WHO Coronavirus Network (CoViNet)

  • Launched by the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • Goal: Facilitate and coordinate global expertise for early detection, monitoring, and assessment of coronaviruses.
    • SARS-CoV-2 (causing COVID-19)
    • MERS-CoV
    • Potential novel coronaviruses
  • Expands on: WHO COVID-19 reference laboratory network (established during pandemic).
  • Network: 36 laboratories from 21 countries across all 6 WHO regions.
  • Focuses on: ‘One Health’ approach – human, animal, and environmental coronavirus surveillance.
  • Aims to:
    • Monitor global circulation and evolution of these viruses.
    • Provide timely risk assessment for informing WHO policy.

India-led Group of Friends (GOF)

  • Launched by India in 2022 during its UN Security Council presidency.
  • Represents member states’ political will to champion implementation of UNSC Resolution 2589.
  • Focuses on: Strengthening legal frameworks against perpetrators of malicious acts targeting peacekeepers.
  • Membership: 40 member states.
    • Co-chairs: India, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Morocco, Nepal.
  • Functions:
    • Informal platform for information exchange, best practice sharing, and resource mobilization.
    • Monitors progress on accountability for crimes against peacekeepers.
    • Convenes meetings and events to promote peacekeeper safety and security.

White Rabbit Collaboration

  • Launched by CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research).
  • White Rabbit technology: Synchronizes devices in accelerators down to sub-nanoseconds.
    • Solves challenge of establishing a common notion of time across a network.
  • Applications:
    • Finance sector
    • Research infrastructures
    • Potential future quantum internet use
    • Global time dissemination technologies (replacing satellite reliance)
  • White Rabbit Collaboration:
    • Membership-based global community.
    • Maintains high-performance open-source White Rabbit technology.
    • Facilitates technology adoption by industry.
    • Provides support, training, and fosters trust in products using the technology.

Exercise Tiger Triumph

  • India-U.S. tri-service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise.
  • Phases: Harbor phase and sea phase.
  • Activities:
    • Combined operational maneuvers
    • Command and control practice
    • Joint sustainment operations
    • Cultural and athletic events
  • Objectives:
    • Develop interoperability for conducting HADR operations.
    • Refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for rapid coordination.
    • Build trust and confidence for joint force response.

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