Action was adopted by the Organization of African Unity. The plan suggested
that Africa should minimize reliance upon the West by promoting intra-African trade.
● In 2002, the Organization of African Unity was succeeded by the African Union, which had as one of
its goals to accelerate the “economic integration of the continent”.
● The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual
meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states.
● The AU structure promotes participation of African citizens and civil society through the Pan-African
Parliament and the Economic, Social & Cultural Council (ECOSOCC).
● The AU’s secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Some facts about African Continental Free Trade Area:
● It was established in 2018 by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTA).
● AfCFTA seeks to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of
business persons and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental
Customs Union and the African customs union.
● The AfCFTA preliminary work is on steps such as incremental tariff reduction, elimination of non-tariff
barriers, supply chains and dispute settlement.
Some facts about the Maputo Protocol:
● The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa,
better known as the Maputo Protocol, is an international human rights instrument established by the African
Union that went into effect in 2005.
● It guarantees comprehensive rights to women including
o The right to take part in the political process,
o To social and political equality with men,

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 o Improved autonomy in their reproductive health decisions, and
o An end to female genital mutilation.
● It was adopted by the African Union in Maputo, Mozambique, in 2003 in the form of a protocol to the
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (adopted in 1981, enacted in 1986).
● The Protocol is considered one of the world’s most progressive legal frameworks for women’s rights and
was launched 20 years ago in 2003.
● The Protocol has a target of universal ratification in Africa by 2028. However, with just five years until the
target year, there are still 12 countries that are yet to ratify this important legal instrument.
● In two decades (2003-2022), women’s labour force participation rate (LFPR) in most African nations as
compared to that of men remains low.
o In 24 countries, the share of women in the labour force has decreased.
● So, there is an urgent need for Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea,
Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Somalia and Sudan to renew their commitments and ratify the Maputo
Protocol in order to deliver on their promises to the women and girls in their countries.
● There has been an improvement in women’s participation in the political and decision-making processes.
● In most of the AU states, women’s representation in Parliament has increased.
● For example in Rwanda, women’s share in Chamber of Deputies or Lower House increased to 61.3 per cent
in April 2023 from 25.7 per cent in April 2003.
40. ECOWAS
Why in news:
1. West African nations imposed sanctions if Niger's coup leaders fail to reinstate ousted President Mohammed
Bazoum within a week.
Some facts about ECOWAS:
● It is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa.
● Established in 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos.
● The goal of ECOWAS is to achieve “collective self-sufficiency” for its member states by creating a single
large trade bloc by building a full economic and trading union.
● It also serves as a peacekeeping force in the region.
● Considered one of the pillar regional blocs of the continent-wide African Economic Community (AEC).
● ECOWAS includes two sub-regional blocs:
● The West African Economic and Monetary Union is an organization of eight, mainly French-
speaking states.
● The West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ), established in 2000, comprises six mainly English-
speaking countries.
OPEC
Why in news:
1. OPEC Plus announces oil production cuts
Some facts about OPEC and OPEC+
● Established in 1960 by founding members Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, OPEC has
since expanded and now has 13 member states.
● Member countries are: Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya,
Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela.
● Qatar terminated its membership on 1st January 2019.
● OPEC+ :
● With the addition of another 10 allied major oil-producing countries, the OPEC is known as OPEC+.
● OPEC+ countries include 13 OPEC member countries, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan,
Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan.
● The objective of the organization is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries
and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of

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 petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital for those investing in the
petroleum industry.
● Previously controlled by western-dominated multinational oil companies known as the “Seven Sisters,” OPEC
sought to give the oil-producing nations greater influence over the global petroleum market.
● They account for roughly 40 % of the world’s crude oil and 80 % of the globe’s oil reserves, according to
estimates from 2018.
● They usually meet every month to determine how much oil the member states will produce.
● However, many allege that OPEC behaves like a cartel, determining the supply of oil and influencing its
price in the world market.
AIIB
Some facts about Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
● The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to
improve social and economic outcomes in Asia.
● Headquartered in Beijing, it began operations in January 2016 and has now grown to 102 approved members
worldwide.
● It invests in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia and beyond.
● Membership in the AIIB is open to all members of the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank and
is divided into regional and non-regional members.
● Regional members are those located within areas classified as Asia and Oceania by the United Nations.
● Unlike other MDBs (multilateral development banks), the AIIB allows for non-sovereign entities to apply
for AIIB membership, assuming their home country is a member.
● Thus, sovereign wealth funds (such as the China Investment Corporation) or state-owned enterprises of
member countries could potentially join the Bank.
● China is the largest contributor to the Bank, contributing USD 50 billion, half of the initial subscribed capital.
● India is the second-largest shareholder in the bank.
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)
What is Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT):
● The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) prohibits nuclear test explosions worldwide.
● It was introduced in September 1996, signed by 187 nations, and ratified by 178.
● However, for it to take full effect, 44 specific nations must ratify it, with eight, including India, China,
Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran, Egypt, and the United States, yet to do so.
● The CTBT establishes a global monitoring network and allows on-site inspections for compliance.
● Since its introduction, nuclear testing has become widely discouraged, with even non-ratifying states like
India, Israel, and Pakistan observing moratoriums on nuclear testing.
● While Russia ratified the agreement in 2000, the US is still to do so
What is Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO):
● The organisation promotes the Treaty so that it can enter into force.
● It establishes a verification regime to monitor adherence to the Treaty. The verification system is built around
a network of over 325 seismic, radionuclide, infrasound and hydroacoustic (underwater) monitoring stations.
● The organization was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Vienna. It employs a staff of roughly 260 from
the CTBT’s Member States.
● The CTBT has achieved a key objective — preventing countries from conducting any further nuclear tests.
● The CTBTO credits this to its ability to detect any nuclear test anywhere — on the ground, underground,
atmosphere, or underwater.
o The organisation’s network of sensors and sensing technologies have useful spinoffs for industry and
society. For example, they find applications in monsoon forecasts, tsunami warnings, tracking
whale movements, and research in radionuclides.
● The CTBTO’s International Monitoring System (IMS ) runs over 300 ‘monitoring stations’ around the
world, including many in some of the “most remote and inhospitable Environments”.
The IMS rests on four pillars — seismic, infrasound, hydroacoustic and radionuclides.
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 1. SEISMIC
o With two seismic networks — primary (50 stations) and auxiliary (120 stations) — the IMS can
detect any vibration on the ground.
o The primary network consists of seismic array stations that can determine the type of seismic wave
and its origin or cause.
o The auxiliary seismic stations supplement the work of the primary stations.
o IMS seismic network can detect both (Body wave and Surface wave) types of waves.
2. INFRASOUND:
o The audible sound frequency is 2020,000 Hz; infrasound is below 4 Hz.
o Infrasonic waves cause minute changes in atmospheric pressure, which are measured by
microbarometers.
o Infrasound travels long distances, which is useful in detecting atmospheric nuclear explosions.
o The IMS infrasound monitoring system has 60 array stations in 35 countries.
o Each array has four or more elements arranged in geometric patterns, a meteorological station, a
central processing facility, and a communication system for data transmission.
3. HYDROACOUSTIC
o Hydroacoustic technology is used to measure changes in water pressure caused by sound waves.
o Hydroacoustic data can pinpoint the location of a nuclear explosion underwater, near the ocean
surface, or near a coastline.
o Sound propagates efficiently through water but, at one level in the water, sound travel is slower but
particularly efficient: the ‘sound fixing and ranging channel’ or SOFAR, at about 1,000 mThe11
IMS hydroacoustic stations keep an ear on all the oceans and provide tsunami warnings.
4. RADIONUCLIDE
o The presence of radionuclides — isotopes of elements that undergo radioactive decay — is the
clinching evidence of a nuclear explosion.
o Isotopes of noble gases — xenon, in particular — are produced only by nuclear fission; hence,
radionuclides are a ‘smoking gun’.
o The IMS has 80 radionuclide stations and 16 radionuclide laboratories.
o All the stations of IMS generate a lot of data daily, which is sent to its international data centre
(IDC) in Vienna.
o The IDC today is a massive repository of data, which serves as fantastic raw material for scientific
research.
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
Why in news:
1. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is developing a global framework to mandate the
use of green fuel in international flights.
2. News-Jewar Airport, Noida get DXN code
Some facts about International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
● ICAO is a United Nations (UN) specialized agency, established in 1944, which laid the foundation for the
standards and procedures for peaceful global air navigation.
● The Convention on International Civil Aviation was signed on 7th December 1944 in Chicago.
● It established the core principles permitting international transport by air, and also led to the creation of the
ICAO.
● It is one of the objectives is to foster the planning and development of international air transport so as to ensure
the safe and orderly growth of international civil aviation throughout the world.
● India is among its 193 members.
● It is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
● ICAO assists the member states of the Chicago Convention (Convention on International Civil Aviation,
1944) as they cooperate here to adopt standards, practices, and policies for international civilian flight.

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Key Points about ICAO global framework to mandate the use of green fuel in international flights :
● ICAO is in the process of drafting a global framework that proposes quantifiable targets for adoption of
sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and lays down pathways to promote its use. The move follows ICAO’s
adoption of long term aspirational goal of net zero carbon emission by 2050.
● The global framework that is now under consideration is expected to come up for approval at a high level
civil aviation ministerial conference in Dubai in November.
● According to a draft proposal, the global framework will comprise four building blocks: policy and
planning, regulatory mechanism, implementation support and financing for development and
deployment of SAF.
● While Europe is in favour of an ambitious policy, India and a few other countries such as Ethiopia, Nigeria
and Saudi Arabia are questioning the idea of quantifiable targets without corresponding access to funds and
technology to produce SAF.
● In India the government has considered one percent blending of SAF with jet fuel by 2025.
● But currently SAF production in India is in planning stages only. The government is worried that any ambitious
target laid down by ICAO could thus hurt our carriers and lead to an increase in costs and airfares.
● SAF is a waste-derived aviation fuel made from various sources such as used cooking oil, agricultural waste,
fats or non-food crops. It can be blended with conventional jet fuel to reduce carbon emissions.
What is IATA:
● The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the trade association for the world’s airlines, representing
some 300 airlines or 83% of total air traffic.
What is an IATA code?
● The need for unique identifiers for locations arose among pilots in the 1930s. While this started as a two-
letter practice for airports, the restricted number of possible options soon resulted in a three-letter practice
for identifying airports and other locations related to aviation connectivity in the world.
● Each airport is given 2 codes- one by ICAO , UN body and other by IATA (International air transport
association ).
45.International Coffee Organization (ICO)
Some facts about International Coffee Organization (ICO)
● The International Coffee Organization (ICO) was established in 1963 under the aegis of the United Nations
and following the approval of the first International Coffee Agreement in 1962.
● The ICO is the only intergovernmental organization for coffee, bringing together exporting and importing
Governments. It currently represents 93% of world coffee production and 63% of world consumption.
What is the mission of the ICO
● The mission of the Organization is to strengthen the global coffee sector and promote its sustainable
expansion in a market-based environment for the benefit of all actors in the Global Coffee Value Chain (G-
CVC).
What is the Scope of work of the ICO
● The ICO provides a unique forum for dialogue among governments, the private sector, development
partners, civil society and all coffee stakeholders to tackle the challenges facing the sector through international
cooperation and to nurture opportunities.
● The Organization collects and compiles independent official statistics on coffee production, trade and
consumption; supports the development and funding of technical cooperation projects and public-private
partnerships; and promotes sustainability and coffee consumption.
● It facilitates the coffee sector’s contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) to increase the resilience of local communities and coffee farmers, in particular
smallholders, and enable them to benefit from coffee production and trade, which can in turn contribute to
poverty eradication by providing a living income for families.
Some facts about World Coffee Conference
● Every four to five years, the International Coffee Organization holds a high-level World Coffee Conference
to enable discussion around critical topics for the global coffee sector.

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 ● The first four Conferences have taken place in England (2001), Brazil (2005), Guatemala (2010), and
Ethiopia (2016).
New Development Bank
Why in news:
1. NDB to assess India projects portfolio next year
What is New Development Bank:
● It is a multilateral development bank operated by the BRICS statesi.eBrazil, Russia, India, China and
South Africa.
● The New Development Bank was agreed to by BRICS leaders at the 5th BRICS summit held in Durban,
South Africa in 2013.
● It was established in 2014, at the 6th BRICS Summit at Fortaleza, Brazil.
● The bank is set up to foster greater financial and development cooperation among the five emerging
markets.
● In the Fortaleza Declaration, the leaders stressed that the NDB will strengthen cooperation among BRICS
and will supplement the efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global development.
● The bank is headquartered in Shanghai, China.
● Unlike the World Bank, which assigns votes based on capital share, in the New Development Bank each
participant country will be assigned one vote, and none of the countries will have veto power.
● The first regional office of the NDB was setup in Johannesburg, South Africa. The second regional office
was established in 2019 in São Paulo, Brazil, followed by Moscow, Russia.
● The Bank has an initial authorized capital of 100 billion dollars and an initial subscribed capital of 50
billion dollars.
● Membership in NDB is open to any member of the United Nations.
● In 2018, the NDB received observer status in the United Nations General Assembly
What is the Governance Structure of NDB:
● The Bank is governed by a Board of Governors made up of the finance ministers of the five BRICS
countries, and a Board of Directors.
● Voting power within the Board is based on each country’s shares in the bank.
● While new members can join the NDB, the five BRICS countries will retain a minimum of 55% of total
shares.
● The NDB’s management includes a presidency which rotates among BRICS members, and four vice
presidents who are selected from the remaining BRICS countries.
● V. Kamath, from India, was the first elected president of the NDB
● Egypt became the latest member of NDB.

The Digital Public Goods Alliance

What is the Digital Public Goods Alliance
● The Digital Public Goods Alliance is a multi-stakeholder initiative with a mission to accelerate the
attainment of the sustainable development goals in low- and middle-income countries by facilitating the
discovery, development, use of, and investment in digital public goods.
● DPGA is a UN-endorsed initiative facilitating the discovery and deployment of open-source technologies,
fostering a global ecosystem for digital public goods to achieve sustainable development goals.
● The DPGA is governed by a board, including members like the German Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development, EkStep Foundation, Government of Sierra Leone, Norwegian Agency for
Development Cooperation (Norad), UNDP, and UNICEF.

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 ● The DPGA relies on a broad membership and stakeholder community, using a roadmap for coordination,
alignment, engagement, and communication to advance its strategic objectives.
● The DPGA's diverse membership, including governments, foundations, and organizations, collaborates to
promote digital public goods and contribute to the alliance's strategic goals over a five-year strategy period.
What is Digital Public Goods Alliance Strategy 2021-2026:
● The five year objectives of the Digital Public Goods Alliance are:
● Ensure discoverability, sustainable management, and accessibility of digital public goods addressing
critical development needs and urgent global challenges for government institutions and relevant
implementing organizations.
● Enhance knowledge, capacity, and incentives of UN institutions, multilateral development banks, and
other institutions crucial for implementing digital technologies in countries, effectively promoting and
supporting the adoption of digital public goods (DPGs).
● Empower government institutions with the information, motivation, and capacity to implement DPGs
addressing critical development needs, facilitating effective planning, deployment, maintenance, and evolution
of digital public infrastructures.
● Foster vibrant commercial ecosystems in countries, promoting the creation, maintenance, implementation,
and incubation of DPGs at the local level.
Reports:
World Press Freedom Index:
Why in news:
1. India slips to 161 on World Press Freedom Index
Key Findings of the Report
● Toppers: Norway, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Portugal and
Timor-Leste occupy the top 10 ranks in the World Press Freedom Index 2023.
● India’s neighbours: The relative rankings of some countries — Pakistan rose up seven ranks and was placed
at 150th, and Afghanistan was ranked 152nd.
● The World Press Freedom Index revealed that press freedom in 31 is in a “very serious situation”.
● Two years ago, the number was 21 countries.
About the Report
● The World Press Freedom Index Report is an annual report.
● It is published by Reporters Without Borders, a non-governmental organization that advocates for freedom
of the press worldwide.
● The report ranks 180 countries based on their level of press freedom, taking into account factors such as
censorship, media independence, and the safety of journalists.
● The World Press Freedom Index is based on five different factors that are used to calculate scores and rank
countries. These five sub-indicators include the:
● Political indicator
● Economic indicator
● Legislative indicator
● Social indicator
● Security indicator
Some facts about Reporters Without Borders
● Reporters Without Borders is an international NGO whose self-proclaimed aim is to defend and promote
media freedom.
● Headquartered in Paris, it has consultative status with the United Nations.
Multidimensional Poverty Index of UNDP
Why in news:
● The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human
Development Initiative (OPHI) released the latest update of the global Multidimensional Poverty Index
(MPI).
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 ● The report highlights the remarkable progress made by India in reducing poverty, with 415 million people
lifted out of poverty between 2005-06 and 2019-21.
India’s Poverty Reduction Success:
● The incidence of poverty in India declined from 55.1% to 16.4% during the 15-year period.
● In 2005-06, around 645 million people were in multidimensional poverty, which decreased to approximately
370 million in 2015-16 and 230 million in 2019-21.
● India is among 25 countries that successfully halved their global MPI values within 15 years, including
Cambodia, China, Congo, Honduras, Indonesia, Morocco, Serbia, and Vietnam.
Some facts about Global Multidimensional Poverty Index
● The index is a key international resource that measures acute multidimensional poverty across more than
100 developing countries.
● It was first launched in 2010 by the OPHI and the Human Development Report Office of the UNDP.
● The MPI monitors deprivations in 10 indicators spanning health, education and standard of living and
includes both incidence as well as intensity of poverty.
MPI Indicators and Dimensions:
● A person is multidimensionally poor if she/he is deprived in one third or more (means 33% or more) of
the weighted indicators (out of the ten indicators).
● Those who are deprived in one half or more of the weighted indicators are considered living in extreme
multidimensional poverty.

Henley Passport Index:

Why in news:
● Recently, the Henley Passport Index 2023 was published by the consultancy firm named ‘Henley & Partners’.
● India climbs seven points to 80 on Passport Index
Some facts about Henley Passport Index:
● Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom for their citizens.
● It started in 2006 as Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (HVRI).
● It is the ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access
without a prior visa.
● The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.
● The number of countries that a specific passport can access becomes its visa-free 'score'.
● In collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and based on official data from
their global database, Henley & Partners analyses the visa regulations of all the countries and territories in the
world.
Some details about Henley Passport Index 2023:

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 ● It is published by Henley & Partners, a global citizenship and residence advisory firm, in partnership with
the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
● The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and
enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team.
● As per the 2023 rankings, Japan has been replaced by Singapore, which is now officially the most powerful
passport in the world.
● Citizens of Singapore can visit 192 travel destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free.
● Germany, Italy, and Spain occupy the second place.
● Japan, which occupied the top position on the Henley Passport Index for five years, dropped to the third place.
● Alongside Japan at the third position are Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and
Sweden.
● India has climbed seven places on Henley Passport Index 2023 to 80th rank from 87 last year.
● Indian citizens can now enjoy visa-free access to 57 destinations.
● In 2014, India ranked 76 with 52 countries allowing Indian passport holders visa free access but its
performance has not been linear.
● It ranked 88 in 2015 (visa free access to 51 countries), 85 in 2016, 87 in 2017, 81 in 2018, 82 in 2019 and
2020, and 81 in 2021.
What is Henley Openness Index
● Henley & Partners also conducted an exclusive new research resulting in the Henley Openness Index.
● This Index measures how many nations does a country allow visa-free access to.
● The Top 20 ‘most open’ countries are all small island nations or African states, except for Cambodia.
● There are 12 completely open countries that offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to all 198 passports in the
world (not counting their own).
● India was ranked 94 out of a total of 97 ranks for allowing only four countries visa-free access.
Global Hunger Index (GHI)
Why in news:
1. India's Position: India has slipped four notches to 111 out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index
(GHI) 2023. This is a decline from its position at 107 out of 121 countries in 2022.
Some facts about the report:
● Child Wasting Rate: The GHI 2023 report highlights India's child wasting rate at 18.7 percent, the highest
in the world during 2018–22, indicating acute undernutrition.
● Other Health Metrics: The rate of undernourishment in India stood at 16.6 percent, while the under-five
mortality rate was 3.1 percent. Additionally, the report noted that the prevalence of anaemia in women aged
between 15 and 24 years stood at 58.1 percent.
● India's GHI Score: India's overall score in the GHI 2023 is 28.7, categorized as "serious".
● Status of Neighbouring Countries: India's neighboring countries, such as Pakistan (102), Bangladesh (81),
Nepal (69), and Sri Lanka (60), have fared better than India in the index.
About Global Hunger Index (GHI):
● The GHI is an annual publication developed as a partnership between Concern Worldwide and
Welthungerhilfe to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels.
● The GHI score is based on four component indicators, including
1. undernourishment based on caloric intake,
2. child stunting based on height,
3. child wasting based on weight, and
4. child mortality (before age five).
● The first GHI report was published in 2006.
What is the Country Ranking Method:
● The GHI ranks countries based on a three-step process that involves the standardization of scores for four key
indicators and their aggregation. The indicators used for the ranking include:
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 1. Undernourishment
2. Child stunting (percentage of children below five years of age with low height for their age, reflecting
chronic undernutrition)
3. Child wasting (percentage of children below five years of age with low weight for their height,
indicating acute undernutrition)
4. Child mortality (the mortality rate of children under the age of five)
● The GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale, with 0 indicating no hunger and 100 representing the
worst hunger situation.
● Each GHI score is derived from data spanning a 5-year period, with the 2023 GHI scores based on data from
2018 through 2022.
● The GHI incorporates several key indicators with varying weightage, including inadequate food supply (1/3
weightage), child undernutrition (1/3), and under-five child mortality (1/3).
Global Economic Prospects report
Some facts about the report
● The World Bank produces the GEP twice a year, in January and June, as part of its in-depth analysis of key
global macroeconomic developments and their impact on member countries.
● The GEP provides intelligence in support of achieving development goals and is a trusted resource for member
countries, stakeholders, civil organizations and researchers.
The Global Report on the Food Crises (GRFC)
● The Global Report on the Food Crises (GRFC) 2023, prepared by the Global Network Against Food Crises
(GNAFC), released recently estimated that between 691 million and 783 million people in the world suffered
from hunger in 2022.
Some facts about Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC):
● The GNAFC was founded by the European Union, Food and Agriculture Organization, and World Food
Programme in 2016.
● It is an alliance of humanitarian and development actors working together to prevent, prepare for and respond
to food crises and support the Sustainable Development Goal to End Hunger (SDG 2).
● The Global Report on Food Crises is the flagship publication of the Global Network and is facilitated by the
Food Security Information Network (FSIN).
● The Report is the result of a consensus-based and multi-partner analytical process involving 17
international humanitarian and development partners.
Some facts about FSIN
● A global initiative co-sponsored by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme
(WFP), and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) to strengthen food and nutrition security
information systems for producing reliable and accurate data to guide analysis and decision-making.
Key Highlights of Global Report on Food Crises 2023:
● The prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population is based on the Food Insecurity
Experience Scale (FIES).
● The Global Report starts with a qualified assertion that hunger is no longer on an alarming path upwards
at the global level, but still far above pre-COVID pandemic levels.
● It sets the global contexts preceding and during the year under assessment, particularly paying attention to the
increasing phenomenon of urbanization, and its effects on food security.
● In 2022, an estimated 2.4 billion people did not have access to adequate food. This is still 391 million more
people than in 2019.
● Stunting, another key metric, has declined steadily, from 204.2 million in 2000 to 148.1 million in 2022.
● Simultaneously, child wasting, declined from 54.1 million in 2000 to 45 million in 2022.
● In terms of children who are overweight or obese, the study indicated a non-significant increase from 5.3%
(33 million) in 2000 to 5.6 % (37 million) in 2022.
What is Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)

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 ● Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) is experience-based measures of household or individual food
security.
● The FIES Survey Module (FIES-SM) consists of questions regarding people’s access to adequate food, and
can be easily integrated into various types of population surveys
● The FIES-SM questions refer to the experiences of the individual respondent or of the respondent’s household
as a whole. The questions focus on self-reported food-related behaviors and experiences associated with
increasing difficulties in accessing food due to resource constraints.
Global Unemployment Outlook - ILO Report 2024
Some details about the report:
1. Projected Increase in Unemployment Rate:
o The International Labour Organization (ILO) predicts a global unemployment rate of 5.2% in 2024,
a slight increase from 5.1% in the previous year.
2. Cause:
o The main factor contributing to the rise is an increase in joblessness in advanced economies.
3. Forecasted Unemployed Population:
o The ILO's World Employment and Social Outlook report estimates a growth of 2 million
unemployed people globally.
4. Reasons for Modest Performance:
o ILO attributes the anticipated modest fall in labour market performance to global economic
deceleration.
5. Post-Pandemic Recovery:
o Despite a brief growth spurt during the post-pandemic recovery, overall labour productivity growth
has returned to a low pace similar to the previous decade.
6. Impact on Income and Wages:
o Slow productivity growth periods can make real disposable income and wages susceptible to sudden
price shocks.
7. Employment Gains Across Countries:
o While upper-middle-income countries may experience minimal employment gains in the coming
years, low-income and lower-middle-income countries are expected to maintain robust job
growth.
8. Global Economic Deceleration:
o The ILO emphasizes that the global economic slowdown is a contributing factor to the projected
increase in the unemployment rate.
International Labour Organization (ILO) and its report
● The International Labour Organization (ILO) has published various reports covering a wide range of topics
related to global labour markets, employment trends, and social issues.
Some of the key reports published by the ILO include:
1. World Employment and Social Outlook (WESO):
o The WESO report provides an in-depth analysis of global employment trends and social issues. It
covers topics such as unemployment rates, income inequality, and the impact of economic trends
on the labor market.
2. Global Wage Report:
o This report examines global wage trends, income disparities, and the factors influencing wage
growth or decline. It provides insights into the challenges faced by workers in different parts of the
world.
3. ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers:
o Focusing on international migration, this report provides estimates and analysis of migrant workers
globally. It covers aspects such as migration patterns, labor market integration, and the rights of
migrant workers.
4. World Social Protection Report:
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 o The ILO's social protection report assesses the status of social protection globally. It examines social
protection policies, access to healthcare, and measures to address poverty and inequality.
5. Global Employment Trends:
o This report analyses emerging trends in the global labour market, including changes in employment
rates, sectoral shifts, and the impact of technological advancements on jobs.
6. ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the World of Work:
o In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ILO has regularly published monitors providing
updates on the impact of the pandemic on the world of work. It covers aspects such as job losses,
policy responses, and recovery strategies.
7. ILOSTAT:
o ILOSTAT is the ILO's statistical database, providing a wealth of labour-related statistics. It covers data
on employment, unemployment, wages, and working conditions, among other indicators.
What are ILO Conventions
● The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work was adopted in 1998, and it commits
member states to respect and promote eight fundamental principles and rights in four categories,
irrespective of whether they have ratified the relevant conventions.
These principles and rights are as follows:
1. Freedom of Association and The Right to Collective Bargaining:
o Convention 87: Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize.
o Convention 98: Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining.
2. Elimination of Forced or Compulsory Labour:
o Convention 29: Forced Labour Convention.
o Convention 105: Abolition of Forced Labour Convention.
3. Abolition of Child Labour:
o Convention 138: Minimum Age Convention.
o Convention 182: Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention.
4. Elimination of Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation:
o Convention 100: Equal Remuneration Convention.
o Convention 111: Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention.
● These fundamental conventions form an integral part of the United Nations Human Rights Framework,
and their ratification signals member states' commitment to human rights. .
India and ILO Scenario:
● India, as a founding member of the ILO, has been a permanent member of the ILO Governing Body since 1922.
● The first ILO Office in India was established in 1928, marking decades of productive partnership grounded
in mutual trust, respect, and the building of sustained institutional capacities.
● India has ratified six out of the eight-core/fundamental ILO conventions, covering various aspects such
as forced labour, child labour, and discrimination. However, it has not ratified two conventions related
to freedom of association and collective bargaining (Convention No. 87 and No. 98).
● The non-ratification of Conventions No. 87 and 98 is attributed to certain restrictions imposed on government
servants, including the right to strike, openly criticize government policies, accept financial contributions, and
join foreign organizations.
● Convention No. 144 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) is known as the "Convention on
Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards)."
● This convention was adopted in 1976 and emphasizes the application of a fundamental principle on which
the ILO was founded, which is tripartite social dialogue in the development and implementation of
international labor standards.
● Convention No. 144 of the ILO reflects the organization's commitment to tripartite social dialogue as a
means to develop and implement international labor standards. Tripartism is seen as a cornerstone for
promoting cooperation, inclusivity, and consensus-building in addressing labor-related issues on a global scale.

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Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) - 2023
Some facts about Corruption Perceptions Index :
● The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is an annual index published by Transparency International,
which ranks countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption.
● The index is based on assessments and surveys from experts and business people, and countries are scored on
a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 indicates high corruption, and 100 indicates very clean.
What are the Key Points under Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2023:
1. Ranking: India slipped from 85 in 2022 to 93 in 2023 on the CPI.
2. Score Fluctuations: India's overall CPI score was 39 in 2023, a slight decrease from 40 in 2022. The report
notes small score fluctuations, preventing firm conclusions.
3. Civic Space: The report highlights a further narrowing of civic space in India, especially due to the passage of
a telecommunication bill that could pose a "grave threat" to fundamental rights.
4. Global and Regional Observations:
o The global average CPI score is 43 out of 100.
o Seventy-one percent of countries in Asia and the Pacific have a CPI score below the regional average
of 45.
o India's ranking is better than its neighbors in South Asia, with Pakistan at 133 and Sri Lanka at 115.
5. Top Countries: Countries with high scores indicating lower corruption levels include New Zealand,
Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Bhutan, Taiwan, and South Korea.
6. Bottom Countries: Fragile states with authoritarian regimes, such as North Korea and Myanmar, are at the
bottom of the index. Afghanistan faces one of the worst humanitarian crises.
Some facts about Transparency International:
1. Foundation, Location, Mission and Purpose:
o Founded in 1993.
o International non-governmental organization.
o Headquarters: Berlin, Germany.
o Non-profit organization.
o Aims to combat global corruption through civil societal anti-corruption measures.
o Focus on preventing criminal activities stemming from corruption.
2. Global Initiatives:
o Engages in international efforts to fight corruption at various levels.
o Collaborates with governments, organizations, and civil society to promote transparency and integrity.
3. Key Publications:
o Global Corruption Barometer: Highlights public perceptions of corruption and provides insights into
people's experiences and attitudes.
o Corruption Perception Index (CPI): Ranks countries based on perceived levels of public sector
corruption.

WTO negotiation session on Fisheries Subsidies

Section: International Organisation
Context:

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 • The WTO negotiation session on Fisheries Subsidies took place on 27 February in the ongoing Abu Dhabi
Ministerial Conference-13.
More on news:
• In these negotiations, India reiterated its long-held positions that responsible and sustainable fisheries is a
practice ingrained in the ethos and practices of India’s large and varied fishing community.
India’s Opinion:
• India stressed that historically, while subsidies to the fisheries sector has led to over exploitation, subsidies
are also vital for developing countries and small economies to develop and diversify their fisheries sector as
well as to protect the food security and livelihood security of their fishermen.
• This negotiation is linked to the concept of sustainability and as such, any comprehensive agreement on
fisheries subsidies should be built on the principles of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and
Respective Capabilities (CBDR- RC).
• It should also incorporate the provisions of Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) appropriately, as is
the case for all WTO agreements.
• There is an urgent case for capturing non-specific fuel subsidies and transfer of fishing rights to corporate fishing
under Government to Government (G2G) payments within the ambit of the disciplines.
• Equally important is the need to discipline subsidies given by the Distant Water Fishing Nations as proposed
by India.
• India explained that the current approaches for addressing Over Capacity and Over Fishing (OCOF) is deeply
flawed.
Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
• The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies was adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) on
17 June 2022.
• It marks a major step forward for ocean sustainability by prohibiting harmful fisheries subsidies, which
are a key factor in the widespread depletion of the world’s fish stocks.
• The Agreement represents a historic achievement for the membership as the
o the first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target to be fully met through a multilateral agreement,
o the first WTO agreement to focus on the environment,
o the first broad, binding, multilateral agreement on ocean sustainability, and
o only the second agreement reached at the WTO since its inception.

G-33 Ministerial Statement on Agriculture Trade Negotiations at the 13th WTO Ministerial
Conference G-33 Ministerial Meeting, Abu Dhabi, 25 February 2024
Section : Int Organisation
Context:
• Ministers and Representatives of the G-33 Members, met in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on 25
February 2024, on the sideline of the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference.
More on news:
• The 13th WTO Ministerial Conference aimed to exchange views on the state of play of the WTO agriculture
trade negotiations, and to deliberate the Group's priorities on the outcome and the way forward.

Key Outcomes:

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 • Emphasis was made on the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference which provides an important opportunity to
reinforce a rules-based, non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, equitable, and transparent multilateral trading
system with the WTO at its core.
• The vast majority of the G-33 Members recognize the critical importance of public stockholding for food
security purposes for developing country Members, including LDCs and NFIDCs, in meeting our food and
livelihood security, as well as our rural development imperative, including supporting low income or resource
poor producers.
About World Trade Organization (WTO)
• The WTO is an intergovernmental organization that is concerned with the regulation of international trade
between nations.
• The WTO officially commenced on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, signed by 123 nations
on 15 April 1994.
• It replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which commenced in 1948.
• It is the largest international economic organization in the world.
Functions of WTO
• The WTO deals with the regulation of trade in goods, services and intellectual property between
participating countries.
• It provides a framework for negotiating trade agreements and a dispute resolution process aimed at
enforcing participants’ adherence to WTO agreements, which are signed by representatives of member
governments and ratified by their parliaments.
Principles of WTO:
Five principles are of particular importance in understanding both the pre-1994 GATT and the WTO:
• Non-discrimination:
o It has two major components: the most favored nation (MFN) rule and the national treatment policy.
o The MFN rule requires that a WTO member must apply the same conditions on all trade with other
WTO members.
o National treatment means that imported goods should be treated no less favorably than domestically
produced goods.
• Reciprocity:
o It reflects both a desire to limit the scope of free-riding that may arise because of the MFN rule and a
desire to obtain better access to foreign markets.
• Binding and enforceable commitments:
o The tariff commitments made by WTO members in multilateral trade negotiation and on accession are
enumerated in a schedule (list) of concessions.
o These schedules establish “ceiling bindings”: a country can change its bindings, but only after
negotiating with its trading partners.
• Transparency:
o The WTO members are required to publish their trade regulations, to maintain institutions allowing for
the review of administrative decisions affecting trade, to respond to requests for information by other
members, and to notify changes in trade policies to the WTO.
• Safety values:
o In specific circumstances, governments are able to restrict trade.
o The WTO’s agreements permit members to take measures to protect not only the environment but also
public health, animal health and plant health.

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Are Interpol’s notices being politically exploited?
Section: Int organisation
Interpol:
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) comprises 194 member countries was established in 1923.

• It does not work under UN.

• It has enjoyed a special role–that of Permanent Observer at the United Nations - since 1996.
• It is headquartered at Lyon, France.
Role:
As an information-sharing network to enable national police forces to combat transnational crimes.

Four Global Programmes of Interpol:

What are the concerns:

• About the misuse of Interpol’s notice system, especially the issuance of blue corner notices (less scrutinised
than their red corner notices).
• Critics argument:
• Countries often exploit existing protocols to target political refugees and dissidents.
• While efforts have been made to address this.
• But still questions remain about striking a balance between facilitating police cooperation and preventing
misuse of this powerful tool.
What is a “blue corner” notice?
• There are seven types of notices issued by Interpol — Red Notice, Yellow Notice, Blue Notice, Black Notice,
Green Notice, Orange Notice, and Purple Notice.

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 • A blue corner notice (or an “enquiry notice”) allows police forces in member states to share critical crime-
related information such as obtaining a person’s criminal record, and location and, having his or her identity
verified among others. Example: In January 2020, Interpol issued a blue corner notice to help locate fugitive
self-styled godman Nithyananda.
How does “blue corner” notice differ from a “red corner” notice?
What is a red corner notice?
• A red corner notice is issued by a member state to arrest a wanted criminal through extradition or any other
similar lawful action.
• Such notices are issued against persons wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a
sentence based on an arrest warrant or a court decision. The country issuing the request need not be the home
country of the fugitive.
• Interpol acts even on the request of a country where the alleged crime has been committed.
Differences:
• While blue corner notices are issued prior to the filing of criminal charges, red corner notices generally follow
criminal convictions.
Impact of notices:
• The concerned individual can be stopped and arrested while travelling through a member state.
• There will also be other detrimental consequences such as the closure of bank accounts.
Discretionary in nature:
• However, Interpol cannot compel law enforcement authorities in any country to arrest the subject of a red
corner notice as the exercise of such powers is entirely discretionary.
Case study:
• In 2018, a red corner notice was issued against fugitive billionaire Nirav Modi in relation to the Punjab
National Bank scam.
• However, in October 2022, Interpol rejected a second request by India to issue such a notice against
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, whom the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has listed as a “terrorist.”
Reason by Interpol:
India has failed to provide sufficient information to support its case and that his activities have a “clear political
dimension.”
Is the notice system prone to misuse?
Rule: Interpol’s Constitution explicitly forbids any activities of a political character.
However, Interpol failed to enforce the above rule as highlighted below:
As accusation by activists:
• It is directed at Russia, which has repeatedly issued notices and diffusions for the arrest of Kremlin
opponents, a political character activity .

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 • Data: According to the U.S. rights organisation Freedom House, Russia is responsible for 38% of all public
red notices.
• Accusation by International human rights groups:
• Against China, Iran, Turkey, and Tunisia etc. of abusing the agency’s notice system for authoritarian ends
i.e. again a political character activity.
Response of accusation by Interpol:
• Interpol toughened the oversight of its red notice system.
Still vulnerabilities remain:
• According to experts vulnerabilities remain in Blue notices issuances.
Reason: Blue notices are less likely to be reviewed before publication.
Impact: As per the agency’s data that blue notices have roughly doubled in number over the past decade.
Reaction of countries :
But countries like Turkey argue that such restraint in the issuance of notices hampers police cooperation and that the
West should not interfere with their internal affairs.

Groupings
North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO)
Why in news:
1. Finland joins NATO bloc
2. NATO to put up biggest air deployment exercise i.e Air Defender 23 exercise
3. NATO formally suspends Cold War-era security treaty as Russia pulls out
4. Turkey’s parliament approves Sweden’s NATO membership
Some facts about NATO:
● NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on
4 April 1949 also called the Washington Treaty between 30 countries across the world including the United
States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet
Union.
● It was the first peacetime military alliance between the United States and non-western countries.
● Currently NATO consists of 31 member countries spanning North America and Europe. The most recent
addition to this alliance came in April 2023 when Finland joined as its 31st member.
● NATO's primary objective revolves around the preservation of the freedom and security of its member
nations, achieved through a combination of political and military strategies.
● The core principle of NATO is collective defense, where independent member states pledge mutual protection
in the face of external threats.
● The cornerstone of this commitment is enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which states that
an attack against any one member nation will be treated as an attack against all.
● The alliance's headquarters are situated in Brussels, Belgium, facilitating coordination and cooperation
among its members.
Composition:
● Since its founding, the admission of new member states has increased the alliance from the original 12 countries
to 31. The most recent member state to be added to NATO was Finland.
● The other member countries are: Greece and Turkey (1952), Germany (1955), Spain (1982), the Czech
Republic, Hungary and Poland (1999), Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and
Slovenia (2004), Albania and Croatia (2009), Montenegro (2017) and North Macedonia (2020).
● NATO membership is open to “any other European state in a position to further the principles of this
Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area.”
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What is the NATO membership — Process
● NATO has what it calls an “open door policy” on new members — any European country can request to
join, so long as they meet certain criteria and all existing members agree.
● A country does not technically “apply” to join;
● Article 10 of its founding treaty states that, once a nation has expressed interest, the existing member
states “may, by unanimous agreement, invite any other European State in a position to further the
principles of this Treaty … to accede.”
● Ratification of new members could take a year, as the legislatures of all 30 current members must approve
new applicants.
● Requirements for membership, which include
o having a functioning democratic political system based on a market economy;
o treating minority populations fairly;
o committing to resolve conflicts peacefully;
o the ability and willingness to make a military contribution to NATO operations;
o Committing to democratic civil-military relations and institutions.
What does NATO membership entail?
● The reason most countries join NATO is because of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which stipulates
that all signatories consider an attack on one an attack against all.
● Article 5 guarantees that the resources of the whole alliance — including the massive US military — can
be used to protect any single member nation, such as smaller countries who would be defenseless without
their allies. Iceland, for example, has no standing army.

What is Paasikivi’s line:

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 ● Post the Second World War, the skilful diplomacy and pragmatism displayed by Finnish President Juho Kusti
Paasikivi helped the country to save itself from the spread of communist ideology.
● In 1948, the Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance was signed between the USSR
and Finland.
● Paasikivi’s line was based on the idea of peaceful coexistence with the USSR and neutrality was the key
motive. This helped Finland address the complexities in global geopolitics post the Second World War.
● This became popular as “Finland’s neutrality”.
What is NATO Plus five
● NATO Plus is a coalition consisting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and five countries,
namely Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea.
● The primary objective of this group is to enhance global defense cooperation.
● Membership in NATO Plus would offer several advantages, including seamless intelligence sharing among
member countries, access to cutting-edge military technology without delays, and a strengthened defense
partnership with the United States.
What is Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE):
● The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) was signed in Paris in November 1990,
following the fall of the Berlin Wall.
● It established limitations on conventional arms and equipment with the primary goal of preventing Cold
War adversaries from amassing forces suitable for rapid attacks.
● Its chief objective was to reduce the risk of surprise armed conflicts and the initiation of large-scale
offensive operations in Europe.
● The CFE treaty encompassed various key aspects:
o It established comprehensive restrictions on significant categories of conventional military
equipment across Europe, ranging from the Atlantic to the Urals.
o The treaty required the destruction of surplus weaponry.
o It effectively ended the Soviet Union's substantial quantitative advantage in conventional weapons
in Europe.
o The treaty introduced verifiable limitations on the categories of conventional military equipment
deployable by NATO and the former Warsaw Pact.
o It imposed constraints on conventional arms and equipment.
● The CFE treaty is often referred to as the "cornerstone of European security
Some facts about Turkey panel nod takes Sweden NATO Membership
● The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission has approved Sweden's NATO membership
application after a 19-month delay due to security concessions demanded by Turkey.
● The panel, controlled by President Erdogan's ruling party, supported Sweden's petition in response to Russia's
invasion of Ukraine.
● The next step involves a vote by the entire parliament, expected to pass as the ruling party and its allies
control it.
● If approved, the bill will be sent to Erdogan for signing, concluding a nearly two-year process.
European Union (EU):
Why in news:
1. EU’s plan to levy carbon tax on imports
2. Potential enlargement of the European Union
3. Windsor Framework
4. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
5. Saudi Arabia, Arab League, and EU launch Mideast Peace Day Effort
6. India EU sign semiconductor pact
7. Croatia becomes fully integrated EU member
8. EU Parliament votes in favor of Critical Raw Materials Act

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 9. Hungary blocked EU aid to Ukraine
Some facts about European Union:
● The European Union is a unique economic and political union between 27 EU countries that together cover
much of the continent.
● 19 of these countries use EURO as their official currency. 8 EU members (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden) do not use the euro.
● The EU grew out of a desire to form a single European political entity to end centuries of warfare among
European countries that culminated with World War II and decimated much of the continent.
● The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardized system of laws that apply in all
member states in matters, where members have agreed to act as one.
Origin of the European Union:
● Despite not being officially formed until 1993, the European Union’s foundations actually reach further
back to 1957, when the European Economic Community was established.
● The EEC was formed out of a previous group called the European Coal and Steel Community – which had
its own start in 1951.
● In 1993, the EEC morphed into the European Union following the new Maastricht Treaty (also known as
the Treaty on European Union).
● Additionally, the Treaty of Lisbon, enacted in 2009, gave the European Union more broad powers that
included being authorized to sign international treaties, increase border patrol, and other security and
enforcement provisions.
What is the requirement for joining the EU:
● Obligation:
o According to Article 49 of the EU treaties, any European nation seeking to become an EU member
must commit to upholding and promoting the EU's fundamental values outlined in Article 2.
o These values encompass principles such as freedom, democracy, equality, and the rule of law,
among others.
● Consideration:
o Following the submission of an application, EU member states assess the nation's suitability for
membership based on these principles.
● Specific criteria:
o The Copenhagen European Council meeting in 1993 established more detailed conditions known
as the Copenhagen Criteria.
o These criteria outline the fundamental requirements that all candidate countries must meet.
o For instance, they encompass having a well-functioning market economy, maintaining a stable
democracy and rule of law, and adhering to all EU legislation, including that related to the Euro.
What is the Copenhagen Criteria?
● The Copenhagen Criteria refers to the conditions that candidate countries must meet before they can be part
of the European Union.
● The criteria had been established in 1993 by the Copenhagen European Council, and later strengthened in
1995 by the Madrid European Council.
● Copenhagen Criteria also refer to the rules defined by the European Council in 1993 in Denmark,
Copenhagen, which determines whether a country is qualified to join the European Union.
● In order to become a member of the EU, the three criteria that must be achieved are:
● Stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and
protection of minorities.
● The existence of a functioning market economy as well as the capacity to cope with competitive pressure
and market forces within the union.
● The ability to take on the obligations of membership including adherence to the aims of political,
economic & monetary union.
Criteria for Membership

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 ● The European community always monitors the progress of candidate states that have applied for the EU
accession.
● Three documents are used to define the European Union membership criteria. These include:
● Article 49 of the 1992 Maastricht Treaty
● The 1993 declaration the European Council in Copenhagen (includes political, legislative, and
economic policies)
● Framework for negotiations with specific conditions for every candidate country.
Candidate country status
● Candidate country status is conferred by the European Council on the basis of an opinion from the
European Commission, drawn up following an application for membership of the European Union (EU) by
the country concerned.
● Candidate country status does not give an automatic a right to join the EU.on.
What is the process of joining the EU:
● The process for achieving European Union membership involves three distinct stages, outlined as follows:
o First stage: The country is granted the status of an official candidate. In this initial phase, the
candidate nation responds to inquiries to demonstrate its alignment with the membership criteria.
o Second stage: The formal negotiations for membership commence with the candidate. This phase
encompasses the integration of EU law into national legislation and the fulfillment of a wide range
of requirements, referred to as the accession criteria, which pertain to the legal, administrative,
economic, and other aspects.
o Third stage: Upon the successful completion of negotiations and the fulfillment of all accession
criteria, the candidate becomes eligible for EU membership. The final decision regarding
membership is subject to a unanimous vote by the existing EU member states, who must collectively
endorse the new accession.
Some facts about Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
● The European Union has proposed a policy called the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism — to tax
products such as cement and steel that are extremely carbon intensive, with effect from 2026.
● It is a duty on imports based on the amount of carbon emissions resulting from the production of the product
in question.
● As a price on carbon, it discourages emissions. As a trade-related measure, it affects production and exports.
● This measure makes it necessary for carbon-intensive industries to comply with stricter emission standards.
What is Northern Ireland Protocol:
● The Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed upon as a part of Brexit.
● According to the protocol, Northern Ireland would remain a part of the European Union’s (EU) single
market for goods and operate under EU customs rules.
● The protocol was implemented by creating a customs border between Northern Ireland and the U.K.
● The Windsor Framework will replace the Northern Ireland Protocol.
What is Windsor Framework:
● The deal will protect the flow of free trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland by creating
green and red lanes for goods flowing into Northern Ireland.
● Goods that might end up entering the Republic of Ireland will be placed in the red lane for checks
before entering Northern Ireland.
● Goods destined to remain in Northern Ireland will flow freely.
● Through the deal the UK and the EU have managed to protect “Northern Ireland’s place in the
union” by allowing the UK government to determine VAT rates applicable in Northern Ireland, as
opposed to the current system where the rates are determined by the EU.
● A new “Stormont brake” that would allow Northern Ireland’s devolved government to pull an
“emergency brake” on any new EU laws from being imposed on the province.

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 ● This will establish a clear process through which the democratically elected assembly can pull an
emergency brake for changes to EU goods, rules that would have significant and lasting effect on everyday
lives.
What is General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
● General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a law enacted by the European parliament in May 2016 to
lay down stringent ground rules for all entities that collect, store or use personal data belonging to
residents in 27 EU countries.
● The law came into force on May 25 after a two-year grace period.
● The primary objective of the GDPR is to establish the right to privacy as one of the fundamental rights
for EU residents.
● It requires all firms dealing with personal data to be open and transparent about what they will do with it, and
to take the user’s permission before they share it.
● The law also requires firms to seek user consent through an explicit opt-in, or a signature on a consent form.
Some facts Saudi Arabia, Arab League, and EU launch Mideast Peace Day Effort
● The initiative aims to create a "Peace Supporting Package" that will yield benefits for both Palestinians and
Israelis upon reaching a peace agreement.
● This package includes detailed programs and contributions contingent on achieving a final status
agreement, motivating sincere efforts toward peace.
● It is built upon the Arab Peace Initiative and the 2013 EU peace support offer, seeking to elaborate on
their benefits and garner international support.
● The initiative emphasizes preserving the Two-State Solution based on the 1967 borders, respecting
international law and UN Security Council Resolutions, and maintaining the Status Quo of Jerusalem's
Holy Sites.
● Working groups were established to outline the components of the "Peace Supporting Package."
● These groups focus on political and security cooperation, economic and environmental cooperation, and
the human dimension of peace.
● The progress will be assessed every three months, with the goal of having the "Peace Supporting Package"
ready for presentation by September 2024.
What is India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC):
● The establishment of the TTC was announced in 2022 by the Indian Prime Minister and the President of the
European Commission.
● Its primary goal is to create a high-level coordination platform addressing strategic challenges at the
intersection of trade, trusted technology, and security.
● Ministerial meetings under the TTC occur annually, ensuring regular high-level engagement between
India and the EU.
● These meetings occur to promote balanced participation and enhance bilateral cooperation.
● Under TTC three Working Groups has been established:
● WG on Strategic Technologies, Digital Governance, and Digital Connectivity:
o Collaboratively addresses mutual interests such as digital connectivity, Artificial Intelligence,
5G/6G, high-performance and Quantum Computing, Semiconductors, cloud systems,
Cybersecurity, digital skills, and digital platforms.
● WG on Green and Clean Energy Technologies:
o Focuses on green technologies, including investment and standards, with an emphasis on research
and innovation.
o Explores areas like clean energy, Circular Economy, waste management, plastic and ocean litter,
waste to hydrogen, and recycling of batteries for e-vehicles.
o Promotes cooperation between EU and Indian incubators, SMEs, and start-ups.
● WG on Trade, Investment, and Resilient Value Chains:
o Addresses the resilience of supply chains and access to critical components, energy, and raw
materials.

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 o Works on resolving identified trade barriers and global trade challenges through cooperation in
multilateral forums.
o Aims to promote international standards and cooperation in addressing global geopolitical
challenges.
What is Schengen Area:
● The Schengen Area guarantees free movement to those legally residing within its boundaries. Residents and
visitors can cross borders without getting visas or showing their passports. In total, there are 27 members of
the Schengen Area.
● European Union countries not part of the Schengen Area are Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland.
● Four non-EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland have adopted the Schengen
Agreement.
● Three territories are special members of the EU and part of the Schengen Area i.e. the Azores, Madeira,
and the Canary Islands.
● Three countries that have open borders with the Schengen Area are Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican
City.
Some facts about Critical Materials Act:
● The regulation aims to “diversify the Union’s imports of strategic raw materials with a view to ensure that, by
2030, the Union’s annual consumption of each strategic raw material at any relevant stage of processing can
rely on imports from several third countries, none of which provide more than 65 per cent of the Union’s annual
consumption”.
● By 2030, the Union extraction capacity should be such that the ores, minerals, or concentrates needed to
produce at least 10 percent of its annual consumption of strategic raw materials can be extracted.
● The EU aims to increase its processing capacity along the value chain and be able to produce at least 40
percent of its annual consumption of strategic raw materials. The aim is to manufacture at least 50 per
cent annual consumption of strategic raw materials.
● Collecting, sorting, and processing 45 per cent of each strategic raw material contained in the Union’s waste.
G20
Why in news:
1. India urges G20 countries to join vaccine research initiative
2. G20 and India Presidentship
3. Bharat Mandapam
4. Global Biofuel Alliance
5. New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration
6. G20 becomes G21
7. G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (G20-DIA)
8. 2 agri initiatives piloted by India figured in Summit outcomes
9. P20 Summit
What is G20 Summit:
● G-20 was a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 19 individual countries and the
European Union.
● It was established in 1999 and was elevated to a forum of Heads of Government in 2008 to effectively
respond to the global financial crisis of 2008.
● G-20 is a forum, not a legislative body and its agreements and decisions have no legal impact, but they do
influence countries' policies and global cooperation..
● The G20 membership accounts for
o Two-thirds of the world’s population,
o 85% of global gross domestic product,
o 80% of global investment
o 75% of global trade.

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 o Contribute 79% of the world carbon emissions
● G20 does not have any permanent secretariat or headquarters.
● The G20 Summit is formally known as the “Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy”.
How G20 works:
● Since the G20 has no permanent secretariat. The agenda and work are coordinated by representatives of
the G20 countries, known as ‘Sherpas’.
● The presidency of the G20 rotates every year among members, and the country holding the presidency,
together with the previous and next presidency-holder, forms the ‘Troika’.
● Troika ensures continuity of the G20 agenda.
● During India’s presidency, India, Indonesia and Brazil will form the troika.
More about India Presidency:
● India assumed the presidency of G20 from 1st of December 2022.
● The G20 Presidency also marked the beginning of “Amritkaal”, the 25-year period beginning from the
75th anniversary of its independence on 15 August 2022, leading up to the centenary of its independence,
towards a futuristic, prosperous, inclusive and developed society, distinguished by a human-centric approach at
its core.
● Guest countries during India’s presidency will include Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria,
Oman, Singapore, Spain and the UAE
● The theme of the G20 summit is -‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam: One Earth, One Family, and One Future’.
● The G20 logo is created with the four colors of India's national flag, comprises earth sitting atop a lotus.
● The seven petals in the logo signify the seven seas and the coming together of seven continents at G20 India
2023.
Some facts about Bharat Mandapam:
● The Bharat Mandapam is the international exhibition-cum-convention centre (IECC) complex.
● It is developed as a national project.
● It is the new convention complex that will help showcase and promote India as a global business
destination.
● The term Bharat Mandapam derives its root from Lord Basaveshwara’s idea of Anubhav Mandapam,
which was a pavilion for public ceremonies..
● The IECC complex has been developed as India’s largest MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and
exhibitions) destination.
● The shape of the building is derived from the Shankha (conch shell).
● The different walls and facades of the centre depict several elements of India's traditional art and culture
including ‘Surya Shakti’, ‘Zero to ISRO’ and Pancha Mahabhuta.
What is Global Biofuels Alliance:
● It is an India-led Initiative to develop an alliance of Governments, International organizations and
Industry to facilitate the adoption of biofuels.
● A total of 19 countries and 12 international organizations have so far agreed to join the alliance, including
both G20 members and non-member countries.
● India, Brazil and the US are the founding members of the alliance.
● This Alliance will be aimed at facilitating cooperation and intensifying the use of sustainable biofuels,
including in the transportation sector.
● India, the US and Brazil account for a total of 85 percent of the global ethanol production with the US holding
55 per cent share followed by Brazil 27 per cent and India 3 per cent.
More about the New Delhi Declaration:
● The Declaration's Structure:
o The Declaration stands out due to its unique structure, deviating from traditional paragraph-based joint
declarations.
o It begins with a preamble, followed by 10 chapters, and concludes with a final section.
● Emphasis on Ukraine:
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 o The Declaration dedicates a significant portion to addressing the Ukraine-Russia conflict, with
seven detailed paragraphs.
o In contrast, the previous Bali Declaration only contained two paragraphs on this issue.
● Global Economic Focus:
o The document discusses the global economic situation, emphasizing financial inclusion and anti-
corruption efforts.
o Commitment to implementing the Action Plan against Fugitive Economic Offenders to enhance
international cooperation and information sharing.
● Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
o Focus on achieving SDGs, including ending hunger, improving healthcare, and providing quality
education.
o Highlights potential economic impacts of future pandemics and identifies gaps in pandemic response
mechanisms.
● Education Priorities:
o Emphasis on enhancing teachers' capacity, improving curricula, offering content in local
languages, and increasing access to digital resources.
o Aims to provide essential education for all, especially marginalized children.
● Green Development:
o Stress on implementing clean, sustainable, just, affordable, and inclusive energy transitions.
o Recognizes the importance of reliable, diverse, and sustainable value chains for critical minerals
and technologies.
● Multilateral Institution Reform:
o Discussion on reforming international financial institutions like Notable agreement on UN Security
Council reform and reforms for more effective Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).
o Calls for addressing debt vulnerabilities in low and middle-income countries and exchanging tax-
relevant crypto asset information by 2027.
● Technological Transformation:
o Focus on building digital public infrastructure, regulating crypto-assets, and harnessing AI
responsibly.
o Agreement on a G20 framework for digital public infrastructure and a Global Digital Public
Infrastructure Repository (GDPIR).
o Emphasis on cyber education and awareness, particularly for children and youth.
● Crypto-Asset Regulation:
o Achievement of consensus on establishing a global regulatory framework for crypto-assets.
o Endorsement of high-level recommendations by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) for regulating
crypto-asset activities.
● Gender Equality:
o Promotion of equal economic rights, property ownership, financial services, and inheritance for
women.
o Support for women's organizations, closing gender gaps in agricultural access, and the creation of
a working group on women's empowerment.
● Countering Terrorism and Money Laundering:
o Strong condemnation of terrorism and commitment to international peace and security.
● Inclusivity and Diplomacy:
o India's G20 Presidency welcomed the African Union's permanent membership, enhancing G20
inclusivity and cooperation with Africa.
o It shows India’s commitment to promoting respect for religious and cultural diversity and
denouncing religious hatred.

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 ● Acknowledgement of future G20 Presidencies, including Brazil in 2024, South Africa in 2025, and the US
in 2026 and recognition of the significance of Engagement Groups and Initiatives under India's G20
Presidency.
Some facts about Engagement Groups

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S. Engagement
Venue Theme/Motto/Priority Areas Some Facts
No Groups
● Established in 2010.
R.A.I.S.E – Responsible, ● Confederation of
Accelerated, Innovative, Indian Industry
1 Business20 New Delhi (CII) has been
Sustainable, Equitable
Businesses. designated as the
Business 20 (B20)
Secretariat
● Established in 2013,
2 Civil20 Jaipur “You Are The Light”. ● Platform for Civil
Society
Organizations.
● First summit took
'Universal Social Security' and place formally during
3 Labour20 Patna
'Women and Future of Work' the French
Presidency in 2011
● Established during
4 Parliament20 New Delhi Canada’s Presidency
in 2010,
● Established during
Coimbatore, Tamil Disruptive Science for
5 Science20 Germany’s
Nadu Sustainable Development
presidency in 2017
Supreme Audit `VasudhaivaKutumbakam` - ● Established during
6 Institutions 20 Goa, the World as ONE Earth, Indonesian
(SAI20) ONE Family and ONE Future. Presidency in 2022.

Inclusion & ● Established under

7 Startup20 Gurugram, G20 India
Sustainability presidency of 2023
● Established during
Bhopal, Madhya
8 Think20 ‘Inclusive Growth’ 2012 during the
Pradesh
Mexican presidency.
Identified six priority areas:-
1) Encouraging
environmentally responsible
behaviors, (2) Ensuring water ● Established in 2017
security, (3) Accelerating by the Mayors of
9 Urban20 Ahmedabad climate finance, (4) Buenos Aires
Championing local identity, (Argentina) and
(5) Reinventing frameworks Paris.
for urban governance (6)
Planning and catalyzing
digital urban futures.

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 Five priority areas of W20
under India's Presidency which
include, Women in
Entrepreneurship, Women
● Established in 2015
Mahabalipuram, Leadership at Grassroots,
10 Women20 during the Turkish
Tamil Nadu, Bridging the Gender Digital
Presidency
Divide, Education & Skill
Development and Women &
Girls as change makers
Climate Resilience Action
Future of Work: Industry 4.0, ● First Y20 conference
11 Youth20 Varanasi Innovation and 21st Century held in 2010 at
Skills Toronto Summit.

Some facts about G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (G20-DIA)

● The objective of the G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (G20-DIA) is to identify, recognize, and enable the
adoption of innovative and impactful digital technologies developed by startups, from G20 nations as well
as the invited non-member nations, which can address the needs of humanity in the critically important
sectors of Agri-tech, Health-tech, Ed-tech, Fin-tech, Secured Digital Infrastructure, and Circular
Economy.
● Startup products in the aforementioned six themes enabled through Digital Public Goods Infrastructure can
create a global population-scale impact and reduce the digital divide and enable sustainable, and inclusive
techno-socio-economic development.
● The G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (G20–DIA) summit was held in Bangalore on the sidelines of the
Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) meeting where top nominated startups from each of the theme
areas from all of the G20 countries and the non-member invited countries will showcase their solutions to the
global community of investors, mentors, corporates, and other government stakeholders.
The Proposed key initiative by India for Agriculture at G20:
1. Deccan High-Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition, 2023
2. An international initiative for research on millets and other ancient grains
Some of Agriculture Deputies Group (ADP) initiative:
1. Agricultural Market Information System:
● An inter-agency platform to enhance food market transparency and policy response for food security.
● Launched in 2011 by G20 Ministers of Agriculture following the global food price hikes in 2007-08
and
● Headquarters: Rome, Italy.
● It assesses global food supplies — it focuses on wheat, maize, rice, and soybeans — and provides a
platform to coordinate policy action in times of market uncertainty.
2. The Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring Initiative (GEOGLAM):
o Aim: To increase the market transparency and improve food security by producing and disseminating
relevant, timely, and actionable information on agricultural conditions and outlooks of production at
national, regional, and global scales.
o Launched after the French G20 Presidency (2011).
3. Wheat Initiative:
● Proposed by research and funding organizations from several countries.
● Originally named as the International Research Initiative for Wheat Improvement with the acronym
IRIWI.
● Launched on September 15, 2011.
4. The Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP):
● A G20 initiative to promote agricultural innovation in the tropics, was launched at the first G20-led
Meeting of Agriculture Chief Scientists in September 2012, Mexico.

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 5. Platform for Agriculture Risk Management (PARM):
● A global partnership on agricultural risk management (ARM) for development, was established in
2013 as an outcome of G20 discussions on agricultural growth.
Some more details about the P20 summit 2023;
● The theme of the 9th P20 Summit is “Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future.”
● There will be four high-level sessions organized during the P20 Summit, to be hosted by Parliament from
October 12-14 on
1. Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Showcasing Achievements, Accelerating
Progress,
2. Sustainable Energy Transition — Gateway to Green Future,
3. Mainstreaming Gender Equality, From Women’s Development to Women-led Development
4. Transformation in people’s lives through Public Digital Platforms.
● These sessions aim to facilitate discussions among G20 members and guest countries on advancing the P20's
objectives.
● The summit also highlights the "LiFE is Beautiful" initiative, promoting eco-friendly practices for a
sustainable ecosystem.
● The Pan-African Parliament will take part in the P20 Summit for the first time after the African Union
became a member of G20 at the New Delhi G20 Leaders’ Summit

A Global Alliance to Bridge the Gender Equity Gap

Section: Msc
Context:
• India launched a landmark Initiative “Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity and Equality” at WEF
2024.
• The commitment is underscored by the adoption of the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration during India’s
presidency at the G-20.
About the Alliance
• The multi-stakeholder initiative positions India at the forefront of accelerating the socio-economic cause with a
sustained global impact.
• The Alliance transitions the concepts of equity and equality into actionable agendas for stakeholders worldwide.
Adopted Basic tenets of G-20 Declaration
• The declaration emphasizes prioritizing inclusion in key focus areas such as socioeconomic empowerment,
bridging the digital gap, climate action, and ensuring food security, nutrition, health, and well-being.
• It advocates for a growth agenda driven by women-led development.
Government Commitment to Gender Equality
• Mainstreaming gender equality and equity has been a priority for the Government of India for over a decade.
• The passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill last year is a groundbreaking step, ensuring one third of seats
for women in Parliament and State Assemblies.
• This legislative measure is seen as a revolutionary tool for women’s empowerment, contributing significantly
to enhancing India’s governance processes.
Financial Commitment to Women-Led Development -
• The government's commitment is evident in the allocation of nearly $27 billion under the gender budget in
2023-24.
• This substantial financial commitment reflects the dedication to advancing women-led development initiatives.
Positive Trends in Female Participation
• India has experienced a notable increase in the female labor force participation rate, rising from 23.3% in 2017-
18 to 37% in 2022-23 according to data from the annual Periodic Labour Force Surveys.
• Female enrollment in higher education has witnessed a significant 28% increase over the last decade.
Empowering Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics courses):

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 • The share of women's enrollment is an impressive 43%, marking one of the highest rates globally.
• Rural India showcases active participation, with over nine crore women engaged in 83 lakh self-help groups,
contributing to the improvement of socio-economic conditions in rural areas.
We-Lead Lounge at Davos:
• The We-Lead Lounge, established by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) and the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at Davos, generated significant global interest and curiosity.
• It provided a platform for meaningful discussions on how the world can contribute to, join,and drive inclusive
development efforts.
Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity and Equality
• Anchored by the CII Centre for Women Leadership and guided by the Minister of Women and Child
Development, Government of India and Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• It will establish a global network of experts, thinktanks, industry leaders, and country leadership to drive
collective actions for women empowerment.
• The World Economic Forum's partnership as a network partner underscores the initiative's global relevance and
resolve to promote inclusive and equitable growth.
Its Focus Areas and Objectives
• To foster the sharing and development of scalable and practical solutions to promote women-led development.
• Key areas include ed-tech, medical capacity building, health interventions for women, learning and skill
development, agrotech, and women enterprise development.
• To mobilize capital to enhance gender outcomes, capitalizing on India’s reputation as the "pharmacy of the
world" and its acknowledged digital expertise.
Opportunities for Global Industry
• This presents an opportunity for industries worldwide to share developed practices aimed at advancing women's
entry and growth in the workplace.
• It offers a chance to invest in proven programs and initiatives, facilitating their scalability, and collaborate to
integrate inclusion into business dialogues.
Engagement and Leadership Development
• It also provides an opportunity to collaborate with the global community, including industry, think tanks, and
investors, to enhance engagement and leadership of women in the economy.
• The focus lies on increasing access to healthcare, educational opportunities, and economic prospects for women.
India's Commitment to Global Harmony
• With India's enduring commitment to 'VasudhaivaKutumbakam – One Earth, One Family, One Future'
and its ongoing efforts toward 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Prayaas, Sabka Vikaas', the Alliance for Global Good –
Gender Equity and Equality is positioned to significantly impact all gender-related issues.

African Union:
Why in news:
1. African Union join G20
Some facts about African Union:
● The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries
of the African Continent.
● It was officially launched in 2002 and replaced its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU),
which was founded in 1963.
● The Headquarters of African Union is Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
● The main working languages are French, Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Kiswahili.
● Structure:

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 o Assembly: It is the highest decision-making body, consisting of the heads of state and government
of member countries.
o Executive Council: Made up of foreign affairs ministers, handles policy matters and makes
recommendations to the Assembly.
o AU Commission: Headquartered in Addis Ababa, is the administrative arm responsible for
implementing the decisions of the Assembly and the Executive Council.
o The Peace and Security Council: Responsible for maintaining peace and security on the continent.
o The AU structure promotes the participation of African citizens and civil society through the Pan-
African Parliament and the Economic, Social & Cultural Council (ECOSOCC).
BIMSTEC
Why in news:
1. BIMSTEC region can provide green, affordable energy access to all
Introduction:
● The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a
multilateral regional organisation established with the aim of accelerating shared growth and
cooperation between littoral and adjacent countries in the Bay of Bengal region.
● BIMSTEC was established in the 1997 by Bangkok Declaration with a secretariat in Dhaka.
● Its members lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional
unity.
● BIMSTEC not only connects South and Southeast Asia, but also the ecologies of the Great Himalayas
and the Bay of Bengal.
● It acts as a platform for intra-regional cooperation between SAARC and ASEAN.
Origin of BIMSTEC
● This sub-regional organization came into being in 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
● Initially, it was formed with four Member States with the acronym ‘BIST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Sri-Lanka
and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
● It became renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ in 1997, following the inclusion of Myanmar.
● With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan in 2004, the name of the grouping was changed to ‘Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation’ (BIMSTEC).
BRICS
Why in news:
1. The 15th BRICS Summit
2. Javier Milei writes to BRICS leaders, rejects invite for Argentina to join the grouping
Introduction:
● BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil,
Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
● In 2001, the British Economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC to describe the four emerging economies
of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
● The grouping was formalized during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers’ in 2006.
● South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym
BRICS
Facts:
● BRICS is an important grouping bringing together the major emerging economies from the world, comprising:
■ 41% of the world population.
■ 24% of the world GDP
■ Over 16% share in world trade.
■ Total combined area of 29.3% of the total land surface of the world
What are Few Initiatives of the BRICS:
New Development Bank:
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 ● During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (Brazil) in 2014, the leaders agreed to set up NDB.
● The NDB became fully operational in 2016 with headquarters established in Shanghai.
● Each member holds an equal amount of shares 20% in the NDB.
Contingent Reserve Arrangement:
● In 2014, the BRICS governments had signed a treaty on the setting up of the contingent reserve arrangement
● The arrangement is aimed at forestalling short-term balance of payments pressures, providing mutual
support and strengthening financial stability of the BRICS nations.
BRICS Payment System:
● BRICS countries are trying to create a payment system as an alternative to the SWIFT payment system.
● This has taken on a new urgency as post Ukraine war, Russia has been frozen out of SWIFT.
Customs Agreements:
● Customs agreement were signed to coordinate and ease trade transport between BRICS countries
Launched of Remote Sensing Satellite:
● A Remote Sensing constellation of satellites has been launched – with 6 satellites including 2 from India, 2
from China, 1 from Russia, and 1 Brazil-China collaboration
More about 15th BRICS Summit:
● The 15th BRICS Summit is scheduled to be held in Johannesburg, South-Africa.
● The theme of the Summit is “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth,
Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism”
● This will be the first in-person summit since 2019, the COVID19 pandemic and Russian invasion of Ukraine.
What’s the big item on the agenda:
● The main items on the agenda include attracting attention for their potential for a greater geopolitical
consolidation of the grouping, and a plan to expand the membership of BRICS.
● Over 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, and at least 19 have formally applied for
membership such as Argentina, Mexico from Latin America; Nigeria, Algeria, from Africa; Saudi Arabia,
UAE, from West Asia; Kazakhstan from Central Asia; Bangladesh and Afghanistan from South Asia.
● The leaders are also expected to take forward earlier talks on intra BRICS trading in national currencies,
Argentina rejects membership of BRICS
● Argentina's President, Javier Milei, has formally rejected an invitation to join the BRICS grouping,
comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
● In letters sent to BRICS leaders, Milei stated that Argentina's membership was "not considered appropriate
at this time."
● He had pledged not to join BRICS during his campaign, expressing alignment with the United States and
Israel.
ASEAN
Why in news:
1. India and ASEAN agree to review goods trade pact by 2025 to fix ‘asymmetry’
2. Myanmar will not be allowed ASEAN leadership in 2026
3. ASEAN Plus Six
More about ASEAN:
● The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional organization which was established to promote
political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s post-colonial states.
● ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN
Declaration i.e Bangkok Declaration
● The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
● The ASEAN Secretariat is located in Jakarta.
Some facts about ASEAN:
● It is the 3rd largest market in the world, larger than the EU and North America.
● It is the 6th largest economy in the world, 3rd in Asia.
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 ● The Fourth most popular investment destination globally
● It is the 4th largest trading partner of India.
● India and ASEAN registered a bilateral trade of US$ 131.5 billion in 2022-2023.
How did ASEAN originate and evolve:
● Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), 1961: It was formed by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, and Thailand to promote economic, cultural, and social cooperation.
● Bangkok Declaration, 1967: It formally established the ASEAN.
● First ASEAN Summit, 1976: In the summit, member countries pledged to work towards regional peace and
stability.
● Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), 1976: It established a framework for peaceful relations and
cooperation among member states.
● ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), 1992: It aimed to create a free trade area among member countries.
● ASEAN Charter, 2008: It provides a legal framework for the organization and strengthens its institutional
structure.
● ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), 2015: It aimed to integrate the economies of member countries and
promote regional economic growth.
● ASEAN joins Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP), 2020: ASEAN members join
RCEP, a free trade agreement.
ASEAN-INDIA FTA:
● India had signed an FTA in goods with the regional bloc in 2009, known as the Asean–India Free Trade
Agreement (AIFTA). The trade in goods pact came into force from January 2010.
● In 2014, an FTA in services was also included.
What is FTA:
● It is a pact between two or more nations to reduce barriers to imports and exports among them.
● Under a free trade policy, goods and services can be bought and sold across international borders with
little or no government tariffs, quotas, subsidies, or prohibitions to inhibit their exchange.
● FTAs can be categorized as Preferential Trade Agreements, Comprehensive Economic Cooperation
Agreement (CECA) and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA).
● India has signed 13 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with its trading partners, including the 3 agreements,
namely India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA),
India-UAE Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and India-Australia Economic Cooperation
and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA) along with 6 limited coverage Preferential Trade Agreements
(PTAs).
Some facts about ASEAN Plus Six:
● ASEAN Plus Six refers to a regional grouping that includes the ten member states of ASEAN plus six
more countries, forming a broader economic and political framework.
● Six Partner Countries: The six partner countries are China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New
Zealand.
● Purpose: The ASEAN Plus Six framework aims to enhance economic cooperation, trade, and diplomatic
relations among the participating nations. It fosters regional integration and stability.
● Areas of Cooperation: The collaboration covers various areas, including trade agreements, investment,
technology exchange, cultural ties, and diplomatic dialogues.
● Economic Significance: ASEAN Plus Six represents a significant economic bloc, bringing together some of
the world's major economies. The framework provides a platform for discussions on regional economic
issues and facilitates the growth of the participating countries.
East Asia Summit
Some facts about the East Asia Summit:
● The East Asia Summit (EAS) is the Indo-Pacific's premier forum for strategic dialogue.

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 ● It is the only leader-led forum at which all key Indo-Pacific partners meet to discuss political, security and
economic challenges facing the region, and has an important role to play in advancing closer regional
cooperation.
● The concept of East Asia Grouping was first promoted in 1991 by the then Malaysian Prime Minister,
Mahathir bin Mohamad.
● The first summit was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 14 December 2005.
● The EAS has 18 members - the ten ASEAN countries i.e. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam along with Australia, China, India, Japan, New
Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.
● ASEAN leads the forum, and the chair position rotates between ASEAN Member States annually.
SCO
Why in news:
1. Iran joins SCO as a new member.
2. SCO summit 2023 will be held in India
Introduction
● It’s a Eurasian political, economic and military organization aiming to maintain peace, security and
stability in the region.
● It was created in 2001 with a charter signed in 2002, and entered into force in 2003.
● Member Countries-Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India,Iran and Pakistan
Observer States(three) interested in acceding to full membership i.e Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia
and six Dialogue Partners Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.
● The Heads of State Council (HSC) is the supreme decision-making body in the SCO. It meets once a year
and adopts decisions and guidelines on all important matters of the organization.
● The organization has two permanent bodies:
● the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing.
● the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.
● The SCO’s official languages are Russian and Chinese.
New Delhi Declarations:
● The New Delhi Declaration: Outlined areas of cooperation between SCO countries.
● Joint Statement on Countering Radicalisation: Addressed the need to combat radicalisation and promote
stability.
● Joint Statement on Digital Transformation: India offered expertise on digital payment interfaces for sharing
within the SCO.
Concerns and Lack of Consensus:
● India’s stance on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): India abstained from supporting the BRI
paragraphs in the joint statement due to its inclusion of projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
● India’s absence from the SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030: India’s refusal to participate in the
joint statement suggests a lack of consensus within the group.
SCO’s Stance on Sanctions and Currency Use:
● Joint criticism of non-UN sanctions: SCO members expressed opposition to sanctions on Russia and Iran,
considering them incompatible with international law and negatively impacting other countries.
● Exploring the use of national currencies: SCO members agreed to explore the use of national currencies for
payments within the group to bypass dollar-based international transactions.
Global Challenges and Vision:
● The Delhi Declaration’s focus: The declaration acknowledged global challenges such as conflicts, market
turbulence, supply chain instability, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
● Commitment to a multipolar world order: The member states reaffirmed their commitment to a more
representative, democratic, just, and multipolar world order based on international law, multilateralism, and
equal cooperation, with the UN playing a central coordinating role.

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Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
Some facts about Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS):
● The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is an intergovernmental organization formed in 1991 by
former Soviet Union nations.
● It promotes cooperation in various domains, including politics, economics, environment, humanitarian,
culture, and more.
● Founding members comprise Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, with other Soviet republics joining later after
signing the Alma-Ata Protocol.
● Now, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has the following countries as its members:
● 3 Founding members: Russia, Belarus & Ukraine
● 9 other members: Armenia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,
Moldova and Kyrgyzstan.
● Headquarters of the CIS is in Minsk, Belarus
● Meetings are held periodically on a rotating basis at the CIS countries’ capitals.
‘Chip 4’ alliance
Why in news:
1. Japan, the United States, South Korea and Taiwan have held the first meeting of senior officials under a
new U.S.-led framework to help ensure a stable supply of semiconductors.
Some details about ‘Chips 4’ alliance.
● The “Chip 4” or “Fab 4” alliance includes four of the world’s top producers of semiconductors: the S.,
Japan, Taiwan, and Korea.
● It represents more than 70 percent of the value of the global semiconductor industry.
● It was first proposed by the US in March 2022 as part of wider plans aimed at enhancing the “security” and
“resilience” of semiconductor supply chains, including by reducing the world’s reliance on chips made in
China.
● It is intended to cooperate on policy implementation that would support sustainable semiconductor
manufacturing in the member states’ home countries.
● Protect the Intellectual Property (IP) of companies in member countries.
● Develop policies regarding the export of the most advanced semiconductors and equipment.
AUKUS
Why in news:
1. Australia to buy US nuclear submarine under AUKUS
2. U.S., U.K., Australia defense chiefs tout deep space radar and AI in joint deal
Some details about the AUKUS partnership
● Signed in September 2021, the new enhanced trilateral security partnership between Australia, United Kingdom,
and United States is named as “AUKUS”.
● This is a trilateral defence deal for Indo-Pacific.
● Intent for AUKUS is to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific in the long term.
● The first major initiative of AUKUS would be to deliver a “nuclear-powered” submarine fleet for
Australia.
● These countries, however, made it clear that their aim is not to arm the new submarines with nuclear
weapons.
● This is because Australia is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) which bans it from
acquiring or deploying nuclear weapons.
Some details of the Submarine deal
● The United States, Australia and Britain unveiled details of a plan to provide Australia with “nuclear-
powered” attack submarines from the early 2030s.
● Under the deal, the United States intends to sell Australia three US Virginia class nuclear-powered
submarines, in the early 2030s, with an option for Australia to buy two more if needed.

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 ● The multi-stage project would culminate with British and Australian production and operation of a new
submarine class – SSN-AUKUS.
● SSN-AUKUS will be a trilaterally developed vessel based on Britain’s next-generation design.
● It would be built in Britain and Australia and include cutting edge U.S. technologies.
● Britain would take delivery of its first SSN-AUKUS submarine in the late 2030s, and Australia would receive
its first in the early 2040s.
● Funding mechanism: Australia will also provide $3 billion over the next four years to production lines in
the US and the UK as part of its financial commitment, with the US receiving the majority of the funding
for improvement.
More about the US, UK, Australia defense chiefs tout deep space radar, AI in joint deal
● The defense chiefs of the United States, Australia, and UK convened in California to strengthen their
collaboration on deep space radar, AI, and quantum computing, focusing on enhancing their armed
forces against global threats, particularly from China.
● The meeting in Silicon Valley aimed to build on the AUKUS partnership, established in September 2021,
to counter assertiveness from Beijing and Moscow.
● The discussions included plans for a "Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability" program, quantum
technologies for navigation and weapons direction, and resilient artificial intelligence for precision
targeting.
● The collaboration underscores a shared commitment to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)
Why in news:
1. India, US and other IPEF member ink supply chain resilience pact
Some facts about Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)
● It is a regional initiative aimed at fostering cooperation and economic integration in the Indo-Pacific
region, launched by United States President Joe Biden on May 23, 2022.
● The framework seeks to promote resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and
competitiveness among member economies,
● IPEF seeks to complement and build on existing regional architecture while supporting the global rules-
based trading system.
● The framework includes 14 partner countries: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia,
Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United
States, and Vietnam.
● The economic framework is built upon four pillars:
o Trade
o Supply chain resilience
o Clean Energy, Decarbonization, and Infrastructure
o Taxes and anti-corruption measures
● While not constituting a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the IPEF allows members to negotiate specific
aspects of interest. India has actively engaged in the IPEF but has chosen not to participate in the trade
pillar, citing misalignment with its trade policies on most promoted issues.
More about the supply chain resilience pact:
● India, the US, and 12 other Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) members have signed a supply chain
resilience agreement to reduce dependence on China and shift manufacturing of crucial goods within
member nations.
● The 14 countries, constituting 40% of global GDP and a third of global trade, aim to fortify global supply
chains, enhance adaptability, stability, and sustainability.
● The IPEF focuses on four pillars: trade, supply chains, clean economy, and fair economy.
● India has joined all pillars except the trade pillar.
● The agreement is expected to make IPEF supply chains more resilient and well-integrated, contributing
to regional economic development.

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 ● The pact will also seek to improve crisis coordination and response to supply chain disruptions and work
together to support the timely delivery of affected goods during a crisis
● Three new IPEF Supply Chain bodies could be set up to facilitate cooperation among the partners. The bodies
will be – the supply chain council; the supply chain crisis response network, and the IPEF Labor Rights
Advisory Board.
● The other benefits of the pact include supply chain diversification, mobilization of investments, deeper
integration of India in global value chains, support to MSMEs and creation of a seamless regional trade
ecosystem, which would facilitate the flow of Indian products.
APEC:
Why in news:
1. APEC Summit 2023.
Some facts about APEC:
● APEC is an inter-governmental forum of 21 member economies in the Asia-Pacific region.
● It was established in 1989 in response to the growing interdependence of the region's economies.
● APEC's mission is to "promote trade and economic cooperation among its member economies in order to
create greater prosperity for the people of the Asia-Pacific region."
● APEC accounts for approximately 60% of global GDP and 47% of global trade.
● Its members include Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South
Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam.
● APEC’s work is guided by the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040, which is for an open, dynamic, resilient and
peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040. This will be achieved by pursuing three economic drivers:
o Trade and investment
o Innovation and digitalisation
o Strong, balanced, secure, sustainable and inclusive growth.
● APEC decisions are reached by consensus, and commitments are made on a voluntary basis.
● APEC has three official observers-The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretariat, the Pacific
Economic Cooperation Council and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
● The 2022 APEC summit was hosted by Thailand in Bangkok.
● The venue for 2023 APEC summit is San Francisco (U.S.A)
OPEC
Why in news:
1. Saudi Arabia to cut oil output by 1 million barrels per day

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Some facts about OPEC
● The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded in Baghdad
in 1960 and headquartered in Vienna.
● OPEC has 13 member countries including the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait,
Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela as its founder members.
● Qatar is the last country to terminate its membership.
● Headquarters of OPEC is in Vienna, Austria
● In its biannual meetings, oil ministers agree on production quotas for each member. They can
control production since most of the member countries have state-run oil firms.
● OPEC’s stated objective is to coordinate and unify petroleum policies among member countries
and ensure stable prices for petroleum producers.
Some facts about OPEC +:
● It is a group of 23 oil-exporting countries which meets regularly to decide how much crude oil
to sell on the world market.
● These nations aim to work together on adjusting crude oil production to bring stability to the oil
market.
● At the core of this group are the13 members of OPEC (the Organization of the Oil Exporting
Countries), which are mainly Middle Eastern and African countries.
● Members: It comprises 13 OPEC countries plus Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan,
Russia, Mexico, Malaysia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Oman.
Production cuts by OPEC plus:
● Saudi Arabia and Russia surprised the world last month by announcing an extension of their voluntary
supply cuts–totalling 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd)–till the end of 2023.
● The additional voluntary production cuts by Riyadh and Moscow are over and above the OPEC+ cuts totalling
3.66 million bpd, which shall be in place till the end of 2024.
Economic Impact of high crude prices on India:
● High oil prices negatively impact India’s trade balance and are a drain on the country’s valuable foreign
exchange reserves, which also has a bearing on the value of the rupee.
● Elevated oil prices pose a challenge to the Indian rupee, and a sustained increase could push the currency
to record lows against the U.S. dollar, the head of global foreign exchange. While there is no direct fixed
relationship between oil prices and currency value, generally a sustained rise in crude price is negative for
Rupee.
● As with other major importers of oil, a surge in oil prices adds to inflationary pressures for India as well.
High oil prices can also potentially hit profitability of key sectors with high energy costs. All of these
implications could have a negative impact on economic growth, as high inflation and low profitability in
various sectors would hit disposable incomes and discretionary spending.
Global economic impact of high prices:
● High oil prices on a sustained basis could feed into inflation globally, jeopardise global economic recovery,
and lead to destruction in oil demand from major consumers.
● High oil prices also incentivise faster transition to cleaner fuels, particularly in the mobility sector.
Market-linked pricing mechanism
● Under India’s ‘market-linked’ pricing mechanism, oil marketing companies are expected to
increase or decrease the selling price of petrol and diesel based on the international price of
crude oil.
● However, they were forced to keep prices stable last year because of several state elections,
despite a rise in crude oil after Russia attacked Ukraine in February last year.
Five Eyes intelligence alliance
1. Nijar Killing
Some facts about Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance:

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 ● The ‘Five Eyes’ is a multilateral intelligence-sharing network shared by over 20 different agencies of five
English-speaking countries — Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United
States.
● It is both surveillance-based and signals intelligence (SIGINT).
● Intelligence documents shared between the member countries are classified as ‘Secret—
AUS/CAN/NZ/UK/US Eyes Only,’ which gave the group its title ‘Five Eyes.’
What is the Historical background:
● The origins of the FVEY can be traced to informal secret meetings during World War II between British
and American code-breakers.
● The treaty called the British-U.S. Communication Intelligence Agreement, or BRUSA (now known as the
UKUSA Agreement), was signed between the State-Army-Navy Communication Intelligence Board
(STANCIB) of the U.S. and the London Signal Intelligence Board (SIGINT) of Britain.
● Its scope was limited to “communication intelligence matters only” related to “unrestricted” exchange of
intelligence products in six areas: collection of traffic; acquisition of communication documents and
equipment; traffic analysis; cryptanalysis; decryption and translation; and acquisition of information
regarding communication organisations, practices, procedures, and equipment.
● The arrangement was later extended to ‘second party’ countries —Canada joined in 1948, while Australia
and New Zealand became part of the alliance in 1956.
● It was started before the US formally entered the war, followed by the Allies’ 1941 Atlantic
Charter that established their vision of the post-war world.
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
Why in news:
1. Sri Lanka is going to hold chairmanship of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
What is Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
● The Indian Ocean Rim Association is an inter-governmental organisation aimed at strengthening regional
cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region.
● It was formed in 1997 by an initiative of India and South Africa.
● The IORA has 23 members and 11 dialogue partners.
● The members include Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar,
Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South-Africa, SriLanka,
Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Maldives and Yemen.
● The eleven dialogue partners are China, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Turkey, the Republic of
Korea, Saudi Arabia ,the United Kingdom and the United States of America
● France was the last country to be accepted on the basis of its territory of Reunion Island in the Indian
Ocean.
● The Coordinating Secretariat of IORA is located at Ebene, Mauritius.
More about the news:
● The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers' meeting is scheduled to take place in
Colombo on October 11, 2023.
● Foreign Ministers from several countries, including India, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Iran, Malaysia, and
South Africa, will participate.
● Sri Lanka, preparing to become the Chair of the regional grouping, will host the event.
● The Council of Ministers meeting will feature the participation of 16 ministers, along with ministerial and
senior-level representatives from member countries and dialogue partners.
● Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry will chair the Council, succeeding Bangladesh's Foreign Minister.
● This meeting coincides with potential Chinese research vessel visits to Sri Lanka, raising concerns from
India and the US.
● Additionally, India and Sri Lanka plan to launch a long-awaited ferry service to enhance connectivity.
C+C5 groups
What is C+C5 groupings:

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 ● It is a group comprising China and the five Central Asian republics, namely Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
● The first C+C5 summit was held in virtual format on January 25 last year, to commemorate the 30th
anniversary of diplomatic relations.
● Diplomatic relations between China and Central Asian Countries were established in January 1992, and
China’s relationship with the region was institutionalized as the Shanghai Five, the forerunner of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Mineral Security Partnership (MSP)
Why in news:
1. India joins the critical minerals clubOther initiatives include:
Some facts about Mineral Security Partnership (MSP):
● Initiated by the USA in 2022.
● It is also known as the critical minerals alliance.
● MSP is a strategic grouping of 13 member states including Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany,
Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, US, the European Union, Italy and now
India.
● It aims to catalyze public and private investment in critical mineral supply chains globally.
● Countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have abundant reserves of
critical minerals are not part of this strategic grouping formed by the US.
● India’s inclusion can create space for other countries to be part of the partnership and reduce their dependence
on China by building a robust and reliable supply chain of raw materials needed for the clean energy
transition.
● Cobalt, graphite, lithium, manganese, nickel and rare earth elements are these common strategic mineral
resources that are demand-intensive due to their strategic uses in wind turbines, batteries of electric vehicles
and other critical emerging technologies for green transition.
India’s involvement in other mineral partnership forums/agreements:
● India is already a member of the Inter governmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable
Development, which supports the advancement of good mining governance.
● India and Australia have already signed the Critical Minerals Investment Partnership with the aim towards
investment in critical minerals projects to develop supply chains between the two countries.
India-Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC):
● India Middle East Europe Corridor is a network of transport corridors comprising railway lines and sea
lanes to promote economic integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.
● It was signed at the G20 Summit in New Delhi and holds significant geopolitical and economic implications
for India.
● It has 8 signatories i.e India, the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, the EU, Italy, France, and Germany.
● The proposed IMEC will consist of Railroad, Ship-to-Rail networks and Road transport routes extending across
two corridors, that is,
o The East Corridor – connecting India to the Arabian Gulf,
o The Northern Corridor – connecting the Gulf to Europe.
● Ports to be Connected:
o India: Mundra (Gujarat), Kandla (Gujarat), and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Navi Mumbai).
o Middle East: Fujairah, Jebel Ali, and Abu Dhabi in the UAE as well as Dammam and Ras Al
Khair ports in Saudi Arabia.
o Railway line will connect Fujairah port (UAE) to Haifa port (Israel) via: Saudi Arabia (Ghuwaifat
and Haradh) and Jordan.
o Israel: Haifa port.
o Europe: Piraeus port in Greece, Messina in South Italy, and Marseille in France.
● It is part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII) which is a collaborative effort by
G7 nations to fund infrastructure projects in developing nations.
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 ● PGII is the G7 bloc’s counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
● PGII is part of G7’s vision of Build-Back-Better framework.
21.The Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII)
Why in news:
1. Saudi Arabia, India, U.S. and EU launch economic corridor to increase trade
Some facts about PGII:
● The Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) is a collaborative effort by Group of
Seven (G7) to fund infrastructure projects in developing nations based on the trust principles of the Blue Dot
Network.
● It is considered to be the bloc's counter to China's Belt and Road Initiative and a key component of the
"Biden Doctrine".
● Announced in June 2022 during the 48th G7 summit in Germany.
● It is a repackaged version of the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative which President Biden announced
at the 47th G7 summit in the United Kingdom.
Paris Club.
Why in news:
1. Paris Club likely to provide financial assurances to IMF on Sri Lanka debt
Some facts about Paris Club
● The Paris Club is a group of mostly western creditor countries that grew from a 1956 meeting in which
Argentina agreed to meet its public creditors in Paris.
● It describes itself as a forum where official creditors meet to solve payment difficulties faced by debtor
countries.
● Their objective is to find sustainable debt-relief solutions for countries that are unable to repay their
bilateral loans.
● Members:
● The members are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel,
Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the
United States.
● All 22 are members of the group called Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD).
● It is similar to the London club, which is a group of commercial bankers formed in 1976 to deal with the
financial problems of Zaire, and is focussed on providing various forms of debt relief to countries that face
financial distress due to their heavy debt load.
How has the Paris Club been involved in debt agreements?
● It operates on the principles of consensus and solidarity. Any agreement reached with the debtor country
will apply equally to all its Paris Club creditors.
● A debtor country that signs an agreement with its Paris Club creditors, should not then accept from its non-
Paris Club commercial and bilateral creditors such terms of treatment of its debt that are less favorable to
the debtor than those agreed with the Paris Club.
St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF)
Why in news:
● The 26th edition of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF)
Some facts about St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF)
● The Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) has been held since 1997, and it has been held
under the ambit of the President of the Russian Federation since 2006.
● The SPIEF is regarded as one of the unique events in the world of business and economics.
● The Forum brings together the chief executives of major Russian and international companies, heads of
state, political leaders, prime ministers, deputy prime ministers, departmental ministers, and governors.
● The SPIEF has become a leading global platform for members of the business community to meet and
discuss the key economic issues facing Russia, emerging markets, and the world as a whole.
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 ● The SPIEF was known as “Russian Davos” since it was the only such elite gathering of global business
community leaders in this part of the world.
● The main objective of the Forum is to provide practical solutions for businesses and governments, helping
to overcome the geographic and information barriers between Russia and other countries.
QUAD
Why in news;
1. The Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative, announced by the Quad grouping
Some facts about QUAD:
● The QUAD, known as the ‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’ (QSD), is an informal strategic forum
comprising four nations, namely the United States of America, India, Australia and Japan.
● All four nations find a common ground of being democratic nations and also support the common
interest of unhindered maritime trade and security.
● It aims to ensure and support a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
● The idea of Quad was first mooted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007. However, the idea
couldn’t move ahead with Australia pulling out of it, apparently due to Chinese pressure.
● Finally in 2017, India, Australia, the US and Japan, came together and formed this Quadrilateral
coalition.
What is Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative:
● The Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative was announced by the Quad grouping at
the 2022 Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo.
● It was announced to track “dark shipping” and build a “faster, wider, and more accurate maritime
picture of near-real-time activities in partners’ waters”, integrating three critical regions in the Indo-Pacific
i.e. the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the IOR.
● IPMDA aims to promote a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.
● It aims to enhance security and stability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
● It utilizes advanced technology, like the collection of radio frequency data from commercial satellites, to
deliver near real-time information to partners in Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean region, and the Pacific
regarding activities within their maritime areas.
What is the Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC)
● The GMC serves as an outreach initiative by the Indian Navy, creating a multinational platform for
collaboration between maritime security practitioners and academia to generate practical maritime insights.
● Previously, this biennial event was conducted in 2017, 2019, and 2021.
● The 4th edition of the GMC was held from October 29 to 31 under the auspices of the Indian Navy and in
partnership with the Naval War College in Goa.
● During GMC-23, Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, hosted chiefs of navies, heads of maritime
forces, and senior representatives from 12 Indian Ocean littoral countries. These countries include
Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore,
Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
● The theme for the 2023 GMC was "Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean Region: Converting Common
Maritime Priorities into Collaborative Mitigating Frameworks."
● In the latest Goa Maritime Conclave edition, all Members unanimously adopted the 'Common Maritime
Priorities (CMPs),' indicating a shared approach to finding regional solutions for regional challenges. The
current edition aims to further develop these CMPs into Collaborative Mitigating Frameworks.
What is Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR):
● In December 2018, India inaugurated the Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-
IOR) at the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram.
● This center was established to facilitate regional cooperation on various maritime security issues, including
concerns related to maritime terrorism, illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing , piracy, armed robbery on
the high seas, as well as human and contraband trafficking.
● The primary objective of IFC-IOR is to actively engage with partner nations and various multinational
maritime organizations.
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 ● Its aim is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the maritime domain while sharing valuable
information about vessels of interest. This "white shipping" information entails the exchange of advanced
data regarding the identity and movements of commercial, non-military merchant vessels. In this context,
"white" represents the color code used for commercial ships, while "grey" is reserved for military vessels,
and illegal ships are categorized differently.
● To enable better correlation, compressed information cycles and timely inputs, the Centre also hosts
International Liaison Officers (ILOs) from partner nations. The Centre hosts ILOs from 12 partner
nations viz., Australia, France, Italy, Japan, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Seychelles,
Singapore, United Kingdom and United States of America.
● The Centre monitors the Indian Ocean and adjoining seas to understand each region and generates various
periodic reports viz., Weekly Maritime Security Updates (WMSU), Monthly Maritime Security Updates
(MMSU), Half Yearly Overviews and Annual Reports.
Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)
Why in news:
1. Biden to host leader of Pacific Islands, Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)
What are Pacific Island Countries:
● The Pacific Island Countries are a cluster of 14 states which are located largely in the tropical zone of the
Pacific Ocean between Asia, Australia and the Americas.
● They include Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia
(FSM), Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
● The islands are divided on the basis of physical and human geography into three distinct parts —
Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia.
● Despite their small land area, the islands are spread out over a wide swath of the Pacific Ocean. Kiribati and
FSM, have EEZs larger than that of India.
What is Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)
● FIPIC is a multinational grouping developed for cooperation between India and 14 PICs, namely Cook
Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa,
Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
● It was launched in November 2014 and the first FIPIC summit was held in Suva, Fiji in 2014 and the second
one was held in Jaipur, India in 2015.
● The 3rd Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit was held in Port Moresby, Papua New
Guinea on May 22, 2023.
● It was co-chaired by Indian and Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister and attended by 14 Pacific Island
Countries (PICs).

Border Road Initiative (BRI)

Why in news:
1. India likely to skip China’s BRI summit
2. Pakistan and China vow to press ahead with CPEC
3. Italy leaves China BRI
What is Border Road Initiative (BRI):
● Belt & Road Initiative is an ambitious project that focuses on connectivity and cooperation among multiple
countries spread across the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe.
● BRI was announced in the year 2013.
● The project has a target completion date of 2049, which will coincide with the centennial anniversary of
the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s founding.
● The project involves building networks of roadways, railways, maritime ports, power grids, oil and gas
pipelines, and associated infrastructure projects.
● The project covers two parts.
● Silk Road Economic Belt: It is land-based and is expected to connect China with Central Asia, Eastern
Europe, and Western Europe.
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 ● 21st Century Maritime Silk Road: It is sea-based and is expected to connect China’s southern coast to the
Mediterranean, Africa, South-East Asia, and Central Asia.

What is CPEC:
● CPEC is a 3,000-km long route of infrastructure projects connecting China’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region and the Gwadar Port in the western province of Balochistan in Pakistan.
● It is a bilateral project between Pakistan and China, intended to promote connectivity across Pakistan with
a network of highways, railways, and pipelines accompanied by energy, industrial, and other infrastructure
development projects.
● CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
● The proposed projects in CPEC will be financed by heavily subsidized loans that will be disbursed to the
Government of Pakistan by Chinese banks.
Italy leaves China BRI
● Italy has officially withdrawn from China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, becoming the first G7
nation to do so more than four years after initially joining.
● Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has been critical of the initiative, expressed the decision was made to
"keep channels of political dialogue open."
● Italy's participation in the project, seen by many as a means for Beijing to exert political influence, was
set to automatically renew in March 2024 unless Italy opted out by the end of the year.
Protection & Indemnity (P&I) Club
Why in news:
1. Indian shipping needs a domestic Protection & Indemnity (P&I) Club
What are P&I clubs:
● P&I clubs are mutual insurance associations that provide risk pooling, information, and representation for
their members, mainly shipowners.
● Their primary focus is on liabilities related to marine activities, including cargo damage, environmental
damage, and personal injury.
● Shipping operations can face a wide array of liabilities, ranging from cargo damage to crew negligence.
● P&I clubs cover these multifaceted risks, often overlooked by standard marine insurance.
● Most of these P&I clubs are affiliated to the International Group:
● The International Group, composed of 12 P&I clubs, provides marine liability cover for about 90 per cent
of the world’s oceangoing tonnage.
● The Group’s main functions are claims pooling and reinsurance, serving as an information sharing platform,
and acting as a representative body for external engagement, especially concerning maritime regulations and
policies.
● The pooling agreement, where liabilities exceeding $10 million are shared among clubs, is a pivotal function
of the Group. This structure ensures that shipowners have adequate insurance and promotes balanced maritime
policies and regulations.
● Surprisingly, none of these P&I entities which are part of the International Group is based out of India.
Price Cap Coalition
● The international coalition (the Price Cap Coalition), comprises the G7, the European Union,
and Australia, and have agreed to prohibit the import of crude oil and petroleum products of
Russian origin.
● They have agreed to restrict a broad range of services related to the maritime transport of
crude oil and petroleum products of Russian origin—unless that oil is bought and sold at or
below the specific price caps established by the Coalition or is authorized by a license.
● This policy is known as the “price cap.”
● The price cap is intended to maintain a reliable supply of crude oil and petroleum products
to the global market while reducing the profits the Russian earns from oil after its aggression
against Ukraine inflated global energy prices.

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IBSA Forum
Why in news:
1. IBSA can play vital role in reforming digital governance
Some facts about IBSA Forum
● The IBSA is a trilateral, developmental initiative between India, Brazil and South Africa to promote South-
South cooperation and exchange.
● The grouping was formalized and named the IBSA Dialogue Forum when the Foreign Ministers of the three
countries met in Brasilia (Brazil) on 6th June 2003 and issued the Brasilia Declaration.
● IBSA does not have a headquarters or a permanent executive secretariat.
● At the highest level, it counts on the Summits of Heads of State and Government.
● Joint Naval Exercise:
● IBSAMAR (IBSA Maritime Exercise) is an important part of IBSA trilateral Defence cooperation.
● Seven editions of IBSAMAR have been held so far, the latest one being in the PortGqeberha (also known
as Port Elizabeth), South Africa in October, 2022.
What is IBSA Fund:
● Established in 2004, IBSA Fund (India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger
Alleviation) is a unique Fund through which development projects are executed with IBSA funding in
fellow developing countries.
● The fund is managed by the United Nations (UN) Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).
● Each IBSA member country is required to contribute $1 million per annum to the fund.
What is IBSA Fellowship Programme:
● It focuses on multilateral institutional frameworks to coordinate, support and enable sustainable
development globally; joint research for cooperation and exchange of information in the fields of
macro-economy, trade and development; and any other area as may be found of interest within the IBSA
framework.
NSG
Why in news:
1. China and Pakistan signed an agreement on June 20 to establish a 1,200 MW nuclear power facility in
Pakistan’s Chashma nuclear complex.
Some facts about NSG:
● The 48-member NSG is an elite club of countries that deals with the trade-in nuclear technology and
fissile materials besides contributing to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
● Brought in 1974– in response to the Indian nuclear test (smiling Buddha).
● It is a Group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the
export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
● The NSG first met in November 1975 in London, and is thus popularly referred to as the “London Club”.
● Its guidelines are not binding.
Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU)
Why in news:
1. India, Russia-led Eurasian bloc to begin negotiations on FTA soon
More about the news:
● India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU), led by Russia, are poised to initiate negotiations on a free
trade agreement (FTA) aimed at bolstering India's exports to the region, particularly in engineering goods,
electronics, and agriculture.
● Discussions on the FTA between India and the EaEU, comprising Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia,
and Kyrgyzstan, began in early 2020 but were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
● Despite recent resumed talks, negotiations are still pending.
Some facts about Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU):
● The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is an economic union of states located primarily in Northern Eurasia.
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 ● The Eurasian Economic Union consists of five member states : Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
and Armenia.
● It was formed in
● The EEU aims to optimize the flow of goods and services among its member nations by coordinating
policies and regulations, thereby creating a single economic space.

Axis of resistance
Section: Int grouping
What is the axis of resistance?
• The term "Axis of Resistance" typically refers to a geopolitical and strategic alliance among certain countries
and groups in the Middle East that share common goals and interests.
• The axis often opposes what its members perceive as external interference, particularly from Western powers,
and advocates for self-determination, sovereignty, and resistance against perceived occupation.
• The alliance is characterised by a shared opposition to certain foreign policies, especially those of the United
States and its allies in the region.
• The key components of the Axis of Resistance include countries like Iran, Syria, and groups such as Hezbollah
in Lebanon.
THE ISLAMIC RESISTANCE IN IRAQ
• An umbrella group of hardline Shi'ite Muslim armed groups close to Iran, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed
an attack near the Syrian-Jordanian border around the same time U.S. officials said their troops were targeted.
• They have claimed more than 150 attacks on bases housing U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq since October, leading
to dozens of mostly minor injuries and drawing several rounds of U.S. strikes in response.
YEMEN'S HOUTHIS
• The Houthi movement, which controls large parts of Yemen, announced it had entered the conflict on Oct. 31,
firing drones and missiles at Israel more than a thousand miles from their seat of power in Sanaa.
LEBANON'S HEZBOLLAH
• The heavily armed Lebanese group Hezbollah has been mounting near daily attacks on Israeli targets at the
Lebanese-Israeli border since Oct. 8, prompting the heaviest exchanges of fire between the enemies since they
waged full-scale war in 2006.
• Hezbollah says its attacks have helped to stretch the Israeli army while also uprooting tens of thousands of
Israelis who have fled homes near the border. Israeli air and artillery strikes have also forced tens of thousands
of Lebanese to flee.
• Founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, Hezbollah has served as a model for other Tehran-backed
groups across the region, and has also advised or trained some of them.
• Hezbollah is widely regarded as more powerful than the Lebanese state and shares Iran's Shi'ite Islamist
ideology.
• The United States designates Hezbollah as a terrorist Organisation.

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How did the axis of resistance emerge?
• Following the Islamic revolution of 1979, Iran attempted to spread its ideology and political power
throughout the Middle East.
• One of its methods for doing so was a network of violent proxies and allies spread over Iraq, Lebanon, Syria,
Yemen, and other countries.
• Although not all members of this group share Iran's Islamic fundamentalism-Sunni members do not even
subscribe to its creed they do share common goals: rejecting Western influence and battling Israel.
• Iran's Quds Force, a division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has long coordinated the axis.
• The force targets weak states. In 1982, it began training young Shia terrorists in Lebanon to harass Israeli
soldiers occupying the country's southern region.
• Throughout the 1990s, the Quds Force supplied major assistance to Palestinian Islamic factions, including
Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas.
• It also supported the Northern Alliance, a loose coalition in Afghanistan that opposed the Taliban takeover in
1996.
• In 2002, President George W. Bush warned of a new "axis of evil" that included North Korea, Iran, and
Iraq.
• After the Libyan newspaper Al-Zahf al-Akhdar published a widely read editorial denouncing the word,
some Arab and Iranian media began using the phrase "axis of resistance" to characterize the region's
burgeoning network of anti-American militias.
The Quds Force began to extend its network in the late 1990s, following America's invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Quds
Force formed armed organizations in the country to combat American and British forces

Places in News
REGIONS:
1. Africa:
Burkina Faso
Why in news:
1. French Troops withdrawn from Burkina Faso
Operation Barkhane
● Operation Serval was restricted to going after Islamic extremists affiliated with al-Qaeda who had taken
over northern Mali.
● The operation, now known as Operation Barkhane, was renamed and scaled up in 2014 with
a counterterrorism focus.
● The goal was to support regional military forces in their efforts to stop the emergence of non-state armed
groups throughout the Sahel.
● The Operation Barkhane initiative, which aims to combat terrorism in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso,
Mauritania, and Chad, was launched as a result of the 2014 success.
Some facts about Sahel Region
● In Africa, the Sahel is the region of ecoclimatic and biogeographic transition between the Sudanese savanna
to the south and the Sahara to the north.
● It covers the southern central latitudes of Northern Africa, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea,
and has a semi-arid climate.
● The Sahel part includes from west to east parts of northern Senegal, southern Mauritania, central Mali,
extreme north of Burkina Faso, the extreme south of Algeria, Niger, the extreme north of Nigeria, the extreme
north of Cameroon and the Central African Republic, central Chad, central and southern Sudan, the extreme
north of South Sudan, Eritrea and the extreme north of Ethiopia. (Read with MAP)
Chad
Why in news:
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1.Refugee camps in Chad
About Chad
● It is a landlocked state in north-central Africa covered by the Sahara Desert.
● It is named after Lake Chad which is the second-largest lake in Africa (after Lake Victoria) and its basin
covers parts of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
● It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south,
Cameroon to the southwest, Nigeria to the southwest (at Lake Chad), and Niger to the west.
● It forms a transitional zone between the arid Sahara (desert) to the north and the belt of humid savannas
to the south.
Rwanda
Why in news;
1. UK Court of Appeal has ruled against the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda,
Some facts about Rwanda
● Rwanda is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes
region and Southeast Africa converge.
● Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Sudan
Why in news:
1. 1200 children have died in country amid healthcare crisis
2. Operation Kaveri
3. Darfur Region
4. HakkiPikkis caught in Sudan conflict
5. Sudan’s Rapid Security Forces
6. India sends all-women team for UN peacekeeping missions in Sudan Abeyi region
Some facts about Sudan
● Sudan is in north-east Africa and is one of the largest countries on the continent,
● The population of Sudan is predominantly Muslim and the country’s official languages are Arabic and
English.
● Sudan shares its border with seven countries: Libya, Egypt, Chad, the Central African Republic, South
Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.
Some Refugees camps in Sudan:(Name of camp)

Some facts about Darfur Region:

● Darfur is a region of western Sudan.
● Most of the region consists of a semi-arid plain and thus appears unsuitable for developing a large and complex
civilization.
● The White and Blue Niles merge at Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.

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Who are the HakkiPikki:
● The HakkiPikki is a tribe that lives in several states in west and south India.
● Hakki Pikki (Hakki in Kannada means ‘bird’ and Pikki means ‘catchers’) are a semi-nomadic
tribe, traditionally of bird catchers and hunters.
● According to the 2011 census, the HakkiPikki population in Karnataka is 11,892.
● They live majorly in Davangere, Mysuru, Kolar, Hassan and Shivmogga districts.
● In different regions, they are known by different names, such as Mel-Shikari in northern Karnataka and
Maharashtra.
● In the olden days, there was a hierarchy among the clans, with the Gujaratia at the top and the Mewaras at
the bottom.
● Their mother tongue was designated ‘Vaagri’ by scholars. UNESCO has listed ‘Vaagri’ as one of
the endangered languages.
Some facts about Rapid Support Forces in Sudan
● Trace its roots to the Janjaweed militias — a group of Arab tribes primarily based in western Sudan, including
the contentious region of Darfur.
● Janjaweed militias called themselves horsemen – helped the Sudanese government quell a rebellion by
peasants in Darfur by perpetrating violence against the rebels and civilians in isolated areas.
Tanzania
Why in news:
1. IIT Madras opens offshore campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania
2. Restoring of Lake Victoria
Some facts about Zanzibar:
● Zanzibar is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania, and is a semi-autonomous
province of Tanzania.
Some facts about Tanzania:
● Tanzania is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region.
● It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and the Indian Ocean to the
east; Mozambique and Malawi to the south; Zambia to the southwest; and Rwanda, Burundi, and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.
● The capital of Tanzania is Dodoma
● Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, is in northeastern Tanzania.
● Three of Africa's Great Lakes are partly within Tanzania. To the north and west lie Lake Victoria, Africa's
largest lake, and Lake Tanganyika, the continent's deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish. To the
south lies Lake Malawi.
More details about the news:
● A multi-nation stakeholder consultation was held in Dar es Salaam, organized by the Centre for Science
and Environment (CSE) in India and Tanzania's National Environment Management Council (NEMC).
● Lake Victoria is facing serious environmental challenges.
● The lake's ecosystem is at risk due to heavy pollution and requires urgent intervention to prevent irreversible
damage.
● Previously, CSE and NEMC had identified Mwanza town in Tanzania as a major pollution hotspot and
released a report and a management strategy for cleaning the lake and sustaining its ecological integrity. The
efforts aim to improve Lake Victoria's water quality and ensure sustainable use.
Some facts about Lake Victoria:
● Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately 59,947 km2
● Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-
largest freshwater lake by surface area after Lake Superior in North America.
● In terms of volume, Lake Victoria is the world's ninth-largest continental lake.

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 ● Lake Victoria occupies a shallow depression in Africa.
● The lake's area is divided among three countries: Tanzania occupies 49% , Uganda 45% , and Kenya 6%
.
● Lake Victoria is considered to be part of the Rift Valley system although it lies between the two branches.
All of the African Great Lakes were formed as the result of the rift, and most lie in territories within the rift.
Zimbabwe
Why in news:
1. Cholera outbreak across Zimbabwe
Some facts about Zimbabwe:
● Zimbabwe is a landlocked country of southern Africa.
● It shares a border on the south with South Africa and is surrounded on the west by Botswana, on the north
by Zambia, and on the northeast and east by Mozambique.
● The capital and largest city is Harare, and the second largest is Bulawayo.
● Zimbabwe, lies to the north of the Tropic of Capricorn, is completely within the tropics but enjoys
subtropical conditions.
● It is dominated by Savannah grasslands.
● The Zimbabwean dollar is the official currency of the country.
● Zimbabwe's largest ethnic group are the Shona, who make up 80% of the population, followed by the
Northern Ndebele.
● Zimbabwe is a republic with a presidential system of government. The semi-presidential system was
abolished with the adoption of a new constitution after a referendum in 2013.
Congo:
Why in news:
1. The massive displacement in Congo
Some facts about Congo:
● The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a country located in Central Africa.
● It is the second-largest country in Africa and is known for its vast natural resources, including minerals and a
significant portion of the Congo rainforest.
● The DRC is bordered by nine countries: Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of
the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
● The Capital of DRC is Kinshasa
● The Congo Basin rainforest, which is the second-largest rainforest in the world.
● The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt ore, and a major producer of copper and diamonds

Horn of Africa
Why in news:
1. Horn of Africa has entered 6th consecutive wet season with no rain: UNHCR
2. Piracy off the Coast of Somalia
Some facts about Horn of Africa
● The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in Africa.
● It lies along the southern side of the Red Sea and extends hundreds of km into the Gulf of Aden, Somali Sea,
and Guardafui Channel.
● The area is the easternmost projection of the African continent.
● Referred to in ancient and medieval times as the land of the Barbara and Ethiopians, the Horn of Africa
denotes the region containing the countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia.

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 Niger:
Why in news:
1. France to pull out troops from Niger
2. Military leaders of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso sign mutual defence pact
3. Military coup
4. At least 85 confirmed killed by Nigerian army’s ‘mistaken’ drone attack
More about Niger:
● The Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa.
● It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south in the Atlantic Ocean.
● It is the most populous country in Africa, and the world's sixth-most populous country.
● Nigeria borders Niger in the north, Chad in the northeast, Cameroon in the east, and Benin in the west.
● Abuja is the capital of Nigeria.
● The largest city in Nigeria is Lagos,
● The main rivers are the Niger and the Benue, which converge and empty into the Niger Delta
● It is Africa's top oil producing country.
● The three largest ethnic groups of Nigeria are;
o Hausa in the North.
o Yoruba in the West.
o Igbo in the east
What is ECOWAS:
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 ● Also known as CEDEAO (in French), ECOWAS is the regional group established in 1975 through the Lagos
Treaty - with a mandate of promoting economic integration among its members.
● ECOWAS’ larger aims are to have a single common currency and create a single, large trading bloc in
areas of industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, financial issues, and social and cultural matters.
● The vision of ECOWAS is the creation of a “borderless region” that is well-integrated and governed in
accordance with the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance.
● The new vision of ECOWAS is to move from an ECOWAS of States to an “ECOWAS of the People: Peace
and Prosperity to All” by 2050.
What are Commitments Under the Liptako-Gourma Charter
● The charter obligates signatory countries to assist each other, including military support, in case of an
attack.
● It also mandates cooperation to prevent or resolve armed rebellions.
Some facts about Region of Liptako-Gourma
● Location: It is a region in West Africa, straddling parts of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
● Mali: Northern Mali, particularly the Gao and Menaka regions, is part of Liptako-Gourma and has been
affected by conflict and jihadist groups.
● Burkina Faso: The eastern part of Burkina Faso, has experienced violence and terrorism.
● Niger: The western region of Niger, faces security threats, including attacks by extremist groups.

Uganda
Why in news:
1. 41 killed in Ugandan school attack
Some facts about Uganda
● Uganda is bordered on the west by Congo, on the north by Sudan, on the east by Kenya, and on the south
by Tanzania and Rwanda.
● Four of East Africa's Great Lakes - Lake Victoria (second largest inland freshwater lake in the world),
Lake Kyoga, Lake Albert, and Lake Edward lie within Uganda or on its borders.

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Gabon
Why in news:
1. Coup in Gabon
Some facts about Gabon:
● The Republic of Gabon is positioned at the Equator in West-Central Africa, with its borders extending to
the Atlantic Ocean.
● The capital city Gabon is Libreville.
● Its neighboring countries encompass Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon to the north, and the Republic of
the Congo to the east and south.
● Gabon was a former French Colony and gained independence from France on August 17, 1960.
● Languages spoken in Gabon are French (official) and a variety of Bantu languages.
● Gabon employs the Central African CFA franc (XAF) as its currency,
● The Ogooué river is the largest watercourse in Gabon.
● Gabon was the third largest producer of manganese in 2020.
● The Belinga iron ore deposit, believed to be among the largest iron ore deposits in the world.
Sierra Leone
Why in news:
1. Sierra Leone’s president declared a nationwide curfew after gunmen attacked the military’s main and largest
barracks
2. Coup attempt in Sierra Leone
Some facts about Sierra Leone
● Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa.
● The country is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean
to the west and southwest
● The country's capital, Freetown, was founded as a settlement for freed slaves in the late 18th century.
● Temne and Mende are the largest ethnic group of Sierra Leone.
● The country is rich in natural resources, especially diamond, gold, bauxite and aluminum.
● Sierra Leone has one of the world's largest deposits of rutile, a titanium ore used as paint pigment and
welding rod coatings.
Gambia
Why in news:
1. Gambia mandates pre-shipment testing for Indian pharma
Some facts about Gambia
● It is the smallest country within mainland Africa.
● It is surrounded by Senegal, except for its western coast on the Atlantic Ocean.
● Banjul is the capital of Gambia.
● The Mandinka ethnicity is the largest ethnic group.
● There are other ethnic groups like Fula, Wolof, Jola/Karoninka, Serahule / Jahanka, Serers, Manjago,
Bambara, Aku Marabou and Bainunka.
Libya
Why in news:
1. Migrant vessel capsized off Libya
More about the news:
● A boat carrying 86 migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, resulting in the tragic death of over 60 people,
including women and children.
● The incident occurred near the town of Zuwara on Libya's western coast, with strong waves causing the
boat to capsize.
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 ● The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported the shipwreck, emphasizing the perilous
nature of the central Mediterranean route, one of the world's most dangerous migration paths.
● Libya has become a major transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle
East, and the central Mediterranean is a deadly route for those seeking entry into Europe.
● The region has witnessed thousands of deaths, with over 2,250 fatalities reported on this route in the current
year alone.
Some facts about International Organization for Migration (IOM)
● IOM is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to
governments and migrants, including refugees, internally displaced persons and migrant workers.
● IOM was established in 1951 as Inter governmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) to help
resettle people displaced by World War II.
● It was granted Permanent Observer status to the UN General Assembly in 1992.
● Cooperation agreement between IOM and the UN was signed in 1996.
● The World Migration Report is published every year by the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
of the UN.
● IOM works in four broad areas of migration management:
o Migration and development,
o Facilitating migration,
o Regulating migration and
o Forced migration.
● It has175 member states, a further 8 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries.
● India is a member of IOM.
Some facts about Libya:
● Libya is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa.
● It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad to the south,
Niger to the southwest, Algeria to the west, and Tunisia to the northwest.
● Tripoli is the capital of Libya.
● Libya had the largest proven crude oil reserves in Africa
Middle East and Central Asia
1. Israel
Why in news:
1. Israel-Hamas War
2. Israel deploys missile boats in red sea after Houthis’ attack
3. The Balfour Declaration:
4. Al-Aqsa Mosque.
5. Yom Kippur war.
6. Operation Ajay
Some facts about Israel:
● Israel is a country in West Asia.
● It is bordered by Lebanon to the north, by Syria to the northeast, by Jordan to the east, by the Red Sea
to the south, by Egypt to the southwest, by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and by the Palestinian
territories the West Bank along the east and the Gaza Strip along the southwest.
● The principal drainage system comprises Lake Tiberias and the Jordan River
● Mountain ranges include the Galilee, Carmel, and toward the Golan in the north.
● The Negev desert is found here.
● Eilat port is the port of Israel in the Red Sea,
● Sdot Micha base was attacked by Hamas.
What is Balfour Declaration:

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 ● The Balfour Declaration of 1917 was a significant event that changed the course of West Asia.
● It was a letter from a British official, Arthur James Balfour, to Baron Lionel Walter Rothschild, expressing
British support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. The British
government aimed to secure Jewish support for its World War I efforts.
Some facts about Al-Aqsa Mosque
● The site is part of the Old City of Jerusalem, sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims.
● UNESCO has classified the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls as a World Heritage Site.
● Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of Islam’s most revered locations, and the Temple Mount is the holiest site in
Judaism.
● The Temple Mount is a walled compound inside the Old City in Jerusalem, and is the site of two
structures:
o The Dome of the Rock to the north and the Al-Aqsa Mosque to the south.
● To the southwest of the Temple Mount, is the Western Wall, a remnant of the Second Temple and the
Who are the Houthis:
● The Houthis are a large Zaidi Shia clan that began a movement against the dictatorship of Ali Abdullah
Saleh in the 1990s.
● The Houthis are backed by Iran and control territory in the west and northwest of Yemen, including the
capital Sana'a.
● They are fighting against the Sunni-led internationally recognised Yemeni government, backed by Saudi
Arabia and the UAE.holiest site in Judaism.
What was Yom Kippur war:
● The Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War or Ramadan War, occurred from October 6 to 25,
1973, pitting Israel against Egypt and Syria.
● Following Israel's dominant Six-Day War victory in 1967, the conflict marked the Fourth Arab-Israeli
War.
● Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated surprise attack during the Holy Islamic month of Ramadan,
initially gaining ground.
● Israel eventually counterattacked, leading to a ceasefire mediated by the UN, but not before the superpowers,
the US and the Soviet Union, got involved, and Israel's invincibility image was challenged.
Some of famous past operations:
Operation Name Year Reason for Evacuation
● Operation Ajay 2023 Israel-Hamas war
● Operation Dost 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake
● Operation Kaveri 2023 Evacuation of nationals from Sudan.
● Operation Ganga 2022 Tensions between Russia and Ukraine
● Vande Bharat 2020 Covid-19 pandemic
● Operation Samudra Setu 2020 Covid-19 pandemic
● Evacuation from Brussels 2016 Terrorist strikes
● Operation Raahat 2015 Conflict in Yemen
● Operation Maitri 2015 Nepal earthquake
● Operation Safe Homecoming 2011 Conflict in Libya
● Operation Sukoon 2006 Conflict in Lebanon
● 1990 Kuwait Airlift 1990 Invasion of Kuwait by Iraq

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Gaza Strip:
Why in news:
1. Nuseirat refugee Camp
2. Rafah Border Crossing
Some facts about Gaza Strip:
● Bordered by Israel to the east and north, and Egypt to the southwest.
● Israel retained authority over Gaza's airspace and territorial waters according to the Oslo agreements.
● Rafah crossing in Egypt and the Erez crossing in northern Gaza with Israel are the two border crossings
accessible.
● The major river in the Gaza Strip is Wadi Gaza.
● Hamas rule over the Gaza strip.
Some more details about the -Nuseirat refugee Camp:
● Nuseirat is a Palestinian refugee camp located five kilometers north-east of Deir al-Balah.
● The refugee camp is in the Deir al-Balah Governorate, Gaza Strip.
● The Nuseirat camp was named after the local Nuseirat tribe, part of the larger Hanajira confederation, that
historically dominated the area between Deir al-Balah and Gaza.
● Nuseirat camp was established in the aftermath of the 1948 War
What are some other refugee camps in Gaza Strip:
● There are 8 Palestine refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. They are:
o Beach camp

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 o Bureij camp
o Deir El-Balah Camp
o Jabalia Camp
o Khan Younis Camp
o Maghazi camp
o Nuseirat camp
o Rafah camp
Where is the Rafah crossing and who controls it
● It is crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and is the sole route for aid to enter Gaza directly outside
Israel.
● It is the only exit that does not lead to Israeli territory.
● The crossing is at the south of the Gaza Strip and wedged between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean
Sea.
● The crossing is controlled by Egypt.
● There are only two other border crossings i.e. Erez, a border crossing with Israel in north Gaza, and
Kerem Shalom, a commercial crossing between Israel and Southern Gaza.
Some political players in Palestine
1. Fatah:
● Fatah, a Palestinian nationalist organization, was founded in the late 1950s, aiming to conduct an armed
struggle to liberate Palestine.
● It now leads the Palestinian Authority, governing part of the West Bank but lost control of Gaza to Hamas
in 2006 elections.
2. Hamas:
● Hamas is the largest Palestinian militant Islamist group and one of the two major political parties in the
region.
● Currently, it governs more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
● It was founded in the late 1980s, after the beginning of the first Palestinian intifada
3. Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ):
● The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the second-largest militant group in Palestine, aims to replace Israel
with an Islamic Palestinian state using force.
● Established in 1981, it has ties to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and receives financial support from Iran.
4. Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO):
● The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed in 1964, initially aiming to liberate Palestine
through armed struggle, with Fatah as the dominant faction.
● It endorsed a two-state solution in 1988, and a significant shift occurred in the early 1990s when it
renounced armed struggle and recognized Israel's statehood, leading to the emergence of Hamas.
5. Palestinian Authority (PA)
● The Palestinian Authority (PA) was established in 1994 by the Oslo Accords as an interim governing body
for Gaza and the West Bank, except East Jerusalem.
● It operates as an agency of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and is led by an elected president
who appoints a prime minister.
West Bank:
● The West Bank is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediterranean in Western Asia that forms the
main bulk of the Palestinian territories.
● It is bordered by Jordan and the Dead Sea to the east and by Israel to the south, west, and north.
● It was captured by Jordan after the Arab-Israeli War (1948) but Israel snatched it back during the Six-
Day War of 1967 and has occupied it ever since.
● Ramallah, the de facto administrative capital of Palestine is situated in the West Bank.

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Egypt
Some facts about Egypt
● Egypt is a transcontinental country situated in northeastern Africa and the Sinai Peninsula in Western Asia
(Middle East).
● It is bordered by Libya in the west, the Palestinian territory (Gaza Strip) and Israel in the northeast, and
Sudan in the south.
● It shares maritime borders with Cyprus, Turkey and Greece in the Mediterranean Sea, and with Jordan and
Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
● The Capital of Egypt is Cairo.
● The famous River Nile is the only river that flows in Egypt throughout the year.
● Suez Canal:
o It is a 30 km long artificial sea-level waterway located in Egypt.
o It connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, a northern branch of the Red Sea.
o It provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and the lands lying around the Indian and
western Pacific oceans.
o It is one of the world’s most heavily used shipping lanes.
Jordan
Some facts about Jordan:
● Jordan is a country in Western Asia.
● It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the
Jordan River.
● It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and east, Iraq to the northeast, Syria to the north, and Israel,
Palestinian West Bank, and the Dead Sea to the west.
● The Gulf of Aqabaseparates Jordan from Egypt.
● Amman is Jordan's capital and largest city.
● The Dead Sea at the Jordan and Israel border is the lowest land point on earth.
● It has the 5th largest oil-shale reserves in the world
Lebanon:
Why in news:
1. Israeli forces shell southern Lebanon border village
2. Hezbollah
3. Ain el-Hilwe is the largest Palestinian refugee camp
Some facts about Lebanon:
● It is a Western Asian nation, sharing borders with Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, with
Cyprus situated to its west across the Mediterranean Sea.
● Its location is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland.
● Beirut is the capital of Lebanon.
● The border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights is disputed by Lebanon in a small area called Shebaa
Farms.
Who are Hezbollah
● Hezbollah means ‘Party of God’, is a Shiite Islamic militant organization in Lebanon, and is known as one
of the world's most heavily armed non-state actors.
● Emerging during the Lebanese Civil War, it formed partly in response to the Palestinian presence and Israeli
invasions in southern Lebanon.
● Inspired by Iran's theocratic government, Hezbollah received financial support and training from Iran's
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Some facts about Ein el-Hilweh camp
● Established in 1948, the restive Ein-el-Hilweh camp is the largest with more than 63,000 registered refugees,

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 ● The camp, situated near the southern city of Sidon, falls outside the jurisdictions of the Lebanese security
forces
Mukaab City
● The Mukaa city is a 400-meter-high, wide, and long indoor supercity in the center of Riyad
● The Mukaab will be in the center of the Wider New Murabba Development.
Nagorno-Karabakh Enclave
Why in news:
● Azerbaijan launches operation against Nagorno-Karabakh and demands surrender
● Azerbaijan said it set up a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor, the only land link between Armenia and
the the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.
Some facts about Nagorno Karabakh:
● It shares borders with Iran, Turkey, Russia, Georgia, and Armenia.
● It is a mountainous area in the South Caucasus.
● Under international law it is recognised as part of Azerbaijan but ethnic Armenians constitute the majority.
● The Lachin corridor is the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.

Qatar:
Why in news:
1. Qatar hands death penalty to 8 ex-navy men
Some facts about Qatar:
● Qatar is a peninsula in the Middle East, bordering Saudi Arabia to the south and the Persian Gulf to the
east and north.
● The Gulf of Bahrain, an inlet of the Persian Gulf, separates Qatar from nearby Bahrain
● Capital: Doha
● Official language: Arabic
● Currency: Qatari Riyal (QAR)
● It is the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas
● It hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
● Indians are the largest expatriate community in Qatar.
Some facts about India -Qatar relations
● Indians are the largest expatriate community in Qatar.
● 2023 marks 50 years of establishment of full diplomatic relations between India and Qatar.
● India was among the few countries which recognized Qatar soon after its independence in 1971.
● Exercise Zair-Al-Bahr is a bilateral maritime exercise between the two navies.
Turkey
Why in news:
1. Turkey detains 1000 for Ankara blast
2. Kurds
3. Treaty of Lausanne
Some facts about Turkey:
● It is bordered in the northwest by Bulgaria; Greece to the west; Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east;
Georgia to the northeast; Syria to the south; and Iraq to the southeast.
● It lies partly in Asia and partly in Europe.
● It is surrounded on three sides by the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea
● Ankara is the capital of Turkey.
● There are two narrow straits in northwestern Turkey, the Bosporus, which connects the Black Sea with the
Sea of

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Who are Kurds:
● Kurds are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which
spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northern Syria.
● They make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East after Arabs, Persians, and Turks.
What religion is followed by Kurds:
● Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims who adhere to the Shafiʽi school, while a significant minority adhere to the
Hanafi school and also Alevism.
● Moreover, many Shafi’i Kurds adhere to either one of the two Sufi orders Naqshbandi and Qadiriyya.
● Other religions with significant Kurdish adherents are Yarsanism and Yazidism.
What is Treaty of Lausanne:
● The Treaty of Lausanne of 1923 established the boundaries between Turkey and Greece and ended the
military conflict between the two countries.
● The treaty also granted Greece official sovereignty over the islands of Limnos, Samothrace, Lesvos, Samos,
Chios, and Ikaria.
● The treaty also required Greece to return eastern Thrace and the islands of Imbros and Tenedos to
Turkey.
● Greece and Turkey also agreed to exchange their Greek and Turkish minority populations.
Tunisia
Why in news:
1. Tunisia has pushed African migrants to scorching no-man’s lands
Some facts about Tunisia:
● Tunisia, is the northernmost country in Africa.
● Tunisia is home to Africa’s northernmost point, Cape Angela, and its capital and largest city is Tunis,
located on its northeastern coast, which lends the country its name.
● Tunisia was inhabited by the indigenous Berbers.
● Tunisia also has an association agreement with the European Union, and has also attained the status of a
major non-NATO ally of the United States.
Europe
1. Russia and Ukraine
Why in news:
1. Russia-Ukraine war
2. Finland closes four crossing points on Russia border
3. Kerch Bridge
4. Nova Kakhovka Dam
5. Black Sea Grain Initiative
6. Crimea
7. City of Bakhmut
8. Nord Stream
9. River Danube Port
10. India and Russia aim to establish Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route
11. Wagener Group
12. Sulina Channel:
13. Crimean Peninsula
14. Dnieper River
15. Black Sea Fleet
16. Rostov-on-Don City
17. Kazan Meet (Moscow Format)
Some details about Russia:
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 ● Russia is a country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia.
● It is the largest country in the world by area, extends across eleven time zones, and shares land boundaries
with fourteen countries Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, North
Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Norway, Poland, and Ukraine
● It is the world's ninth-most populous country and Europe's most populous country.
● It has the world's fourth-longest coastline.
What was the Black Sea grain deal:
● The deal was agreed through UN and Turkish mediation.
● It established safe corridors along which Ukrainian ships can come in and out of three designated Black
Sea ports in and around Odessa.
● Under the initiative, cargo ships were allowed to travel from and to three Ukrainian ports of Odessa,
Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi (Yuzhny), after inspection that they weren’t carrying arms.
● The safe passage in the Black Sea was 310 nautical miles long and three nautical miles wide.
● A control center was established in Istanbul, staffed by U.N, Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials, to
run and coordinate the process.
● Both sides also pledged not to attack ships on the way in or out
What is Black Sea Fleet:
● The Black Sea Fleet has a long history and is considered to have been founded back in 1783.
● It comprises warships of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and the eastern Mediterranean,
and is headquartered at Sevastopol, the major port on the Crimean peninsula.
Some facts about Sevastopol:
● Sevastopol is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea.
Some facts about Crimean Peninsula:
● The Crimean peninsula is connected on the northwest to the mainland by the “Perekop Isthmus”, Between
Crimea and the mainland to the north lies Svyash (“Putrid Sea”), a network of shallow inlets that is separated
from the Sea of Azov by the Arabat Spit,long sandbar along the eastern shore of Crimea.
● The Crimean Peninsula was annexed by the Russian Federation in 2014 and since then has been administered
as two Russian federal subjects – the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol.

Some facts about Kerch Bridge

● The Kerch Bridge, across the Kerch Strait, is 19 km long and has two parallel rail and roadways.
● It was opened in 2018.
● It provides direct connectivity between the mainland and the annexed Crimea.
Some facts about Nova Kakhovka Dam
● It is located on the Dnieper or Dnipro River in the Kherson region i.e southern Ukraine which was built as
part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.
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 ● Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is Europe’s largest and gets its cooling water from the reservoir
Some facts about the Dnieper
● It is the fourth longest river in Europe.
● It flows in a southerly direction through western Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine before emptying into the
Black Sea.
Some facts about Bakhmut in Ukraine
● Bakhmut is a city in eastern Ukraine
● The city, which lies on the Bakhmutka River,
● The town is known for its salt industry,
Some facts about Nord Stream pipelines
● The Nord Stream pipeline is a natural gas pipeline that runs under the Baltic Sea, connecting Russia and
Germany.
● Nord Stream 1 is a 1,224 km underwater gas pipeline running from Vyborg in northwest Russia to
Lubmin in northeastern Germany via the Baltic Sea.
● Nord Stream 2, which runs from Ust-Luga in Leningrad (Russia) to Lubmin,

Some facts about Rostov-on-Don:

● Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal
District of Russia.
● It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, 32 kilometres (20 mi) from the
Sea of Azov, directly north of the North Caucasus.
● With the construction of the Volga-Don Shipping Canal in 1952, Rostov-on-Don became a port of five
seas:the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, the Caspian Sea, the White Sea, and the Baltic Sea.
Some facts about Danube River
● Danube is the second longest river in Europe after the Volga. It rises in the Black Forest mountains of
western Germany and flows for some 2,850 km to its mouth on the Black Sea.
● Along its course it passes through 10 countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia,
Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine.
● It is characterized by three main channels: Chilia, Sulina, and St George.
● Among these, the Sulina Channel stands out as the most suitable for transporting cargo due to its dredged
and widened condition.
Some facts about Sulina Channel:
● The Sulina Channel is a 63 km long distributary of the Danube, connecting major Ukrainian ports on the
river to the Black Sea, lying completely within the borders of Romania
● Ships carrying grain from Ukraine leave from Ukrainian ports such as Izmail and Reni on the mainstream (or
the Chilia Channel), and head to the port of Sulina, at the mouth of the Sulina Channel.
● From there, they head around 140 km south to Constanta, Romania’s biggest seaport.

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 ● Here the cargo is transferred to bigger ships that carry it out of the Black Sea into the Mediterranean through
the Bosphorus straits.

Kerch strait:
● The Kerch Strait is a strait in Eastern Europe.
● It connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea in the west from
the Taman Peninsula of Russia's Krasnodar Krai in the east.
● It has also been called the Straits of Yenikale after the Yeni-Kale fortress in Kerch.
Some facts about Black Sea:
● There are six countries with coastlines on the Black Sea (clockwise), Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey
(Türkiye), Bulgaria, and Romania.

Some facts about Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route

● During the 2019 visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a Memorandum of Intent on the ‘Development
of Maritime Communications between the Port of Vladivostok and the Port of Chennai’.
● The Vladivostok – Chennai route passes through the Sea of Japan, the South China Sea and Malacca Strait.
● The route will bring down transport time to 12 days, almost a third of what is taken under the existing
popular route that covers St Petersburg to Mumbai.
What is the reactor design at Zaporizhzhya?
● Zaporizhzhya NPP is located southwest of Zaporizhzhya city, along the Dnieper River.
● It has six VVER-1000 reactors providing a total power-generation capacity of 6 GW.
● The reactor complex consists of the reactor vessel, in which fuel rods are submerged in water and Control
rods are inserted at the top.
● The water acts as both coolant and moderator.
● A pressuriser holds the water at a high but constant pressure (around 150 atm) to prevent it from boiling.
This is the primary cooling circuit.
● As the water heats up, the heat is moved to a secondary cooling circuit, where it converts a separate resource
of water into steam. This steam is fed to turbines that generate electricity.

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What is Moscow Format:
● The Moscow format is one of the several dialogue platforms on Afghanistan which began before the
Taliban takeover of Kabul.
● It was introduced in 2017 on the basis of the six-party mechanism for consultations among special
representatives from Russia, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran and India.
● The key objective of the Moscow format of consultations is to facilitate the national reconciliation process
in Afghanistan to establish peace.
Belarus
Why in news:
1. Russia to station nuclear weapons in Belarus
Some facts about Belarus:
● Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe.
● It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania
and Latvia to the northwest.
● Minsk is the capital and largest city.
● Major rivers are the west-flowing Western Dvina and Nyoman rivers, and the south-flowing Dnieper with
its tributaries, the Berezina, Sozh, and Prypyat rivers.
Albania
Why in news:
1. Migration Crisis
Some facts about Albania:
● It is a country in Southeastern Europe.
● It is situated in the Balkans, and is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea
● It shares land borders with Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, North Macedonia to
the east, and Greece to the
● Tirana is its capital and largest city.
● Albania joined the UNSC as a non-permanent member for the first time in 2022.
North Sea
Why in news:
1. European countries to expand North Sea wind farms
2. St. Fergus project
About North Sea
● The North Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean, located between Norway and Denmark in the east, Scotland
and England in the west, and Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France in the south.
● An offshoot of the North Sea is the Strait of Skagerrak, between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, which
connects to the Baltic Sea through the Kattegat, Öresund, the Great Belt and the Little Belt.
● In the south, the North Sea connects with the rest of the Atlantic through the Strait of Dover into the
English Channel and in the north through the Norwegian Sea.
● Major rivers that drain into the North Sea include the Forth (at Edinburgh), Elbe (at Cuxhaven), the Weser
(at Bremerhaven), the Ems at Emden, the Rhine and Meuse (at Rotterdam), the Scheldt (at Flushing),
the Thames, and the Humber (at Hull).
● The Kiel Canal, one of the world’s busiest artificial waterways, connects the North Sea with the Baltic.

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About the St. Fergus project:
● The St Fergus project is a joint venture between Shell UK and other companies.
● It would become Scotland's first carbon capture and storage facility, which would see harmful greenhouse
gas emissions piped under the North Sea.
● This would prevent the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, by capturing it at the point where the
fossil fuel is being burnt.
Kosovo-Serbia
Why in news:
1. Kosovo-Serbia tension
2. EU, U.S. envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue
Some facts about the Kosovo:
● Kosovo is a small landlocked region that lies to Serbia’s southwest, sharing borders with North Macedonia,
Albania, and Montenegro.
● Pristina is the capital of Kosovo.
● Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s statehood and
still considers it to be an integral part of Serbian territory.
● Countries such as India, China, and Russia do not recognise Kosovo as a separate country, while the US, the
majority of EU countries, Japan and Australia do so.
Some facts about Serbia:
● Serbia, officially the Republic of Serbia, is a landlocked country in South-eastern and Central Europe,
situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans.
● Countries bordering it are Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
● Belgrade is the capital of Serbia.
● The Rivers flowing through it are the Danube, Sava and Tisa etc
Some facts about Bosnia and Herzegovina:
● Country in Southeast Europe, situated on the Balkan Peninsula.
● Borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the north and southwest. In the
south, it has a 20 kilometres (12 miles) long coast on the Adriatic Sea, with the town of Neum being its only
access to the sea.
● Moderate continental climate with hot summers and cold, snowy winters.
● Herzegovina, the smaller, southern region, has a Mediterranean climate and is mostly mountainous.
Sarajevo is the capital and the largest city.

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Greece
Why in news:
1. Greek island of Lesbos
2. Hundreds feared dead as migrant boat capsizes off Greek coast
Some facts about Lesbos:
● Lesbos, also known as Lesvos or Mitilini, is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea.
● It is the third-largest island in Greece and the eighth-largest in the Mediterranean
● It is separated from Asia Minor by the narrow Mytilini Strait.
● On the southeastern coast is the island's capital and largest city, Mytilene
Some facts about Mediterranean Sea
● It is an intercontinental sea that is bordered by the continent of Europe in the north, by Asia in the east,
and by Africa in the south.
● Bordering Countries (21 countries): Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt,
France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain,
Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey.
● To the west it is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, to the east with the Black
Sea through the Dardanelles Straits, and to the south with the Red Sea through Suez Canal.
● Some of the large Mediterranean Islands include Corsica, Crete, Cyprus, Chios, Euboea, Lesbos,
Mallorca, Rhodes, Sicily, and Sardinia. The island of Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean
Sea.
● A large number of rivers drain into the Mediterranean Sea, including the Ebro, Rhone, Po, Nile, Tiber, etc

Spain
Why in news:
1. Wildfire rages “out of control” on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma
2. Catalonia
Some facts about La Palma:

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 ● La Palma is the most north-westerly island of the Canary Islands, Spain.
o Its geography is a result of a volcanic formation, making it the fifth largest of the eight main Canary
Islands.
o Its highest mountain is the Roque de los Muchachos, at 2,423 metres being second among the peaks
of the Canaries only to the peaks of the Teide massif on Tenerife.
● The Canary Islands are a group of ocean island volcanoes located off the coast of western Africa that have
been formed by volcanic activity
● It comprises the Spanish provinces of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
What is the location of Canary Islands:
● The Canary archipelago(group of islands) is located in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1300 km South from
mainland Spain and 115 km West from the African coast (Morocco).
● It includes 7 islands belonging to Spain, among which La Palma (in the North-West of the archipelago),
Tenerife and Gran Canaria (central).

Some facts about Catalonia:

● Catalonia is an autonomous community in the north-eastern corner of Spain.
● Catalonia consists of four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona.
● It is bordered by France (Occitanie) and Andorra to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the east, and the
Spanish autonomous communities of Aragon to the west and Valencia to the south.
● Since the 2010s there has been growing support for Catalan independence. On 27 October 2017, the Catalan
Parliament declared unilateral independence following a disputed referendum.
Baltic Sea
Why in news:
1. In Baltic Sea, citizen divers restore seagrass to fight climate change
2. Baltic Nation
Some facts about Sea Store Seagrass Restoration Project:
● While there are other initiatives to restore the plants worldwide, the Sea Store Seagrass Restoration Project
in Kiel, run by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, is one of the first that aims to enable
citizens to do so autonomously.
● The ultimate goal is to re-green the Baltic Sea.
Some facts about Baltic Sea:
● The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean situated in Northern Europe.
● The Baltic Sea is one of the largest brackish inland seas by area.
● It is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and
the North and Central European Plain.
● The northern part of the Baltic Sea is known as the Gulf of Bothnia.
● The more rounded southern basin of the gulf is called Bothnian Sea and immediately to the south of it lies
the Sea of Åland.
● The Gulf of Finland connects the Baltic Sea with Saint Petersburg.
● The Gulf of Riga is located between Estonia and Latvia.
● The Baltic Sea is connected by artificial waterways to the White Sea via the White Sea–Baltic Canal and to
the German Bight of the North Sea via the Kiel Canal.
● The Helsinki Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area includes the
Baltic Sea.

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What are the Baltic Nations?.
● Baltic Nations are Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
● These are three countries of north-eastern Europe, on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea
● They are bounded on the west and north by the Baltic Sea, on the east by Russia, on the southeast by
Belarus, and on the southwest by Poland and an exclave of Russia.

Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor (OL3)

Why in news:
1. Finland’s next-generation Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor, the largest in Europe, has gone into regular
production.
Some facts about Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor (OL3):
● OL3 is an EPR (European Pressurized Water Reactor) located in Finland.
● It is built by the French-led Areva-Siemens consortium.
● It is the most powerful nuclear reactor in Europe, with a capacity of generating 1,600 megawatts.
Venice Grand Canal
Why in news:
1. The spectacular transformation of a stretch of Venice’s Grand Canal to fluorescent green was due to
fluorescein, a non-toxic substance used for testing wastewater networks,
What is Fluorescein
● Fluorescein is an organic compound and dye based on the xanthene tricyclic structural motif, formerly
belonging to triarylmethine dyes family.
● It is available as a dark orange/red powder slightly soluble in water and alcohol.
● It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.
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Some facts about the famous canal and gondolas of Venice-
● Located in northern Italy, the city of Venice has a unique geography.
● It is a collection of over 118 small islands spread over a lagoon, which is a kind of water body that is separated
from a larger water body through some kind of land formation.
● Venetian lagoon is separated from the Adriatic Sea.
Bastille Day Parade
Why in news:
1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was Guest of Honour in the Bastille Day Parade.
Some facts about France
● It is the largest country in Western Europe.
● It spans Western Europe and overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and
Indian Oceans.
● France shares borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Andorra, and
Spain in Europe, as well as the Netherlands, Suriname, and Brazil in the Americas via its overseas
territory in French Guiana.
● Its overseas territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North
Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean.
● Major mountain ranges: Alps, Pyrenees, Massif Central
● Major rivers: Seine, Rhine and Rhône
Dublin
Why in news:
1. Protesters take to streets in Dublin after knife attack injures three children
Some facts about Dublin:
● Dublin is the capital of Republic of Ireland
● It is located on the east coast of Ireland, at the mouth of the River Liffey
● It is a UNESCO City of Literature, and it has a rich literary heritage.
● It is home to many famous writers, including James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and Samuel Beckett.
Lampedusa Island (Italy)
Why in news:
1. EU chief promises a plan of action as migrants flock to Italian island
Some facts about Lampedusa
● Location: Lampedusa is a small Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and east of
Tunisia.
● Geography: It covers about 20 square kilometers, the largest of the Pelagie Islands.
● Immigration: Known for being a destination for migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean.
Iceland
Why in news:
1. ‘World’s most gender-equal country’ is protesting inequality
2. Grindavik swarm of 800 earthquakes
Some facts about Icelands:
● Iceland is an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean, between Greenland and Norway.
● The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik, which is also the largest city in the country.
● Iceland is also a world leader in renewable energy, with over 100% of its electricity coming from
hydroelectric and geothermal sources.
● Iceland has a unicameral parliament, the Althing, which has 63 seats.
● It is home to the world's largest glacier, Vatnajökull.
● It is also home to the world's oldest known geyser, Geysir.
● Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe.
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Some facts about Grindavik:
● Grindavík is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which separates the North American and Eurasian
tectonic plates.
● It is a fishing town on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland.
● It is home to the world-famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
● The lava field surrounding Grindavík is called Illahraun, or "the evil lava."
The Nordic Baltic Eight (NB8)
Why in news:
1. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the 2nd India Nordic Baltic Business Conclave.
Some more facts about The Nordic Baltic Eight (NB8)
● NB8 is a regional framework consisting of the five Nordic countries i.e Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
Norway, and Sweden and the three Baltic countries i.e Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
● It was established in 1992 to foster closer ties between the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Asia
1.China:
Why in news:
1. Russia China joint patrol of East China sea and Sea of Japan
2. China and Honduras signed a landmark communique to formally establish diplomatic relations
3. Taiwan Strait
4. Xinjiang Province
5. Uyghur
6. Solomon Islands and China sign deals on police, economy, tech
7. China Bhutan boundary talks
8. China-Myanmar Economic Corridor
9. China building dam close to India border on YarlungZangbo
10. Northern/Interaction-2023
Some facts about East China Sea
● A part of the Pacific Ocean and is a marginal sea in the east of China.
● Bordering Countries: South Korea, Japan, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People's Republic of
China.
● Towards the south of it is the South China Sea and to the west is the Asian continent.
● Connects with the Sea of Japan through the Korea Strait and opens to the north into the Yellow Sea.
Some facts about One China policy
● One China policy is the diplomatic acknowledgement of China’s position that there is only one Chinese
government and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.
● Any country that wants diplomatic relations with mainland China must break official ties with Taiwan.
● Taiwan is not recognised as an independent country by much of the world not even the United Nations.
● It undergoes extraordinary naming contortions just to participate in events and institutions like the Olympic
Games and the World Trade Organization.
Some facts about Taiwan Strait
● The Taiwan Strait is a 180-kilometer-wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia.
● The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea
● Former names of the Taiwan Strait include the Formosa Strait or Strait of Formosa, from a dated name for
Taiwan; the Strait of Fokien or Fujian, from the Chinese province forming the strait’s western shore; and
the Black Ditch, a calque of the strait’s name in Hokkien and Hakka.
● The entire strait is on Asia’s continental shelf.
● The Taiwan Strait is relatively shallow. It has an average depth of about 490ft.
Some Islands on the Taiwan Strait
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 ● Several islands are located in the strait. Kinmen and Matsu are two of the largest and most significant islands
in the strait located off the Fujian coast of China.
● The biggest islands along the Taiwan side include Penghu (or Pescadores), Xiamen, and Pingtan.
● The Xiamen and Pingtan Islands are administered by the People’s Republic of China, while the other three
islands: Penghu (or Pescadores), Kinmen, and Matsu are under the administration of the Republic of
China (Taiwan).
● The Penghu (or Pescadores) Island is the largest and most populous island in the Taiwan Strait.

Some facts about Uyghur:

● The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim minority Turkic ethnic group, whose origins can be traced to
Central and East Asia.
● Their native region is considered to be the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of
China.
Some facts about Xinjiang:
● Xinjiang is technically an autonomous region within China.
● It is officially known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
● It shares borders with eight countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan to the northwest,
Pakistan and India to the southwest, Mongolia to the northeast, Russia to the north, and Afghanistan to
the west.
● It is the largest region and is rich in minerals, oil and natural gas.
Some facts about Bhutan-China border dispute:
● China and Bhutan share about 477 kilometers of border.
● The dispute over the boundary can be traced back to 1950 when China occupied Tibet and refused to
recognise the dividing line between Tibet and Bhutan.
● Beijing also took over the control of eight Bhutanese enclaves in Tibet during its retaliatory action to the
Tibetan uprising in 1959.
● China claims certain territories from Bhutan:
o In the north - Pasamlung and Jakarlung valleys;
o In the west - Doklam, Dramana, and Shakhatoe, Yak Chu and Charithang Chu, and
Sinchulungpa and Langmarpo valleys.
● These places are pasture-rich and strategically located in the Bhutan-India-China trijunction, lying close
to India’s Siliguri Corridor.
● In 2020, China made new claims on Bhutan’s East in the Sakteng sanctuary.
● Surprisingly, there has been no mention of Eastern Bhutan in the previous rounds of boundary negotiations
held between the two countries.

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Some facts about China-Myanmar Economic Corridor:
● China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) is a number of infrastructure projects supporting connectivity
between Myanmar and China.
● It is an economic corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative building road and rail transportation from Yunnan
Province in China through Muse and Mandalay to Kyaukpyu in Rakhine State.
Some facts about YarlungZangbo
● The YarlungZangbo River (YZR) is the highest river in the world.
● The trans-border YarlungZangbo originates from the Majieyangzom glacier in the southwest of the
Tibetan Plateau.
● It flows into Arunachal Pradesh where it is called the Siang and then to Assam as the Brahmaputra before
flowing into Bangladesh.
Some facts about Northern/Interaction-2023:
● Northern/Interaction-2023 military drills are organized by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Northern
Theatre Command in the central Sea of Japan.
● The event marks Russia's second time participating in the PLA annual strategic drills, and also a first that
Russia has dispatched both naval and air forces to participate in similar events.
● The drills are themed "safeguarding the safety of strategic maritime routes".
South China Sea
Why in news:
1. Phillipines remove Chinese barrier from the disputed shoal
2. Philippines invites neighbor to frame south China sea conduct rule
3. Philippines reveals locations of 4 new strategic sites for U.S. military pact
4. Philippines and Vietnam sign deal on South China Sea
More about the South China Sea.
● The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean.
● The South China Sea is connected by Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by Luzon Strait with the
Philippine Sea.
● Bordering states & territories (clockwise from north): the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of
China (Taiwan), the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.
● The Gulf of Thailand and the Gulf of Tonkin are also part of the South China Sea.
● Contesting Claims Over Islands:
o The Paracel Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.
o The Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Philippines.
o The Scarborough Shoal is claimed by the Philippines, China and Taiwan.
Some facts about Scarborough Shoal:

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 ● The Philippines described the shoal as an integral part of the Philippine national territory.
● Scarborough Shoal is within the 200-nautical-mile EEZ of the Philippines as defined by international maritime
law.
● It was affirmed by a ruling of The Hague’s International Court of Arbitration.
● Beijing claims the area as part of its territory and refers to Scarborough Shoal as Huangyan Island.
● In 2012, Beijing seized control of Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines and forced Filipino fishermen to
travel farther for smaller catches.

Philippines reveals locations of 4 new strategic sites for U.S. military pact
● The Philippines identified four more of its military bases that the United States will get access i.e the
Camilo Osias navy base in Sta Ana and Lal-lo airport, both in Cagayan province, and Camp Melchor
Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela province and the island of Balabac off Palawan.
● The locations are significant, with Isabela and Cagayan facing north towards Taiwan, while Palawan is
near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China has built artificial islands equipped
with runways and missile systems.
● The expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) underlines the Philippines'
strategic importance to the former colonial ruler the United States,
More about the deal:
● The Philippines and Vietnam signed agreements to prevent incidents in the South China Sea and broaden
cooperation between their coast guards in a growing alliance that will likely be frowned upon by China,
which claims virtually the entire waters.
Singapore
Why in news:
1. Indian-origin Singapore ex-minister elected President
Some Details about Singapore:
● Singapore is an island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia.
● It is located about one degree of latitude north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula,
bordering the Strait of Malacca to the west, the Singapore Strait to the south, the South China Sea to the
east, and the Straits of Johor to the north.
● Singapore has four official languages i.e. English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil.
● It has a highly developed market economy, based historically on extended entrepôt trade.
● Along with Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, Singapore is one of the Four Asian Tigers.
Gilgit-Baltistan
Why in news:
1. Mobile internet services suspended in Gilgit-Baltistan

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Some facts about Gilgit Baltistan:
● Gilgit-Baltistan is one of the disputed territories of India.
● Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) was formerly known as the Northern Areas.
● It is the northernmost territory administered by Pakistan, providing the country’s only territorial frontier,
and thus a land route, with China, where it meets the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
● It borders PoK to the south, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of
Afghanistan to the north, the Xinjiang region of China, to the east and northeast, and the Indian-
administered union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the southeast.
● Its largest city is Skardu and Capital is Gilgit.
● China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) also passes through this region.
● Gilgit-Baltistan is home to five of the “eight-thousanders” and to more than fifty peaks above 7,000 metres
(23,000 ft).
● K2, the second highest mountain peak of the world is located here.
● Three of the world’s longest glaciers outside the polar regions are found in Gilgit-Baltistan i.eBiafo Glacier,
Baltoro Glacier, and Batura Glacier.
Afghanistan
Why in news:
1. India sending 20,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via Chabahar
2. UN agency warns there is no let-up in drugs trade from Asia’s Golden Triangle
3. International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
Some facts about Aghanistan
● It is bordered by Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China
● Bamyan in central Afghanistan is home to the world’s oldest oil paintings.
● It is the world’s largest producer of opium.
Some facts about Golden Crescent:
● The Golden Crescent is the name given to one of Asia's two principal areas of illicit opium production (the
other being the Golden Triangle).
● Located at the crossroads of Central, South, and Western Asia, this space covers the mountainous peripheries
of Afghanistan and Pakistan, extending into eastern Iran.

What are some newly emerging regions of drug trafficking:

● Cambodia has become “a key transit and to some extent production point for the regional drug
trade.”Industrial-scale ketamine labs and facilities for processing and storing the substance were found across
Cambodia.
● Laos is another weak link in the fight against drug trafficking.
o The meth and other drugs produced in Shan State laboratories usually enter Laos by crossing the
Mekong River from ports “under the control or influence of major non-state armed groups,”
naming some of them: ethnic militias including the United Wa State Army, the Myanmar National
Democratic Alliance Army, the National Democratic Alliance Army, etc.
Some facts about the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
● The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a multi-modal transport project that
spans over 7,200 km and aims at easing cargo movement among Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Russia, Central Asia, Europe, India and Iran.
● In December 2016, India agreed to use the INSTC which was established in 2000 and ratified in 2002 (by
India, Iran and Russia).
Maldives
Why in news:
1. Rajnath to hand over patrol vessel, landing craft to Maldives
2. Opposition candidate Mohamed Muizzu was elected President of the Maldives

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 3. Greater Male Connectivity Project
Some facts about SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)
● In 2015, India unveiled its strategic vision for the Indian Ocean i.e. Security and Growth for All in the
Region (SAGAR). It is an increasing recognition of the increasing importance of maritime security, maritime
commons and cooperation.
● Through SAGAR, India seeks to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbors
and assist in building their maritime security capabilities.
● Further, India seeks to safeguard its national interests and ensure Indian Ocean region to become
inclusive, collaborative and respect international law.
What is Greater Male Connectivity Project
● Afcons, an Indian company, has signed a contract for the largest-ever infrastructure project in Maldives-
Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP)
● The Project will consist of a 6.74 km-long bridge and causeway link between Male and nearby islands of
Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. It will use renewable energy.
● The project is funded by a grant of USD 100 million and a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 400 million from
India.
● It is not only the biggest project India undertakes in the Maldives but also the biggest infrastructure project
in the Maldives.
Sri Lanka
Why in news:
1. Ferry service from India to Sri Lanka resume
Some facts about Palk Strait:
● It is a strait that lies between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the island nation of Sri Lanka.
● The strait is named after Robert Palk, who was a governor of Madras Presidency (1755-1763) during the
British Raj period.
● It is bounded on the south by Pamban Island (India), Adam’s (Rama’s) Bridge (a chain of shoals), the Gulf
of Mannar, and Mannar Island (Sri Lanka).
● It connects the Bay of Bengal in the northeast with the Gulf of Mannar in the southwest.
● The southwestern portion of the strait is also called Palk Bay.
● Several rivers flow into it, including the Vaigai River of Tamil Nadu.
● The port of Jaffna, the commercial center for northern Sri Lanka, lies on the strait.
Myanmar
Why in news:
1. Myanmar airstrikes target rebel camp near border, panic in Mizoram village
2. The new flare-up in Myanmar (Operation 1027)
3. Kachin Independence Army (KIA)
Some facts about the Operation 1027:
● Myanmar has been in flames ever since the military seized power on February 1, 2021
● The Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and People's Defence Forces (PDFs), armed civilian groups,
have joined hands against the military, aligning with the self-declared National Unity Government in exile.
● In intense clashes, they successfully took control of two towns near the India-Myanmar border, i.e.
Rikhawdar, close to Zokhawthar in Mizoram, and Khampat in Sagaing region, around 60 km from Moreh
in Manipur causing a refugee influx into Mizoram.
● The recent conflict, known as Operation 1027, initiated by the Three Brotherhood Alliance on October 27
in Shan State, resulted in the capture of over 100 military outposts and crucial border towns.
● The alliance is a front of three EAOs:
o the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA),
o the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, and
o the Arakan Army.

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 ● Chinshwehaw, a vital point on the China-Myanmar border trade route and a key revenue source for the
junta, was among the seized locations.
● Simultaneously, local resistance forces ignited fighting in various parts of the country.
● Khampat in Sagaing region is also part of the proposed India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway
project.

What is the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

● The Kachin Independence Army is a non-state armed group and the military wing of the Kachin
Independence Organization (KIO), a political group of ethnic Kachins in Northern Myanmar
● The Kachins are a coalition of six tribes whose homeland encompasses territory in China's Yunnan,
Northeast India and Kachin State in Myanmar.
Japan
Why in news:
1. Japan says Russian warships spotted near Taiwan and Okinawa islands
2. Kuril Islands
3. Sea of Japan
Some facts about Japan-Russia dispute over Kuril Island:
● The Kuril Islands dispute between Japan and Russia is over the sovereignty of South Kuril Islands.
● The South Kuril Islands comprise Etorofu island, Kunashiri island, Shikotan island and Habomai island.
● These islands are claimed by Japan but occupied by Russia as the successor state of the Soviet Union.
● Japan is also having a similar dispute regarding Northern territories with South Korea. South Korea is
referred to as the Dokdo islands.
What is the Geographic Location and Significance of the Kuril Islands?
● The Kuril Islands are stretched from the Japanese island of Hokkaido to the southern tip of Russia's
Kamchatka Peninsula separating the Okhotsk Sea from the North Pacific Ocean.
● The chain is part of the belt of geologic instability circling the Pacific (Ring of Fire) and contains at least 100
volcanoes, of which 35 are still active, and many hot springs.

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Some facts about Sea of Japan:
● The Sea of Japan (East Sea) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean.
● It is located in Eastern Asia that is bounded by Japan and Sakhalin Island to the east and by Russia and
Korea on the Asian mainland to the west.
● The sea itself lies in a deep basin, separated from the East China Sea to the south by the Tsushima and
Korea straits and from the Sea of Okhotsk to the north by the La Perouse (or Sōya) and Tatar straits.
● To the east it is also connected with the Inland Sea of Japan by the Kanmon Strait and to the Pacific by
the Tsugaru Strait.

Pakistan
Why in news:
1. Militants attack Pakistan Air Force training base in Miyanwali.
2. Baloch march from Turbat to Islamabad
3. Iran Strikes Terror Bases in Balochistan
4. Pakistan ‘shuts’ key crossing at Afghan border
Some facts about Miyanwali:
● Miyanwali is a city located in Punjab province of Pakistan, on the west bank of the Indus River.
● It is the capital of Miyanwali District.
● It is located in the Potohar Plateau region of Punjab.
● The Mangla Dam, a large reservoir on the Jhelum River, is located here.
● The Chashma Nuclear Power Plant is a large commercial nuclear power plant located in the vicinity of
Chashma colony in Mianwali District Punjab in Pakistan.
Some facts about Balochistan
● Balochistan is the largest among the 4 provinces in Pakistan.
● It is located in the southwestern part of Pakistan.
● It is bordered by Iran (west), Afghanistan (northwest), by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces
(northeast and east),by Sindh province (southeast) and by the Arabian Sea (south).
● It is the largest and most sparsely populated province in Pakistan.
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 ● Its capital is Quetta.
● It is extremely rich in natural resources including gas, oil, copper, and gold.
● Before Independence, the area of Balochistan has several tribes, whose chiefs were in treaty relationships with
Britishers.
o The Khan of Kalat was the most important among these chiefs. His territories were divided among a
number of feudatories with varying levels of independence.
o He formed the Balochistan States Union.
o The British got into an agreement with the Khanate of Kalat in 1876, establishing direct rule over it.
● After 1948, accession with Pakistan, many people and organizations revolted, but they were brutally
suppressed by the Pakistani forces and its leaders were imprisoned.
● Many people are still demanding an independent state of Balochistan.
Details of the strike:
● Strikes were launched against the Jaish al-Adl militant group.
● Site of strike: Panjgur in Balochistan.
● A member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was shot dead in the country’s south-eastern Sistan-Baluchistan
province, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Some facts about Torkham Crossing

● The Torkham Crossing, a critical border point connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan.
● Torkham Crossing is a crucial border crossing that links Pakistan and Afghanistan. Its strategic location makes
it a vital entry point for trade and connectivity between the two nations.
● The Border road is a key lifeline for a landlocked Afghanistan, linking the northwestern Pakistani city of
Peshawar to Jalalabad, the main city in Nangarhar, and the route onwards to the capital Kabul.
Bhutan
Why in news:
1. Bhutan to have 1000-sq. km. green city along Assam border ‘connecting South Asia to Southeast Asia’
Some more details about Gelephu Smart city Project:
● Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck announced plans for an "international city" on a 1,000+
sq. km. area bordering Assam, at the Changlimathang stadium in Thimpu.
● This Economic Corridor aims to connect South Asia with Southeast Asia via India's northeastern states
and will enhance the connectivity.
● Infrastructure Development: Includes India-Bhutan railway line to Gelephu, linking roadways, trading
points, and connections to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Singapore.
● Gelephu project will have a distinct administrative region under different laws to attract international
investment.
● India has committed to improving roads, connecting border towns with railways, and supporting Bhutan's
development.

Miscellaneous
Damascus
Some facts about Damascus
● It is the capital of Syria, the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth holiest city in Islam.
● Situated in southwestern Syria, Damascus is the center of a large metropolitan area.
● It is nestled among the eastern foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range 80 kilometers inland from the
eastern shore of the Mediterranean on a plateau 680 meters above sea level.
● The Barada River flows through Damascus.
Guantanamo Bay
Why in news:
1. UN body faults U.S., other states over Guantanamo prisoner torture
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Some facts about Guantanamo Bay:
● Guantanamo Bay is a bay in Guantanamo Province at the southeastern end of Cuba.
● It is an inlet of the Caribbean Sea.
● The strategic importance of the bay is that it is close to the Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti that
links the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and Panama.
Cocos Islands
Why in news:
1. Two Indian military aircraft visit Australia’s strategic Cocos Islands
Some facts about Cocos Keeling Islands (CKI) and its facilities
● CKI is an Australian external territory located in the Indian Ocean,
● It comprises two coral atolls made up of 27 smaller Islands.
● Cocos Islands had been a point of cooperation between the space agencies of the two countries for India’s
Gaganyaan human space flight mission.
● Establishing temporary ground stations and other satellite navigation cooperation here by Australian space
agency (ASA) and ISRO.
India-Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC)
Why in news:
1. India, U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE and other countries launched the India-Middle East-Europe Economic
Corridor (IMEC).
Ports that will be connected through the corridor are:
● India: Mundra (Gujarat), Kandla (Gujarat), and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Navi Mumbai).
● Middle East: Fujairah, Jebel Ali, and Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Dammam and Ras Al Khair ports in
Saudi Arabia. Haifa port (privately controlled port) of Israel is also proposed.
o Railway line will connect: Fujairah port (UAE) to Haifa port (Israel) via: Saudi Arabia (Ghuwaifat
and Haradh) and Jordan.
● Europe: Piraeus port in Greece, Messina in South Italy, and Marseille in France.

Some more facts:

● Haifa port:
o It is the largest of Israel’s three major international seaports, the others being the Port of Ashdod
and the Port of Eilat.
o It has a natural deep-water harbor, which operates all year long, and serves both passenger and
merchant ships.
o It is one of the largest ports in the eastern Mediterranean in terms of freight volume.
o It is a part of the recently proposed India-Middle East Corridor (IMEC).
● Jebel Ali port:

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 o Also known as Mina Jebel Ali, is a deep port located in Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
o It is located 35 km southwest of Dubai, in the Persian Gulf.
o It is the world's ninth busiest port, the largest man-made harbor, and the biggest and by far the
busiest port in the Middle East.
o It was constructed in the late 1970s to supplement the facilities at Port Rashid.

IMEC links major ports of western India including JNPT, Kochi, Kandla and Mundra with majors
hipping ports of the Gulf, including Jebel Ali, Fujairah, Ras Al-Khair, Dammam, Duqm, and
Salalah. From these ports, cargo will be transported by the Saudi rail network on their north-south line to
the port of Haifa in Israel through Jordan. Haifa, being a deep seaport, can handle bulk container trains
and post Panamax ships which after transshipment, carry cargo to European ports like Piraeus, Kavala
(Greece), Trieste, LaSpezia (Italy), Marseille-Fos (France), Barcelona, and Valencia (Spain). Road
container trailers or container cargo trains will thereafter transport goods across Europe

Red Sea
Why in news:
1. US Boosts Military Presence in Red Sea Amidst Iran Tensions
2. US announces 10-nation force to counter Houthi attacks in Red Sea.
3. Combined Task Force 153.
4. A strategic choke point- Bab el Mandeb
Some facts about the Red Sea:
● The Red Sea (Erythraean Sea) is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia.
● The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden.
● To the north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez (leading to the Suez Canal).
● The sea is underlain by the Red Sea Rift which is part of the Great Rift Valley.
● The six countries bordering the Red Sea are: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt , Sudan , Eritrea , Djibouti
● Islands include the Dahlak Archipelago, the Farasan Islands, and Zubair Archipelago.
● Key ports of the Red Seaare Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Port Sudan (Sudan), Djibouti Port (Djibouti), Aqaba
Port (Jordan).
● Bab el Mandeb Strait: Located at the southern entrance of the Red Sea, connecting it to the Gulf of Aden
and the Indian Ocean.
● Strait of Tiran: Situated at the northern end of the Red Sea, separating the Sinai Peninsula from the Saudi
Arabian coastline and providing access to the Gulf of Aqaba.
More about the Operation Prosperity Guardian
● The U.S. and several other nations have initiated a new force, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to protect
ships in the Red Sea that are under attack by drones and ballistic missiles from Houthi-controlled areas of
Yemen.
● The attacks have led to shipping companies ordering their vessels to hold in place.
● The new multinational security initiative aims to provide collective action against the attacks.
● Operation Prosperity Guardian will not necessarily escort specific vessels but will offer umbrella
protection to as many ships as possible in the southern Red Sea.
● The U.K, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain have joined the
maritime security mission.
● China, despite having warships in the region, is notably absent.
● The new initiative will be coordinated by the existing Combined Task Force 153, established in April 2022
to enhance maritime security in the region.
● The U.S. has also called on the United Nations Security Council to take action against the Houthi attacks on
commercial vessels.
What is Combined Task Force 153:

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 ● Combined Task Force 153 (CTF 153) is a task force that focuses on maritime security and capacity building
in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.
● It was established on April 17, 2022, and is one of five task forces operated by the Combined Maritime
Forces (CMF)
What is Combined Maritime Forces (CMF):

Some facts about Bab el Mandeb

● It is a strait that connects the Red Sea (northwest) with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean (southeast).
● It is located between Arabia (northeast) and Africa (southwest).
● It is an important strategic connection in the marine commerce route connecting the Mediterranean Sea to
the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
● It is one of the world's most important seaborne commodity shipping routes, primarily for crude oil and
petroleum.
● Yemen borders it on the Arabian Peninsula, and Djibouti and Eritrea border it on the African coast.

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Lake Titicaca's
Why in news:
1. High in the Andes, Lake Titicaca's water levels fall to historic lows
Some facts about Lake Titicaca:
● Lake Titicaca is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru.
● It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. By both volume of water and by surface area, it is
the largest lake in South America after Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo (which is actually connected to the
Caribbean Sea) and Brazil's Lagoa dos Patos, a coastal lagoon.
● The lake is located at the northern end of the endorheic Altiplano basin high in the Andes on the border of
Peru and Bolivia.
● The western part of the lake lies within the Puno Region of Peru, and the eastern side is located in the
Bolivian La Paz Department.
● Five major river systems feed into Lake Titicaca. In order of their relative flow volumes these are Ramis,
Coata, Ilave, Huancané, and Suchez.
Other important lakes:

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Lakes Description
● Located in Siberia, Russia.
● The deepest lake in the world [1,637 metres deep]
Lake Baikal
● It is the world’s largest lake by volume.
● It is the second longest.
● The longest lake in the world. [660 kilometres long]
Lake Tanganyika ● It is also the second largest by volume.
● It is the second deepest lake in the world, after lake Baikal.
● The world’s highest lake, if size is not a criterion, may be the crater lake of
Ojos del Salado, at 6,390 metres. It is in Andes.
● The highest large lake in the world is the Pumoyong Tso (Pumuoyong
Tso), in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. [5,018 metres above sea
level]
World’s highest
and lowest lakes ● The world’s highest commercially navigable lake is Lake Titicaca in
Peru and Bolivia border at 3,812 m. It is also the largest lake in South
America.
● The world’s lowest lake is the Dead Sea, bordering Israel and Jordan at
418 metres below sea level. It is also one of the lakes with highest salt
concentration.
● Australia – Lake Eyre (salt lake)
● Africa – Lake Victoria, also the third-largest freshwater lake on Earth. It is
one of the Great Lakes of Africa.
● Antarctica – Lake Vostok (subglacial)
Largest lake by ● Asia – Lake Baikal (if the Caspian Sea is considered a lake, it is the largest in
continents Eurasia, but is divided between the two geographic continents)
● Europe – Lake Ladoga, followed by Lake Onega, both located in
northwestern Russia.
● North America – Lake Superior.
● South America – Lake Titicaca
● It was a lake lying between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan, in the
south.
Aral Sea
● Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s after the rivers that fed
it were diverted by Soviet irrigation projects.
● The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described
as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea.
● It lies between Europe and Asia:east of the Caucasus, west of the broad
steppe of Central Asia,south of the fertile plains of Southern Russia in
Caspian Sea Eastern Europe, and north of the mountainous Iranian Plateau of West
Asia.
● It is bounded by Kazakhstan to the northeast,Russia to the northwest,
Azerbaijan to the southwest, Iran to the south, and Turkmenistan to the
southeast.

Some facts about the Andes mountain Range:

● The Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range are the longest continental mountain range in the
world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America.
● The range is 8,900 km (5,530 mi) long, 200 to 700 km (124 to 435 mi) wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S
latitude), and has an average height of about 4,000 m (13,123 ft).
● The Andes extend from north to south through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia,
Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.
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 ● The Andes are a Mesozoic–Tertiary orogenic belt of mountains along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone of
volcanic activity that encompasses the Pacific rim of the Americas as well as the Asia-Pacific region and are
the result of tectonic plate processes, caused by the subduction of oceanic crust beneath the South American
Plate as the Nazca Plate and South American Plate converge.
Palau
Why in news:
1. US ink new pact with Palau over maritime security
Some facts about Palau:
● Palau is an island country in the Micronesia sub-region of Oceania in the western Pacific.
● The republic consists of approximately 340 islands and has a total area of 466 sq kms, making it one of the
smallest countries in the world.
● The Capital of Palau is Ngerulmud.
● Having voted in a referendum against joining the Federated States of Micronesia in 1978, the islands
gained full sovereignty in 1994 under a Compact of Free Association with the United States.
● Politically, Palau is a presidential republic in free association with the United States, which provides defense,
funding, and access to social services.
Gulf of Aden:
Some facts about Gulf of Aden:
● The Gulf of Aden is an extension of the Indian Ocean, tucked between the Arabian Peninsula and the
African continent.
● The gulf connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea via the Strait of Bab El Mandeb.

Gulf of Oman:
Some facts about Gulf of Oman
● The Gulf of Oman, also known as the Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran, forms the only entrance to the
Persian Gulf from the Indian Ocean.
● It connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then empties into the Persian Gulf.
● Bordering Countries: Pakistan and Iran in the north, United Arab Emirates in the west and Oman in the
south.
● Some of the significant islands that are located in the Gulf of Oman include Sheytan Island, Al Fahal Island,
Dimaniyat Islands, and the Sawadi Islands.
● The major international shipping ports that are situated in the Gulf of Oman include Port Sultan Qaboos
Muttrah in Muscat, Oman; Chabahar Port in Iran; the Port of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan Container
Terminal in the United Arab Emirates.

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Venezuela dispute with Guyana over oil-rich region
Some details about the Essequibo region:
● Venezuela considered the Essequibo region of Guyana as their own territory since gaining independence from
Spain in 1811.
● It does not recognise the international border with Guyana decided in 1899, when Guyana was a British
colony.
● Essequibo region near the Atlantic coast is a territory larger than Greece and rich in oil and minerals.
● The Essequibo River is the largest river in Guyana and the largest river between the Orinoco and Amazon.
Rising in the Acarai Mountains near the Brazil–Guyana border.

Some facts about Guyana:

● It is a country on the northern mainland of South America.
● The capital city is Georgetown.
● It is the third-smallest sovereign state by area in mainland South America after Uruguay and Suriname.
● Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the west,
and Suriname to the east.
Some facts about Venezuela:
● Venezuela has the world's largest known oil reserves and has been one of the world's leading exporters of
oil.
● Capital and largest city- Caracas.
● It is is bordered on the north by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Colombia, Brazil
on the south, Trinidad and Tobago to the north-east and on the east by Guyana
Honduras
Some facts about Honduras

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 ● The Republic of Honduras is a country of Central America situated between Guatemala and El Salvador to
the west and Nicaragua to the south and east..
● In La Mosquitia lies the UNESCO world-heritage site Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, with the Coco River
which divides Honduras from Nicaragua.
● It is known for its rich natural resources, including minerals, coffee, tropical fruit, and sugar cane, as well
as for its growing textiles industry, which serves the international market.
Some facts about Northern Triangle
● The countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are known as Northern Triangle.
● These countries share a border tripoint at Trifinio biosphere reserve, and also aspects of classical cultures,
history, society, and politics.

Papua New Guinea

Why in news:
1. Papua New Guinea sign security pact with US
Some facts about Papua New Guinea
● Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and
its offshore islands in Melanesia (a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia).
● Its capital, located along its southeastern coast, is Port Moresby.
● The country is the world’s third largest island country,
Solomon Islands
Why in news:
1. Solomon Islands and China sign deals on police, economy, tech
Some facts about Solomon Islands
● Solomon Islands is a nation in Melanesia, lies east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu.
● It consists of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands.
● Its capital, Honiara, is located on the largest island, Guadalcanal.
● The Solomon Islands archipelago includes Choiseul, the Shortland Islands, the New Georgia Islands, Santa
Isabel, the Russell Islands, the Florida Islands etc.
● It consists of a double chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls in Melanesia.

Record drop in Suez Canal transits due to Houthis’ attacks

Section: Places in news
Who are Houthis?
• The Houthis are an Iranian-backed, Shiite Muslim armed religious and political movement in Yemen.
154
Recent activities of Houthis
Houthis attacked ships traversing the Red Sea in solidarity with the Palestinians caught in the Hamas-Israel war.
Impact of Houthis’ attack:
• It disrupted trade through the critical waterway that connects Asia and Europe. (Suez Canal)
• Companies are re-routing ships to avoid the Suez Canal and opting for the longer route (8900 km more) around
the Cape of Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa.
Recent route shift:
• As per UNCTAD report ,Suez Canal handled 12%-15% of global trade in 2023.
• But since attack,container tonnage crossing the canal fell by 82% this year.
• While container tonnage passing around the Cape of Good Hope increased by 60% and sbout 621 container
ships were rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope.
Disruption in Panama Canal:
• The Panama Canal is under stress due to low water levels due to drought.
• Disruption in Red Sea also come at this time.
What is Suez Canal:
• The Suez Canal was established in 1896 is 120 miles long from the city of Port Said (Mediterranean Sea) in the
north to the city of Suez ( Egypt, Red sea , Indian Ocean ) in the south.
• It separates the African continent from the Sinai Peninsula.
• Importance:
• It is a crucial international shipping route, allowing vessels to navigate between Europe and Asia without having
to circumnavigate the African continent.

What is Cape of Good Hope:

• The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa
• It joins Eastern Asia and Europe to southern parts of Africa.
What is Panama canal?
The Panama Canal is an artificial 82-kilometre waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific
Ocean, cutting across the Isthmus of Panama, and is a conduit for maritime trade.
Analysis of recent happenings:
• Monthly transits went down by more than 40% in the Suez Canal only recently due to attack and by 50% in the
Panama Canal due to drought in last two years compared to their peak.
• Attack led to re-routing from Suez Canal to Cape of Good Hope that increased the distance travelled. An oil
tanker starting from the port of Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia to Rotterdam in the Netherlands will have to travel
10,358 km through the Suez Canal route. The alternative journey around the Cape of Good Hope is 17,975 km.
• This means that the Suez Canal cut the distance by 42%.
• Also, according to UNCTAD report, today there is no ideal alternative to the Suez Canal, especially for Asia–
Europe and Asia–North Africa trade.
• The extra distance travelled led to higher shipping costs. Container freight rates for Asia-Pacific to Europe
routes have increased.
155
Impact on India:
India is also impacted by such attacks in following manner:
• Russia — the source of most of India’s oil — sends its oil containers through the Suez Canal. As of now,
domestic fuel prices have not impacted.
• India’s petroleum products export to European countries, especially the Netherlands is also through the Suez
Canal route.
• Other routes increase export cost making it unviable.

Why have fresh protests erupted in Senegal?

Section: Places in news
Context:
• Senegal’s President Maky Sall postponed Presidential elections due on February 25 on grounds of a dispute
between the National Assembly (parliament) and the Constitutional Council over the manner of selection
of candidates resetting the next election for December 15.
• Protests have emerged across the country especially in Dakar, capital of Senegal. Opposition leaders were
dragged out by riot police.
What is the background to the current crisis?
• The current unrest is worst in decade, according to Amnesty International.
• The clashes occurred due to a two-year prison sentence slapped on the leading opposition candidate
• Ousmane Sonko who targeted the country’s elites for corruption and resisted the influence of the former colonial
power France.
• In January this year, the Constitutional Council barred Mr. Sall (convicted in a trial for immoral behaviour
against a woman) from the Presidential race.
• Still Sall is attempting third term for election.
What has been Senegal’s recent democratic record?
• Sall’s retrograde decision to defer elections marks a break with the country’s periodic and smooth transfer
of power witnessed for decades under a multi-party democratic system.
• Unlike all of its neighbours, Senegal has never undergone a military coup or a civil war since it gained
independence from France in 1960.
• Senegel is viewed as beacon of democracy in a region, increasingly under the grip of military takeovers.
• Moreover, President Sall has been instrumental in pushing military dictators in the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) to facilitate a timely transfer of power to elected governments.
• In early 2017, Senegalese troops successfully forced out Yahya Jammeh in the Gambia, after he refused to
step down after losing elections.
Pattern of elections:
• Senegal situation highlights misrule, [similar to Guinea (President Alpha Condé’s controversial re-election for
a third term in 2020)- ended up in a coup the following year].
• Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are already under military rule. So, Dakar has abandoned this regional role at a
juncture due to various west African nations under military rule.
• The return of military dictatorships in African countries has been a recurrent theme in the 2020s after a serious
regression after 1960s independence.
Way ahead:
The big powers must reconsider their traditional role In the region as a whole.
Located in the westernmost part of the continent, Senegal is bordered by Mauritania, Mali, Guinea,
and Guinea-Bissau. It has a dry, tropical climate and a population of 16.7 million, a quarter of
whom live in the Dakar region (0.3% of the territory).
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
• The ECOWAS, also known as CEDEAO in French, is a regional intergovernmental
organization established in 1975.

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 • Created through the Lagos Treaty, ECOWAS aims to foster economic integration,
cooperation, and development among West African nations.
• The Secretariat, headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria.
Member States:
ECOWAS consists of 15 member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal,
and Togo.

India sends assistance to cholera-hit Zambia

Section: Places in news
In the news:
• India sent medical and material assistance to Zambia as the southern African country dealt with a deadly
cholera outbreak.
• According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the outbreak began in
the Zambian capital region and had killed around 333 people.
• According to the World Health Organization, the African continent is likely to see its worst cholera crisis
this decade, driven by extreme weather events and poor water supply and sanitation infrastructure.

About Cholera disease:

• It is a life-threatening infectious disease and a public health hazard.
• It is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholera.
• Symptoms: Profuse watery diarrhoea, Vomiting, Leg cramps etc
• It is transmitted to humans through water or food which is contaminated with the cholera bacterium.
• The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.
• Currently, there are three WHO pre-qualified oral cholera vaccines (OCV), Dukoral, Shanchol, and
Euvichol-Plus. All three vaccines require two doses for full protection.

China moves its nationals into its vacant ‘defense villages’ along LAC
Section: Places in news
Context:
• Chinese nationals have started occupying several of their model “Xiaokang” border defense villages across
India’s north-eastern borders which the country has been building along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since
2019.
More on news:
• Senior officials said the Chinese in the last few months, have started occupying a couple of these villages built
on its side of the LAC across from Lohit Valley and the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh.
• While the exact nature of these villages is unclear, the dwellings are understood to be “dual-use infrastructure”
for both civil and military purposes.
• These are seen as a Chinese assertion of its territorial claims along the LAC.
• They have thus remained a concern for the military.
• In the last few months Chinese nationals have been moving in — it’s not known if the occupants are civilians
or military personnel.
About the Recent Developments:
• China has been constructing 628 such “well-off villages” along India’s borders with the Tibet Autonomous
Region, including Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh for over five years now.
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 • Sources said the Chinese are building infrastructure all along the LAC bordering the northeast, even as the
LAC remains far off from most inhabited areas or areas of importance except for Tawang and the Siliguri
Corridor.
• The Chinese have built sufficient infrastructure along the LAC at Tawang.
• Even in other areas such as Siang valley of Arunachal Pradesh, we have been seeing rapid development of
Chinese infrastructure,” an official said.
• According to official sources,Chinese have consistently improved their existing infrastructure including
improving their connectivity through passes, constructing roads and bridges and their model villages.
• China has also been constructing infrastructure, including border villages, in Bhutanese territory.
• In the last three to four years, India has also stepped up work on its border infrastructure which includes
improving forward connectivity, constructing alternate routes to the LAC as well as connecting them.
About the Vibrant Villages Programmes:
• Under the Vibrant Villages programmes, India plans to develop 663 border villages into modern villages
with all amenities in the first phase.
• Of them, at least 17 such villages along the borders with China in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, have been selected for development as a pilot project under
the programme.
• In Arunachal Pradesh, villages in the eastern part of the state and in the Tawang region have been
identified such as Zemithang, Taksing, Chayang Tajo, Tuting and Kibithu.
• In Arunachal Pradesh, three major highways are at different stages of construction:
o the Trans-Arunachal Highway;
o the Frontier Highway; and
o the East-West Industrial Corridor Highway.
• There are plans to improve connectivity to Tawang with the construction of at least two alternate axes — in
addition to the existing one connecting Guwahati and Tawang.
• Earlier, in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang valley, there were roads just till a little ahead of Anini, but now
roads are being constructed at all sides of the valley.

Israel Army to evacuate Gaza’s Rafah

Section: Places in news
Context: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said he has ordered the military to prepare a plan to
evacuate civilians from Rafah ahead of an expected Israeli invasion of the densely populated southern Gaza city.
Rafah
• Rafah is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip.
• Rafah is the site of the Rafah Border Crossing, the sole crossing point between Egypt and the State of Palestine.
The crossing is controlled by Egypt.
• Gaza's only airport, Yasser Arafat International Airport, was located just south of the city.
• Rafah had a pre-war population of roughly 2,80,000, and as per the UN is now home to 1.4 million additional
people.
• It is the only exit that does not lead to Israeli territory.
• There are only two other border crossings in and out of Gaza:
• Erez is located in the north and is used by people in Israel.
• Kerem Shalom, in the south, which is exclusively for commercial goods.
• Both Erez and Kerem Shalom controlled by Israel are currently closed.

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A history of the Northern Ireland conflict
Section: Places in news
Context:
• An Irish nationalist made history recently by becoming Northern Ireland’s first minister as the government
returned to work after a two-year boycott.
• The Parliament of Northern Ireland was paralyzed over new trade rules between the European Union and the
United Kingdom necessitated by Brexit.
Background
• Northern Ireland was created in May 1921 by partitioning Ireland, and consists of the six northeastern counties
of the island.
• In 1922, the rest of Ireland gained independence from the British (today’s Republic of Ireland, with its capital
in Dublin).
• Northern Ireland remained with the United Kingdom, but tensions simmered between the side loyal to the
Crown, and the faction wanting to join the Republic.
• Today, the side loyal to the British Union are called unionists, while those who support a united and free
Ireland are called nationalists.
Good Friday agreement or The Belfast Agreement
• By the end of the 1960s, a bloody conflict was raging in Northern Ireland among those who wished to remain
with the UK and those who wanted to join Ireland.
• Finally, in 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed to end the bloodshed, and gave Northern Ireland
a unique system of governance.
Unique system of governance
• Both unionists and nationalists share power in Stormont, the Parliament buildings in Belfast.
• Both sides have to cooperate for the government to work.
• While the faction that wins more votes in elections gets the post of First Minister, the other side gets the chair
of Deputy First Minister, with equal power.
Northern Ireland Protocol and Collapse of Parliament in 2022
• After the UK left the European Union, Northern Ireland remained its only constituent that shared a land border
with an EU-member, the Republic of Ireland.
• Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) together with Northern Ireland forms the United Kingdom.
• Since the EU and the UK have different product standards, border checks would be necessary before goods
could move from Northern Ireland to Ireland.
• However, an open border between the two was a key component of the 1998 Good Friday agreement.
• Keeping this in mind, Northern Ireland Protocol was negotiated in 2020 between the U.K. and the E.U.
About the protocol
• The protocol is a trading agreement that was negotiated in 2020 between the U.K. and the E.U.
• Under this agreement both the U.K. and E.U. agreed that the inspection of goods would be conducted between
Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• This agreement effectively created a de facto border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of
the U.K.
• Northern Ireland continued to follow many of the EU's rules, meaning that lorries can continue to drive across
the border without having to be inspected.
• The protocol was signed as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, which is now ratified under international
law.
Protocol led to the Collapse of Northern Ireland Parliament (Stormont) in 2022
• This protocol angered the unionists, who believed it undermined Northern Ireland’s position with the UK.
• Thus, the Unionists refused to allow government formation after Northern Ireland went to polls in May 2022,
and did not allow Stormont to function.
The new deal
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 • Various efforts were made to resolve the problem, including the Windsor Framework of February 2023.
Windsor Framework
• The framework has two crucial aspects:
o The introduction of a green lane and red lane system for goods that will stay in Northern Ireland and
those that will go to the EU respectively;
o The ‘Stormont Brake’, which allows Northern Ireland lawmakers and London to veto any EU regulation
they believe affects the region adversely.
• British goods meant for Northern Ireland will use the green lane at the ports, and will be allowed to pass with
minimal paperwork and checks.
• Goods destined for Ireland or the rest of the EU will have to take the red lane, with the attendant customs and
other checks.
• The new Stormont Brake means the democratically elected Northern Ireland Assembly can oppose new EU
goods rules that would have significant and lasting effects on everyday lives in Northern Ireland.
A new deal has been reached
• Windsor Framework was refused by the Unionist by saying that these measures were far too little.
• Now, a new deal has been reached, published as a command paper called ‘Safeguarding the Union’ by the UK
government.
• Its three main points include:
o The green lane is now called the UK Internal Market channel, on which checks and customs paperwork
have been reduced further, to only “risk and intelligence-based checks” relating to “criminality,
smuggling and disease”;
o There is a “Internal Market Guarantee” which says that at least 80% of Great Britain to Northern
Ireland goods will pass through this channel;
o The UK government will extend a £3.3 billion package to help Northern Ireland’s finances.

Nearly 400 Ethiopians have died of starvation

Sec: Places in news
Context:
• The Ethiopian national ombudsman has reported nearly 400 starvation deaths in the Tigray and Amhara
regions, acknowledging hunger-related fatalities amidst a backdrop of drought and the aftermath of a civil
war that concluded 14 months ago.
Details:
• The slow pace of aid distribution is compounded by logistical and technical challenges, including the
introduction of new systems like GPS trackers for food trucks and QR codes for ration cards, which have
faced implementation difficulties.
• The pause in food aid by the U.N. and the U.S. last year, due to a large-scale theft scheme, significantly
exacerbated hunger levels.
• The recent conflict in Tigray, which resulted in significant casualties and displacement, has led to accusations
against the Ethiopian government of using starvation as a method of warfare.
• The current crisis threatens to mirror the catastrophic famine of the mid-1980s unless immediate action is
taken to scale up the aid response, despite federal government denials of a widespread hunger crisis.
Tigray war:
• The Tigray War was an armed conflict that lasted from 3 November 2020 to 3 November 2022.
• The war was primarily fought in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia between forces allied to the Ethiopian
federal government and Eritrea on one side, and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) on the
other.

160
Myanmar’s civil war and India’s interests
Sec: Places in news
About News:
• A few weeks ago, the Arakan Army captured Paletwa in the Chin State which lies on Myanmar’s western
borders with Bangladesh and India.
• The developments in Paletwa will impact the Indian government’s Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport
Project (KMTTP) in Myanmar, which has already faced significant delays.
• The Arakan Army, along with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National
Liberation Army, is part of the Three Brotherhood alliance, which some claim has China’s support.
• Unlike India, China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, which prompts many
state and nonstate actors in need of international support to be relatively more accommodating of China’s
concerns.
Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project:
• Kaladan Project would link India and Myanmar via the Bay of Bengal.
• It was jointly identified by India and Myanmar to create a multi-modal mode of transport
for the shipment of cargo from the eastern ports of India to Myanmar as well as to the North-
Eastern part of India through Myanmar.
• It is being constructed by India under the Grant in Aid Scheme.
• Once completed, it will link Kolkata with the Sittwe seaport in Rakhine state in Myanmar,
primarily over the Bay of Bengal – covering over 500 km.
• The project envisaged four important stages:
o Kolkata to Sittwe waterway;
o Sittwe to Paletwa inland (River Kaladan) waterway;
o Paletwa to India-Myanmar border post in Myanmar;
o Finally, linking the road to Lawngtlai in Mizoramas part of the project’s last leg.
Benefits:
• The project is expected to contribute to the economic development of the North-Eastern
States of India.
• It also provides a strategic link to the North-East, thereby reducing pressure on the Siliguri
Corridor.

161
Back from Arctic winter voyage, scientists ‘happy to see Sun’ again
Section: Places in news
Context:
• Girish was part of the four-member scientific team that became the first set of researchers from
India to spend a winter carrying out scientific studies in the world’s northernmost habitation.
More on news:
• India is only the fourth country in the world, after Germany, Italy and Norway, to have a year-
round scientific presence in the Arctic region.
• India has had a permanent research station called Himadri, in Ny-Ålesund in the Norwegian
archipelago of Svalbard in the Arctic region since 2008.
• Scientists have proposed to conduct the characterisation of the radio frequency environment in the
Arctic, the first attempt ever from this region.
• The experiments required the Indian researchers to drive an electric car to the Grave Badet
laboratory which is located around 1.25 km from Himadri.
• India shares this lab with Italy and Japan.
• A Maxwell Antenna and an Electric Field Mill has been deployed at the Arctic to detect the
atmospheric electric current and field respectively
• This will help scientists in gathering information about the Global Atmospheric Electrical Circuit
and better understand lightning.
The Himadri station and India’s facilities in the Arctic:
• It is situated in the Ny-Alesund region of Svalbard, Norway.
• It is India’s first permanent Arctic research station.
• It is located at a distance of 1,200 kilometers (750 mi) from the North Pole.
• India has an atmospheric science facility called Gruve Badet Observatory that houses various
atmospheric observation networks.
• The country has initiated new scientific projects in the Canadian High Arctic (Nunavut region)
and plans to initiate studies in Greenland soon.
National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR):
• The NCPOR, formerly known as the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR)
is an Indian research and development institution, situated in Vasco da Gama, Goa.
• It is the nodal agency for India’s polar expeditions.
• It is an autonomous institution of the Department of Ocean Development (DOD), Ministry of
Earth Sciences, Government of India which is responsible for administering the Indian Antarctic
Programme and maintains the Indian government’s Antarctic research stations, Bharati and Maitri.

162
Terror Organisation/Insurgent Groups Regions

Houthis Yemen

Hezbollah Lebanon

Hamas Gaza

M23 DRC

Al sabab Somalia

Kachin Independence Army Myanmar

“The Army of Justice”/ Jaish Al-Adl (JAA) Pakistan

Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) Balochistan

Refugee camp Country

Kutupalong Bangladesh

Bidibidi Uganda

Kakuma and Dadaab Kenya

Azraq and Zaatari Jordan

Nyarugusu, Nduta, and Mtendeli refugee Tanzania

camps

Kebribeyah; Aw-barre and Sheder refugee Ethiopia.

camps

Jalozai refugee camp Pakistan

Beach camp Gaza Strip Refugee Camp

Bureij camp
Deir El-Balah Camp
Jabalia Camp
Khan Younis Camp
Maghazi camp
Nuseirat camp
Rafah camp

163
BRI important ports Asia
Chittagong in Bangladesh,
Gwadar in Pakistan,
Hambantota in Sri Lanka,
Kyaukpyu in Myanmar.

Africa:-
Mombasa in Kenya,
Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania,
Doraleh Multipurpose Port in Djibouti

164
S. No Places in news Reason

1. Israel Hamas attacks Israel.

2. Gaza Strip (Khan Yunis, Deir al- Israel Attack

Balah, Rafah)

3. Myanmar(Shan State, Rakhine War Crimes.(‘Operation 1027’)

State, Kachin State)

4. Sudan(Wad Civil War

Madani,Darfur,Khartoum,Ardam
ata)

5. Ukraine (Mariupol,Odesa’s Russia attack

port,Kakhovka dam)

6. Honduras Human right violation.

7. Lebanon(El-Dabche,village of Israeli strikes on a group of seven journalists in south Lebanon

Alma al-Chaab,Dhayra,Beirut)

8. Afghanistan Refugee crisis from Pakistan

9. Nigeria 85 confirmed killed by Nigerian army’s ‘mistaken’ drone attack,

Human right violation

10. Democratic Republic of the Congo Civil War

DRC(North Kivu,Itturi,Kishishe)

11. Columbia Human rights defenders in Colombia being threatened and

attacked because of their work

12. Burkina Faso Armed groups committing war crimes,Karma massacre

13 Venezuela Dispute with Guyana over oil-rich region

14 Ethiopia Human rights abuses,54th session of the UN Human Rights

Tigray Council

15 Yemen Civil War -Sana, Houthi

16 Somalia Human rights concerns-Al-Shabaab

17 Cameroon(Anglophone regions) Human Rights Violation

18 Azerbaijan(Nagorno-Karabakh) Azerbaijani forces assume full control over Nagorno-Karabakh

20 Syria(Aleppo) Unlawful demolitions

21 Sri Lanka National Unity and Reconciliation Commission

165
 22 Ecuador Pre-electoral violence

23 South Sudan Extension of UN arms embargo

24 Chad Hissène Habré’s Victims

25 Mali Moura massacre

16.UN Peacekeeping Mission

S.No UN Peacekeeping Mission Name Operating Area

1. MINURSO (UNITED NATIONS MISSION FOR Western Sahara

THE REFERENDUM IN WESTERN SAHARA)

2. MONUSCO (UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION D.R. of the Congo

STABILIZATION MISSION IN THE
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO)

3. MINUSCA (UNITED NATIONS Central African Republic

MULTIDIMENSIONAL INTEGRATED
STABILIZATION MISSION IN THE CENTRAL
AFRICAN REPUBLIC)

4. UNMISS (UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN THE South Sudan

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN)

5. UNISFA (UNITED NATIONS INTERIM Abyei

SECURITY FORCE FOR ABYEI)

6. UNTSO (UNITED NATIONS TRUCE Middle East

SUPERVISION ORGANIZATION)

7. UNIFIL (UNITED NATIONS INTERIM FORCE IN Lebanon

LEBANON)

8. UNDOF (UNITED NATIONS DISENGAGEMENT Golan

OBSERVER FORCE)

9. UNFICYP (UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING Cyprus

FORCE IN CYPRUS)

10. UNMIK (UNITED NATIONS INTERIM Kosovo

ADMINISTRATION MISSION IN KOSOVO)

11. UNMOGIP (UNITED NATIONS MILITARY India and Pakistan

OBSERVER GROUP IN INDIA AND PAKISTAN)

166
 Neighboring Countries
Sri Lanka
Why in news:
1. Ranil pledges full implementation of 13th Amendment
More about the news:
● The sharp focus is the 13th Amendment passed in 1987, which mandates a measure of power devolution to
the provincial councils established to govern the island’s nine provinces.
● It is an outcome of the Indo-Lanka Accord of July 1987, signed by the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayawardene, in an attempt to resolve Sri Lanka’s ethnic
conflict that had aggravated into a full-fledged civil war, between the armed forces and the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam, which led the struggle for Tamils’ self-determination and sought a separate state.
● The 13th Amendment, which led to the creation of Provincial Councils, assured a power sharing
arrangement to enable all nine provinces in the country, including Sinhala majority areas, to self-govern.
● Subjects such as education, health, agriculture, housing, land and police are devolved to the provincial
administrations, but because of restrictions on financial powers and overriding powers given to the
President, the provincial administrations have not made much headway.
● In particular, the provisions relating to police and land have never been implemented.
China:
Why in news:
1. Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement
2. Salami slicing
3. McMahon Line
4. Global Security Initiative
Some facts about Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement
● The 30th anniversary of the Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement (BPTA) between India and China
recently passed without acknowledgement, highlighting its contested legacy today.
● It was signed in 1993, the BPTA aimed to maintain peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control
(LAC) and reduce the risk of unplanned confrontations.
What is Line of Actual Control (LAC):
● The LAC is the demarcation that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory.
● It is divided into three sectors i.e the eastern sector which spans Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the
middle sector in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and the western sector in Ladakh.
● India considers the LAC to be 3,488 km long, while the Chinese consider it to be only around 2,000 km.
● India’s claim line is the line seen in the official boundary marked on the maps as released by the Survey
of India, including both Aksai Chin and Gilgit-Baltistan. This means LAC is not the claim line for India.
● In China’s case, LAC is the claim line except in the eastern sector, where it claims the entire Arunachal
Pradesh as South Tibet.
What is the difference between LAC vs Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan:
● The Line of Control (LoC) originated from the 1948 ceasefire line brokered by the UN after the Kashmir
War.
● Its formal designation as the LoC occurred in 1972, a result of the Shimla Agreement between India and
Pakistan.
● This delineation is officially documented on a map signed by the Directors General of Military Operations
(DGMOs) from both nations, providing it with the international legitimacy of a legal agreement.
● In contrast, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is merely a conceptual demarcation. It lacks mutual
agreement between the two countries, with no official mapping or ground demarcation in place.
What is Salami Slicing Tactics:
● Salami slicing is described as a strategy that involves the divide and conquer process of threats and alliances
to overcome opposition and acquire new territories.

167
 ● The term was coined by Stalinist dictator MátyásRákosi during the 1940s.
What is working Mechanism For Consultation And Coordination meeting between India and China
● The WMCC was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for
management of India – China border areas, as well as to exchange views on strengthening communication
and cooperation, including between the border security personnel of the two sides.
● It is headed by joint secretary-level officials from both sides.
What is McMahon Line:
● It is a geographical border between Northeast India and Tibet.
● It is the boundary between China and India, although its legal status is disputed by the Chinese
● It was negotiated between Tibet and Great Britain at the end of the Shimla Conference in 1914.
● It is named after Henry McMahon, who was the foreign secretary of British India and the chief negotiator
of the convention at Simla.
● The length of this boundary is 890 kilometers.
● It runs from the eastern border of Bhutan along the crest of the Himalayas until it reaches the great bend
in the Brahmaputra River, where that river emerges from its Tibetan course into the Assam Valley.
● Though India considers the McMahon Line as the legal national border, China rejects it, contending that
Tibet was not a sovereign state and therefore did not have the power to conclude treaties.
What is The Shimla Treaty of 1914?
● It was signed in 1914 by delegates from India and Tibet to establish a clear demarcation between the two
countries.
● According to the treaty the McMahon Line is the clear boundary line between India and China.
● The British rulers, on behalf of India, considered Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and the southern portion
of Tibet to be part of India, which the Tibetans consented to.
● As a result, Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang region became a part of India.
What is Global Security Initiative:
● The Global Security Initiative (GSI), a China-led framework aiming to restore stability and security in
Asia, appears to be more of a counter-narrative to U.S. leadership rather than a genuine attempt to establish
a sustainable security order.
● It was stated that the five major pillars to implement GSI would be: Mutual respect, Openness and inclusion,
Multilateralism, Mutual benefit, Holistic approach.
● Key Principles of GSI:
o China held that the Global security initiative is envisaged to uphold the principle of “indivisible
security”.
o This initiative would build an Asian security model of mutual respect, openness and integration.
o This initiative will oppose the use of the Indo-Pacific strategy to divide the region and create a new
Cold War, and the use of military alliances to put together an Asian version of NATO.
Pakistan:
Why in news:
1. Indus Treaty
What is Indus Water Treaty:
● The Treaty is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank.
● The Indus Water Treaty was signed by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistani President
Mohammed Ayub Khan in Karachi on September 19, 1960, after nine years of negotiations between the two
countries.
● According to the treaty, waters of the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi had been allocated to India,
while the western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to Pakistan. However, since Indus flows from
India, the country is allowed to use 20 percent of its water for irrigation, power generation and transport
purposes.
● A Permanent Indus Commission was set up as a bilateral commission to implement and manage the
Treaty.
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 ● The Treaty also provides an arbitration mechanism to solve disputes amicably.
What is the Dispute Resolution Process:
● According to Article IX of the treaty that deals with the “Settlement of Differences and Disputes”, there are
three possible steps to decide on objections raised by either side.
o Working within the “Permanent Indus Commission” (PIC) of the Indian and Pakistani delegation of
water experts that meet regularly.
o Consulting a World Bank-appointed neutral expert.
o Setting up a court process to adjudicate the case through the World Bank and the Permanent Court
of Arbitrage (PCA).

Russia
Why in news:
1. India, Russia begin manufacturing of AK-203 assault rifles in U.P.’s Amethi
Concept:
● Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) which is a joint venture between India and Russia, has
started producing AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles at Korwa in Uttar Pradesh.
● The IRRPL was established in 2019 jointly by the erstwhile OFB now Advanced Weapons and Equipment
India Limited (AWEIL) and Munitions India Limited (MIL) of India and Rosoboron export and
Kalashnikov of Russia.
● The IRRPL venture aims to ensure 100% localisation of the production of AK-203 rifles in India.
● The AK-203 assault rifles will replace the India-made INSAS assault rifles and the older AK-47.
UAE
Why in news:
1. ‘UAE and India discuss rupee non-oil trade’
2. Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
More about the news:
● The United Arab Emirates and India have held discussions to trade non-oil commodities in Indian rupees.
● TheU. A.E. had signed a broad ranging Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India,
● A significant proportion of Gulf trade is conducted in U.S. dollars but countries like India and China are seeking
to trade in local currencies for various reasons such as lowering transaction costs.
Some facts about India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
● India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed on 18th February 2022,
during the India-UAE Virtual Summit.
● The Agreement entered into force on 1st May 2022.
● CEPA provides for an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two countries.
● As per the CEPA signed between India and the UAE:
● 90% of India’s exports will have duty-free access to the Emirates.
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 ● It covers goods, services and digital trade.
Myanmar
Why in news:
1. Two years of Myanmar coup
2. Indian Projects in Myanmar
Geo-Strategic Location of Myanmar:
● Myanmar is geopolitically significant to India as it stands at the center of the India-Southeast Asia geography.
● Myanmar is the only Southeast Asian country that shares a land border with northeastern India,
stretching some 1,624 kilometers.
● The two countries also share a 725-km maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.
● Irrawaddy river that flows from north to south through Myanmar (Burma). It is the country’s largest river
and most important commercial waterway.

Indian Projects in Myanmar

● India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway
o A number of infrastructure projects are underway. This includes the Trilateral Highway which will
eventually connect India to Thailand through Myanmar.
● Kaladan Multimodal Project
o The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project was jointly identified by the India and Myanmar
to create a multi-modal mode of transport for shipment of cargo from the eastern seaport of India
to Myanmar and to the North-Eastern part of India through Myanmar.
o This project connects Sittwe Port in Myanmar to the India-Myanmar border, is expected to
contribute to the economic development of the North-Eastern States of India.

● It is also an alternate route to India’s North-East bypassing the Siliguri Corridor.

● Projects in Rakhine State
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 o India had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Myanmar for improving the socio
economic condition of the people belonging to Myanmar’s Rakhine state under the aegis
of Rakhine State Development Programme.
Maldives
Why in news:
1. India to build the “EkathaHarbour”. for Maldivian coast guards
2. Maldives will not renew agreement for joint hydrographic survey with India
Some facts about EkathaHarbour
● EkathaHarbour is being constructed in the Maldives for the Maldives National Defence Forces Coast
Guard.
● The Harbour is being constructed at Sifavaru in UthuruThilaFalhu (UTF) atoll.
● India is assisting the construction of the naval dockyard and it is regarded as one of the biggest grant-in-aid
projects of India.
Some facts about Hydrographic surveys:
● Following the 2019 agreement, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the Indian Navy have
carried out three joint hydrographic surveys.
● Hydrographic surveys are carried out by ships, which use methods such as sonar to understand the various
features of a water body.
● These surveys help “map out water depth, the shape of the seafloor and coastline, the location of possible
obstructions, and physical features of water bodies”, to ensure the efficiency and safety of maritime
transportation.
● So far, three joint hydrographic surveys have been undertaken – in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
● The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Darshak carried out the first Joint Hydrographic survey in February and
March of 2021, second by INS Sutlej and third by INS Investigator.

Bilateral relations
India-US
Why in news:
1. India and U.S. review export control regulations
2. Biden administration has eased norms on eligibility criteria for Green Card
3. India USA defense partnership in last 20 years
Some facts about the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET):
● It was launched by the US President and Indian Prime Minister on the sidelines of the Quad summit in May
2022.
● Goal: To elevate and expand Indo-U.S. strategic technology partnership and defense industrial
cooperation between the governments, businesses, and academic institutions of the two countries.
● The initiative will be spearheaded by the National Security Council Secretariat in India and the US
National Security Council.
● The initiative would help forge links between the government, academia, and industry in areas such as AI,
quantum computing, 5G/6G, biotech, space, and semiconductors.
What is iCET?
● iCET was announced in May 2022.
● The Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) is a framework agreed upon by India and the
U.S. for cooperation on critical and emerging technologies in areas including artificial intelligence,
quantum computing, semiconductors and wireless telecommunication.
What are the focus areas of the initiative:
● The iCET seeks to position New Delhi and Washington D.C. as “trusted technology partners” to build supply
chains and support the co-production and co-development of items.
● Key takeaways:

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 ● Artificial Intelligence (AI);
● Developing a new defence industrial cooperation roadmap to accelerate technological cooperation for
joint development and production;
● Developing common standards in AI;
● Developing a roadmap to accelerate defence technological cooperation and ‘innovation bridge’ to
connect defence startups;
● Supporting the development of a semiconductor ecosystem;
● Strengthening cooperation on human spaceflight;
● Advancing cooperation on development in 5G and 6G; and
● Adopting Open RAN network technology in India.
Other areas of cooperation between India and USA:
● The two countries are close to concluding a mega jet engine deal.
● A new initiative to advance cutting-edge technology cooperation, known as the India-U.S. Defence
Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), is set to be launched.
● India and the U.S. have also concluded a roadmap for ‘Defence Industrial Cooperation’ to guide the policy
direction.
● Establishment of a Strategic Trade Dialogue to remove regulatory “barriers” and review existing export
control norms.
What is Open RAN?
● Open Radio Access Network, or Open RAN, is a key part of a mobile network system that uses cellular
radio connections to link individual devices to other parts of a network.
● It comprises antennae, which transmits and receives signals to and from our smartphones or other compatible
devices. The signal is then digitized in the RAN-base station and connected to the network.
● O-RAN uses software to make hardware manufactured by different companies work together.
What is the advantages of Open-RAN:
● An open environment expands the ecosystem and provides more Options to the Operators.
● It will boost new opportunities for Indian entities to enter into the network equipment market.
● It is expected to make 5G more flexible and cost-efficient.
● The Open RAN architecture allows for the separation or disaggregation, between hardware and software
with open interfaces.
What is Green Card
● A Green Card, also known as a Permanent Resident Card, is an identification document proving a person’s
right to live permanently in the United States.
● All permanent residents receive a Green Card from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
as evidence of their eligibility to dwell and work in the country.
● A state’s recognition of a person as a citizen typically entails the grant of civil, political, and social rights that
are not available to non-citizens.
What is H1B Visa:
● It is a multiple entry non-immigrant visa which allows foreign workers employed by US companies to
work in the United States.
● The workers under H1B visas should be engaged in specialized occupations such as science, medicine,
engineering and mathematics.
● H1B applicants must have at least a US bachelor's degree or equivalent.
● Generally, this visa is granted for a period of three years and can be extended for an additional three years
for special circumstances.
● H-1B visa requires the employer to apply on the person’s behalf.
● Holders of H1B visas can sell or buy property and invest in the stock market in the United States.
Some facts about India US defense partnership in last 20 years
Some of them are,

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 ● Major Defence Ally status in 2016
● Strategic Trade Authorisation1 (STA1 Status) in 2018,
● Signing of four “foundational agreements” between the two militaries,
● Launch of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) between National Security Advisers
(NSAs).
● Strategic Trade Dialogue set up between the two governments would help resolve any issues that crop up.
India-Germany
Why in news:
1. Mazagon Dock and German firm strike deal on submarines
More about the news:
● Germany and India are closing in on a deal to build diesel submarines for Indian waters as Russia’s
prolonged war in Ukraine has pushed the Indian government to expand its sources of military hardware
beyond its top supplier.
What is Strategic Partnership Model:
● The SP model involves indigenous manufacturing of major defense platforms in India with a foreign original
equipment manufacturer (OEM).
● German company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) is in the race to secure the submarine-building
contract.
India-Germany Strategic Partnership:
● The countries have had a strategic partnership since 2000 and have strengthened ties through
intergovernmental consultations.
India-Canada
Why in news:
1. India suspends visa service in Canada
More about the news:
● Hardeep Singh Nijjar, leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and wanted by the Indian government, was
fatally shot outside a Surrey gurdwara in June.
● The situation escalated when the Canadian Prime Minister accused "agents of the Indian government" in the
killing and expelled the top Indian diplomat from Canada.
● In retaliation, the Government of India summoned the High Commissioner of Canada to India and expelled
a senior Canadian diplomat from India and further India suspended visa service in Canada.
● India asked Canada to cut the number of its diplomats in India.
What is the impact of Visa Suspension:
● Canadian nationals who intend to visit India, but who do not have an Indian visa yet, will be impacted.
● This group would include mainly Canadian tourists, business travellers, and students.
● Impact on Indian-origin Canadians with OCI cards
o Indian-origin Canadians who have a valid Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, or a valid long-term
visa for India, will not be impacted by the suspension of visa services.
o OCI cards allow holders lifetime entry into India, and to live and work in the country indefinitely.
● Impact on Canadians who already have a valid Indian visa
● Canadians with a valid Indian visa will not be impacted by the Indian government’s latest decision.
● As of now, their visa stands. They have not been cancelled yet.
Some details about India- Canada Consulate:
● Canada has a High Commission in New Delhi and Consulates in Chandigarh, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
● It also has Trade Commissioner Service offices – a total of eight – in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru,
Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
● India has a High Commission in Ottawa and Consulates in Toronto and Vancouver.
What is the Khalistan movement:

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 ● It is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state,
called Khalistan (‘Land of the Khalsa’), in the Punjab region.
What is the status of India-Canada in numbers:

International Events

Sakharov freedom award

Why in news:
● Ukrainian human rights organization, Truth Hounds, has been awarded the 2023S Sakharov Freedom
Award for documenting war crimes, as reported by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), which
established the award.
● This year marks the first time a Ukrainian organization has received the award in 2022.
About the Sakharov Prize:
● The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded each year by the European Parliament.
● The Sakharov Freedom Award was established in 1988 by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee to honor
individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.
● The NHC recognized the non-governmental organization for documenting war crimes and potential
crimes against humanity.
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 ● The first people to receive this award are South African Nelson Mandela and Russian dissident Anatoly
Marchenko.
● It is named in honor of Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov and the prize money is 50
000 euros.
● The 2023 award ceremony occurred at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo.
Oscar
Why in news:
1. India had scored this year’s Oscars — For Best Original Song (RRR song “NaatuNaatu”), and Best
Documentary Short (Kartiki Gonsalves-directed The Elephant Whisperers).
Some facts about Oscar:
About Oscars:
● The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the global
film industry.
● Given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)
● The 1st Academy Awards were held in 1929 at a private dinner hosted by Douglas Fairbanks in The
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
● 1958: Though not an official entry, Mehboob Khan’s Mother India (1957) was the first Indian film to
receive an honorary mention in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 30th Academy Awards.
● 1961: At the 33rd Oscars, producer Ismail Merchant’s 13-minute short film The Creation of Woman
(1961) and directed by Charles F Schwep was nominated in the Best Short Subject (Live Action) category.
● The first Oscar statuette was created in 1927 and was sculpted the following year.
● The figure was partially based on Mexican filmmaker and actor Emilio Fernández, who was ‘coaxed’ into
posing for sketches for the initial design by MGM creative director Cedric Gibbons – the draft sketches
were then sent to a young Los Angeles sculptor, George Stanley, who created the legendary figurine.
What is the face Value of One Dollar
● The award itself – the trophy – has a face value of only $1, or Rs 82.
● Despite its low value, it is not for sale because the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences requires
each winner to follow strict rules when it comes to the industry’s most coveted award, including no selling
or disposing of the statuette without first offering it back to the Academy for a single dollar bill.
● In July 2015, a California judge forbade Oscar winners or their heirs from putting their statuettes up for sale,
declaring that they “were never intended to be handled as an article of trade”.
Recipients Category Year

Bhanu Athaiya (Ist Indian to

Best Costume Design 1982
win Oscar)

Satyajit Ray Honorary Award 1992

ResulPookutty Best Sound Mixing 2009

Gulzar Best Original Song 2009

AR Rahman Best Original Score and best original song of

Slumdog Millionaire and its foot-tapping song 2009
(first Indian to win two Oscars) “Jai Ho”
Booker Prize
Why in news:
1. Perumal Murugan’s Pyre in Booker longlist
● Tamil writer Perumal Murugan has been selected for the International Booker prize long list for
2023, the Booker Prize Foundation announced on Tuesday. Murugan makes it to the prestigious list with his
2016 book Pyre, translated from Tamil by Aniruddhan Vasudevan

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International Prize Of Statistics
Why in news:
● Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao, an Indian-American statistician, has been awarded the 2023 International
Prize in Statistics, the statistical equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
Some facts about International Prize in Statistics
● It is awarded to an individual or group once every two years “for significant breakthroughs utilising statistics
to improve science, technology, and human welfare.”
● The prize is modelled after the Nobel Prize, Abel Prize, Fields Medal, and Turing Award, and it carries
an $80,000 monetary award.
● The International Prize in Statistics and the COPSS Presidents’ Award are the two top honours in statistics.
Nobel Prize
Why in news:
1. Narges Mohammadi, the Iranian woman awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
2. The Nobel Prize for Literature 2023 has been awarded to Norwegian author Jon Olav Fosse
Some facts about Nobel Prize:
● The Nobel Prize was set up when businessman and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel died and left the majority
of his fortune to the establishment of prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and
peace
● The Nobel Prizes are awarded annually in six categories: Peace, Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Physiology
or Medicine, and Economic Sciences.
● The Economic Sciences category was added later in 1968 and is officially known as the SverigesRiksbank
Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
● The first Prizes were awarded in 1901
● The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, while the others are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.
● The Nobel Prize consists of a Nobel Medal and Diploma, and a document confirming the prize amount
● The Nobel Prize cannot be given posthumously and it cannot be shared between more than three people.
● One cannot nominate himself/herself for a Nobel Prize.
Some details about the Nobel Foundation:
● The Nobel Foundation, a private institution established in 1900, has ultimate responsibility for fulfilling the
intentions of Alfred Nobel’s will.
● They also ensure that the prize-awarding institutions are guaranteed independence in their work of
selecting recipients.
● The Foundation is also tasked with strengthening the Prize’s position by administering and developing the
brands and intangible assets that have been built up during the Nobel history, which spans more than 100 years.
● The Nobel Foundation also strives to safeguard the prize-awarding institutions’ common interests.
How are the Nobel Prize laureates selected:

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What are the institutions that choose winners:
● The Nobel Committees of the prize-awarding institutions are responsible for the selection of the candidates, the
institutions being:
o Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Chemistry: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
o Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: The Karolinska Institutet
o Nobel Prize in Literature: The Swedish Academy
o Nobel Peace Prize: A five-member Committee elected by the Norwegian Parliament (Storting)
o Prize in Economic Sciences: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Who are the Indians (or individuals of Indian origin) who have been honoured with the Nobel:
● Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913),
● C V Raman (Physics, 1930)
● Hargobind Khorana (Medicine, 1968)
● Mother Teresa (Peace, 1979)
● Subramanian Chandrashekhar (Physics, 1983),
● The Dalai Lama (Peace, 1989)
● Amartya Sen (Economics, 1998)
● Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009)
● Kailash Satyarthi (Peace, 2014).
Who is Jon Fosse:
● Fosse writes in Norwegian Nynorsk, the least common of the two official versions of Norwegian.
● Born in 1959, Fosse first started writing novels, switching to plays in his 30s.
● He went on to become one of Norway’s most-performed dramatists, and is in fact counted among the most
performed of living European dramatists.
● His work has been translated into more than 40 languages.
● Fosse has written around 40 plays, apart from novels, short stories, children’s books, poetry and essays.
● His “A New Name: Septology VI-VII” was a finalist for the International Booker Prize last year.
● Other notable works by Fosse include I Am the Wind, Melancholy, Boathouse, and The Dead Dogs.
Some facts about Narges Mohammadi:
● Narges Mohammadi has become the second Iranian woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize after Shirin
Ebadi who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003.
● Shirin was also the first Muslim woman to receive the award.
● Narges Mohammadi is the 19th woman to have won the Nobel Peace Prize.
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What are the previous awards and recognition of Narges Mohammadi:
● 2023 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award
● 2023 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize
● Featured in BBC’s list of 100 inspiring and influential women in 2022.
● Her book 'White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners' also won an award for reportage at
the International Film Festival and Human Rights’ Forum.
Grammy
Why in news:
1. Millet song on which PM Modi, Falu collaborated nominated for Grammy:
Some facts about Grammy:
● Popularly known as Grammy Award, it is originally named Gramophone Award, presented annually in the
United States by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS; commonly called the
Recording Academy) tohonour artistes in the music industry for their exceptional work in a year.
● It was started in 1959 to respect the performers for the year 1958.
● Once it was made, the committee decided to call it Grammy as a tribute to Emile Berliner’s gramophone.
● The “General Field” are four awards that are not restricted by genre:
o Album of the Year
o Record of the Year
o Song of the Year
o Best New Artiste
● Winners are selected from more than 25 fields, which cover such genres as pop, rock, rap, R&B, country,
reggae, classical, gospel, and jazz, as well as production and postproduction work, including packaging and
album notes.
● The honorees receive a golden statuette of a gramophone.
● The Grammys are the first of the Big Three networks' major music awards held annually and are considered
one of the four major annual American entertainment awards with the Academy Awards (for films), the
Emmy Awards (for television), and the Tony Awards (for theater).
Kenneth Boulding Award
Why in news:
1. Bina Agarwal wins Kenneth Boulding Award
Some facts about Kenneth E. Boulding Memorial Award for Ecological Economics
● The Kenneth Boulding Award for Ecological Economics is named after Kenneth E. Boulding (1910-1993),
a prominent systems thinker who integrated social theory with the natural sciences and moral philosophy.
● Boulding, recognized for his creativity and constructive engagement with the scientific community, served
as President of the American Economics Association and the American Association for the Advancement
of Science.
● Together with his wife, Elise Boulding, a renowned sociologist, he was actively involved in the international
peace movement as Quakers.
● The award honors individuals who exemplify Boulding's unique qualities, aiming to perpetuate his wisdom
and contributions to the field of ecological economics.
Previously ISEE Boulding Award Recipients:
● 1994 | Robert Goodland and Herman Daly
● 1996 | Ann-Mari Jansson
● 1998 | Robert Costanza
● 2000 | C.S. Holling
● 2002 | Robert Ayres
● 2004 | Karl Goran-Maler and Partha Dasgupta
● 2006 | Richard Norgaard
● 2008 | Manfred Max Neef and Charles Perrings
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 ● 2010 | Joan Martinez Alier and Ignacy Sachs
● 2012 | William Rees and Mathis Wackernagel
● 2014 | Peter Victor
● 2016 | Kanchan Chopra and Arild Vatn
● 2018 | Inge Røpke
● 2020 | Rashid Hassan
● 2023 | Bina Agarwal and David Barkin
Marconi Prize 2023
Why in news:
1. Hari Balakrishnan has been awarded the 2023 Marconi Prize.
2. He has been cited “for fundamental contributions to wired and wireless networking, mobile sensing, and
distributed systems”.
Some facts about Marconi Prize
● The Marconi Prize is an annual award that recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions
to the field of communications and information technology.
● It is named after Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor and pioneer in the development of wireless
communication.
● The Marconi Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of telecommunications and is often
referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Telecommunications.”
● The prize is administered by the Marconi Society, a non-profit organization that promotes awareness and
understanding of important scientific and technical issues in the field of communications.
● The Marconi Prize consists of a cash award of $100,000 and a commemorative medal.
● The Marconi Society also awards other prizes and scholarships, including the Marconi Society Paul Baran
Young Scholar Award, which recognizes young researchers who have demonstrated exceptional technical
and leadership abilities in the field of communications and information technology.
● Previous winners of the award include Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Google co-founder Sergey Brin and sci-fi
author Arthur C. Clarke.
PEN / Nabokov Award
What is PEN/Nabokov Award
● The PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature is conferred annually on an author
whose body of work is of “enduring originality and consummate craftsmanship.”
● Previous winners include Ngũgĩwa Thiong’o, Anne Carson, M NourbeSe Philip, Sandra Cisneros, Edna
O’Brien, and Adonis
Who is Vinod Kumar Shukla
● Shukla has been awarded the Sahitya Akademi award, the Atta Galatta–Bangalore Literature Festival
Book Prize, and the Mathrubhumi Book of the Year award, among others.
● His writing is known for its “intimate evocations of rural and small-town life” while being experimental in
style and genre.
● Some of Shukla’s celebrated works in translation are the novels A Window Lived in the Wall and A Silent
Place, and the short story collection Blue Is Like Blue.
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
Why in news;
● French President Emmanuel Macron recently conferred his country’s highest honor, the Grand Cross of the
Legion of Honour, upon the Indian Prime Minister.
Some facts about the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour:
● The National Order of the Legion of Honour, or simply The Legion of Honour Is the highest French
decoration, both civil and military, and is one of the most famous national honors in the world.
● Five Degrees: The Legion of Honour has five degrees of increasing distinction: three ranks — Chevalier
(Knight), Officier (Officer), and Commandeur (Commander) — and two titles — Grand Officier (Grand
Officer) and Grand-croix (Grand Cross).
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 ● The Prime Minister has been honoured with the highest French honour, akin to the Bharat Ratna in India.
● The Order was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, and has been presented for more than the past
two centuries on behalf of the French Head of State to its most deserving citizens in all fields of activity.
● Foreigners may be decorated with the Legion of Honour “if they have rendered services (e.g., cultural or
economic) to France or supported causes defended by France, such as human rights, freedom of the press, or
humanitarian action”.
● The motto of the Order is: Honneur et Patrie i.e French for Honour and Fatherland.
● There is no material or financial benefit attached to the award.
● The award badge is a five-armed Maltese asterisk hung on an oak and laurel wreath.
● On the obverse is the effigy of the Republic and on the reverse two tricolour flags surrounded by the motto.
The Colour of the ribbon is red.
UNESCO’s 2023 Prix Versailles
Why in news:
1. Bengaluru airport wins award at UNESCO’s 2023 Prix Versailles
Some facts about PRIX VERSAILLES
● Announced each year at UNESCO since 2015, the Prix Versailles is a series of architectural competitions
that shine a light on the finest contemporary projects worldwide.
● At the intersection between multiple disciplines, the members of the Prix Versailles World Jury are tasked with
awarding twenty-four World Titles from among the ninety-six projects named Selected Sites (in the
categories of Airports, Campuses, Passenger Stations and Sports) or Continental Laureates (in the categories of
Shops & Stores, shopping malls, Hotels and Restaurants).
● The Official List – which pays tribute to innovation, creativity, reflections of local heritage, ecological
efficiency and the values of social interaction and participation, which the United Nations holds in high
regard – is in line with the principles of intelligent sustainability, taking the projects’ ecological, social and
cultural impacts into consideration.

Miscellaneous
Wolf Warrior Diplomacy
What is Wolf Warrior Diplomacy
● It is a new approach inside China which reinforces a presumed transition of Chinese diplomacy from
conservative, passive, and low-key to assertive, proactive that goes as far as insulting or threatening those
deemed to violate China’s interests.
● ‘Wolf-warrior diplomacy’ describes offensives by Chinese diplomats to defend China’s national interests,
often in confrontational ways.
Global Security Initiative (GSI)
Some facts about GSI
● The Global Security Initiative (GSI), a China-led framework aiming to restore stability and security in
Asia, appears to be more of a counter-narrative to U.S. leadership rather than a genuine attempt to establish
a sustainable security order.
● It was stated that the five major pillars to implement GSI would be:
● Mutual respect
● Openness and inclusion
● Multilateralism
● Mutual benefit
● Holistic approach
What is the key Principles of GSI :
● China held that the Global security initiative is envisaged to uphold the principle of “indivisible security”.

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 ● The principle of “indivisible security” means that no country can strengthen its own security at the
expense of others.
● This initiative would build an Asian security model of mutual respect, openness and integration.
● It would oppose the destruction of the international order under the banner of so-called rules.
● This initiative will oppose the use of the Indo-Pacific strategy to divide the region and create a new Cold
War, and the use of military alliances to put together an Asian version of NATO.
Beijing Accord
More Details
● Iran, Saudi Arabia and China announced an agreement had been reached covering a resumption of
diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
● The three countries also announced a re-opening of their embassies and missions within a period not
exceeding two months.
● The deal, brokered by China, also included the implementation of a security cooperation agreement signed
in 2001 and a 1998 pact to enhance cooperation on trade, investment, technology, and culture.
China Targets athletes from Arunachal
What is a stapled visa:
● A stapled visa is simply an unstamped piece of paper that is attached by a pin or staples to a page of the
passport and can be torn off or detached at will.
● This is different from a regular visa that is affixed to the passport by the issuing authority and stamped.
History of Stapled visas issued by China
● China has a longstanding practice of issuing stapled visas to Indian nationals hailing from two specific
regions: Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
● Despite China's assertion that these stapled visas are valid travel documents, the Government of India
consistently rejects this position.
● China initiated the issuance of stapled visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh in the mid-2000s and
extended this practice to residents of Jammu and Kashmir starting in 2009.
● Notably, China claims the region of Arunachal Pradesh as part of its own territory, a claim that is contested by
India.
● The Indian government firmly refuses to recognize stapled visas as legitimate travel documents for its
citizens.
Some facts about Asian Games:
● The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, are a multi-sport event that takes place every four years. The games
are the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympics.
● The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) organizes the games, which have 45 participating countries or regions.
● The Asian Games were first held in 1951, soon after the end of World War II.
● The 1st Games were held in New Delhi, with 11 participating countries, including Japan.
● The 19th edition of the Asian Games is being held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.
● The 18th Asian Games were held in Indonesia.
Dalai Lama
Some Details about Dalai Lama:
● Dalai Lama is a title given by the Tibetan people for the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or “Yellow
Hat” school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest of the classical schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
● The 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso.
● He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern
Tibet.
● At the age of two, the child, then named Lhamo Dhondup, was recognized as the reincarnation of the previous
13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso.
● The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of
Compassion and the patron saint of Tibet.

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 ● Bodhisattvas are realized beings inspired by a wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings,
who have vowed to be reborn in the world to help humanity.
● In his Holiness the Dalai Lama 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for
the liberation of Tibet.
How Dalai Lama is selected:
● Following the Buddhist belief in the principle of reincarnation, the current Dalai Lama is believed by
Buddhists to be able to choose the body into which he is reincarnated.
● That person, when found, will then become the next Dalai Lama.
● According to Buddhist scholars it is the responsibility of the High Lamas of the Gelugpa tradition and the
Tibetan government to seek out and find the next Dalai Lama following the death of the incumbent.
● If more than one candidate is identified, the true successor is found by officials and monks drawing lots in
a public ceremony.
● Once identified, the successful candidate and his family are taken to Lhasa (or Dharamsala) where the child
studies the Buddhist scriptures in order to prepare for spiritual leadership.
● This process can take several years: it took four years to find the 14th (current) Dalai Lama.
● The search is generally limited to Tibet, although the current Dalai Lama has said that there is a chance that
he will not be reborn, and that if he is, it will not be in a country under Chinese rule.
Major Non-NATO Ally status
Some facts about Major non-NATO ally (MNNA)
● Major non-NATO ally (MNNA) is a designation given by the United States to close allies that have strategic
working relationships with the US Armed Forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO).
● The MNNA status was first created in 1987.
● The designation does not automatically include a mutual defense pact with US, but confers a variety of
military and financial advantages that otherwise are not obtainable by non-NATO countries.
● A major non-NATO ally is eligible for loans of material, supplies, or equipment for cooperative research,
development, testing, or evaluation purposes.
● They are also eligible as a location for US-owned War Reserve Stockpiles to be placed on its territory outside
of US military facilities.
● There are currently 18 major non-NATO allies, excluding Afghanistan, across 4 continents (10 in Asia, 3 in
Africa, 3 in South America, and 2 in Oceania).
● They are Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait,
Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand and Tunisia.
● Taiwan is treated as an MNNA, without formal designation as such.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
● The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network that helps
developing national and local capacities to achieve human development and the Sustainable Development
Goals.
● UNDP, as we know it now, was established in 1965 by the General Assembly of the United Nations and has
its headquarters in New York City.
● UNDP’s work is concentrated on three main focus areas: Sustainable development Democratic governance
and peacebuilding Climate and disaster resilience.
● In all its activities, UNDP promotes gender equality and the protection of human rights.
World Hindi Conference
Why in news:
1. World Hindi Conference in Fiji
Concept :
● The 12th World Hindi Conference will be held in Fiji from 15 to 17 February 2023.
● The official language of Fiji is Hindi.

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 ● Currently UN provides all the important messages and press releases in Hindi. This facility is also
available for Bangla and Urdu.
Some facts about World Hindi Conference
● The World Hindi Conference provides common platform to several Hindi scholars, writers and laureates
from different parts of the world to contribute to the language.
● It will be organized by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in association with Government
of Mauritius.
● It is organized every third year.
● The first World Hindi Conference was held in 1975 in Nagpur.
Munich security conference
Some facts about Munich security conference
● The Munich Security Conference is an annual conference on global security issues, was founded by a
German official and publisher Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist at the peak of the Cold War.
● It is the world’s leading forum for debating international security policy.
● The 2023 conference was attended by the leaders of France and Germany, as well as U.S. Vice President
Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and NATO chief
Jens Stoltenberg.
● Russian delegates who were regular attendees at Munich in the past was not invited.
● The MSC’s objective is to build trust and to contribute to the peaceful resolution of conflicts by sustaining
a continuous, curated and informal dialogue within the international security community.
● The primary objective of the MSC was to make sense of international affairs in an age when weapons of
mass destruction had become part of the game.
International Mother Language Day 2023 – ‘Ekushey February’
Some facts about International Mother Language Day 2023
● In recognition of the Bengali people’s struggle for their language and culture, UNESCO announced in 1999
that February 21 would be observed worldwide as International Mother Language Day.
● This year’s theme is “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education”, emphasizing Indigenous
people’s education and languages.
UN declares international decade of indigenous languages (2022-32)
More about the news:
● By adopting a resolution on the occasion of closing ceremony of international year of indigenous languages
2019, United Nations declared international decade of indigenous languages beginning from 2022.
● The resolution was based on the recommendations made by the 3rd committee of UNGA (relating to social,
humanitarian and cultural issues) led by Ecuador and Bolivia.
● The proclamation of an International Decade is a key outcome of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous
Languages, for which the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
lead global efforts.
● The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO )will serve as the lead
agency for the international decade of indigenous languages, as it did for international year, in with the United
Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and other relevant UN Agencies.
● The International Decade aims at ensuring indigenous peoples’ right to preserve, revitalize and promote their
languages, and mainstreaming linguistic diversity and multilingualism aspects into the sustainable development
efforts.
Friendshoring
What is Friendshoring
● Friendshoring is a strategy where a country sources the raw materials, components and even
manufactured goods from countries that share its values.
● The dependence on the countries considered a “threat” to the stability of the supply chains is slowly reduced.
● It is also called “allyshoring”.

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 ● For the US, Russia has long presented itself as a reliable energy partner, but in the Ukraine war, it has
weaponized the gas against the people of Europe.
● Friend-shoring or ally-shoring has become a means for the US to influence firms to move their sourcing
and manufacturing sites to friendly shores—often back to the same shores in the case of the US.
● The purpose of Frienshoring is to insulate countries’ supply chains from less like-minded nations, such as
China in case of the US.
13.Green Strategic Partnership
Some facts about Green Strategic Partnership:
● “Green Strategic Partnership” was launched during the Virtual Summit on 28 September 2020 between
Prime Minister of Denmark and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the bilateral cooperation is
focussed on promoting green and sustainable development
● The Indo-Danish Green Strategic Partnership is an appropriate forum to exchange ideas, best practices,
knowledge, technology, capacity building for promoting sustainable lifestyles
Note: Green growth is a term to describe a path of economic growth that uses natural resources in a sustainable
manner.
Raisina Security Dialogue
Some facts about Raisina Security Dialogue
● India recently held the second edition of the Raisina Security Dialogue.
● Raisina Security Dialogue:
● It is a conference of intelligence and security chiefs and top officials from around the world.
● It is modeled on the lines of the Munich Security Conference and Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue.
● It is organized by the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the National Security Council Secretariat
(NSCS).
● It was held for the first time in April 2022.
● The focus of the discussions was largely on global security, which encompassed counterterrorism,
radicalization, drug trafficking, and illegal arms smuggling, among others.
Some facts about Munich Security Conference:
● It is an annual conference on international security policy that has been held in Munich, Bavaria,
Germany since 1963.
● It has become the most important independent forum for the exchange of views by international security
policy decision-makers.
● The list of attendees includes heads of state, governments and international organizations, ministers, members
of parliament, high-ranking representatives of armed forces, science, and civil society, as well as business and
media.
● The conference is held annually in February.
● The venue is the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
Some facts about Shangri-La Dialogue:
● It is Asia’s premier defense and security summit.
● It is attended by Defence Ministers, permanent heads of ministries and military chiefs of 28 Asia-Pacific
countries.
● It is organized by an independent think-thank, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
● The summit is named after the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore, where it has been held since 2002.
Wagner Group of mercenaries
Why in news:
1. Wagner involvement in Sudan
2. The Wagner Group took control of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don
3. US had imposed the designation of a transnational criminal organization on Wagner
Some facts about Wagner Group
● The Wagner Group also known as PMC Wagner is a Russian paramilitary organization.

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 ● The group is believed to have been founded in 2014 by a Russian veteran of the Chechen war who admired
Hitler and named the group after Richard Wagner, the führer’s favorite composer.
● The skull is the symbol of the Wagner Group.
● The organization first came to the world’s attention in 2014, fighting alongside Russian-backed separatists in
the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
● The organization has also been active across Africa in recent years — Libya, Sudan, Mozambique, Mali
and the Central African Republic.
What would the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation mean for the Wagner Group:
● FTO is a designation for non-US organizations that are deemed to be involved in terrorist activities.
● According to Section 219 of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, the Secretary of State can “designate
an organization as a foreign terrorist organization if the Secretary finds that:
1. The organization is a foreign organization.
2. The organization engages in terrorist activity or terrorist.
3. Threatens the security of United States nationals or the national security of the United States.
● Once an organization is labeled as an FTO, “it is unlawful for a person in the United States or subject to the
jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to” it.
● Moreover, members and representatives of an FTO, “if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain
circumstances, removable from the United States”.
● The department also adds that the funds of an FTO must be frozen and reported to the Office of Foreign
Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury.
Summit for Democracy
Why in news:
1. The Second Summit for Democracy was co-hosted by the U.S., Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea
and Zambia.
Some facts about the Summit for Democracy
● On December 9-10, 2021, US President Biden hosted the first Summit for Democracy.
● This summit brought together leaders all over the world to set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic
renewal and to tackle the greatest threats faced by democracies today through collective action.
● The Second Summit for Democracy was co-hosted by the U.S., Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea
and Zambia.
● Aim
o The summit aims to show how open, rights-respecting societies can work together to effectively tackle
the challenges of our time such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and inequality.
● Principal themes
● The Summit is centered around three principal themes:
o Defending against authoritarianism
o Addressing and fighting corruption
o Advancing respect for human rights
Language Friendship Bridge
Some facts about the Project
● The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has envisaged a special project called ‘The Language
Friendship Bridge’, which plans to trained five to 10 people in the official languages of Myanmar, Sri
Lanka, Uzbekistan, Indonesia.
● As of now, the ICCR has zeroed in on 10 languages: Kazakh, Uzbek, Bhutanese, Ghoti (spoken in Tibet),
Burmese, Khmer (spoken in Cambodia), Thai, Sinhalese and Bahasa (spoken in both Indonesia and
Malaysia).
Some facts about ICCR
● The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), is an autonomous organization of the Government of
India, involved in India’s global cultural relations, through cultural exchange with other countries and their
people.
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 ● It was founded on 9 April 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister of independent
India.
● The ICCR Headquarter is situated at Azad Bhavan, New Delhi, with regional offices.
● The council also operates missions internationally.
● In addition to organising cultural festivals in India and overseas, the ICCR financially supports a number
of cultural institutions across India, and sponsors individual performers in dance, music, photography,
theatre, and the visual arts.
● It also administers the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding, established by the
Government of India in 1965, whose last award was in 2009.
Comstock Act 1873
Why in news:
1. Dormant for a half-century, the Comstock Act has been revived by anti-abortion groups and conservative
states seeking to block the mailing of mifepristone, the pill used in more than half of U.S. abortions.
Some facts about Comstock Act
● Originally passed in 1873 and named for an anti-vice crusader, the Comstock Act was intended to prohibit
the mailing of contraceptives, “lewd” writings and any “instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing”
that could be used in an abortion.
● The law’s scope has been repeatedly narrowed by federal courts and Congress, which eliminated the
reference to contraceptives in the 1970s. And the federal government hasn’t enforced the law since the 1930s,
according to legal experts.
25 Years Of Good Friday Agreement
Why in news:
1. US President visited Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good
Friday Agreement.
Some facts about Good Friday Agreement
● The Good Friday Agreement was signed on April 10, 1998, between factions of Northern Ireland, and the
governments of Britain and Ireland, to end decades of violence in Northern Ireland among those who
wished to remain with the United Kingdom (UK) and those who wanted to join Ireland.
● The negotiators included then British Prime Minister Tony Blair, then Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern,
George Mitchell, a former Democratic senator who acted as the envoy of then US President Bill Clinton, and
eight parties from Northern Ireland.
● Terms of the Good Friday Agreement
● Northern Ireland would remain part of the UK, but could join Ireland if, in a referendum, a
majority of people on both sides voted for it.
● People born in Northern Ireland could have Irish or British nationality or both.
● Weapons by paramilitary groups would have to be decommissioned, but people in jail for violence
so far would be released.
● Northern Ireland would get a new government, where both the nationalists and unionists would
be represented.
● This devolved government would sit at Stormont and have powers over most local matters, while
the UK government would look after security, foreign policy, tax laws, immigration rules, etc.
Germany ends nuclear era by shutting down last three power plants
● Reaching its final step in quitting nuclear power, Germany pulled the plug on its last three nuclear power
stations, ending the country’s nuclear era that began almost six decades ago.
● The nuclear power stations of Isar II, Emsland and Neckarwestheim II have been completely shut down in
a bid to end the country’s reliance on energy that is perceived as dangerous and unsustainable.
India to host two-day international Buddhist conference
Why in news:
● The first Global Buddhist summit is going to be held in Delhi. Buddhist monks and others from 30 countries
are expected to attend the event.

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Some facts about the Summit
● The summit is being organized in conjunction with the International Buddhist Conference, a non-
governmental organization.
● The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), an umbrella group that serves as a platform for Buddhists
worldwide, is organising the event.
● Theme: ‘Responses to contemporary challenges, philosophy to practice’.
Washington Declaration
Some facts about Washington Declaration
● The agreement outlines cooperation towards deterrence.
● An American nuclear ballistic submarine would be deployed in the Korean peninsula.
● A nuclear consultative group would be formed to formulate principles of joint response tactics.
● South Korea would receive Intel from the U.S. regarding nuclear advancement.
● will strengthen South Korea’s nuclear deterrence capabilities through joint military training programs and
an annual intergovernmental simulation.
● The declaration reaffirmed the non-proliferation Treaty.
Global Partnership on AI summit
Why in news
1. :PM Modi invites Google to ‘contribute’ to the AI summit.
2. India hosted the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit in New Delhi,
3. New Delhi Declaration’ on artificial intelligence adopted
What is Global Partnership on AI summit:
● The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) is a multi-stakeholder initiative which aims to
bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied
activities on AI-related priorities.
● Its establishment was announced during the 2018 G7 Summit by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and French
President Emmanuel Macron.
● GPAI was officially launched on June 15, 2020
● The Global Partnership in Artificial Intelligence is described as the ‘fruition of an idea developed within the
G7.’
● At present, GPAI has twenty-nine member states i.eAustralia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic,
Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
Poland, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom,
the United States, and the European Union (EU).
● India joined the GPAI in 2020 as a founding member.
● Its Secretariat is hosted at the OECD.
● Currently, India has assumed the presidencyGlobal Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) for 2022-
23
● The Theme of GPAI Summit is Advancing Responsible AI in Public-Sector Applications
● The 2022 GPAI Summit took place in Tokyo, Japan
What is the composition and structure of GPAI
● GPAI has a Council and a Steering Committee, supported by a Secretariat hosted by the OECD, and two
Centres of Expertise: one in Montreal (CEIMIA, the International Centre of Expertise in Montreal for
the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence) and one in Paris (at INRIA, the French National Institute for
Research in Digital Science and Technology).
● These Centers of Expertise will facilitate GPAI’s four working groups and their research and practical
projects, across various sectors and disciplines. The working groups will initially focus on four themes:
o Working Group on Responsible AI (Montreal)
o Working Group on Data Governance (Montreal)
o Working Group on the Future of Work (Paris)

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 o Working Group on Innovation and Commercialization (Paris)
What is the Legal Framework Related to AI in India:
● In India, there are currently no specific legal regulations governing the use of deepfake technology.
However, existing laws can be applied to address the misuse of this technology, covering aspects such as
Copyright Violation, Defamation, and cybercrimes.
● For instance, the Indian Penal Code, which addresses defamation, and the Information Technology Act of
2000, which pertains to sexually explicit material, could potentially be used to combat malicious deepfake
usage.
● The Representation of the People Act of 1951 contains provisions that prohibit the creation or
dissemination of false or deceptive information about candidates or political parties during election periods.
● Additionally, the Election Commission of India has established regulations requiring registered political
parties and candidates to obtain prior approval for all political advertisements on electronic media.
● Despite these measures, they may still be inadequate in fully addressing the multifaceted challenges arising
from AI algorithms, including the potential risks associated with deepfake content.
What are the Recent Global Efforts to Regulate AI:
● The world's inaugural AI Safety Summit, hosted at Bletchley Park in the UK, saw 28 major nations,
including the US, China, Japan, the UK, France, India, and the European Union, unite in signing a
declaration emphasizing the necessity for global action to address the potential perils of AI.
● The declaration underscores the recognition of significant risks stemming from potential deliberate misuse
and unintended control challenges in advanced AI, particularly in domains such as cybersecurity,
biotechnology, and the spread of disinformation.
● In response to these concerns, the US President issued an executive order aiming to fortify defenses against
AI-related threats and exercise regulatory oversight over safety standards applied by companies in the
assessment of generative AI systems like ChatGPT and Google Bard.
● During the G20 Leaders' Summit held in New Delhi, the Indian Prime Minister advocated for the creation
of a global framework governing the development of "ethical" AI tools.
● This shift in New Delhi's stance signifies a transition from a position of non-interference in AI regulation
to a proactive approach, involving the formulation of regulations grounded in a "risk-based, user-harm"
perspective.
What is the New Delhi Declaration:
● It promises to position GPAI at the front and centre of shaping the future of AI in terms of both innovation
and creating collaborative AI between partner nations to create applications in healthcare, agriculture, etc.
● All GPAI members had also agreed that the group would lead global conversations on shaping the future
of AI governance as well as keeping it safe and trusted.
● GPAI will be an inclusive movement that will increasingly focus on including countries from the Global
South and making available the benefits of AI, its platforms and solutions to all of the people.
● Like-minded countries will have to move faster to ensure that by the time all GPAI countries meet next
year in Korea, there are definitive granular regulations that all nations have around AI.
● GPAI will now have to be more granular and get down to defining the contours of the rules that will define
how users interact with AI.
● The declaration acknowledged the need to harness new opportunities and mitigate the risks arising from the
development and deployment of AI. This includes -
o Concerns around misinformation and disinformation,
o Unemployment,
o Lack of transparency and fairness,
o Protection of intellectual property and personal data, and
o Threats to human rights and democratic values.
● The declaration also acknowledged the need for equitable access to resources, which must be considered,
accounted for, or addressed in order for societies to benefit from and build competitive AI solutions.
What is the significance of the New Delhi Declaration:

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 ● This was the first time the group’s members were meeting after generative AI platforms like ChatGPT
and Google Bard burst into the scene, propelling conversations around AI into the mainstream.
● GPAI members also agreed to support AI innovation in the agriculture sector as a new “thematic priority”.
● India was pushing for the inclusion of agriculture as a priority sector in AI innovation.
● This is essential for implementing resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and
production.
● The development of and access to risk-proportionate trustworthy AI applications is essential for ensuring
sustainable food production systems and strengthening capacity for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
Hiroshima AI Process (HAP)
Why in news:
1. The Group of Seven (G7) Summit the G7 Hiroshima Leaders’ Communiqué initiated the Hiroshima AI Process
(HAP)
Some facts about Hiroshima AI Process (HAP):
● It is an effort by the G7 bloc to determine a way forward to regulate artificial intelligence (AI).
● It also encourages international organizations such as the OECD to consider the analysis of the impact of
policy developments and the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) to conduct practical projects.
Chief Guest of Republic Day
How India choose its Chief Guest:
● The government extends its invitation to a Head of State or Government after careful consideration.
● This process commences almost six months ahead of Republic Day. The MEA considers a number of issues,
the most important of which is the nature of India’s relationship with the country concerned.
● Other factors include political, economic, and commercial relations, the neighbourhood, military
cooperation, prominence in regional groupings, or past association in the Non Aligned Movement.
● The MEA, after deliberations, seeks the Prime Minister’s approval, after which the clearance of Rashtrapati
Bhavan is sought.
● Thereafter, India’s ambassadors in the concerned countries try to ascertain discreetly the potential Chief
Guests’ programme and availability for Republic Day.
● Once this laborious process has been completed, the territorial divisions in the MEA work towards
meaningful talks and agreements, while the Chief of Protocol works on the details of the programme and
logistics.
Why is the invitation for Republic Day a special honour:
● While the visit of the Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade is similar to a State visit by any foreign high
dignitary, given the ceremony involved, it is the highest honour that India accords to a guest in protocol
terms.
● The Chief Guest is given the ceremonial guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan, he attends the reception
in the evening hosted by the President of India, he lays a wreath at Rajghat, there is a banquet in his honour,
a lunch hosted by the Prime Minister, and calls by the Vice-President and the External Affairs Minister.
Some facts about Republic Day Chief Guest:
● President of Indonesia Sukarno was the first chief guest of the Republic Day Parade in 1950.
● Rajpath became the permanent venue for the parade on 26th January in 1955. Rajpath was known by the name
‘Kingsway’
● The Beating Retreat ceremony, which takes place at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on January 29 every year,
traces its origin to a tradition from the 1600s. This tradition to announce the return of the troops began
when King James II ordered his troops to beat drums, lower flags and organize a parade to declare the end
of a day of combat.
● The first foreign military contingent, French Army soldiers, took part in the Republic day Parade in 2018.
● Republic Day Chief Guest List:

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Year Chief Guest Name
2019 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
2020 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
2021 United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson postponed his visit.
2022 No Chief due to Covid-19.
2023 Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Strategic Partnership Council
Why in news:
1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud
recently held extensive talks and co-chaired the first summit-level meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia
Strategic Partnership Council (SPC).
Some facts about India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC)
● Establishment: The SPC was formed during PM Modi's October 2019 visit to Saudi Arabia, signifying a
critical diplomatic step.
● Objective: It aims to "establish a high-level council to steer the Indo-Saudi relationship", focusing on
cooperation across sectors, including trade, investment, security, and defense.
● Structure: The SPC comprises two main pillars:
o Committee on Political, Security, Social, and Cultural Cooperation
o Committee on Economy and Investments
● Functional Levels: The SPC operates at four functional levels:
o Summit level (Prime Minister & Crown Prince)
o Ministerial-level
o Senior Officials’ Meetings
o Joint Working Groups (JWGs)
● JWGs and Sub-committees: Each sub-committee has four JWGs:
o JWGs under the Political Committee:
▪ Political & Consular
▪ Legal & Security
▪ Social & Cultural
▪ Joint Committee on Defense Cooperation
o Under Economic Committee:
▪ Agriculture & Food Security
▪ Energy
▪ Technology & Information Technology
▪ Industry and Infrastructure
● Saudi Partnerships: Saudi Arabia has similar partnership councils with other nations, including the UK,
France, and China.
Global Maritime India Summit 2023
Why in news:
1. PM to inaugurate the Global Maritime India Summit 2023
What is Global Maritime India Summit 2023
● Global Maritime India Summit 2023 is a premier maritime sector focused event to bring together pivotal
figures from the industry to explore opportunities, understand challenges, and stimulate investment within
India's maritime sector.
● Building upon the legacy of its preceding editions, this third installment aims to unveil broader prospects for
domestic and international maritime stakeholders and investors.

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 ● The summit will witness the participation of Ministers from across the globe representing countries from
Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia including central Asia, Middle East and BIMSTEC region.
● The summit is also to be attended by Global CEOs, Business leaders, Investors, Officials, and other
stakeholders worldwide.
● Further, several Indian states will also be represented at the summit by the Ministers and other dignitaries.
US, Japan ,S. Korea to enter into security pact for the Pacific
Why in news:
1. A historic meeting was held between the U.S , Japan and South Korea at Camp David on strengthening
economic and security ties.
More about the news:
● The summit at Camp David was the first standalone meeting between the three countries
● The three leaders released the “Camp David Principles”
● The leaders agreed to establish a three-way hotline for crisis communication.
● They decided to enhance cooperation on ballistic missile-related
● The agreement included the expansion of joint military exercises.
● A written "commitment to consult" was issued by the leaders. The commitment emphasized their resolve to
coordinate responses to regional challenges, provocations, and threats that affect their collective interests and
security.
OSOWOG
Why in news:
1. India working on connecting South East Asia power grids under OSOWOG
Key Points:
● As part of One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG), India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Singapore are in
advanced stages of creating a mega grid infrastructure, which will enable trade in renewable energy from
South East Asia to Europe via the Middle East.
● India recently signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabia, which includes grid
interconnection.
● It will enable us to exchange electricity based on our requirements. It will also extend our reach to the Middle
East grid and the European grid.
● OSOWOG initiative is to introduce a transnational electricity grid that supplies power worldwide. It was
first proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the assembly of the International Solar Alliance
(ISA) in 2018.
Akhaura-Agartala rail link
Some facts about Akhaura-Agartala Rail Link
● This rail link stretches over 12.24 km, with a 6.78 km dual gauge rail line in Bangladesh and 5.46 km in
Tripura.
● Akhaura junction, located in Bangladesh’s Brahmanbaria district, has historical ties with India’s northeastern
region, dating back to the colonial era.
● The connection was originally constructed in the late 19th century to cater to Assam’s tea industry’s demand
for access to the Chittagong port.
● The project gained momentum in 2010 when then-PM Manmohan Singh signed an agreement to rebuild the
rail link during PM Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Delhi.
India and UK announce Infrastructure Financing Bridge
● India and UK on Monday announced the launch of the Infrastructure Financing Bridge during 12th Economic
and Financial Dialogue (EFD),
● EFD is a collaborative initiative which signifies the continuing commitment of both nations to work in close
cooperation towards unlocking substantial infrastructure investment opportunities in India.
● The UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge (UKIIFB), is a collaborative initiative led jointly by Niti
Aayog and the City of London.

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 ● The primary objective of this collaboration is aimed at unlocking infrastructure investment and leveraging
the City of London's expertise in structuring and phasing major infrastructure projects.
What is Inflation Reduction Act (IRA):
● The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) is a landmark United States federal law which aims to curb
inflation by reducing the deficit, lowering prescription drug prices, and investing into domestic
energy production while promoting clean energy.
● It is a reduced version of the Biden administration’s proposed Build Back Better Act.
● The legislation stands to be the single largest investment in climate and energy in the U.S. to date.
34.Minerals Security Partnership (MSP)
● In 2022, the US and 10 other nations — Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the
Republic of Korea (South Korea), Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Commission — came
together in a bid to break China’s dominance in the global market of rare earth minerals and formed
the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP).t
● Objective:
● The goal of the MSP is to ensure that critical minerals are produced, processed, and recycled in a manner
that supports the ability of countries to realize the full economic development benefit of their geological
endowments.
● Focus would be on the supply chains of minerals such as Cobalt, Nickel, Lithium and also the 17 “rare
earth” minerals.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement For Trans-Pacific Partnership
Some facts about CPTPP
● The CPTPP, also known as TPP-11, is a free trade agreement with 11 members: Australia, Brunei, Canada,
Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.
● The eleven signatories have combined economies representing 13.4 percent of global gross domestic product,
at approximately US$13.5 trillion, making the CPTPP one of the world’s largest free-trade areas by GDP,
along with the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, the European Single Market, and the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
● It succeeded the Trans-Pacific Partnership after the United States withdrew under former President
Donald Trump in 2017.
● Beijing had applied to become a member of the bloc in September 2021.
● The CPTPP commission in 2023 is chaired by New Zealand.
● All 11 countries of CPTPP are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
UNESCO names Kozhikode ‘city of literature’
Why in news:
1. UNESCO names Kozhikode ‘city of literature’
More about the news:
● The city of Kozhikode in Kerala was added to UNESCO's Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
● Gwalior from Madhya Pradesh was also among the 55 new cities to join the network.
● These cities have been handpicked to represent seven creative fields i.e. crafts and folk arts, design, film,
gastronomy, literature, media arts, and music.
● Kozhikode was included in the category of literature and Gwalior in the category of music.
What is UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN):
● The UCCN was created in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities that have identified creativity as a
strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
● It now includes 350 cities in over a hundred countries.
● The network is aimed at leveraging the creative, social, and economic potential of cultural industries.
● It was launched to promote UNESCO’s goals of cultural diversity and strengthen resilience to threats such
as climate change, rising inequality, and rapid urbanization.
● It encourages a culture of creativity in urban planning and solutions to urban problems.
What is the Objective of the CCCN:
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 ● The UNESCO Creative Cities Network allows member cities to recognize creativity as an essential
component of urban development, notably through partnerships involving the public and private sectors
and civil society.
● It envisages to develop hubs of creativity and innovation and broaden opportunities for creators and
professionals in the cultural sector.
● These cities have to achieve the UN agenda of sustainable development.
What is the annual conference of network cities:
● An integral feature of the network is the yearly gathering of mayors and various stakeholders representing
cities within the network.
● This event provides a distinct opportunity to enhance connections among creative cities worldwide.
● The last conference was held in Santos, Brazil, and this year’s conference was in Istanbul.
● The next conference will be held in July 2024 in Braga, Portugal.
What members have to do
● Every four years, member cities are required to submit a Membership Monitoring Report.
● This report is presented with an aim of demonstrating their steadfast commitment towards the implementation
of the UCCN Mission Statement.
● They present an action plan for the following four years, providing insights into their achievements and
lessons learnt, as well as the impact of the designation.
What are the Indian cities in the network:
● Apart from Kozhikode and Gwalior, Varanasi (music), Srinagar (crafts and folk arts) and Chennai
(music) are part of the network.
Some facts about UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC)
● The World Heritage Committee is composed of representatives of 21 States Parties to the World Heritage
Convention who meet annually.
● This year, the session is scheduled to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 10-25, 2023.
● The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage is an international
agreement that was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972.
● The Committee is in charge of implementing the Convention.
What is the List of World Heritage in Danger?
● The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) compiles the list of
World Heritage in Danger.
● The List contains world heritage sites that are threatened by various conditions such as natural disasters,
armed conflicts, wars, pollution, unchecked urbanization, poaching, and uninhibited tourist development.
● At present there are 55 properties under the list.
● None of them is from India.
The following sites from India have been delisted from the List:
● Group of Monuments at Hampi: Listed from 1999 to 2006.
● Manas Wildlife Sanctuary: Listed from 1992 to 2011. The reason was poaching and damage to the park’s
infrastructure and a reduction in the population of some species particularly the Greater One Horned Rhino
following an invasion by militants of the Bodo tribe in 1992.
Olympic:
Why in news:
1. IOC amends Olympic Charter to strengthen its human rights commitments
2. India has shown interest on hosting Olympics
3. The 2028 Olympics added Cricket, Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse Return, Flag Football as a new event.
4. India’s First Olympic Values Education was launched in Odisha.
5. Olympic Charter.
6. International Olympic Session in Mumbai.
Some details about Olympic Association:
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 ● The International Olympic Committee is a non-governmental sports organization based in Lausanne,
Switzerland.
● It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss Civil Code (articles 60–79).
● It was founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is the authority responsible for
organizing the modern Summer, Winter, and Youth Olympic Games.
● Demetrios Vikelas was the first president of the IOC.
● 141st session of IOC is being held in Mumbai.
Some details about Indian Olympic Associations:
● Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was established in 1927 as a Non-Profit Organization under Societies
Registration Act, 1860.
● It was founded by Sir Dorabjee Tata and Dr. A.G. Noehren.
● It is an autonomous body recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
● India first participated in the Olympics in 1900 in Paris. The country was represented by Norman
Pritchard, an Anglo Indian.
● A 32-member Executive Council, headed by President and assisted by different Standing Committees that
includes subject-field experts work for effective governance.
● The election for the Executive Council is held once every 4 years.
Next Summer and Winter Olympics:
● Paris ( France) –2024 Summer Olympics
● Milano Cortina (Italy) –2026 Winter Olympics
● Los Angeles (United States) –2028 Summer Olympics
Some facst about Olympic Value Education Program:
● The Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) is based on the Olympic philosophy that learning takes
place through the balanced development of body and mind.
● It is a series of free and accessible teaching resources created by the IOC, to complement academic curricula
using the context of Olympic sports and the core principles of Olympism.
● The programme aims to disseminate this values-based curriculum to help children become active, healthy
and responsible citizens.
● The first OVEP launched in India in Odisha.
● It is a programme funded by the IOC and was launched by the Abhinav Bindra Foundation (ABF).

What is Olympic Charter:

● Olympic Charter is the codification of fundamental principles of Olympism and rules and bye-laws adopted
by the International Olympic Committee.
● The Charter was first published in 1908, under the title of Annuaire du Comité International Olympique.
● Some of the rules contained in this first Charter had, however, been written by Pierre de Coubertin around
1898.
● Although the title Olympic Charter is generally used in reference to all the editions, it is only since 1978
that it has actually appeared as the title on the publication.
● It governs the organization, actions and functioning of the Olympic Movement and establishes the
conditions for celebration of Olympic Games.
● It establishes the relations between International Federations, National Olympic Committees and
Olympic Movement.
Some details about International Olympic Session:
● An IOC session is the annual meeting of the members of the IOC.
● It comprises 101 voting members and 45 honorary members.
● It decides on the key activities of the global Olympics movement.
● The powers of the Session are:
o To adopt or amend the Olympic Charter.
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 o To elect the members of the IOC, the Honorary President and the honorary members.
o To elect the President, the vice-presidents and all other members of the IOC Executive Board.
o To elect the host city of the Olympic Games.
● An Olympic Session is the general meeting of the members of the IOC and its supreme organ.
● All IOC Session decisions are final.
● India hosted the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) session at the Jio World Centre in
Mumbai.
● In this session newly added sports in the 2028 Olympics are Cricket, Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse Return,
Flag Football.
What is the new bidding and selection process for Olympic host cities:
● The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has introduced a new selection process for Olympic host
cities, which involves direct consultations with interested cities.
● There are two permanent 'Future Host Commissions' for summer and winter Games, representing
various Olympic stakeholders.
● These commissions recommend potential hosts to the IOC Executive Board, which decides if they should
be put forward for election by the IOC Session.
● This process emphasizes continuous dialogue and feasibility assessments, with the goal of reducing costs
and ensuring fairness in selecting Olympic host cities.
● This approach was also used to choose Brisbane as a host city for 2032 Summer Olympics.
● Former Croatia president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic heads the IOC commission that will select the host
city for the 2036 Games, with a decision to be taken between 2025 and 2029.
Bangladesh is building memorial to honor Indian heroes of 1971 war
More about the news:
● A memorial is under construction in Ashuganj, Bangladesh, to honor Indian soldiers who participated in
the 1971 Liberation War. It is expected to be completed by December.
● The memorial will feature the names of approximately 1,600 Indian soldiers who made the ultimate
sacrifice during the war.
● This will be the first memorial in Bangladesh exclusively dedicated to Indian soldiers from the 1971 war.
Bletchley Park birthplace of modern computing:
Some Historical Importance of Bletchley Park
● Bletchley Park, an English country house, known as the birthplace of modern computing, hosts the world's
first global AI summit.
● During World War II, it housed Britain's Government Code and Cypher School, playing a crucial role in
deciphering the Enigma code, shortening the war by two years.
● From the Battle of El Alamein (1942) to the Normandy landings (1944), Bletchley Park’s fingerprints can
be seen all over Allied Successes
● It also contributed to the development of the Colossus, considered one of the world's first computers.
● Many regard the Colossus as the world’s first programmable, electronic, digital computer, although it was
programmed by switches and plugs, rather than a stored program.
● The site is also known for creating the Turing Bombe, a device that expedited code-breaking efforts.
● Bletchley Park's legacy continues to influence modern computing and AI.
● Notably, it underscores the vital role of women in its operations, as they operated machines and formed the
backbone of the institution, though often underappreciated and underpaid.
Bletchley Declaration
What is Bletchley Declaration:
● The declaration provides a comprehensive overview of the global consensus on both the potential benefits
and risks associated with artificial intelligence.
● It underscores the importance of aligning AI systems with human intentions and encourages a deeper
exploration of the full range of AI capabilities.

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 ● The declaration acknowledges the potential for significant harm, including catastrophic consequences,
arising from AI, whether these harms are intentional or unintentional.
● It places a strong emphasis on safeguarding human rights, ensuring transparency, explainability, fairness,
accountability, regulation, safety, human oversight, ethical considerations, bias mitigation, privacy
protection, and data security within AI development and deployment.
● The declaration reflects the intricate negotiations that took place among nations with differing interests
and legal systems, including major players such as the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union,
and China.
● It highlights the importance of involving civil society in addressing AI safety concerns, even though some
civil society groups had voiced concerns about being excluded from the summit.
● The declaration also places a significant responsibility on companies developing cutting-edge AI systems
to prioritize safety through thorough testing, evaluation, and the implementation of appropriate safety
measures.
Why is this declaration significant:
● Twenty-nine countries such as the US, the UK, China, Australia, Brazil and India, along with the European
Union have agreed to work together to prevent “catastrophic harm, either deliberate or unintentional”
which may arise from artificially intelligent computer models and engines.
● The member countries include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India,
Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Saudi, Arabia, Netherlands, Nigeria, The Philippines, the
Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates,
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, and the European
Union
What was India stance:
● During the opening plenary session at Bletchley Park, Union Minister of State for IT, Rajeev
Chandrasekhar, emphasized the need to address the weaponization of social media.
● He also stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and trustworthiness of artificial intelligence (AI).
● The Minister's statement at the summit signifies the highest-level endorsement of India's shift from its
previous stance of not contemplating legal interventions to regulate AI in the country.
● In April 2023, the Ministry of Electronics and IT had stated that it had no plans for enacting laws to oversee
the AI sector.
BDS movement
Some facts about BDS Movement:
● The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, initiated in 2005 by over 170 Palestinian groups,
seeks international support for Palestinian rights.
● It is an anti-racist, human rights movement inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement.
● BDS advocates nonviolent pressure on Israel until it aligns with international law, emphasizing three
demands:
o Ending the occupation and colonization of Arab lands,
o Recognizing the rights of Arab-Palestinian citizens in Israel,
o Respecting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes as outlined in UN Resolution
194.
● The resolution, adopted in 1948, addresses the displacement of Palestinian refugees during the Israeli-
Arab war, emphasizing the right to return and receive compensation.
How does BDS aim to achieve these goals:
● The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement calls for boycotting Israel's government,
associated institutions, and companies involved in human rights violations.
● It targets sponsors like Puma for their association with the Israel Football Association, including teams in
illegal settlements.
● Divestment campaigns urge entities to withdraw investments, while sanctions campaigns seek
government action against Israeli apartheid.

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 ● The movement strategically focuses on selected companies for maximum impact, cautioning against lengthy
lists that may be less effective.
Tax Havens
What are Tax Havens.
● A tax haven is a country that offers foreign businesses and individuals minimal or no tax liability for their
bank deposits in a politically and economically stable environment.
● Usually, countries engage in upholding such a low rate of taxation in order to increase foreign investment
as well as the cash flow in their economy.
What is the Tax Haven Criteria by OECD.
● The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) outlines four crucial criteria to
assess if a jurisdiction qualifies as a tax haven:
o Imposition of no or minimal taxes.
o Lack of transparency.
o Presence of laws or practices hindering effective information exchange for tax purposes.
o Absence of a requirement for substantial economic activity.
What are the various type of tax heavens:
● Pure Havens: No charges on Income or Capital gains like, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Vanuatu.
● Tax Havens with low state-approved rates through international tax agreements like Liechtenstein,
Switzerland, Republic of Ireland.
● Tax Havens exempting taxpayers from cross-border transaction taxes like Costa Rica, The Philippines,
Panama.
● Tax Havens favoring offshore and holding companies like Austria, Luxembourg, Thailand.
● Tax Havens granting exemptions for export-oriented industries like Ireland, Madeira in Portugal.
● Tax Havens offering benefits to 'Offshore Companies' like Bahamas, Antigua & Barbuda, British Virgin
Islands.
● Tax Havens providing privileges to banking or financial firms in offshore activities like Anguilla,
Grenada, Jamaica.
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC):
● The IDMC is the world's leading source of data and analysis on internal displacement.
● Since its establishment in 1998 as part of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), they have offered a
rigorous, independent and trusted service to the international community.
● Mission:
o To provide high-quality data, analysis and expertise on internal displacement with the aim of
informing policy and operational decisions that can reduce the risk of future displacement and improve
the lives of internally displaced people (IDP) worldwide.
India to be in UK safe list for Asylum seekers
More about the news:
● The UK government plans to include India in an expanded list of safe states, facilitating faster repatriation
of Indians who enter the country illegally and preventing them from seeking asylum.
● The move aims to strengthen immigration controls and discourage unfounded protection claims.
● The draft legislation, part of the Illegal Migration Act 2023, designates India as a safe country, subject to
parliamentary scrutiny before implementation.
What are the countries in in UK's safe states list
● India, Georgia, Albania, Switzerland, as well as the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area
(EEA) states
● The EEA links the EU member states and three EFTA statesi.e Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway into
an internal market governed by the same basic rules.
When can a country be added to the UK's safe states list:

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 ● A country can only be added to the UK's safe states list known legislatively as Section 80AA if the Home
Secretary is satisfied that:
o There is, in general, no serious risk of persecution of its nationals, and;
o Removal of nationals to that country cannot go against the UK’s obligations under the Human
Rights Convention.
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
● The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) was formed in 1996 to replace the
intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD) which was founded in 1986.
● It is multi-national authority founded by east African Countries. I.E. Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan,
Uganda and Kenya.
● It is headquartered at Djibouti.
● The Assembly of Heads of State and Government is the apex body of policy making of the Authority which
decides the objectives, guidelines and programs for IGAD.
FIPIC summit
Why in news:
1. Prime Minister extols value of Pacific island nations at third FIPIC summit
Some facts about FIPIC:
● Forum for India-Pacific Islands cooperation (FIPIC) is a multinational grouping for cooperation between
India and 14 Pacific Islands nations.
● It include 14 islands named- Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue,
Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
● All Head of state/head of government of the above countries met in Suva, Fiji in November 2014 for the first
time where the annual summit was conceptualized.
Arab League
Why in news:
1. The Arab League voted to reinstate Syria’s membership after its suspension more than 10 years
ago, underlining the thawing relations between Damascus and other Arab countries.
Some facts about the Arab League
● Formally the League of Arab States, it is a regional organization in the Arab world, which is located
in Northern Africa, Western Africa, Eastern Africa, and Western Asia.
● The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with six members: Egypt, Iraq,
Transjordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
● The official headquarters of the League was the Boustan Palace in Cairo.
● A common market was established in 1965.
● Currently, the League has 22 members.
● The Charter of the Arab League, also known as the Pact of the League of Arab States, is the founding treaty
of the Arab League was adopted in 1945,
● 22 member states: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,
Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United
Arab Emirates and Yemen. (Iran – NOT a Member)
● 5 observer states: Armenia, Brazil, Eritrea, India and Venezuela.
Cape Town Convention
● The Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment was concluded in Cape Town on
16th November 2001, as was the Protocol on Matters Specific to Aircraft Equipment.
● The Convention and the Protocol, were adopted under the joint auspices of the International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO) and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT).
● ICAO is a United Nations (UN) specialized agency, established in 1944, which laid the foundation for the
standards and procedures for peaceful global air navigation. India is a member.
● Objective: To resolve the problem of obtaining certain and opposable rights to high-value aviation assets,
namely airframes, aircraft engines and helicopters which, by their nature, have no fixed location.
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 ● This problem arises primarily from the fact that legal systems have different approaches to lease
agreements, which creates uncertainty for lending institutions regarding the efficacy of their rights.
● This hampers the provision of financing for such aviation assets and increases the borrowing cost.
Some facts about UNIDROIT
● The International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) is an independent
intergovernmental Organization with its seat in the Villa Aldobrandini in Rome.
● Its purpose is to study needs and methods for modernizing, harmonizing and coordinating private and in
particular commercial law as between States and groups of States and to formulate uniform law instruments,
principles and rules to achieve those objectives.
● It was established in 1926 as part of the League of Nations.
● It was re-established in 1940 following the League’s dissolution through a multilateral agreement, the
UNIDROIT Statute.
● It has 63 member countries, with India as a partner.
Laws of the war
What does international humanitarian law say:
● Under international humanitarian law, hospitals receive special protections during war, but these
protections may be lost if combatants use the premises for military purposes.
● In such cases, warnings must be given before attacks to allow the safe evacuation of patients and medical
workers, according to the ICRC.
● Even if Israel proves al-Shifa is used by Hamas, the principles of international law require steps to protect
the innocent before any attack is authorized.
What are the laws of war:
● Two fundamental aspects of international law govern conflicts.
o Jus ad Bellum: This aspect of international law addresses the conditions and justifications for
countries to use force in their international relations. It is regulated by the United Nations (UN)
Charter.
o Jus in Bello: Jus in bello concerns the rules that dictate how a war is to be fought, specifying what
military actions are permissible. Even if a country is justified under the UN Charter to use force, it
must adhere to these rules.
● This law of war, known as international humanitarian law (IHL), outlined in customary international law,
the 1949 Geneva Conventions, and the 1977 Additional Protocols, prescribes rules to protect civilians and
minimize suffering during armed conflicts. Regardless of the justness of their cause, warring parties must
abide by IHL.
What are the Geneva Conventions (1949):
● The Geneva Conventions, established in 1949 along with their Additional Protocols, represent crucial
international agreements that set forth fundamental regulations to mitigate the cruelty of armed conflict.
● These conventions provide safeguards for non-combatants i.e. civilians, medical personnel, humanitarian
workers and individuals who are no longer able to participate in combat i.e. injured, sick, and shipwrecked
military personnel, as well as prisoners of war.
● The First Geneva Convention protects wounded and sick soldiers on land during war.
● The Second Geneva Convention protects wounded, sick and shipwrecked military personnel at sea during
war.
● The Third Geneva Convention applies to prisoners of war, including a wide range of general protections
such as humane treatment, maintenance and equality across prisoners, conditions of captivity,
questioning and evacuation of prisoners, transit camps, food, clothing, medicines, hygiene and right to
religious, intellectual, and physical activities of prisoners.
● The Fourth Geneva Convention protects civilians, including those in occupied territory. The other Geneva
Conventions were concerned mainly with combatants rather than civilians.
● Two Protocols of 1977: Additional to the four 1949 Geneva Conventions were adopted in 1977. They
strengthen the protection of victims of international (Protocol I) and non-international (Protocol II)
armed conflicts and place limits on the way wars are fought.

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 ● In 2005, a third Additional Protocol was adopted creating an additional emblem, the Red Crystal, which
has the same international status as the Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems.
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,1961
What is Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations:
● The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations was adopted in 1961 by the United Nations Conference on
Diplomatic Intercourse and Immunities held in Vienna, Austria.
● It came into force on April 24, 1964 and is nearly universally ratified, with Palau and South Sudan being
the exceptions.
● It provides a complete framework for the establishment, maintenance and termination of diplomatic
relations on a basis of consent between independent sovereign States.
● The Vienna Convention applies not only to diplomats but also to both military and civilian personnel from
the military departments, who are present in the country under the authority of the chief of the diplomatic
mission.
● It explains the functions of a diplomatic mission, including representing the State, protecting the State,
promoting friendly relations between the sending and receiving State.
● The security of any High Commission or Embassy is the responsibility of the host nation.
● While diplomatic missions can also employ their own security, ultimately, the host nation is accountable
for security.
● The Convention codifies the longstanding custom of diplomatic immunity.
● Under this, the diplomatic missions are granted privileges that enable diplomats to perform their functions
without fear of coercion or harassment by the host country.
What is Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations:
● It deals with the size of the diplomatic mission
● In the absence of specific agreement as to the size of the mission, the receiving State may require that the size
of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to
circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of the particular mission.
What are the other key provisions of Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations:
● As per the Vienna Convention, a “receiving State” refers to the host nation where a diplomatic mission is
located.
● Article 9: The host State can prohibit a member of the Sending state (persona non grata) from entering
or remaining in the host State. The host State can expel the envoys. This person could be the head of
mission, member of the diplomatic staff, or any other member of the mission.
● Article 22: It confirms the inviolability of mission premises.
o It bars the enforcement officers of the host State from searching the premises of the diplomatic
mission and seizing its property or documents.
o Diplomatic bags may not be opened or detained.
o The host State has a special duty to protect the premises of the diplomatic mission against intrusion,
damage, disturbance of the peace or infringement of dignity.
● Article 27: The host State shall permit and protect free communication of the mission for official purposes.
● Article 29: Diplomatic members are not subject to any form of detention or arrest.
● Article 31: Diplomats are exempt from the criminal, civil and administrative jurisdiction of the host State.
It is possible for the diplomat’s home country to waive immunity but this can happen only when the
individual has committed a ‘serious crime’.
● Article 34: Sets out the tax exemption accorded to diplomats along with detailed exceptions in respect of
matters unrelated to their official duties or to ordinary life in the receiving State.
● Article 36 :Provides for exemption from customs duties on diplomatic imports throughout a diplomat’s
posting.
● Article 38 : It bars from all privileges and immunities, except for immunity for their official acts, nationals,
and permanent residents of the receiving State.
India and Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

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 ● India acceded to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations in 1965.
● India has enacted the Diplomatic Relations (Vienna Convention) Act, 1972 to give effect to the Vienna
Convention.
‘Gender in physics’ meet in Mumbai
Why in news:
● The eighth edition of the International Conference on Women In Physics (ICWIP) will be the first to be
organized in India when it happens next week on July 10-14.
Some facts about ICWIP 2023
● The conference is an event of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.
● It was first held in 2002 in France, to address the gender imbalance in physics education and research
worldwide.
● The Gender in Physics Working Group of the Indian Physics Association and the Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, are organizing it together. The conference will be virtual and will
be hosted by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, a National Centre of TIFR in Mumbai.
Some facts about International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
● The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics is an international non-governmental organization
whose mission is to assist in the worldwide development of physics, to foster international cooperation in
physics, and to help in the application of physics toward solving problems of concern to humanity.
● It was established in 1922 and the first General Assembly was held in 1923 in Paris.
● The Union is domiciled in Geneva, Switzerland.
● IUPAP is a member of the International Science Council.
Nuclear liability law
Law governing nuclear liability in India
● Laws on civil nuclear liability ensure that compensation is available to the victims for nuclear damage
caused by a nuclear incident or disaster and set out who will be liable for those damages.
● The international nuclear liability regime consists of multiple treaties and was strengthened after the 1986
Chernobyl nuclear accident.
● The umbrella Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) was adopted in 1997 with the aim of
establishing a minimum national compensation amount.
● India is a signatory to the CSC.
The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act:
● To keep in line with the international convention, India enacted the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act
(CLNDA) in 2010, to put in place a speedy compensation mechanism for victims of a nuclear accident.
● The CLNDA provides for strict and no-fault liability on the operator of the nuclear plant, where it will
be held liable for damage regardless of any fault on its part.
● It also specifies the amount the operator will have to shell out in case of damage caused by an accident at
₹1,500 crore and requires the operator to cover liability through insurance or other financial security.
● In case the damage claims exceed ₹1,500 crore, the CLNDA expects the government to step in and has
limited the government liability amount to the rupee equivalent of 300 million Special Drawing Rights
(SDRs) or about ₹2,100 to ₹2,300 crore.
● The Act also specifies the limitations on the amount and time when action for compensation can be brought
against the operator.
Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963
Some facts about the Agreement on Consular Access
● In 2008, India and Pakistan signed the Agreement on Consular Access.
● Section 4 of the agreement states that the governments of both nations would provide consular access. This
has to be provided within three months to citizens of another country, under arrest, detention, or imprisonment
in the other country.
● Section 5 of the agreement provides that within one month of confirmation of the national status and
completion of sentences both governments should release and return people.
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Some facts about the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963.
● The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations is an international treaty that defines consular relations
between independent states.
● A consul, (who is not a diplomat) is a representative of a foreign state in a host country, who works for the
interests of his countrymen.
● Article 36 of the Vienna Convention states that foreign nationals who are arrested or detained in the host
country must be given notice without delay of their right to have their embassy or consulate notified of that
arrest.
● If the detained foreign national so requests, the police must fax that notice to the embassy or consulate,
which can then verify the person.
● The notice to the consulate can be as simple as a fax, giving the person’s name, the place of arrest, and, if
possible, something about the reason for the arrest or detention.
Some key provisions of the convention:
● Article 5 outlines thirteen functions of a consul, including protecting the interests of the sending State and
its nationals, assisting nationals, and promoting relations between the sending and receiving States.
● Article 23 allows the host nation to declare a consular staff member persona non grata at any time, with
the sending state required to recall the individual promptly, or they may lose consular immunity.
● Article 31 establishes the inviolability of consular premises, prohibiting the host nation from entering or
damaging the premises.
● Article 35 safeguards freedom of communication between the consul and their home country, ensuring
that consular bags are not opened or detained, and consular couriers are not detained.
● Article 36 addresses communication between consular officers and nationals of the sending state, granting
consular officers the right to communicate with and visit nationals who are arrested or detained.
● Article 37 mandates prompt notification to consular officers if a sending state’s national dies, has a guardian
appointed, or if a vessel or aircraft of the sending state is involved in an incident in the receiving state.
● Article 40 requires the receiving state to treat consular officers with respect and prevent any attack on their
person, freedom, or dignity.
● Articles 58-68 cover honorary consular officers, detailing their powers and functions
Persona non grata
Some facts about Persona non grata
● In literal terms, the phrase is Latin for “an unwelcome person.”
● The term in a diplomatic sense refers to a foreign person whose entering or remaining in a certain country
is prohibited by that country.
● The designation received diplomatic meaning at the 1961 Vienna Convention for Diplomatic Relations.
● Under Article 9 of the treaty, a country can declare any member of a diplomatic staff persona non
grata “at any time and without having to explain its decision.”
● The persona non grata declaration is the most damning form of censure a country can bestow on foreign
diplomats considering they are protected from arrests and other forms of prosecution under diplomatic
immunity.
● A person declared as such can be recalled from a diplomatic mission or have their functions with the
mission terminated. If the declared person is not recalled, the country can refuse to recognize the person as
part of the mission.
● Persona non grata can also apply to people who have yet to enter a country.
White Phosphorus bomb
Why in news:
1. Israel used White Phosphorus bomb in Israel
What is White Phosphorus:
● White phosphorus munitions are weapons that use one of the common allotropes of the chemical element
phosphorus.

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 ● White phosphorus is pyrophoric i.e it is ignited by contact with air, burns fiercely, and can ignite cloth,
fuel, ammunition, and other combustibles. Apart from this, it is also used in smoke, illumination, and
burning elements of tracer ammunition.
● In addition to its offensive capabilities, white phosphorus is a highly efficient smoke-producing agent,
reacting with air to produce an immediate blanket of phosphorus pentoxide vapour.
● In addition to direct injuries caused by fragments of their casings, white phosphorus munitions can cause
injuries in two main ways: burn injuries and vapour inhalation.
Is White Phosphorus an incendiary or chemical weapon:
● The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is an intergovernmental organization
and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, has not listed White Phosphorus in any
of the three Schedules of Chemical Weapons.
● However, the United Nations considers it as an incendiary chemical.
● In 1972, the United Nations labeled incendiary weapons, including white phosphorus, as instruments
causing horrific and indiscriminate harm, leading to resolutions condemning their use.
● The 1980 international agreement established Protocol III, restricting the use of incendiary weapons that
cause excessive harm to civilians and their property.
What is the general regulations of Protocol III on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons:
● Protocol III specifically mentions it is not applicable on munitions that are illuminants, tracers, smoke or
signaling systems thus making it confusing for many if the use of White Phosphorus can be considered a
war crime or not.
● Protocol III specifically does not ban the use of White Phosphorous in military action. It only restricts its
use near the civilian population.
What is Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW):
● It is an international organization established by the Chemical Weapons Convention, 1997 to implement
and enforce the terms of the non-proliferation treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling or transfer of
chemical weapons by signatory states.
● The headquarter of OPCW is in the Hague, Netherlands
● By the 2001 Relationship Agreement between the OPCW and the United Nations, the OPCW reports on
its inspections and other activities to the UN through the office of the Secretary-General.
● The OPCW is authorized to perform inspections to verify that signatory states are complying with the
convention.
● The organization was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize “for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical
weapons”.
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
Why in news:
1. Russia passes law to withdraw from ratification of nuclear test ban treaty
What is Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT):
● The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) prohibits nuclear test explosions worldwide.
● It was introduced in September 1996,signed by 187 nations, and ratified by 178.
● However, for it to take full effect, 44 specific nations must ratify it, with eight, including India, China,
Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran, Egypt, and the United States, yet to do so.
● The CTBT establishes a global monitoring network and allows on-site inspections for compliance.
● Since its introduction, nuclear testing has become widely discouraged, with even non-ratifying states like
India, Israel, and Pakistan observing moratoriums on nuclear testing.
● While Russia ratified the agreement in 2000, the US is still to do so
How did CTBT come into Being:
● Between 1945 and 1996, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were carried out — 1,032 of them by the United
States and 715 of them by the Soviet Union, according to the UN.
● Britain carried out 45 tests, France 210 and China 45.

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 ● The radioactive fallout from those tests drew criticism from around the globe. The international community’s
concern about the effects on health and the environment continued to grow.
● As a result, several attempts to curb the explosive tests were made.
● The 1963 Limited Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (LTBT) was one of the first such attempts. It prohibited
nuclear testing in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater, but underground tests were still
permitted.
● A major breakthrough only came after the Cold War ended around 1990 and the disintegration of the Soviet
Union.
● As the geopolitical tensions simmered down, the UN took advantage of the situation and adopted the CTBT,
which put a blanket ban on the explosive testing of nuclear weapons.
Why has India Refused to Sign the CTBT:
● India's interest in a nuclear test ban dates back to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's 1954 call for a halt in
nuclear testing between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
● However, this was thwarted due to verification concerns.
● India's stance on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is driven by national security interests,
viewing nuclear weapons as a deterrent.
● Signing the CTBT, it believes, would limit its strategic autonomy and ability to test, while prioritizing
equitable global disarmament and national security.
The UN Refugee Convention 1951
Why in news:
1. Afghans heads to Pakistan border as deportation deadline loom:
What is The UN Refugee Convention 1951:
● The UN Refugee Convention is a United Nations treaty that defines the status of refugees and outlines their
rights, as well as the obligations of nations that provide asylum.
● The 1951 UN Refugee Convention grants specific rights to individuals who are escaping persecution based
on factors like race, religion, nationality, social group affiliation, or political opinion.
● The Convention also specifies criteria for excluding certain individuals from refugee status, such as those
involved in war crimes.
● It includes provisions for visa-free travel for individuals holding travel documents issued under the
convention.
● The Convention is based on Article 14 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which
recognizes the right of people to seek asylum in other countries when facing persecution.
● Refugees may enjoy additional rights and benefits in a host country beyond what the Convention prescribes.
● The 1967 Protocol expanded the scope of the convention to include refugees from all regions, whereas the
1951 Convention initially covered only European refugees.
● Both the 1951 UN Convention and the 1967 Protocol remain the foundation of refugee protection, with
their provisions remaining as relevant today as when they were initially formulated.
● India is not a signatory to this convention.
General Comment No. 26
Why in news:
● The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child calls on states to take action in first guidance on children's
rights and the environment, with a focus on climate change.
Some facts about the UN Convention on Rights of the Child:
● Created in 1989
● Ratified by 196 states.
● It outlines universal children’s rights such as the right to life, survival and development, and the right to health.
● A General Comment provides legal guidance on what these rights imply for a specific topic or area of
legislation.
Some facts about the General Comment No.26:

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 ● The now published “General Comment No. 26” on children’s rights and the environment with a special
focus on climate change”, explicitly addresses the climate emergency, the collapse of biodiversity and
pervasive pollution, outlining countermeasures to protect the lives and life perspectives of children.
● With its General Comment No. 26, the Committee on the Rights of the Child not only echoes and amplifies
children’s voices, but also clearly defines the rights of children in relation to the environment that States
Parties should respect, protect and fulfill, collectively and urgently.
● Key points of the General Comment No. 26:
o General Comment No. 26 specifies that States are responsible not only for protecting children’s
rights from immediate harm, but also for foreseeable violations of their rights in the future due to
States’ acts — or failure to act — today.
o It underlines that States can be held accountable not only for environmental harm occurring within
their borders, but also for the harmful impacts of environmental damage and climate change beyond
their borders.
o Particular attention is to be paid to disproportionate harm faced by children in disadvantaged situations.
o Children's views must be considered in environmental decision-making and stresses the critical
role of environmental education in preparing children to take action, advocate, and protect themselves
from environmental harm.
G20 Global south
What is Global South:
● The Global South is a term often used to identify the regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
● The term “Global South” was first coined by a social activist Carl Oglesby in 1969.
● It is an analogous term to "Third World" and "Periphery" that denote regions outside Europe and North
America, mostly low-income and often politically or culturally marginalized countries.
● Countries of the Global South have been described as newly industrialized or in the process of
industrializing, and are frequently current or former subjects of colonialism.
● As such, the term does not refer to geographical south; for example, most of the Global South is
geographically within the Northern Hemisphere.
PravasiBharatiya Divas 2023
Section :Awards
● External affairs minister S Jaishankar inaugurated the Youth Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023 in Indore,
Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday and said that the energies of young India are increasingly visible.
● The theme of this PBD Convention is “Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal”
Some facts about PravasiBharatiya Divas (PBD)
● PravasiBharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the contribution of the
Overseas Indian community in the development of India.
● 9th January was chosen as the day to celebrate PBD since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi,
the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa,
● This day came into effect in 2003, but in 2015 it was revised and was decided to be celebrated every two
years.
● PBD Conventions are held once every two years.
WHO Launches Global Network to Detect Infectious Disease Threat
Some facts about International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN):
● The International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) is a global network of pathogen genomic actors.
● It is hosted by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence.
● Its aim isto accelerate progress on the deployment of pathogen genomics and improve public health
decision-making.
● By strengthening the pathogen genomic surveillance ecosystem, the IPSN enables faster detection of new
pathogens and the enhanced tracking of the spread and evolution of diseases.
Russia suspends New START treaty
Some facts about the New START Treaty
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 ● The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) pact limits the number of deployed nuclear
warheads, missiles and bombers and is due to expire in 2021 unless renewed.
● The treaty limits the US and Russia to a maximum of 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed
missiles and bombers, well below Cold War caps.
● It was signed in 2010 by former US President Barack Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
● It entered into force on 5th February, 2011.
● It is one of the key controls on the superpower deployment of nuclear weapons.
● Its duration was for ten years that is till 2021, but it was extended by five more years till 2026.
What limits did the New START impose on the two countries?
● 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles
(SLBMs), and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments;
● 1,550 nuclear warheads on deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs, and deployed heavy bombers equipped for
nuclear armaments (each such heavy bomber is counted as one warhead toward this limit);
● 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear
armaments.
How is compliance with the treaty ensured?
● Detailed procedures for the implementation and verification of the central limits, and all treaty obligations, are
part of the treaty terms.
● The treaty provides for 18 on-site inspections per year for US and Russian inspection teams.
Compliance status
● Both countries met the limits spelled out in the treaty by February 2018 and appear to have remained at or
below them since then.
● However, regular inspections mandated by the agreement have not been held for the past three years —
initially because of the coronavirus pandemic, and later because relations soured after Russia invaded Ukraine.
M1 Abrams tank
Why in news:
1. U.S. and Germany sending tanks to Ukraine
Some facts about M1 Abrams tank
● The M1 Abrams tank is among the most powerful ground weapons in the U.S. arsenal, able to close in on
enemy tanks, troop positions and other targets, blast them with its cannon and machine guns, and then speed
away.
● The M1 Abrams entered service in 1980 and serves as the main battle tank of the United States Army and
formerly of the United States Marine Corps (USMC).
● The export version is used by the armies of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Iraq.
● There are three main operational Abrams versions, the M1, M1A1, and M1A2, with each new iteration
seeing improvements in armament, protection, and electronics.
● The Abrams was first used in combat in the Persian Gulf War and has seen combat in both the War in
Afghanistan and Iraq War under U.S. service,
Patriot Missiles
Some facts about Patriot system:
● The Patriot is one of the most sought-after defence systems and has been deployed in 18 countries,
including the U.S.
● The Patriot is a surface-to-air guided missile system that was first deployed in the 1980s.
● Currently, Patriot batteries can defend against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, jets and “other
threats”, but it doesn’t offer protection against low-flying small drones.
● A mobile Patriot system includes a control centre, a radar station to detect threats, missile launchers to take
out those threats and other support vehicles.
● It can launch different types of interceptor missiles: The older PAC-1 and PAC-2 interceptors used a blast-
fragmentation warhead, while the newer PAC-3 missile has a more advanced hit-to-kill technology.

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 ● The Patriot system’s radar has a range of over 150 km and it can track over 50 potential targets at the
same time.

Ex Dharma Guardian
Some facts about Exercise Dharma Guardian:
● It is a joint military training.
● It provides a unique opportunity of achieving synergy between Armed Forces of both the Nations which is
focused towards strengthening the timeless bonds of India – Japan friendship.
● To promote military cooperation between India and Japan, the first edition of the Dharma Guardian was held
at Counter Insurgency Warfare School of the Indian Army at Vairengte in November 2018.
Exercise Cobra Warrior
Some facts about the exercise:
● The Exercise Cobra Warrior is a multilateral Air exercise in which Air Forces from Finland, Sweden,
South Africa, the United States of America and Singapore would also be participating.
● The exercise aims to participate in fighter aircraft engagements and learn from the best practices of various Air
Forces.
Exercise Mosi II
Some facts about the exercise:
● Exercise Mosi II is a tri-nation naval exercise between Russia, China and South Africa.
● The 2023 edition is being held in Durban and Richards Bay, South Africa (Indian Ocean coast) from 17
February.
● The first edition took place off Cape Town in the southwest of South Africa in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean
in November 2019.
Some facts about the Zircon hypersonic missiles
● Zircon is a Hypersonic Cruise Missile developed by Russia.
● It has been called as one of the invincible missiles by the Russian President.
● The missile flies with an advanced fuel that the Russians say gives it a range of up to 1,000 kilometers.
● The missile speed is also so fast that the air pressure in front of the weapon forms a plasma cloud as it
moves, absorbing radio waves and making it practically invisible to active radar systems.
Indus Shield 2023
More about the news:
● The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched Indus Shield 2023, a 14-nation exercise, at one of its operational bases
in the country.
● The countries participating in the exercise are Azerbaijan, Bahrain, China, Egypt, Germany, Hungary,
Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the UAE, and
Uzbekistan.
Exercise MILAN:
● Exercise Milan is a biennial multilateral naval exercise which began in 1995. It is the largest naval exercise
conducted by India.
● The next edition of Exercise MILAN is scheduled to be held in February 2024 and is expected to see the
participation of over 50 countries.
● The last edition was held at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
The Donkey Route
What is Donkey Route:
● The "donkey route" to the United States involves migrants traveling through Latin American countries
to reach the US border.
● The journey often starts in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, or Guyana, where Indian citizens can obtain
visas easily.
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 ● The route includes crossing the dangerous Darién Gap, a forested area between Colombia and Panama,
facing risks such as lack of clean water, wildlife, and criminal gangs.
● From Panama, migrants are often routed through Guatemala to enter Mexico and eventually reach the
US border, facing challenges like jumping fences and crossing the Rio Grande river.
Henry Kissinger
Some facts about Henry Kissinger:
● Heinz Alfred Kissinger, born in Germany in 1923 and later known as Henry Kissinger, moved to the United
States in 1938 to escape the Nazi regime's persecution of Jews.
● After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he attended Harvard University on a scholarship,
eventually earning a doctorate and staying on as a faculty member for 17 years.
● Kissinger, an influential figure in U.S. diplomacy, worked as a consultant to government agencies, acting
as an intermediary for the State Department with North Vietnam in 1967.
● With connections to President Lyndon Johnson's administration, he facilitated communication about peace
negotiations to the Nixon camp.
● Nixon appointed him national security adviser in 1968.
● In 1973, Kissinger, serving as both national security adviser and secretary of state, engaged in shuttle
diplomacy to ease tensions in the Arab-Israeli conflict, leading to a disengagement agreement between
Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights.
● In an effort to counter Soviet influence, Kissinger initiated diplomatic relations with China, culminating in
President Nixon's historic summit with Chairman Mao Zedong in 1972.
● He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for his efforts to bring peace to Vietnam.
Sparking Disability Inclusive Rural Transformation (SPARK) project
Some facts about SPARK
● It is being implemented by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and ILO in
collaboration with the Women’s Development Corporation in Maharashtra.
● Individuals with disabilities will take the lead in the project, becoming Disability Inclusion Facilitators
(DIFs).
● These DIFs will then engage with the community, persons with disabilities, caregivers, women from self-
help groups, and other stakeholders.
Some facts about International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
● The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial
institution and a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating poverty
and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.
● It was created in 1977, which is the outcome of the World Food Conference of 1974.
● It's headquarter is in Rome (Italy)
● It has more than 150 members of which India is also one among them.
1M1B Activate Impact Summit
More about it:
● The 1M1B Activate Impact Summit, organized by the Department of Global Communications in
collaboration with the NGO 1M1B and supported by the Civil Society Unit, DGC, is an annual event
highlighting young changemakers driving impactful initiatives aligned with the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
● In its 7th edition, the Summit features 45 young SDG champions presenting Rocket Pitches, engaging in
Slam Poetry, and participating in discussions covering Technology for Social Impact, Community and
Inclusivity, and Sustainability & Climate Action.
● The event aims to inspire global youth to actively contribute to the SDGs.
● Additionally, the summit gathers insights for the Summit of the Future 2024, focusing on AI, cyber safety,
climate action, and inclusive technologies.
Colombo Security Conclave
Some facts about Colombo Security Conclave
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 ● The Colombo Security Conclave is a regional security grouping.
● It was initially formed in 2011 as a trilateral Indian Ocean maritime security grouping of India, Sri Lanka
and the Maldives.
● It was revived again in 2021. The Colombo Security Conclave has since expanded both its membership as well
as scope.
● Colombo Security Conclave envisages sharing intelligence and collaborating on the security aspects of
marine security, human trafficking, counter-terrorism, and cyber security.
● The fifth edition saw the induction of Mauritius as a new member and the scope of the conclave was expanded
to include humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
What are some Other Security Dialogues:
1. Quadrilateral Security Dialogue(QUAD)
2. Raisina Security Dialogue
3. India-EU Maritime Security Dialogue
4. India's 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
Migrations
Why in news:
1. Migrants March in Mexico
2. UN Convention for Asylum Seekers
Some details about the Migrants March:
● A large migrant caravan, consisting of people from Central America, Venezuela, Cuba, and other
countries, is making its way through Mexico towards the US border.
● The caravan, comprising around 6,000 individuals, signals challenges in the joint efforts by the Biden
administration and the Mexican government to control the influx of migrants.
● Departing from Tapachula, near Mexico's southern border, the caravan includes many families with
children.
● Migrants in Mexico are entitled to health care, but many aren’t receiving it. The country’s Comprehensive
Health Care Plan for the Migrant Population guarantees health care for the migrant population but has
not been fully funded nor implemented.
Some facts about Mexico:
● Mexico is a country in the southern portion of North America.
● It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the
southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico.
● Mexico City is the capital of Mexico
Some facts about UN Convention for Asylum Seekers:
● Article 14: Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 recognizes the right of persons
to seek asylum from persecution in other countries.
Some facts about Refugee Convention 1951 and 1967 Protocol:
● Principal of Non Refoulement: The foundational principle of international law is non-refoulement, which
holds that a refugee must not be returned to a country where they would suffer severe threats to their life or
freedom.
● Adoption: The United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees was adopted in 1951, and is
the centerpiece of international refugee protection today.
● India perspective: India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, the key legal
documents pertaining to refugee protection.
Senegal’s pink lake is on the verge of disappearing
Some facts about Lake Retba:
● Lake Retba, also known as Lac Rose, is situated approximately 35km from Dakar, Senegal, and is famous
for the pink colour of its waters.
● It lies north of the Cap Vert peninsula.

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 ● The lake, 6.5 meters below sea level, is separated from the sea by about 1km of dunes.
● Its water, primarily sourced from the sea, is highly saline and supports only a few microscopic algae and
bacteria.
● The Pink Lake is a major tourist attraction in the Dakar region, but its appeal is declining.
● The pink colouration of Lake Retba's water is due to the presence of the halophilic green algae Dunaliella
salina, which thrives in salty environments.
●
● Additionally, the lake is a site for artisanal salt mining,
Exercise Desert Knight
Some facts about Exercise Desert Knight
● India, UAE, and France conducted the Desert Knight exercise over the Arabian Sea.
● The main focus of the Desert Knight exercise was on enhancing synergy and interoperability among the
three air forces.
● It was a large force engagement roughly equidistant from the coastlines of India and the UAE.
Other Defence Exercises between India and France:
● Varuna – Naval exercise
● Garuda – Air exercise
● Shakti – Army exercise.
Defense exercise between Indian and UAE:
● Desert cyclone - Military exercise
● The first edition of the India-UAE military exercise aims to enhance interoperability through exchanging
knowledge and sharing best practices in military operations.
Maiden embarkation of scientists from Indian Ocean Countries onboard Antarctic expedition
More on news:
● Two scientists from Mauritius and one scientist from Bangladesh boarded the vessel at Cape town on 20
Dec 2023 to participate in the 43rd Antarctic expedition of India led by National Centre for Polar and Ocean
Research, Goa.
● This participation of scientists from neighboring countries is an outcome of the CSC Oceanographers and
Hydrographers conference held at Goa and Hyderabad in November 2022.
● The scientists from CSC nations had embarked onboard 'Sagar Nidhi' for a month-long scientific expedition
in the Indian Ocean Region in June 2023.
● These scientists will participate in the Antarctic expedition for a period of 3-4 months.
● They will undertake collaborative research in various disciplines pertaining to polar science and understand
the nuances of Polar logistics as well as challenges of the Polar environment.
UN’s Genocide Convention
● First treaty: The UN Genocide Convention is the first human rights treaty.
● Adoption: It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948
● Definition: Genocide means any acts committed with intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious
group which includes
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical
destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group
● Action: Any Contracting Party may move to the competent organs of the United Nations to take action
under the Charter of the United Nations.
● Ratification: The Genocide Convention has been ratified or acceded to by 153 States(as of April 2022)
● About India: India had participated in the formulation of Genocide Convention and ratified it in August 1959.
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 ● International Day:9 December is adopted as “International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the
Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime” marks the adoption of the Genocide
Convention.
Djibouti Code of Conduct:
Why in news:
● Indian Navy thwarts hijacking attempt in Arabian Sea
More about the news:
● Indian warship INS Chennai and its marine commandos thwarted the attempted hijack of a Liberia-flagged
merchant vessel ‘Lila Norfolk’.
Some facts about Maritime Piracy
● As per the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), maritime piracy is when people on a private
boat or ship commit crimes like kidnapping, violence, or robbery for personal gain.
● UNCLOS is an international treaty which was adopted and signed in 1982 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
● It lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas establishing rules
governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.
● This happens on the open sea and is targeted at another vessel or its people and property.
Various Steps taken by India
● Operational steps
o The Indian government has deployed naval ships with armed helicopters to patrol the piracy prone
areas.
o The Indian Navy commenced anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden from October 2008.
o The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships
in Asia (ReCAAP) is a government-to-government agreement that aims to enhance multilateral
cooperation among 16 regional countries.
o The Regional Maritime Security Initiative (RMSI) is a partnership between regional nations with
varying capabilities and capacities.
● Institutions created by India
o The Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) and Information Fusion
Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) are institutions involved in maintaining maritime
security.
o Besides, the Indian Navy also coordinates with the Coast Guard to maintain enhanced surveillance
within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
● Legislative steps
o India enacted the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, 2022 to give effect to arrest and prosecute pirates and
strengthen the fight against piracy.
o Also, the government’s SAGAR (Security and Growth For All in the Region) Doctrine provides a
framework for maritime co-operation in the Indian Ocean region.
What is Djibouti Code of Conduct(DCOC):
● It is also known as the Code of Conduct concerning the Repression of Piracy and Armed Robbery against
Ships in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
● It was adopted on 29th January 2009.
● It was established under the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
● Under the code, the signatories agreed to co-operate to the fullest possible extent in the repression of piracy
and armed robbery against ships.
● Jeddah Amendment: An amendment to DCOC was made in 2017 to cover other illicit maritime activities,
including human trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and to build national and
regional capacity to address wider maritime security issues, as a basis for sustainable development of the
maritime sector.
● Signatories: It has been signed by 20 countries including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives,
Seychelles, Somalia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Jordan,

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 Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates. The
member states are located in areas adjoining the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the east coast of Africa and include
island nations in the Indian Ocean.
● Observers: India, Japan, Norway, the UK and the USA.
Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness for Innovation(CEPI)
Why in news:
● The Serum Institute of India (SII) is joining the CEPI network (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness
Innovations) to enhance vaccine production capabilities in the Global South.
Some facts about Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness for Innovation (CEPI):
● The CEPI is a foundation that takes donations to finance independent research projects to develop vaccines
against emerging infectious diseases (EID).
● It is focused on the WHO’s “blueprint priority" diseases.
● These diseases include the Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the
SARS coronavirus 2 the Nipah virus, the Lassa fever virus, and the Rift Valley fever virus, as well as the
Chikungunya virus and the hypothetical, unknown pathogen “Disease X”.
● CEPI investment also requires “equitable access” to the vaccines during outbreaks.
● CEPI was conceived in 2015 and formally launched in 2017 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos,
Switzerland.
Atlas of Impunity:
Why in news:
1. It is a new report that ranks countries on the basis of how poorly they have performed in terms of not
adhering to the rules or the rule of law.
Some facts about Atlas of Impunity:
● The Atlas of Impunity is a joint effort by David Miliband and his staff and the Chicago Council on
Global Affairs, with analytical support from Eurasia Group's Geostrategy team
● The Atlas of Impunity is a quantitative assessment of this holistic definition of impunity, measured by
independent indicators across five sites in society.
● These dimensions include unaccountable governance, human rights abuse, conflict and violence,
economic exploitation, and environmental degradation.
● The Atlas scores and ranks the level of impunity in 163 countries and provides partial, indicative scoring
for another 34.
● Countries are scored on a scale of 0 to 5, with the countries exhibiting the greatest level of impunity
scoring closer to 5, and the countries with the lowest level of impunity scoring closer to 0.
What is India’s performance in the Atlas of Impunity:

What is the Ranking status:

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