SPR 2023 | INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS & CONVENTIONS IN NEWS

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

• Context:
  • It is the 40th anniversary (2022) of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
  • UNCLOS has allowed unfair benefits to some countries, and has failed to protect the marine environment.
  • Thus, UNCLOS might need an overhaul.
• About:
• UNCLOS, signed in 1982, is an international agreement that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities.
• The convention has been ratified by 168 parties including India, China.
• USA is NOT a party to the convention.
• The framework highlights the importance of enhancing international and regional cooperation to counter threats to maritime safety and security.
• The UNCLOS further promotes safe and secure shipping while ensuring freedom of navigation following applicable international laws.
• UNCLOS contains special provisions for the protection of the marine environment, obligating all States to collaborate in this matter.
• International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an organization established by UNCLOS.
• The UNCLOS prescribes the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has special sovereign rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.
• It stretches from the baseline out to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) from the coast of the sovereign state.
• Similarly, the territorial sea (TS) as per UNCLOS, is an area extending up to 12 nautical miles from the base of a country’s coastline.
• The difference between EEZ and TS is that a state has full sovereignty over the waters encompassed within the TS, whereas concerning the EEZ, the state merely has exclusive sovereign economic rights to substances lying below the surface of the sea.

United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

• Context:
  • The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) has concluded in Montreal, Canada, promising to take urgent action to protect and restore the world’s biodiversity that inhabit this planet.
• About CBD:
  • The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a multilateral treaty and was signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
  • Its objective is to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
  • The convention has three main goals:
    • The conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity)
    • The sustainable use of its components
    • The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources. 
  • It has two supplementary agreements, the Cartagena Protocol and Nagoya Protocol.
  • The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, adopted in 2000, is an international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another. 
  • The Nagoya Protocol adopted in 2010, provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. 
  • At the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, held in Nagoya in 2010, a revised and updated Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, 2011-2020 was agreed and published, which included the “Aichi Biodiversity Targets“, comprising of 20 targets.
• About COP 15:
  • The U.N. biodiversity conference concluded in Canada's Montreal.
  • The first part of COP 15 took place in Kunming, China and reinforced the commitment to address the biodiversity crisis and the Kunming Declaration was adopted by over 100 countries. 
    

    Kunming Declaration: In 2021, the Kunming Declaration was signed by more than 100 countries to ensure the development, adoption, and implementation of an effective post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The theme of the declaration was Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth. China invested about 230 million dollars to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund to support biodiversity protection in the developing countries. The declaration referred to the '30 by 30' target, that would afford 30% of the Earth’s land and oceans protected status by 2030.

  • The 15th CoP adopted the “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” (GBF).
  • GBF includes 4 goals and 23 targets for achievement by 2030.
  • Key Targets of the GBF:
    • 30×30 Deal:
      • Restore 30% degraded ecosystems globally (on land and sea) by 2030.
      • Conserve and manage 30% areas (terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine) by 2030.
    • Stop the extinction of known species, and by 2050 reduce tenfold the extinction risk and rate of all species (including unknown.
    • Reduce risk from pesticides by at least 50% by 2030.
    • Reduce nutrients lost to the environment by at least 50% by 2030.
    • Reduce pollution risks and negative impacts of pollution from all sources by 2030 to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity and ecosystem functions.
    • Reduce global footprint of consumption by 2030, including through significantly reducing overconsumption and waste generation and halving food waste.
    • Sustainably manage areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry and substantially increase agroecology and other biodiversity-friendly practices
    • Tackle climate change through nature-based solutions..
    • Reduce the rate of introduction and establishment of invasive alien species by at least 50% by 2030.
    • Secure the safe, legal and sustainable use and trade of wild species by 2030.
  • Other Major Outcomes of COP15:
    • Money for Nature: Signatories aim to ensure USD200 billion per year is channelled to conservation initiatives, from public and private sources.
    • Big Companies Report Impacts on Biodiversity: The parties agreed to large companies and financial institutions being subject to “requirements” to make disclosures regarding their operations, supply chains and portfolios.
    • Harmful Subsidies: Countries committed to identify subsidies that deplete biodiversity by 2025, and then eliminate, phase out or reform them. They agreed to slash those incentives by at least USD500 billion a year by 2030 and increase incentives that are positive for conservation.
    • Monitoring and reporting progress: All the agreed aims will be supported by processes to monitor progress in the future, in a bid to prevent this agreement meeting the same fate as similar targets that were agreed in Aichi, Japan, in 2010, and never met.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

• Context:
  • The COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt concluded with a historic breakthrough to help vulnerable countries deal with losses and damages from the impacts of climate change.
• About UNFCCC:
  • The UNFCCC entered into force in 1994 and has 197 countries that have ratified the Convention.
  • The ultimate objective of the Convention is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations “at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with the climate system.”
  • Its supreme decision-making body, the Conference of the Parties (COP), meets annually to assess progress in dealing with climate change.
  • The Kyoto Protocol, which was signed in 1997 and ran from 2005 to 2020, was the first implementation of measures under the UNFCCC. 
  • The treaty established different responsibilities for three categories of signatory states. 
  • The developed countries, also called Annex 1 countries, are called upon to adopt national policies and take corresponding measures on the mitigation of climate change by limiting their anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases as well as to report on steps adopted to return individually or jointly to their 1990 emissions levels.
  • Annex II countries include all of the Annex I countries except for those in transition to democracy and market economies. 
    • They are called upon to provide new and additional financial resources to meet the costs incurred by developing countries in complying with their obligation to produce national inventories of their emissions by sources and their removals by sinks for all greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol.
  • The developing countries are then required to submit their inventories to the UNFCCC Secretariat.

• COP27: 
  • COP27 is the 27th annual UN meeting on climate. It is taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh until 18 November 2022.
  • Outcomes of the COP27:
    • The Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan: It emphasised that a global transition to a low-carbon economy will require at least $4-6 trillion in annual spending.
    • Mitigation work programme: This would begin this year and last until 2030. Governments were requested –
      • To revisit and strengthen the 2030 targets in their national climate plans by the end of 2023.
      • To accelerate efforts to phase down unabated coal power and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.
      • To reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) in applicable sectors through increased renewable and low-emission energy.
    • Loss and damage (L&D): COP27 adopted the basic demand of a fund to acknowledge assistance needed for particularly vulnerable developing countries. However, there is no agreement yet on how finance should be provided and where it should come from.

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

• Context:
  • The 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was held from 9th May to 20th May 2022.
• About:
• Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
• It is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference's Agenda 21.
• It has 197 parties, making it near-universal in reach.
• The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.
• The new UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework is the most comprehensive global commitment to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) to restore the productivity of vast expanses of degraded land, improve the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people, and reduce the impacts of drought on vulnerable populations.
• COP15:
  • It was held in Abidjan, a city in Cote d’Ivoire.
  • Theme: Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity.
  • Objective: To bring together stakeholders from governments and the private sector to drive progress towards sustainable management of land.
  • Drought, land restoration, land rights, gender equality, and youth empowerment are the focus areas of COP 15.
  • UNCCD released the Second edition of Global Land Outlook (GLO2), which is being discussed at COP 15. The report observed that around 40% of all ice-free land is degraded.
  • As per the Drought in Numbers, 2022 report released at the COP 15, the frequency and duration of drought are increasing across the world. According to the report, India is one of the severely drought-impacted countries. Around 66% of India suffered a drought during 2020-2022.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

• Context:
  • Universal Children's Day is celebrated on 22 November every year.
• About:
  • It is an international human rights treaty that sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health, and cultural rights of children.
  • The CRC was adopted on November 20, 1989, and entered into force on September 2, 1990.
  • Currently, 193 countries have ratified the CRC, including India.
  • It prohibits the state parties from recruiting children under 15 into the armed forces.
  • In 2000, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child adopted the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
  • While the CRC requires states to refrain from using children under 15 in direct hostilities, the Optional Protocol raises this age to 18.
  • CRC and its Optional Protocol are limited by the signatories’ willingness to comply.
  • Somalia, for example, is a signatory but it hasn’t ratified the convention.

UN Convention against Torture (UNCAT)

• Context:
  • It was frequently in the news due custodial torture related news.
• About:
  • It is an international human rights treaty, that aims to prevent torture and other acts of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment around the world.
  • It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1984 and came into force in 1987.
  • The Convention requires states to take effective measures to prevent torture in any territory under their jurisdiction and forbids states to transport people to any country where there is reason to believe they will be tortured.
  • UNCAT has helped countries abolish and rewrite old colonial laws that mandated hurt and suffering, for example in the treatment of prisoners.
  • It has guided States to update laws and practices that no longer reflect modern law enforcement approaches, or which fail to match realities on the ground.
  • India signed the convention in 1997, but yet to ratify it 
  • Thus, it is one of only five countries that have yet to ratify it, others include Sudan, Brunei, and Haiti.
  • The Committee against Torture (CAT) is a body of human rights experts that monitors the implementation of the Convention by State parties.
  • The Committee is one of eight UN-linked human rights treaty bodies.
  • All state parties are obliged under the Convention to submit regular reports to the CAT on how rights are being implemented. 

United Nations Genocide Convention

• Context:
  • International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is commemorated on December 9 of every year around the world.
• About:
  • It is an international treaty that criminalizes genocide and obligates state parties to enforce its prohibition.
  • It was the first legal instrument to codify genocide as a crime, and the first human rights treaty unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, in 1948.
  • The Convention entered into force in 1951 and has 152 state parties.
  • India is a party to the convention. 
  • The Convention defines genocide as an intentional effort to completely or partially destroy a group based on its nationality, ethnicity, race, or religion.
  • It recognizes several acts as constituting genocide, such as imposing birth control and forcibly transferring children and further criminalizes complicity, attempt, or incitement of its commission.
  • Member states are prohibited from engaging in genocide and obligated to enforce this prohibition even if violative of national sovereignty.
  • All perpetrators are to be tried regardless of whether they are private individuals, public officials, or political leaders with sovereign immunity.

1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees 

• Context:
  • The year 2022 marks the 71st anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, a key international treaty establishing the rights of people forced to flee
• About:
  • UNHCR is the guardian of the 1951 Convention, with a unique mandate under international law to supervise its application and to work with states to protect refugees and find durable solutions.
  • The Refugee Convention builds on Article 14 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the right of persons to seek asylum from persecution in other countries.
  • A refugee may enjoy rights and benefits in a state in addition to those provided for in the Convention.
  • Countries that have ratified the Refugee Convention are obliged to protect refugees that are on their territory following its terms.
  • India is NOT a party to the convention.
  • The Convention and the 1967 Protocol, which broadened the scope of those in need of international protection, clearly spell out who is a refugee and the kind of protection, other assistance, and social rights they are entitled to receive.
  • These twin instruments remain the cornerstone of refugee protection today and have inspired numerous regional treaties and laws, such as the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention in Africa, the 1984 Cartagena Declaration in Latin America, and the EU’s Common European Asylum System.
  • The Convention also sets out which people do not qualify as refugees, such as war criminals.
  • The Convention also provides for some visa-free travel for holders of refugee travel documents issued under the convention.
  • The core principle is non-refoulement, which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom.
  • This is now considered a rule of customary international law. 
  • The principles of the Convention were reaffirmed in 2018 by the Global Compact on Refugees, a blueprint for more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing.
  • Although the Convention is “legally binding,” there is no organization that monitors compliance.
  • The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has supervisory responsibilities but cannot enforce the Convention, and there is no formal mechanism for individuals to file complaints.
  • The Convention specifies that complaints should be referred to the International Court of Justice.

United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements (UNISA)

• Context:
  • The Convention came into force in September 2020.
• About:
  • It is an international agreement regarding the recognition of mediated settlements.
  • It is signed by 53 states, including India.
  • Also known as Singapore Convention on Mediation, this is the first UN treaty to be named after Singapore.
  • Singapore had worked with the UN Commission on International Trade Law, other UN member states, and non-governmental organizations for the Convention.
  • As adoption of the Convention becomes more prevalent globally, it will also strengthen Singapore’s position as an international dispute resolution center and better serve the needs of international businesses that use Singapore as a base for their international commercial transactions.
  • Over the years, Singapore has set up various institutions, including the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, Singapore International Mediation Centre, and Singapore International Commercial Court to provide a full suite of dispute resolution services for international commercial parties to resolve their disputes in Singapore.
  • The convention aims to facilitate international trade by rendering mediation an efficient and entrusted method for resolving disputes, alongside arbitration and litigation.
  • Before the Singapore Convention, an international mediated settlement agreement lacked enforceability in and of itself.
  • With the Convention in force, businesses seeking enforcement of a mediated settlement agreement across borders can do so by applying directly to the courts of countries that have signed and ratified the treaty, instead of having to enforce the settlement agreement as a contract following each country’s domestic process.
  • The harmonized and simplified enforcement framework under the Convention translates to savings in time and legal costs, which is especially important for businesses in times of uncertainty, such as during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC)

• Context:
  • India, as the UNSC president for August 2021, noted the threats to maritime safety and security and called upon the members to consider implementing the 2000 UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
  • All the permanent members of UNSC (US, China, Russia, UK and France) attended the Meet.
• About:
  • Also called the Palermo Convention, it is a multilateral treaty against transnational organized crime.
  • It was adopted by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in 2000, entered into force in 2003, and has 190 parties to it.
  • India signed and ratified the convention.
  • The Convention is further supplemented by three Protocols (Palermo protocols):
    • The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children
    • The Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air
    • The Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components, and Ammunition.
  • The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) acts as custodian of the UNTOC and its protocols.
  • Countries must become parties to the Convention itself before they can become parties to any of the Protocols.
  • States that ratify this instrument commit themselves to take a series of measures against transnational organized crime, including
    • The creation of domestic criminal offenses (participation in an organized criminal group, money laundering, corruption and obstruction of justice)
    • The adoption of new and sweeping frameworks for extradition, mutual legal assistance and law enforcement cooperation
    • The promotion of training and technical assistance for building or upgrading the necessary capacity of national authorities.

62nd Session of UN Social Development Commission

Context: 62nd Session of the UN Social Development Commission was held recently.

About: 

• The UN Commission for Social Development (CSocD) has elected India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj as its chair for the 62nd session.
• The opportunity to chair the 62nd session of CSocD comes at a time when India is leading the G20 and is steering the global agenda through its G20 Presidency.
• In addition, India has undertaken a number of initiatives and policies to advance the social development of its citizens, which might be very advantageous for other nations.
• Theme – “Fostering social development and social justice through social policies to accelerate progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to achieve the overarching goal of poverty eradication”.
•  

UN Commission for Social Development (CSocD):

• CSocD, formerly known as Social Commission, has been in existence since the very inception of the United Nations.
• It advises the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Governments on a wide range of social policy issues and on the social perspective of development.
•  CSocD is a functional commission of the ECOSOC of the UN  CSocD meets annually in New York, usually in February.
• Purpose:
  • Since the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, the CSocD has been the key UN
  • body in charge of the follow-up and implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action.
  • Since 2006, the Commission has taken up key social development themes as part of its follow-up to the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit.
• Membership:
• • Originally 18, membership now stands at 46.
  • Members are elected by ECOSOC based on the equitable geographical distribution for 4-year terms.

UN’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH):

Context:

• Baguette — the staple French bread — was inscribed into the UN’s list of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) on November 30.
• UNESCO, the international body which aims at promoting peace and cooperation among nations through education, arts, sciences and culture, recognized the “Artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread” as a world cultural heritage.

About:

• UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was established in the year 2008.
• UNESCO defines “intangible” as “expressions that have been passed from one generation to another, have evolved in response to their environments and contribute to giving us a sense of identity and continuity…”
• 'Intangible cultural heritage’ includes “oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.”
• It ascribes importance to “the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next,” which necessitates their preservation.
• The document states that the safeguarding of an ICH means ensuring that it “remains an active part of life for today’s generations that they can hand on to tomorrow.”

What are the criteria for the selection?

• There are three criteria for an intangible cultural heritage to be inscribed in the United Nations list.
• The entity must:
  1. be recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their cultural heritage,
  2. be transmitted from generation to generation and be constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history and
  3. provide them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity.

What are India’s intangible cultural symbols on the UNESCO list?

• 2008:
  • Ramlila, the traditional performance of the Ramayana
  • Tradition of Vedic chanting
  • Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre
• 2009: Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas, India
• 2010:
  • Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala
  • Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan
  • Chhau dance
• 2012: Buddhist chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region, Jammu and Kashmir, India
• 2013: Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur
• 2014: Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab, India
• 2016:
  • Nawrouz, Novruz, Nowrouz, Nowrouz, Nawrouz, Nauryz, Nooruz, Nowruz, Navruz, Nevruz, Nowruz, Navruz
  • Yoga
• 2017: Kumbh Mela
• 2021: Durga Puja in Kolkata

Who manages nominations to the UNESCO list in India?

• Sangeet Natak Akademi is the nodal organisation which looks after this function, and files nominations of intangible cultural entities from India, for evaluation by the international body.
• The Ministry of Culture also launches regular schemes, in an attempt to preserve, protect and promote intangible cultural heritage in the country.
• Among them, the “Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India” aims to “professionally” enhance “awareness and interest” in the safeguarding, promotion and propagation of ICH.

Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol

• Context:
  • The Union Cabinet has recently approved the ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer.
• About Kigali amendment:
  • The Kigali Amendment aims to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by curbing both their production and consumption.
  • Though HFCs do not impact the ozone layer, they are powerful greenhouse gases.
  • HFCs are entirely man-made & currently used as replacements for hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which were ozone-depleting gases.
  • The goal of the amendment is to achieve an 80% reduction in HFC consumption by 2047, which will curb a global increase of temperature by up to 0.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
  • Following a massive growth in the use of HFCs, especially in the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector, the parties to the Montreal Protocol reached an agreement at their 28th Meeting of the Parties (MOP) held in 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda, to add HFCs to the list of controlled substances and approved a timeline for their gradual reduction by 80-85% by the late 2040s.
  • India will complete its phase-down in four steps from 2032 onwards with a cumulative reduction of 10% in 2032, 20% in 2037, 30% in 2042, and 80% in 2047.
  • With the Kigali Amendment, the Montreal Protocol will be an even more powerful instrument against global warming.

• About Montreal Protocol:
  • The Montreal Protocol (1987) is one of the world’s most successful environmental treaties, and since its adoption, it has encouraged countries to commit to phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances.
  • The Protocol has been successful in reducing ozone-depleting substances and reactive chlorine and bromine in the stratosphere and as a result, the ozone layer is showing the first signs of recovery.

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

• Context:
  • For the first time, international shipments of plastic waste came under global control this year. That’s because disposable plastic was added to the Basel Convention.
• About:
• The agreement was formulated in 1989 and took effect in 1992, and initially covered toxic, poisonous, explosive, corrosive, flammable, ecotoxic, and infectious wastes.
• It has recently been extended to encompass plastics.
• Even if the Basel Convention is successful in its mission, it will only solve part of the plastics problem, as it doesn’t address the manufacture of plastics or their domestic disposal.
• The Basel Convention does not deal with nuclear waste, which is instead regulated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• Basel Convention doesn’t ban the production, transport, or dumping of waste.
• However, both importing and exporting nations (and any pass-through nations) have to agree in writing in advance on what can be shipped, whether for recycling or disposal.
• Recipient nations can refuse to take waste they deem contaminated.
• Nations are also free to enter into agreements with each other as long as their requirements meet or exceed the convention’s requirements.
• For nearly three decades, the Basel Convention has regulated international transport of hazardous materials, primarily so wealthy companies couldn’t dump their dangerous garbage on less-developed ones.
• The United States is the only major nation not to have fully implemented the treaty.
• The Basel Convention partially addresses one of nine critical planetary boundaries — scientifically estimated limits within which humanity can continue to thrive, but which, if exceeded, could threaten civilization, humanity, and much of life on Earth.
• The novel entities' planetary boundary includes
  • Synthetic organic pollutants
  • Heavy metals
  • Radioactive materials
  • Genetically modified organisms
  • Industrial nanoparticles
  • Plastics
• At present, there is insufficient research to determine whether we are overshooting the novel entities' planetary boundary.

Paris Agreement

• Context:
  • The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  • India has already installed 100 GW of renewable energy, adding that India is the only country among G20 nations that is progressing rapidly to meet its climate goals.
• About:
  • The Paris Agreement is a climate pact adopted by 195 Parties in 2015 to address climate change.
  • It aims at arresting the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and urges the Parties to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
  • It also aims to strengthen countries' ability to deal with the impacts of climate change and support them in their efforts.
  • Before COP 21 in Paris, countries were asked to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC's). 
  • Under the Paris Agreement, India has three quantifiable nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which include
    1. Lowering the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35% compared to 2005 levels by 2030
    2. Increase total cumulative electricity generation from fossil-free energy sources to 40% by 2030
    3. Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons through additional forest and tree cover.
• Updated NDC:
  • The updated NDC seeks to enhance India’s contributions towards achievement of the strengthening of global response to the threat of climate change, as agreed under the Paris Agreement.  Such action will also help India usher in low emissions growth pathways. 
  • It would protect the interests of the country and safeguard its future development needs based on the principles and provisions of the UNFCCC.
  • India at the 26th  session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, expressed to intensify its climate action by presenting to the world five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of India’s climate action.
  • This update to India’s existing NDC translates the ‘Panchamrit’ announced at COP 26 into enhanced climate targets. The update is also a step towards achieving India’s long term goal of reaching net-zero by 2070.
  • Earlier, India submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC on October 2, 2015.
    • The 2015 NDC comprised eight goals;
    • three of these have quantitative targets upto 2030 namely, cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil sources to reach 40%; reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 percent compared to 2005 levels and creation of additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover.
  • As per the updated NDC, India now stands committed to reduce Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, from 2005 level and achieve about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
  • Today’s approval, also takes forward the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of sustainable lifestyles and climate justice to protect the poor and vulnerable from adverse impacts of climate change.
    • The updated NDC reads “To put forward and further propagate a healthy and sustainable way of living based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation, including through a mass movement for ‘LIFE’– ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ as a key to combating climate change”.
    • The decision on enhanced NDCs demonstrates India’s commitment at the highest level for decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions.
  • India’s updated NDC has been prepared after carefully considering our national circumstances and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).
  • India’s updated NDC also reaffirms our commitment to work towards a low carbon emission pathway, while simultaneously endeavoring to achieve sustainable development goals. 
  • The updated NDC also represents the framework for India’s transition to cleaner energy for the period 2021-2030.
    • The updated framework, together with many other initiatives of the Government, including tax concessions and incentives such as Production Linked Incentive scheme for promotion of manufacturing and adoption of renewable energy, will provide an opportunity for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities and enhancing exports.
    • It will lead to an overall increase in green jobs such as in renewable energy, clean energy industries- in automotives, manufacturing of low emissions products like Electric Vehicles and super-efficient appliances, and innovative technologies such as green hydrogen, etc.
  • India’s updated NDC will be implemented over the period 2021-2030 through programs and schemes of relevant Ministries /departments and with due support from States and Union Territories.
    • The Government has launched many schemes and programs to scale up India’s actions on both adaptation and mitigation.
    • Appropriate measures are being taken under these schemes and programs across many sectors, including water, agriculture, forest, energy and enterprise, sustainable mobility and housing, waste management, circular economy and resource efficiency, etc.
  • As a result of the aforesaid measures, India has progressively continued decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The Net Zero target by 2030 by Indian Railways alone will lead to a reduction of emissions by 60 million tonnes annually. Similarly, India’s massive LED bulb campaign is reducing emissions by 40 million tonnes annually.
  • India’s NDC do not bind it to any sector specific mitigation obligation or action. India’s goal is to reduce overall emission intensity and improve energy efficiency of its economy over time and at the same time protecting the vulnerable sectors of economy and segments of our society.

Ramsar convention

• Context:
  • Recently, India has added 11 new wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites taking total tally to 75.
• About:
  • The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
  • It was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
  • Since then, almost 90% of UN member states, from all the world’s geographic regions, have acceded to the treaty to become “Contracting Parties”.
  • The Ramsar list aims to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands, which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes, and benefits.
  • The addition of the four new sites increases the wetland area coverage in India to 1,083,322 hectares.
  • While Haryana recently got its first two Ramsar sites, in the case of Gujarat, it was an addition to an existing Ramsar site since Nalsarovar received its recognition in 2012.

Climate Breakthroughs Summit

• Context:
  • The United Nations made a call for coordinated action to secure global net-zero emissions and fulfill its goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels by 2050. 
• About:
  • It is a collaboration between the World Economic Forum, Mission Possible Partnership, the United Nations Climate Champions, and the United Kingdom Climate Change Conference (COP26) Presidency.
  • It took place virtually in  May  2021.
  • Climate leaders at the summit discussed progress in critical sectors of the global economy, including steel, shipping, green hydrogen as well as nature.
  • One of its key campaigns is the ‘Race to Zero’ campaign that mobilizes the support of 708 cities, 24 regions, 2,360 businesses, 163 investors, and 624 higher education institutions to move towards zero-carbon recovery for a sustainable future.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

• Context:
  • The Environment Ministry’s wildlife division has introduced new rules to regulate the import and export of ‘exotic wildlife species’.
  • Currently, it is the Directorate-General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce, that oversees such trade.
  • Under the new rules, owners and possessors of such animals and birds must also register their stock with the Chief Wildlife Warden of their States.
• About:
• It is an international agreement between governments, whose aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.
• It is also known as the Washington Convention and was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• The convention was opened for signature in 1973 and entered into force in 1975.
• Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties – in other words, they have to implement the Convention – it does not take the place of national laws.
• Rather it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.
• For many years CITES has been among the conservation agreements with the largest membership, with now 183 Parties.

CMS (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species)

• CMS, also known as the Bonn Convention, aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty concluded under the aegis of UNEP, concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale.
• CMS is the only global convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes.
• Indian Government signed the “Raptor MOU” on Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia, with the CMS.  However, the MOU is not legally binding.
• Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) is a unique voluntary public-private coalition of like-minded governments and organizations sharing a common purpose, i.e. focussing public as well as political attention and resources on ending the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products.
• The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP) concluded in Gandhinagar. India hosted the CMS COP for the first time.
• CMS COP 13 adopted the Gandhinagar Declaration, which calls for migratory species and the concept of ‘ecological connectivity’ to be integrated and prioritized in the new framework, which is expected to be adopted at the UN Biodiversity Conference in October.
• The theme of the CMS COP 13 was “Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home”. Mascot for the COP was ‘Gibi- The Great Indian Bustard’

World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS)

• Context:
  • The first World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS) is organized by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) along with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), as the convenor of ISA Global Leadership Task Force on Innovation.
• About:
  • Its focus is on developing new Technologies and Innovations in the field of Solar.
  • The objective of the ISA First World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS) will be to bring the spotlight on state-of-the-art technologies as well as next-generation technologies which will provide impetus to the growth and propagation of Solar Energy globally.
  • The Summit will provide a global platform for stakeholders to engage in innovations in technology that will catapult the world towards a high Solar growth trajectory. 

Note: Please refer to Environment SMP for more information on environment-related conventions/agreements.

India-UK Virtual Summit

• Context:
  • The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met virtually in May 2021.
• About:
  • Both leaders agreed on a common vision of a new and transformational Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the UK and India and adopted an ambitious India-UK Roadmap to 2030 to steer cooperation for the next 10 years.
  • They emphasized the shared commitment to an enhanced partnership in science, education, research, and innovation and look forward to the next ministerial Science and Innovation Council (SIC).
  • They welcomed the signing of the new UK-India MoU on Telecommunications/ICT and the Joint Declaration of Intent on Digital and Technology, a new partnership to support zoonotic research, and the continuation of the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI).
  • They agreed to expand and enhance the existing UK-India vaccines partnership, highlighting the successful collaboration between Oxford University, Astra Zeneca, and the Serum Institute of India on an effective Covid19 vaccine that is ‘developed in the UK’, ‘Made in India’, and ‘distributed globally’.

India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline

Context: Joint Virtual Inauguration of the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline by Prime Ministers of India & Bangladesh.

About: 

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline on 18 March 2023 at 1700 Hrs (IST) via video conference.
• This is the first cross-border energy pipeline between India and Bangladesh, built at an estimated cost of INR 377 crore, of which the Bangladesh portion of the pipeline was built at a cost of approx. INR 285 crore, has been borne by the Government of India under grant assistance.
• The Pipeline has the capacity to transport 1 Million Metric Ton Per Annum (MMTPA) of High-Speed Diesel (HSD). It will supply High-Speed Diesel initially to seven districts in northern Bangladesh.
• The operation of the India- Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline will put in place a sustainable, reliable, cost-effective, and environment-friendly mode of transporting HSD from India to Bangladesh and will further enhance cooperation in energy security between the two countries.
• The IBFPL is a 131.5-kilometre-long oil pipeline connecting Siliguri in North Bengal to Parbatipur in Bangladesh’s Dinajpur province.
• The pipeline is part of energy sector cooperation between the two neighbouring countries through which Bangladesh will import petroleum, especially diesel from India.

India and Maldives – Judicial Cooperation

Context: Recenly, the Union Cabinet approved the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of judicial cooperation, between India and Judicial Service Commission of Maldives.

More on news:

• The MoU will provide a platform to tap benefits of Information Technology for court digitization, and can be a potential growth area for the IT companies and start-ups in both the countries.
• This is the eighth MoU signed between India and other countries in the field of Judicial Cooperation.
• During recent years, the close relationship between India and Maldives has intensified multi-dimensionally.  With the signing of this agreement on cooperation in the field of law and justice, the good relations between the two countries will receive further impetus.  It will not only enable exchange of knowledge and technology in judicial and other legal areas between the two countries but will also further the objectives of “Neighbourhood First” policy. 

India-Maldives Relations:

• India was among the first to recognise the Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country.
• India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links steeped in antiquity and enjoy close, cordial and multi-dimensional relations. Relations between India and Maldives have been traditionally warm. However, during Abdulla Yameen’s presidency (2013-18), bilateral relations frayed, especially with Maldives’ economic and strategic relations with China growing rapidly.

• Despite its small size, the Maldives is currently being wooed by a number of developed and developing countries. Because of the Strategic Importance of the Geographic Location of the Maldives with respect to key International Shipping Lanes (ISLs).
• The Indian Ocean is a key highway for global trade and energy flows. The Maldives is geographically positioned like a ‘toll gate’ between the western Indian Ocean chokepoints of the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Hormuz on the one hand, and the eastern Indian Ocean chokepoint of the Strait of Malacca on the other.
• It is extremely important for India’s strength in the blue economy through sustainable management and utilisation of marine resources.
• Maldives is important for political stability and security in the Indian Ocean Neighbourhood and the protection of Indian trade and investment.
• They have a clear responsibility in maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean. India to see Maldives supporting the Pacific strategy of the Quad — a strategic arrangement between India, US, Japan and Australia.
• India being a net provider of security, is also our responsibility to maintain peace and security in the region. So these two are complementary approaches that India is working on.
• It is key that Male treats India as the “first among equals” when it comes to China. When Solih came to power, he categorically said India First policy is my foreign policy.
• In 2016, an Action Plan between India and the Maldives was signed for ‘defence cooperation’ to enhance the “shared strategic and security interests of the two countries in the Indian Ocean region”.
• This potential must be realised through imaginative foreign policy and maritime-security initiatives. While the recent ‘India-First Policy’ of the Maldives and India’s ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ are intuitively complementary, the challenge lies in implementing these policies with cultural, geo-economics, and geostrategic sensitivity.

India-US Commercial Dialogue 2023

Context: India-US bilateral Commercial Dialogue 2023 was co-chaired by India’s Union Commerce and Industry Minister and US Secretary of Commerce.

About: 

• A semiconductor sub-committee was established:
  • This sub-committee will be led by the Department of Commerce for the US and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for the Indian side.
  • It is aimed at establishing a semiconductor supply chain. It will help develop an ecosystem to reduce the dependency on China and Taiwan.
• Welcomed the launch of the U.S.-India initiative of Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET):
  • iCET aims to elevate and expand the strategic technology partnership and defense industrial cooperation between India and USA.
  • It seeks to build supply chains that increase co-production and co-development between the countries and increase linkages between the countries’ start-up ecosystems.

Migration And Mobility Agreement Between India And Austria

Context: India signed a “Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement” (MMPA) with Austria.

About: 

• India signed a “Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement” (MMPA) with Austria.
• This is a much-needed agreement, especially in view of the sharp increase in illegal migration in Austria. This includes over 15,000 illegal migrants from India with practically no chance of asylum.
• This agreement is also seen as a stepping stone for India which has been keen to finalize these agreements with European countries in order to resolve issues over the long-pending India-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement.
• In addition, the agreement will also help Indian working professionals.

Paris Club

Context: The Paris Club, an informal group of creditor nations, will provide financial assurances to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Sri Lanka’s debt. This assurance is a key step needed to unlock a $2.9 billion bailout by the IMF.

About:

• An assurance from the Paris Club, as well as other bilateral creditors, is one of the conditions that Sri Lanka has to fulfill for the IMF to begin disbursing a $2.9 bn bailout package to the beleaguered nation that all but collapsed last year under a severe economic crisis.
• 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. Their objective is to find sustainable debt-relief solutions for countries that are unable to repay their bilateral loans.
• It describes itself as a forum where official creditors meet to solve payment difficulties faced by debtor countries. All 22 are members of the group called Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
• The members are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America.

How has Paris Club been involved in debt agreements?

• According to the information on its website, since its beginnings, the Paris Club has reached 478 agreements with 102 different debtor countries. Since 1956, the debt treated in the framework of Paris Club agreements amounts to $ 614 billion.
• 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.

The role of the Paris Club over time:

• The Paris group countries dominated bilateral lending in the last century, but their importance has receded over the last two decades or so with the emergence of China as the world’s biggest bilateral lender.
• In Sri Lanka’s case, for instance, China, Japan, and India are the largest bilateral creditors. Sri Lanka’s debt to China is 52 per cent of its bilateral debt, 19.5 per cent to Japan, and 12 per cent to India. With Japan a member of the Paris Club, Sri Lanka needed assurances from China and India as well.
• The Paris Club had tried to get both countries on board a centralized effort, but Delhi launched its own bilateral negotiations with Colombo. Last month, during a visit to Colombo, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced that India had written to the IMF providing the necessary financial assurances, adding that it hoped others would follow suit.
• The reported readiness by the Paris Club comes against this background. That still leaves China, whose Exim Bank offered a two-year moratorium on its loans soon after the Indian announcement.
• This has been deemed to be insufficient. Victoria Nuland, the US under-secretary of state who is touring Sri Lanka, said the Chinese offer was “not enough”. The IMF has not commented on the Chinese assurance, but described the Indian submission as a “good development”.

India, Singapore Start Instant Fund Transfer

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while saying Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was the most preferred payment mechanism in India, hailed its integration with Singapore's PayNow said called it a gift to citizens of the two countries. 

About:

• India recently kicked off its first cross-border real-time payments systems connectivity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who witnessed the launch event, stating that the linkage of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Singapore’s PayNow will benefit migrant workers, professionals, and students and their families in foreign remittances between the two countries.
• Stating that the linkage is a “new era in cross-border fintech connectivity”, Modi said it will provide a low-cost, secure, and real-time option for cross-border remittances between India and Singapore.
• Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the idea of the linkage was first conceived in 2018 when PM Modi visited Singapore. He said cross-border remittances between India and Singapore amount to over $1 billion annually. Of the total inward remittances to India in 2020-21, the share of Singapore stood at 5.7 percent, according to the Reserve Bank of India Remittance Survey, 2021.
• RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) Managing Director Ravi Menon launched the new linkage in the presence of Modi and Lee Hsien Loong. A live cross-border funds transfer between the two platforms was also carried out.
• The UPI-PayNow linkage is a significant milestone in the development of infrastructure for cross-border payments between India and Singapore – which is among the major countries sending remittances to India – and closely aligns with the G20’s financial inclusion priorities of driving faster, cheaper, and more transparent cross-border payments.
• To begin with, the State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Indian Bank, and ICICI Bank will facilitate both inward and outward remittances while Axis Bank and DBS India will facilitate inward remittances, according to a statement by the RBI.
• For Singapore users, the service will be made available through DBS-Singapore and Liquid Group, which is a non-bank financial institution. The RBI said that more banks will be included in the linkage over time.
• Currently, Indian users of the participating banks will be able to remit up to Rs 60,000 in a day using the mobile apps. “At the time of making the transaction, the system shall dynamically calculate and display the amount in both the currencies for convenience of the user,” the RBI said.
• According to the RBI, ICICI Bank and Indian Overseas Bank users can send money to Singapore through their respective internet banking facilities. Indian Bank users can use the facility through its own mobile app called IndOASIS, and State Bank of India users can remit through the BHIM UPI Pay app. Currently, cross-border transaction under the linkage is not possible on popular UPI platforms like PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm.
• The RBI also clarified that in the UPI-PayNow interlinkage transactions, only person-to-person (P2P) remittances towards the purpose of “Maintenance of Relatives Abroad” and “Gift” under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) are allowed, and the prescribed LRS limits would be applicable. Funds held in bank accounts or e-wallets can be transferred to and from India using just the UPI-id, mobile number, or Virtual Payment Address (VPA).

About UPI:

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple banks accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood. It also caters to the “Peer to Peer” collection request which can be scheduled and paid as per requirement and convenience.
• With the above context in mind, NPCI conducted a pilot launch with 21 member banks. The pilot launch was on 11th April 2016 by Dr. Raghuram G Rajan, Governor, RBI at Mumbai. Banks have started to upload their UPI-enabled Apps on the Google Play store from 25th August, 2016 onwards.

India, U.S. Step Up Strategic Partnership With Technology Initiative

Context: India’s NSA Ajit Doval and the U.S. NSA Jake Sullivan officially launched the United States-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).

About:

•  
• India and the U.S., recently, launched a program to enhance their strategic partnership with delegations led by the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and his American counterpart, Jake Sullivan, meeting in Washington for the inaugural dialogue of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
• The two sides announced a set of programs whose aim is to increase the depth and scope of bilateral cooperation in cutting-edge technology, including in the defence sector.
• The iCET seeks to build supply chains that increase co-production and co-development between the countries and increase linkages between the countries’ start-up ecosystems, both governments said in their statements describing the dialogue.
• A White House ‘fact sheet’ released after the meeting highlighted six areas of planned cooperation:
  • strengthening innovation ecosystems, defense innovation and technology cooperation, resilient semiconductor supply chains, space, STEM talent, and next-generation telecommunications
• The programs include a Research Agency Partnership between the U.S. National Science Foundation and Indian science agenciesquantum computing that will also involve academia and industry; developing a new defense industrial cooperation roadmapsemiconductors in India, including by setting up a task force to identify opportunities; and increasing space cooperation including human spaceflight.
• Also announced were a private-public dialogue to further 5G/6G cooperation and the adoption of Open RAN (technology to connect phones to each other and to the internet) in India.
• The U.S. also committed to a speedy review of an application from General Electric to produce jet engines in India for India-manufactured Light Combat Aircraft.
• The initiative is a particularly significant milestone in the bilateral relationship, having been announced at the highest level — by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden at the Quad summit in Tokyo in May 2022.
• This level of backing, plus the fact that it is being led by the NSAs on both sides — with their ability to coordinate across ministries and departments — not only “distinguished” this initiative but was also critical to its success, a senior U.S. official told reporters on a Tuesday briefing call.
• The involvement of the business and academic communities in India and the U.S., and the initiative’s plan to renew and capitalize on existing mechanisms rather than replace them, are factors in iCET’s favor, one U.S. official said.

5th Regional Dialogue on Afghanistan

Context: National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval participated in the fifth multilateral meeting of secretaries of security councils/ NSAs on Afghanistan, held in Moscow.

About:

• National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval participated in the fifth multilateral meeting of secretaries of security councils/ NSAs on Afghanistan, held in Moscow.
• NSA Doval also called on President Putin and had wide-ranging discussions on bilateral and regional issues:
• • It should be noted that the ties between India and Russia remained strong notwithstanding Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
  • India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.
• Key Highlights:
  • Need for inclusive and representative government in Afghanistan:
    • India reiterated its call for an “inclusive and representative” government in Afghanistan.
    •  India has not recognized the Taliban administration in Kabul.
    • However, an Indian technical team is stationed at the Indian embassy in the Afghan capital. This team has been overseeing the humanitarian assistance that India has been providing over the past year.
  • People of Afghanistan were among India’s foremost priorities:
    •  Recently presented India’s Union Budget 2023-24 allocated ₹200 crores for the development and
    • humanitarian needs of the Afghan people.
    •  India has so far delivered 40,000 MT of wheat, 60 tonnes of medicines, 5,00,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses, winter clothing, and 28 tonnes of disaster relief.
    • India has also granted fresh scholarships to 2,260 Afghan students including 300 Afghan girls in the past two years.
  • On Terrorism:
    • India reiterated its position that no country should be allowed to use Afghan territory to export terrorism and radicalization.
    • It reaffirmed the importance of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2593:
    • • The resolution was passed in August 2021 under India’s Presidency.
      •  It demands that Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attack any other country or to shelter and train terrorists.
  • Regional Dialogue on Afghanistan:
    • Participants: Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan were represented at the 5th meeting. The meeting was held at the level of NSAs.
    • Objective:
      • To discuss various issues related to Afghanistan.
      •  This includes the security situation and humanitarian challenges facing Afghanistan.
      •  This meeting is among the heads of security establishments. Hence, it is not a protocol-oriented meeting.
      • It mostly discusses practical cooperation — from intelligence sharing to information gathering to counter-terrorism capacity-building.
      • The meeting looks at evolving a regional security architecture to deal with these challenges, arising out of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

19th ASEAN-India Summit

Context: Recently, the Vice President of India attended the 19th ASEAN-India Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

About:

•  The Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar led the Indian delegation, including the External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, at the 19th ASEAN-India Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
• The Vice President hailed the deep cultural, economic and civilizational ties that have existed between India and South East Asia from time immemorial.
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) is central to India’s Act East policy.
• It is at the heart of India’s Indo-Pacific outreach.
•  The Indian Prime Minister at Shangri La Dialogue laid out India’s Indo-Pacific policy that highlighted that ASEAN will remain at the core of India’s policy outreach in the region.

Outcomes of the Summit:

• At the summit, ASEAN and India adopted a joint statement announcing the elevation of the existing strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
•  Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation, and overflight in the Indo-Pacific region.
• It also recognized the importance of “unimpeded lawful maritime commerce” and the disputes should be resolved by following “universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the relevant standards and recommended practices by the International Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
•  Both sides also agreed to intensify maritime cooperation including anti-piracy operations, armed robbery against ships, maritime safety, search and rescue (SAR) operations, humanitarian assistance, and emergency response and relief.
• Both sides announced plans to enhance collaboration against “terrorism and transnational crimes including international economic crimes and money laundering, cybercrime, drugs and human trafficking and arms smuggling.”
•  Both sides decided to expand their collaboration in the space industry including “through the establishment of tracking, Data Reception and Processing Stations in Vietnam and Indonesia”.
• India and ASEAN agreed to expedite the review of the ASEAN-India Trade In Goods Agreement (AITIGA).
•  It also agreed to enhance ASEAN-India cooperation on the digital economy through a series of regional capacity-building activities in digital transformation, digital trade, digital skills, and innovation, as well as Hackathons.

What is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations?

• It is a regional grouping that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation.
• It was established in August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the founding fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
• Its chairmanship rotates annually, based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States.
• ASEAN countries have a total population of 650 million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD 2.8 trillion.
• ASEAN brings together ten Southeast Asian states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – into one organization.

Delhi and Dhaka sign river pact

• About the river pact:
  • India and Bangladesh signed an interim water sharing agreement for the Kushiyara river, the first such pact between them in over 25 years — the Ganga water treaty was signed in 1996.
  • The two sides also decided to start negotiations on a comprehensive trade pact and strengthen cooperation against terrorism and radicalism.
  • Kushiyara pact will benefit people in southern Assam and Sylhet in Bangladesh.
  • The two countries will also share the data on floods.
  • The two sides will start discussions on a trade agreement, underlining that the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent geopolitical challenges make it essential to strengthen bilateral economic ties.
  • Besides the agreement on the Kushiyara water-sharing, the two sides signed pacts on railways, space, IT and media.
• What is the Kushiyara agreement?
  • Over the last century, the flow of the Barak river has changed in such a way that the bulk of the river’s water flows into Kushiyara while the rest goes into Surma.
  • According to water expert, Dr. Ainun Nishat, the agreement is aimed at addressing part of the problem that the changing nature of the river has posed before Bangladesh as it unleashes flood during the monsoon and goes dry during the winter when demand of water goes up because of a crop cycle in Sylhet.
  • Though the details of the agreement are not yet known, Dr. Nishat says that under this MoU, Bangladesh will be able to withdraw 153 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from the Kushiyara out of the approximately 2,500 cusecs of water that is there in the river during the winter season.
  • Under the agreement, Bangladesh will be able to withdraw 153 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from the Kushiyara that will solve the water crisis for farmers of Sylhet.
  • There are various estimates about the area that will benefit from this supply but it is generally understood that approximately 10,000 hectares of land and millions of people will benefit from the water that will flow through a network of canals in Sylhet benefiting the farmers involved in Boro rice, which is basically the rice cultivated during the dry season of December to February and harvested in early summer.
  • Bangladesh has been complaining that the Boro rice cultivation in the region had been suffering as India did not allow it to withdraw the required water from the Kushiyara.
  • The agreement addresses Bangladesh’s concern over water supply along the river, during the winter months but flood control in the basin of Kushiyara is expected to require much more work.
• How will Bangladesh use the water?
  • The Rahimpur Canal project in Zakiganj upazila or subdivision of Sylhet was built to help the farmers access Kushiyara’s water but the facility used to remain dry during the lean season without serving the purpose for which it was built.
  • The eight km long canal is the only supplier of water from the Kushiyara to the region and Bangladesh has built a pump house and other facilities for the withdrawal of water that can now be utilized.
  • The water of Kushiyara will be channeled through the Rahimpur Canal project in Sylhet.
• India-Bangladesh Relations:
  • Bangladesh is one of India’s Neighbouring Countries.
  • India shares the longest international border with Bangladesh. The length of the India-Bangladesh Border is 4,096.7 Kms.
  • India and Bangladesh marked their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2021.
  • There are 54 common rivers between India and Bangladesh.
  • India and Bangladesh signed the Ganga Waters Treaty on 12th December 1996 (For 30 years.)
  • Both nations established the Joint River Commission (JRC) which came into force in 1972. It works for the common interests and sharing of water resources, irrigation, floods, and cyclones control.
  • As per the data published by the Ministry of External Affairs, India’s exports to Bangladesh in FY 2018-19 stood at US$ 9.21 bn and imports from Bangladesh during the same period were US$1.04 bn.
• Some important institutional mechanisms:
• Joint Economic Commission (JEC) at Ministerial level
• Foreign Office Consultations
• Home, Commerce, and Water Resources Secretary-level talks
• BSF-BDR DG-level border coordination conference
• Joint Working Group on Security (JWG)
• Joint Boundary Working Group (JBWG)
• Joint Working Group on Trade (JWG)
• Joint Group of Customs Officials (JGC)
• Protocol Renewal Committee and Standing Committee to review the implementation of Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade
• Inter-Governmental Railway Meeting
• India-Bangladesh Conflict Zones:
  • Insurgency
  • The flow of migrants across the Bangladesh boundary due to unstable conditions in Bangladesh
  • Water Dispute – Read about Teesta Water Dispute in the linked article.
  • Border Disputes
  • Sharing River Water.

INDIA IRAN PACT ON SEAFARERS

• Context
  • India and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to smoothen movement of seafarers from both the countries as per the provisions of International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers (1978).
• What is the International Convention on STCW for Seafarers?
  • It sets qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships.
  • STCW was adopted in 1978 by a conference at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London and entered into force in 1984. The Convention was significantly amended in 1995.
  • The 1978 STCW Convention was the first to establish basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers on an international level.
  • It prescribes minimum standards relating to training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers which countries are obliged to meet or exceed.
  • One especially important feature of the Convention is that it applies to ships of non-party States when visiting ports of States which are Parties to the Convention.

• How have been the India-Iran Relations?
  • India and Iran share close civilizational ties since the times of the Persian Empire and Indian kingdoms.
  • Iran is an important nation in India’s neighborhood and in fact, the two countries shared a border until India’s partition and independence in 1947.
  • The “Tehran Declaration” signed during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to Iran affirmed the shared vision of the two countries for an “equitable, pluralistic and co-operative international order”.
  • It recognized the then Iranian President Mohammad Khatami’s vision of a “dialogue among civilisations” as a paradigm of international relations based on principles of tolerance, pluralism and respect for diversity.
• What is the Significance of India-Iran Relations?
  • Iran is located at a strategic and crucial geographical location between the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea.
  • Iran is important to India as it provides an alternate route of connectivity to Afghanistan and Central Asian republics through Chabahar Port without passing the land route through Pakistan.
  • Since, Iran is one of the largest deposits of crude oil and natural gas in the world.
  • India may well consider restarting oil imports from Iran. If India changes course and resumes imports of Iranian oil, it could potentially encourage some other countries to follow suit and open up additional oil in the market, which could eventually bring prices of crude oil down.
  • The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), aims to connect India, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe through multi-modal transport, reducing the transit time of goods drastically.
  • Although some part of it has been operationalized, again, due to sanctions on Iran, its full potential has not been realised. India and Iran could well play a major part in giving INSTC the required boost to reap the benefits of resultant trade.
  • The Iran-Oman-India gas pipeline (IOI) too is an ambitious project that has been stuck for a long time. Fortunately, Iran and Oman signed a deal to develop two gas pipelines and an oil field along their maritime borders.
  • If this comes through, there is potential for the pipeline being extended to India, which would help overcome the loss of the failed Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline and facilitate the supply of natural gas to India.
• Way Forward
  • There is a need to look forward toward areas of convergence, where both countries have a mutual understanding of each other’s common interests and further work together to achieve the same.
  • India and Iran, therefore, have a lot that can be achieved together. The assertive diplomacy being practiced by India, emphasizing on standing by its neighbors and friends and focusing solely on fulfilling its national interests, is a refreshing change.
  • If India can extend the same vision toward its engagement with Iran, it could open a huge potential for cooperation between these two great nations and civilizations. Time is therefore ripe for a reset.

India-Australia Critical Minerals Investment Partnership

Context: Australia and India agreed to a partnership to strengthen their co-operation in developing critical metal projects and supply chains.

More about news:

• Demand for critical metals like lithium and cobalt has soared in recent times due to their usage in electric vehicles amid a global push towards cleaner sources of energy to tackle climate change.
• Demand for critical metals like lithium and cobalt has soared in recent times due to their usage in electric vehicles amid a global push towards cleaner sources of energy to tackle climate change.
• At the same time, countries like the United States, Australia and India are pushing to develop new sources of critical minerals to counteract China’s dominance over those supply chains.
• Australia would commit A$5.8 million ($3.98 million) towards a three-year investment partnership. Participating firms are Khanij Bidesh India Ltd and the Critical Minerals Facilitation Office of Australia (CMFO).
• Both the Indian company and CMFO will jointly fund a due diligence study in lithium and cobalt mineral assets of Australia with an initial amount of $6 million.
• Once the due diligence is completed and potential projects are identified, investment opportunities will be explored through different methods as envisaged in the MoU (memorandum of understanding).

Significance:

• Australia has the resources to help India fulfil its ambitions to lower emissions and meet growing demand for critical minerals to help India’s space and defence industries, and the manufacture of solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles.
• Australia welcomes India’s strong interest and support for a bilateral partnership which will help advance critical minerals projects in Australia while diversifying global supply chains.
• Australia and India were natural partners on critical minerals and the two countries shared a commitment to lowering emissions and boosting the use of renewable energy.
• Australia is a trusted supplier of resources and energy to India, and we can build on the success of those established supply chains as Australia’s critical minerals sector grows.

What are critical minerals?

• A critical mineral is a metallic or non-metallic element that has two characteristics:
  • It is essential for the functioning of our modern technologies, economies or national security and
  • There is a risk that its supply chains could be disrupted.

• Critical minerals are used to manufacture advanced technologies including mobile phones, computers, fibre-optic cables, semi-conductors, banknotes, and defence, aerospace and medical applications. Many are used in low-emission technologies such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels, and rechargeable batteries. Some are also crucial for common products such as stainless steel and electronics.
• A critical mineral is a metallic or non-metallic element that is essential for modern technologies, economies or national security, and has a supply chain at risk of disruption. Individual countries develop their own lists of critical minerals based on the relative importance of particular minerals to their industrial needs and strategic assessment of supply risks. In addition, assessments of mineral criticality reflect market and political conditions at a particular point in time and are subject to change.
• However, such lists mostly include graphite, lithium and cobalt, which are used for making EV batteries; rare earths that are used for making magnets and silicon which is a key mineral for making computer chips and solar panels. Aerospace, communications and defence industries also rely on several such minerals as they are used in manufacturing fighter jets, drones, radio sets and other critical equipment.
• Risks to critical mineral supply chains can come about when mineral production or processing is dominated by individual countries or companies that could limit availability. Other risks include market immaturity, political decisions, social unrest, natural disasters, mine accidents, geological scarcity, pandemics, and war.

Why is this resource critical?

• As countries around the world scale up their transition towards clean energy and digital economy, these critical resources are key to the ecosystem that fuels this change. Any supply shock can severely imperil the economy and strategic autonomy of a country over-dependent on others to procure critical minerals.
• But these supply risks exist due to rare availability, growing demand and complex processing value chain. Many times thecomplex supply chain can be disrupted by hostile regimes, or due to politically unstable regions.
• As a US government statement in February noted: “As the world transitions to a clean energy economy, global demand for these critical minerals is set to skyrocket by 400-600 per cent over the next several decades, and, for minerals such as lithium and graphite used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, demand will increase by even more — as much as 4,000 per cent.”
• They are critical as the world is fast shifting from a fossil fuel-intensive to a mineral-intensive energy system.

What is the China ‘threat’?

• According to the 2019 USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries report, China is the world’s largest producer of 16 critical minerals.
• China, according to a report on the role of critical minerals by the International Energy Agency, is “responsible for some 70% and 60% of global production of cobalt and rare earth elements, respectively, in 2019. The level of concentration is even higher for processing operations, where China has a strong presence across the board. China’s share of refining is around 35% for nickel, 50-70% for lithium and cobalt, and nearly 90% for rare earth elements.”
• It also controls cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from where 70% of this mineral is sourced.
• In 2010, China suspended rare earth exports to Japan for two months over a territorial dispute. The decision, according to the Brookings Institution, made the market prices of REEs jump anywhere between 60% to 350%. The prices returned to normal only after a year of China resuming shipments.

What are countries around the world doing about it?

• In 2021, the US ordered a review of vulnerabilities in its critical minerals supply chains and found that an over-reliance on “foreign sources and adversarial nations for critical minerals and materials posed national and economic security threats”. Post the supply chain assessment, it has shifted its focus on expanding domestic mining, production, processing, and recycling of critical minerals and materials.
• India has set up KABIL or the Khanij Bidesh India Limited, a joint venture of three public sector companies, to “ensure a consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals to the Indian domestic market”. Announcing the formation of KABIL in 2019, Coal and Minister Pralhad Joshi had said: “While KABIL would ensure mineral security of the nation, it would also help in realizing the overall objective of import substitution.”
• Australia’s Critical Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO) and KABIL had recently signed an MoU aimed at ensuring reliable supply of critical minerals to India.
• The UK on Monday unveiled its new Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre to study the future demand for and supply of these minerals. It also said that the country’s critical mineral strategy will be unveiled later this year.
• In June last year, the US, Canada and Australia had launched an interactive map of critical mineral deposits with an aim to help governments to identify options to diversify their critical minerals sources.

India-Australia Relations:

• Foreign diplomatic relations between Australia and India are well-established, with both nations sharing a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” since both were part of the British Empire.
• Both are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and share political, economic, security, lingual and sporting ties.
• Besides strong trading & migration, culture, arts, music, commercial & international sports like cricket, tennis, badminton have emerged as a strong cultural connection between the two nations.
• Military cooperation between Australia and India includes the regular joint naval exercise AUSINDEX.

India and Vietnam Mutual Logistics Agreement

• Context: India and Vietnam signed a Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030, “which will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation”.
• Significance:
  • India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030 will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation.
  • Logistics Agreement: signing of India and Vietnam Mutual Logistics Agreement is a major step towards simplifying procedures for mutually beneficial logistic support.
    • India and Vietnam Mutual Logistics Agreement is the first such major agreement which Vietnam has signed with any country.
  • Defence Line of Credit: Both countries also agreed for early finalisation of $US 500 million Defence Line of Credit extended to Vietnam.
  • Building Defence Capabilities: India announced gifting two simulators and monetary grant towards setting up of Language and IT Lab at Air Force Officers Training School for capacity building of Vietnamese armed forces.
• India-Vietnam Relations
  • India and Vietnam are marking 50 years of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.
  • India Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: India and Vietnam share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2016 and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership.
  • India’s Act East Policy: Vietnam is an important partner in India’s Act East policy.

West Seti Power Project

• Context: India will be taking over an ambitious hydropower project in Nepal — West Seti — nearly four years after China withdrew from it, ending a six-year engagement between 2012 and 2018.
  
• About West Seti Power Project:
  • It is a 750-MW Hydropower Project that would be built on Nepal’s Seti river.
  • It is in Nepal’s Far-Western Development Region (FWDR), proposed by West Seti Hydro Limited (WSH), is a storage scheme designed to generate and export large quantities of electrical energy to India.  
  • The Project will generate electrical energy throughout the year, storing excess wet season river flows in the reservoir, and using this water to generate energy during peak demand periods in the dry season.

• India-Nepal power relations-
  • Nepal is rich in power sources with around 6,000 rivers and an estimated potential for 83,000 MW. India has formally approached Nepal on many occasions, seeking preferential rights over Nepali waters.
  • An ambitious Mahakali treaty was signed back in 1996, to produce 6,480 MW, but India has still not been able to come out with the Detailed project Report.
  • The Upper Karnali project, for which the multinational GMR signed the contract, has not made any headway for years.  
  • India has been successful in executing the 900-MW Arun-3 project in eastern Nepal’s Sankhuwa Sabha, which is being executed by India’s Sutlej Vidhyut Nigam under a BOOT scheme, and whose foundation was laid in 2018 and which is set for completion by 2023.
  • The company executing Arun-3 is also being awarded the 695-MW Arun-4 project, followed by the decision to award West Seti to NHPC.
  • Estimated to cost Nepali Rs 104 billion (Indian Rs 6,500 crore), the project is envisaged to provide Nepal 31.9% electricity free.
  • Nepal has a massive power shortfall as it generates only around 900 MW against an installed capacity of nearly 2,000  MW.
  • Although it is currently selling 364 MW of power to India, it has over the years imported from India.

Australia India Water Security Initiative (AIWASI)

Context: Recently, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Australia for Technical Cooperation for Australia-India Water Security Initiative (AIWASI) has been signed in the area of urban water security.

What is AIWASI?

• The AIWASI scheme is an India-specific component of the South Asia Water Security Initiative (SAWASI) program that focuses on improving access to safe water and sanitation in urban areas in the South Asia region.
• SAWASI program is being supported by Australia with a commitment of 20 million Australian Dollars.
• SAWASI aims at strengthening South Asian city-level water governance by
  • supporting governments to provide urban water services and
  • improving water security for disadvantaged communities in India and Pakistan.

Green Strategic Partnership between India and Denmark

• Context:
  • India and its Northern European partner Denmark have begun a new era in the form of a “far-reaching Green Strategic Partnership” that will enable Denmark in delivering sustainable solutions to India.
• About:
  • The Green Strategic Partnership is a mutually beneficial arrangement to
    • Advance political cooperation
    • Expand economic relations and green growth
    • Create jobs
    • Strengthen cooperation on addressing global challenges and opportunities.
  • There is a focus on an ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
  • This partnership will build on and consolidate the existing agreement establishing a Joint Commission for Cooperation (signed  2009) between India and Denmark.
  • Both countries are working on a government-to-government level in the strategic sectors of energy, water, and environment, urbanization, and IPR. 

Open Sky Agreement

• Context:
  • The UAE is keen to have an open sky agreement with India.
• About:
  • Open Sky Agreements are bilateral agreements that the two countries negotiate to provide rights for airlines to offer international passenger and cargo services.
  • It expands international passenger and cargo flights.
  • Open skies between India and UAE will allow an unlimited number of flights to the selected cities of each other's countries.
  • There are about 1,068 flights a week between India and the UAE operated by the airlines of the two countries under the bilateral Air Service Agreement.
  • India has an open skies policy with SAARC countries and those beyond the 5,000-km radius, which implies that nations within this distance need to enter into a bilateral agreement and mutually determine the number of flights that their airlines can operate between the two countries.

Voice of Global South Summit

Context: India hosted the Voice of Global South Summit in virtual mode. It was inaugurated by PM Modi.

About:

• Theme — “Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose”.
•  It is an effort to give a “voice to the unheard”, and thereby leverage India’s role as the current G20 president.
• The idea behind the summit is that India will work to ensure that inputs generated from this Summit deliberations will be pushed forward at the G20 summit.
•  India holds the presidency of G20 this year.
•  The initiative is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayaas, and is underpinned by India’s philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”.
• Underlining that the world is in a state of crisis, PM Modi told leaders of developing countries that “your voice is India’s voice” and “your priorities are India’s priorities”.
•  PM Modi gave the mantra of ‘Respond, Recognize, Respect & Reform’ to re-energize the world:
  • Respond to the priorities of the Global South by framing an inclusive and balanced international agenda.
  •  Recognize that the principle of ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibilities’ applies to all global challenges.
  •  Respect sovereignty of all nations, rule of law, and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes
  • Reform international institutions, including the United Nations, to make them more relevant.
• PM Modi also highlighted the fact that the Global South does not have an adequate voice in the eight decades-old models of global governance.
• He further stated that most of the global challenges have not been created by the Global South but they affect us more. Despite this, the search for solutions does not factor in our voice.