ü The Marrakesh VIP Treaty (formally the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by

Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities) is a treaty on copyright.

ü adopted in Marrakesh, Morocco.

ü WIPO-administered Marrakesh Treaty makes the production and international transfer of specially-adapted books for people with blindness or visual impairments easier.

ü  allows for copyright exceptions to facilitate the creation of accessible versions of books and

other copyrighted works for visually impaired persons.

ü The governments that are party to the Marrakesh accord are obliged to adopt laws authorising the conversion of books into accessible formats such as Braille, e-text, audio and large print by designated organisations.

ü also allowed to exchange these alternative formats across national borders without clearance by copyright owners.

ü India was the first country to ratify the treaty.

ü Under Indus Water Treaty, a Permanent Indus Commission is set up as a bilateral commission to

implement and manage the Treaty.

ü As per its provisions, India and Pakistan shall each create a permanent post of Commissioner for Indus Waters. These two Commissioners will together form the Permanent Indus Commission.

ü A person who is ordinarily a high-ranking engineer competent in the field of hydrology and wateruse

is appointed as its commissioners.

Government, each Commissioner will be the representative of his Government for all matters arising out of this Treaty.

Functions of the commission

ü The Commission must meet regularly at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

ü The Commission must submit annual report to the Government of India and to the Government of

Pakistan.

ü The Commission can determine its own procedures.

ü The status of each Commissioner and his duties and responsibilities towards his Government will be

determined by that Government.

ü It has the responsibility of

o the furnishing or exchange of information or data provided for in the Treaty

o the giving of any notice or response to any notice provided for in the Treaty.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said that sarin and chlorine were used

in two separate attacks in the village of Latamneh in northwestern Syria

Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force in 1997.

ü OPCW has 192 Member States, who are working together to achieve a world free of chemical weapons.

ü  headquarter is located in Hague, Netherlands

It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013.

ü to eliminate chemical weapons stockpiles, to ensure the non-proliferation of existing

stockpiles, to assist states in protecting themselves against chemical weapons attacks, and to promote

international cooperation in the use of chemistry for peaceful purposes.

ü authorized to perform inspections to verify that signatory states are complying with the

convention.

ü The activities of the OPCW are conducted by three main bodies:

o The Executive Council, which administers the daily activities of the OPCW;

o The Technical Secretariat, which is charged with verifying states’ compliance with the convention;

and

o The Conference of the States Parties, which is the highest decision-making body of the

organization.

to take forward the strategic cooperation while also exploring ways to operationalize the logistics agreement

About the news

ü India’s third such joint exercise.

ü The first joint tri-service exercise was held with Russia and one with the U.S. to be held next year.

ü India and France signed a logistics pact earlier in 2018 which gives access to their militaries to each

other’s bases for logistics support.

ü The agreement gives India access to French military bases all over the world on a “reciprocal basis”.

ü New Delhi is of particular interest for the three French bases in the Indian Ocean – Reunion Island,Djibouti and Abu Dhabi.

The US has withdrawn an invitation to China to participate in what has been described as the world’s largest

international maritime warfare exercise

ü held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii.

ü  hosted and administered by the United States Navy’s Pacific Fleet, headquartered at Pearl Harbour,

in conjunction with the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, and Hawaii National Guard forces under the

control of the Governor of Hawaii.

ü The US invites military forces from the Pacific Rim and beyond to participate.

ü The first RIMPAC was held in 1971.

ü It involved forces from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States(US).

ü Australia, Canada, and the US have participated in every RIMPAC since then.

ü RIMPAC 2019 is the 26th exercise of its type.

Why in news?

Russia and China are conducting Russian military exercise Vostok 2018 along with Mongolia in Russia’s Far East and Pacific Ocean

• Nature and scale of the exercise –The exercise is proclaimed as a rapprochement move by Russia to ensure strategic partnership between China and Russia. It is the biggest military exercise by Russia since 1981.

Why this exercise- Context

• US hegemony – US has recently unveiled its new defense policy that underlines strategic competition with Russia and China, thus bringing the two united against US. They both want to revise the status quo by containing US.

• Changing Geopolitical order –China’s rise since last decade and Russia’s continuous attempt to reassert its great power status is a continuous opposition to US led unipolar world. Both perceive the world today as multipolar with various fulcrums of power

World Post Day is observed every year on October 9. It marks the anniversary of the establishment of

the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874.

ü coordinates and regulates worldwide postal

system as well as postal policies of member nations

ü  a specialized agency of United Nations.

ü  second oldest international organization worldwide after International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (etsd. 1865).

ü  192 member countries.

ü  headquartered in Berne, Switzerland.

ü functions include

o Ensure truly universal network of up-to-date products and services.

o Set rules for international mail exchanges

o Make recommendations for growth in mail, financial and parcel services volumes and to improve quality of service for customers

The Nobel Prize for literature have been put off till 2019. The winner for 2018 prize will be declared along with 2019 winner

in several categories by Swedish and Norwegian institutions.

üawarded for outstanding contributions for humanity in

chemistry, literature, peace, physics, and physiology or medicine.

ü established in 1895 by the will of the Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel.

ü The prizes in Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physics, and Physiology or Medicine were first awarded in 1901.

Certain conventions of the award

ü The prize is not awarded posthumously; however, if a person is awarded a prize and dies before receiving it, the prize may still be presented

ü may not be shared among more than three people, although the Nobel Peace Prize can be awarded to organizations of more than three people.

ü Except for the Peace Prize, the Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm, Sweden, at the annual Prize

Award Ceremony on 10 December, the anniversary of Nobel’s death.

ü The Peace Prize is presented at the annual Prize Award Ceremony in Oslo, Norway, usually on 10 December.

Did you know?

ü Madam Marie Curie is the only person to be awarded a Nobel Prize in two different sciences. She

received the Physics Prize in 1903 for her work on radioactivity and the Chemistry Prize in 1911 for

the isolation of pure radium.

ü The Curie family has received the most prizes, with four prizes awarded to five individual laureates.

As many as 21 countries in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) adopted the Delhi Declaration on Renewable Energy.

capacity building.

ü IORA member countries also resolved to collaborate with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) member nations to exchange knowledge and share views and potential interests in the renewable energy sector.

Affairs

Membership

ü All sovereign States of the Indian Ocean Rim are eligible for membership of the Association.

ü To become members, States must adhere to the principles and objectives enshrined in the Charter of the Association.

ü India, Australia, Iran, Indonesia Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Singapore, Mauritius, Madagascar, UAE, Yemen, Seychelles, Somalia, Comoros and Oman are members of IORA.

Other important facts:

ü The Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD) is a flagship initiative of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

ü The first IOD was held in Kerala, India in 2014

ü Fifth Indian Ocean Dialogue was organized in August 2018 in Durban, South Africa

ü The Somalia and Yemen Development Program (SYDP) is a special capacity development initiative by IORA

India was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for a period of three years beginning

January 1, 2019, in the Asia-Pacific category, getting the highest number of votes among all candidates.

ü United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world.

ü  established by the UN General Assembly on March 15, 2006 to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights.

ü 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis.

ü On the basis of equitable geographical distribution, Council seats are allocated to the five regional groups as follows:

o African States, 13 seats

o Asia Pacific States, 13 seats

o Eastern European States, 6 seats

o Latin American and Caribbean States, 8 seats

o Western European and other States, 7 seats.

ü Mandate

o The UNHRC investigates allegations of breaches of human rights in UN member states.

o And addresses important thematic human rights issues such as

§ Freedom of association and assembly,

§ Freedom of expression,

§ Freedom of belief and religion,

§ Women’s rights,

§ LGBT rights, and

§ The rights of racial and ethnic minorities.

ü The headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland.

India attracted USD 22 billion of FDI flows(13per cent rise in FDI) in the first half of 2018, accordingto a UNCTAD report- Investment Trends Monitor’ report.

ü India just about managed to make it to the top 10 host economies receiving the most FDI during the period.

ü China was the largest recipient of FDI followed by the UK and the US.

ü the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues.

ü  permanent intergovernmental body established in 1964.

ü Headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland, and has offices in New York and Addis Ababa.

ü UNCTAD is part of the UN Secretariat and reports to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.

ü also part of the United Nations Development Group.

ü primary objective of UNCTAD is to formulate policies relating to all aspects of development including trade, aid, transport, finance and technology

Why in News?

After more than a year of intense negotiations, the United States, Canada and Mexico reached an

agreement to update the North American Free Trade Agreement. The proposed U.S.-Mexico-Canada

Agreement (USMCA) updates and replaces the nearly 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement

(NAFTA).

Key Takeaways

ü Canada opens up its milk market to U.S. farmers.

ü Canada opens up its milk market to U.S. farmers.

ü allows Canada, Mexico and the United States to challenge one another’s anti-dumping and

countervailing duties in front of a panel of representatives from each country.

ü Mexico and Canada get assurance US won’t pound them with auto tariffs.

ü contains more-stringent protections for patents and trademarks, including for biotech, financial

services and even domain names.

ü U.S. drug companies will now be able to sell pharmaceuticals in Canada for 10 years before facing generic competition.

ü Deal must be reviewed after 6 years.

ü The USMCA makes a number of significant upgrades to environmental and labor regulations, especially regarding Mexico.

U.S. President confirmed that the U.S. would pull out of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces

(INF) Treaty with Russia.

ü on the elimination of their intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles, commonly referred

 as the INF (intermediate-range nuclear forces) treaty.

ü requires destruction of the Parties’ ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of

between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, their launchers and associated support structures and support equipment within three years after the Treaty enters into force.

ü eliminated all nuclear and conventional missiles but it did not cover sea-launched

missiles.

ü It is a crucial Cold War-era treaty.

ü signed in 1987, was central to ending the arms race between the two superpowers, and

protected America’s NATO allies in Europe from Soviet missile attacks.

ü Chinese President earlier announced a hefty $60 billion package for Africa.

ü The announcement was made in Beijing at the inaugural of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC).

ü Like China, India also hosts its own triennial conclave with African leaders, which was last held in 2015.

ü New Delhi and Beijing should vigorously pursue the ‘China-India Plus One’ or ‘China-India Plus X’ model in engaging with Africa

ü The Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) – official forum between the People’s Republic of China and all states in Africa (with the exception of Eswatini).

ü triennial assemblage of Chinese and the 50-plus African leaders.

ü The first summit was held November 2006 in Beijing

ü This will be the first time, the three services of India and the U.S. will participate in a drill together.

assistance, disaster relief measure.

Current Status

ü The three forces of each country already take part in bilateral exercises separately.

ü Armies participate in an annual drill called Yudh Abyaas, whose latest edition took place in September.

ü Air Forces take part in a bilateral drill called Cope India.

ü The Navies participate in an exercise in Malabar, involving Japan

India, Japan and the U.S. are set to elevate the bilateral ‘Cope India’ air exercise to a trilateral format.

ü series of bilateral international Air Force exercises between the Indian Air Force and

the United States Air Force conducted on and over Indian soil.

ü The first such exercise was conducted at the air force station in Gwalior in 2004.

ü  in scope with the involvement of fighter aircraft and force multipliers such as

Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).

ü The level of interoperability in the exercises, both bilateral and trilateral, is expected to go up with India recently signing theCommunications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) with the U.S.

ü Significantly large number of H-4 visa holders are high-skilled professionals from India.

ü Hence, it is set to impact Indians who hold H-1B and H-4 visas in the US.

About H-1B visa

ü  a visa in the United States which allows U.S. employers to employ foreign workers in

specialty occupations.

ü The regulations define a “specialty occupation” as requiring theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge in a field of human endeavor.

ü If a foreign worker in H-1B status quits or is dismissed from the sponsoring employer, the worker must

either be granted a change of status, find another employer, or leave the United States.

The European Parliament awarded the prestigious Sakharov human rights prize to jailed Ukrainian

filmmaker Oleg Sentsov

ü A vocal critic of the Kremlin, he is serving a 20-year term over an alleged arson plot in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

About the Prize

ü The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought honours individuals and groups of people who have

dedicated their lives to the defense of human rights and freedom of thought.

ü The prize was established in December 1988 by the European Parliament.

ü It is named after Russian scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov.

ü The first prize was awarded jointly to South African Nelson Mandela and Russian Anatoly Marchenko.

Global airlines’ body IATA said India will become the world’s third largest aviation market around 2024

surpassing the UK.

üthe trade association for the world’s airlines.

ürepresents some 290 airlines or 82% of total air traffic.

üsupport many areas of aviation activity and help formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues.

üheadquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

üA guiding concept of IATA’s structure is “Global Development, Regional Delivery”

The Vice President of India left for Belgium to attend the two-day 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in

Brussels.

ü The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an intergovernmental process established in 1996 to foster dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe.

ü addresses political, economic, financial, social, cultural, and educational issues of common interest, in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership.

ü Presently it comprises 53 partners: 30 European and 21 Asian countries, the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat.

ü considered the highest platform for dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe in the areas of trade, investment, security and tourism.

ü theme of the 2018 ASEM Summit is ‘Global Partners for Global Challenges’.

awarded to Congolese gynaecologist Dr. Denis Mukwege and Yazidi human rights activist Nadia

Murad

ü It is a move that would resolve a decades-old dispute with Greece which had blocked its membership bids for the European Union and NATO.

ü China has successfully tested the world’s largest unmanned transport drone – Feihong-98

Global RE-Invest investment summit on renewable energy and first Assembly of the International

Solar Alliance (ISA) is to be conducted in New Delhi.

More about RE-Invest

ü  organised by the country’s new and renewable energy ministry in partnership

with the ISA which is headquartered in India.

ü The 2018 RE-Invest will also host the meeting of energy ministers of Indian Ocean Rim Association(IORA) countries.

ü The first edition of the RE-Invest was held in 2015.

ü provide an international forum to established players as well as new segments of investors and

entrepreneurs to engage, ideate and innovate on renewable energy sector involving solar, wind, geothermal

and biomass-based clean energy generation

6th East Asia Summit-Economic Ministers’ Meeting (EAS-EMM) and 15th India-ASEAN Economic

Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) was held in Singapore.

Members

ü EAS forum includes the 10 ASEAN countries, 6 otherAsian and Indo-Pacific countries and Russia and the US.

ü ASEAN include Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei,

Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam,

Myanmar and the Philippines

ü India, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, The US and Russia are the countries apart from ASEAN states.

ü India is a founding member while the US and Russia became part in 2011.

ü EAS is based on the premise of the centrality of ASEAN and has evolved as a forum of political, security and economic cooperation and strategic dialogue

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) have

signed an Agreement for the implementation of e-VidyaBharati and e-AarogyaBharati (e-VBAB) Network Project. The project is being dubbed as a digital bridge between India and Africa for knowledge and

health.

ü The Pan-African e-Network Project (Phase 1) was implemented across the 48 partner African

countries from 2009 to 2017.

ü  a technological upgrade and extension of this project.

ü provide free tele-education courses in various academic disciplines to 4000 students every year from African countries over the 5 years project duration.

ü A Data Centre and Disaster Recovery Centre will be established in India along with Learning Centers

in various African countries for the project.

ü There will be two separate platforms for e-VidyaBharati (tele-education) and e-AarogyaBharati (telemedicine).

ü These two platforms will link various educational institutions and hospitals in India and the

participating African countries, through the web.

ü The e-VBAB Network Project will be completely funded by the Government of India for its entire duration and will be open for participation to all our partner countries in Africa.

held New Delhi.

organized jointly by the Airports Authority of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation and International Air Transport Association (IATA),

ü the trade association for the world’s airlines

ü  formed in April 1945, superseding the International Air Traffic Association, which was formed in 1919.

ü represents some 280 airlines or 83% of total air traffic.

ü supports airline activity and helps formulate industry policy and standards.  provides consulting and training services

ü headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with Executive Offices in Geneva, Switzerland

AAI to develop Palaly airport in Sri Lanka.

About Palay airport

ü State-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) to develop Palaly Airport in Sri Lanka, a strategic project

for India.

ü Palaly is in the sensitive Tamil-dominated Northern Province, traditionally closer to India

is in Jaffna in the north — Tamil territory.

ü  a statutory body is a statutory body constituted in 1995 for creating, upgrading,

maintaining and managing civil aviation infrastructure both on the ground and air space in the country.

ü under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

ü AAI is implementing the GAGAN project in technological collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), where the satellite based system will be used for navigation.

ü Eight States still need to do ratify: China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, India,Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States.

ü India, North Korea and Pakistan have not yet signed the Treaty while the other five have signed the treaty.

ü  treaty signed between some of the European countries for the abolishment of borders between the signatory countries.

ü  signed in June 1985 in Schengen, Luxembourg and became effective in 1995.

ü Initially member states were – Belgium, Netherland, France, Germany, and Luxembourg

World Affairs – Events

ü Now number of membership stand at 26 –

 22 EU states and four other nations Iceland,

Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

ü Earlier it was independent of European Union but now it is an official part of EU.

ü  to promote peaceful movement of goods, vehicles and people across boundaries

ü The border-free Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens,

many non-EU nationals, businessmen, tourists or

other persons legally present on the EU territory.

ü Apart from passport-free travel, the Schengen Agreement also demands nations to adopt common rules on migration, allowing refugees and those on visas to move freely.

ü aims at rapidly expanding and upgrading Pakistan‘s infrastructure and strengthening the economic ties between the People‘s Republic of China(China) and Pakistan.

ü launched in 2015 and passes through

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan

ü aims at linking the city of

Gwadar in South Western Pakistan to China‘s

North Western region Xinjiang (Not Tibet region)

through a vast network of highways and railways.

ü The CPEC, once completed is expected to cut short the trade route for China‘s oil imports by 6000 miles.

ü expected to open up a brand-new strategic

gateway for China to tap into African, West

Asian and South Asian trade.

ü India protests against the project as it pass through the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, breaching its’ territorial integrity.

Pentagon to remove patriot missile defense systems from the Middle East

missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft.

ü  deployed by US forces during the 2003 Iraq conflict.

ü The systems were stationed in Kuwait and successfully destroyed a number of hostile surface-to-surface missiles, using the new Patriot Advanced Capability-3 and guidance enhanced missiles.

The US reiterated its support to India for its entry into Nuclear Suppliers Group. The US also accorded Strategic Trade Authorisation (STA-1) status to India, which places India in the inner circle of America’s closest allies

nuclear proliferation.

ü set up in 1974 as a reaction to India’s nuclear tests to stop what it called the misuse of nuclear material meant for peaceful purposes.

ü  seeks to control the export and re-transfer of materials that may be applicable to nuclear weapon development.

ü  a 48 member body and the group is guided by the consensus principle.

ü Signing the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or other nuclear moratoriums on testing is a prerequisite for the membership.

ü India, Pakistan, Israel and South Sudan are among the four UN member states which have not signed the NPT.

North Korea withdrew from the treaty in 2003.

ü part of the global justice system since 2002.

ü established by The Rome Statute.

ü Role of ICC: To prosecute and bring to justice those responsible for the worst crimes – genocide,

Crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

ü The court has global jurisdiction.

ü It is a court of last resort, intervening only when national authorities cannot or will not prosecute.

ü The court’s jurisdiction is subject to the primary jurisdiction of states themselves to investigate and

prosecute allegations of those crimes and bring justice to the affected communities.

ü It is only when the states concerned fail to do so at all or genuinely that the ICC will exercise

jurisdiction.

Membership

ü As of now, 123 states are party to the statute

ü Israel, Sudan, the United States and Russia—have informed the UN Secretary General that they no longer intend to become states parties and, as such, have no legal obligations arising from their signature of the Statute.

ü 41 United Nations member states including China and India have neither signed nor acceded to the Rome Statute.

United Nations kicked-off talks on a 2020 treaty that would regulate the high seas, which cover half the

planet yet lack adequate environmental protection

ü In 1982, the UN adopted the Convention on the Law of the Sea, but left the high seas free from

restrictions.

ü The convention took effect in 1994, without the participation of the U.S.

ü Talks will focus on creating protected areas on the high seas, more sharing of maritime resources and technology, and research on environmental impacts.

world’s seas and oceans

ü resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III).

ü UN has no direct operational role in the implementation of the Convention.

Rights under UNCLOS

ü Coastal States have sovereign rights in a 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with respect

to natural resources and certain economic activities, science research and environmental protection.

ü All other States have freedom of navigation and over flight in the EEZ, as well as freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines.

Organisations

ü Mineral resource exploitation in deep seabed areas beyond national jurisdiction is regulated through an International Seabed Authority and the Common heritage of mankind principle.

ü Disputes can be submitted to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea established under the Convention, to the International Court of Justice, or to arbitration.

ü exclusive jurisdiction over deep seabed mining disputes

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency

a relief and human development agency which supports more than 5 million registered Palestinian refugees, and their patrilineal descendants, who fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948

Palestine war as well as those who fled or were expelled during and following the 1967 Six Day war.

ü It was created in December 1949.

ü Originally intended to provide jobs on public works projects and direct relief, today UNRWA provides education, health care, and social services to the population it supports.

More about UNHCR

ü Formed in 1950, UNHCR is the main UN refugee agency

ü Unlike UNRWA, UNHCR has a specific mandate to aid its refugees to eliminate their refugee status by local integration in current country, resettlement in a third country or repatriation when possible.

ü UNRWA allows refugee status to be inherited by some descendants.

Why in News?

National Health Mission director Manoj Jhalani selected for UNIATF Award

ü It is to provide scaled up action across the UN system to support governments, in particular in low- and

middle-income countries, to tackle non communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease.

ü UNIATF’s scope of work was expanded in 2016 to include “NCD related SDGs” – i.e. mental health, violence and injuries, nutrition, and environmental issues that impact on NCDs following the 2030

Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015.

ü The World Health Organization acts as a Secretariat.

well as for investigations of allegations of use and production of chemical weapons based on

intelligence of other state parties.

ü The treaty is of unlimited duration and is far more comprehensive than the 1925 Geneva Protocol, which

outlaws the use but not the possession of chemical weapons.

Organizations

Parties

ü 188 states are party to the CWC.

ü Of the eight states that are not, two have signed but not yet ratified the treaty (Myanmar and Israel)

ü Six states have not signed the treaty (Angola, North Korea, Egypt, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria).

About the Act

ü India signed the convention in January 1993 and ratified it later. The treaty came into force in 1997.

ü India, enacted the Chemical Weapons Convention Act, to make provisions for giving effect to the Convention.

4th World Summit on Accreditation (WOSA-2018) was inaugurated by Union Minister for HRD in New Delhi.

ü a biennial Summit organised by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA).

ü provides a platform to the stakeholders to share their knowledge and information on

accreditation.

ü already organised three Summits in 2012, 2014 and 2016

ü The National Board of Accreditation (NBA) is an autonomous organisation under Ministry of Human Resource Development.

ü engaged in quality assurance of the programs offered by the professional and technical

institutions in India through accreditation.

ü NBA has been accorded Permanent Signatory Status of Washington Accord since June, 2014.

ü Iadopted internationally implemented outcome based assessment and accreditation, to

ensure that the graduates of the NBA accredited programs are globally competent and relevant.

LEMOA

ü  to build basic ground work and promote interoperability between militaries by

creating common standards and systems.

ü  guide sale and transfer of high-end technologies.

ü India has signed three of the four foundational or enabling agreements with the U.S.

o The first one, the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), which is for

information safety, was signed in 2002.

o COMCASA, which was signed at the 2+2 dialogue on 2018, is an India-specific version of the

Communication and Information on Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA).

ü The last one remaining is the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial

Cooperation (BECA).

Why in News?

The Nepal Army has withdrawn from the first BIMSTEC military exercise to be held in India.

ü the first-ever Bimstec (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) anti-terror military exercise.

ü to be held in Pune from September 10 to 16, 2018.

ü  aim – to promote strategic alignment among the member-states and to share best practices in the area of counter-terrorism.

ü BIMSTEC countries held a disaster management exercise in 2017, but this is the first military exercise of the grouping.

Why in news?

Indian Ocean Wave Exercise 2018 (IOWave18) was held in the Indian Ocean.

ü a body with functional autonomy within UNESCO for marine science.

ü only competent organization for marine science within the UN system.

ü  promotes international cooperation and coordinates programs in marine research, services,observation systems, hazard mitigation, and capacity development.

ü coordinates ocean observation and monitoring through the Global Ocean Observing System(GOOS) which aims to develop a unified network providing information on the oceans.

ü also coordinates and fosters the establishment of regional intergovernmental tsunami

warning and mitigation systems in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, in the North East Atlantic,

Mediterranean and Caribbean seas.

ü Safeguards are a set of technical measures applied by the IAEA on nuclear material and activities, through

which the Agency seeks to independently verify that

nuclear facilities are not misused and nuclear

material not diverted from peaceful uses.

ü These legal agreements are of three types:

o Comprehensive safeguards agreements (CSAs)

with non-nuclear-weapon States(NNWSs)

parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

(NPT) and to regional nuclear-weapon-free

zone (NWFZ) treaties;

o Voluntary offer safeguards agreements (VOAs)

with the nuclear-weapon States (NWSs) parties

to the NPT;

o Item-specific safeguards agreements that are

currently implemented in States that are not a

party to the NPT.

ü Under the Treaty’s Article 3, each Non-Nuclear Weapon State is required to conclude a safeguards

agreement with the IAEA.

16nation group accepted some key

demands from India: on differential tariff regimes for different country groups like China, and in allowing

a 20year

implementation period of the agreement

ü between the ten member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations and the six Asia-Pacific states with

which ASEAN has existing free trade agreements.

ü The RCEP negotiation includes: trade in goods, trade in services, investment, economic and

technical cooperation, intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement, e-commerce, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and other issues.

seventh UNWTO global summit on Urban Tourism was held in Seoul, South Korea. The theme was

‘A 2030 Vision for Urban Tourism’

ü  the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

Major functions of the organisation

ü Promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

ü It works to make tourism an effective tool for development through technical assistance projects in

over 100 countries around the world.

UNHCR

integration or resettlement to a third country.

ü Headquarter is in Geneva, Switzerland.

ü a member of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG).

ü The 1951 Refugee Convention is the key legal document that forms the basis

of UNHCR’s work.

ü Ratified by 145 State parties, it defines the term ‘refugee’ and outlines the rights of the displaced, as well as the legal obligations of States to protect them.

ü 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.

ü serves as the ‘guardian’ of the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol.

ü India is not a signatory to 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.

ü It is established on 14th December 1950 and succeeded the earlier UN Relief and Rehabilitation

Administration.

ü UNHCR maintains a database of refugee information, ProGres, which was created during the Kosovo

War in the 1990s.

ü The UNHCR has won two Nobel Peace Prizes, once in 1954 and again in 1981.

ü Chosen for the prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2015.

United Nations Development Programme

ü the United Nations’ global development network.

ü headquartered in New York City.

ü UNDP advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.

ü provides expert advice, training and grants support to developing countries, with increasing

emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries.

ü promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations.

ü The status of UNDP is that of an executive board within the United Nations General Assembly.

ü The UNDP Administrator is the third highest-ranking official of the United Nations after the United Nations Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General

2019 is “Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India”.

ü The event is jointly being held by the Uttar Pradesh government and Ministry of External Affairs

ü The project involves construction of 130-kilometre long pipeline that will connect Siliguri in West Bengal and Parbatipur in Bangladesh

ü an autonomous, nonprofit organization based in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is first SAARC

Recognized Body organisation working on women entrepreneurs’ issues

SAARC Development Fund will soon be launching a social enterprise development programme (SEDP) to

fund 80 entities annually across eight-member states, including India

in April 2010.

ü governing council comprises of finance ministers of these eight countries.

ü currently implementing 12 regional projects with more than 70 implementing and lead

implementing agencies covering all the member countries under the social window funding.

ü  successor of South Asian Development Fund (SADF) which was found to be inadequate due to

its shortage of funds and its limited scope of work.

ü SADF was launched in 1996 by merging the SAARC Fund for Regional Projects (SFRP) and the SAARC Regional Fund.

ü SDF -three Windows. They are Social, Economic and Infrastructure Windows.

ü SDF’s major aims are to promote the welfare of the people of SAARC region, improve their quality of life, and accelerate economic growth, social progress and poverty alleviation in the region.

ü The Fund is to serve as the umbrella financial institution for SAARC projects and programmes and to

contribute to regional cooperation and integration through project collaboration

The tenth annual BRICS Summit, held in Johannesburg, South Africa recently saw the BRICS leaders come

together and discuss various international and regional issues of common concern and adopted the

‘Johannesburg Declaration’ by consensus

ü reaffirms principles of democracy, inclusiveness and agrees to fight unilateralism

and protectionism.

ü  jointly reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of mutual respect, sovereign

equality, democracy, inclusiveness and strengthened collaboration.

ü The BRICS leaders have used the summit to reject the growing unilateralism and instead reiterate their commitment to the strengthening of multilateral institutions, calling for stronger intra-trade within member states.

ü The declaration comes as the United States and China remain deadlocked in a trade war over tariffs.

Mattala airport, located

in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province.

ü Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is located near the strategically significant Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka.

ü The $210 million facility, 241km south-east of Colombo, is dubbed the “world’s emptiest airport” due to a lack of flights.

ü Strategic Trade Authorisation (STA) is the licence exemption that allows a set of items on the

Commerce Control List to be exported from the US under defined conditions without a transaction specific licence.

ü India is the only south Asian nation to be given the designation along with the US’ NATO allies like

South Korea, Australia and Japan.

ü US has relaxed a key condition that India would be eligible only after it had secured the membership of all four technology control regimes — the NSG, the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group

Why in News?

August 8 marks the 30th anniversary of the people’s ‘8888’ uprising in Myanmar

ü The objective of ‘8888’ was two-fold:

o To push for the transfer of power from the military to a civilian leadership.

o A change in the political system from an authoritarian regime to a multi-party democracy.

ü It gave rise to the National League for Democracy (NLD), a political party which paved the way for

the current Myanmar State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi’s entry into politics and for the pro-democracy movement to continue

a proposed $10 billion

Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline

ü The TAPI (Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–

Pakistan–India) Pipeline, also known as Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline, is a natural gas pipeline being developed by the

Galkynysh – TAPI Pipeline Company

Limited with participation of the

Asian Development Bank (ADB).

ü India’s effort is to tap Turkmenistan’s

Galkynysh gas fields, which are the fourth

largest in the world.

ü The pipeline will transport natural gas from

Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan

through Afghanistan into Pakistan and

then to India.

ü Member countries of the project have recommended establishing an inter-government joint security task force (JSTF) to serve as the nucleus of the safety of the pipeline

a Turkic ethnic group who live in East and Central Asia

ü Modern Uyghurs are now primarily Muslim, and they are the second largest Muslim ethnic group in China after the Hui.

ü They are genetically related to both Caucasoid and East Asian populations.

Why in news?

Eleven Indian athletes in the National camp at Jablonec near Prague in the Czech Republic were tested

by WADA

ü The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is a foundation initiated

by the International Olympic Committee to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sports.

ü based in Montreal, Canada

ü established in 1999 as an international nonprofit independent agency composed and funded equally by the sport movement and governments of the world.

ü Its key activities include

o Scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities, and

o Monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) – the document harmonizing anti-doping

policies in all sports and all countries

International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s latest projection about India’s gross domestic product (GDP).

About IMF

ü known as the “Fund,” was conceived at a United Nations conference convened in

Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States, in July 1944.

ü to build a framework for economic cooperation that would avoid a repetition of the Great

Depression of the 1930s.

ü  specialized agency of the United Nations.

ü Membership is open to any country that conducts foreign policy and accepts the organization’s statutes.

Functions

ü The IMF’s responsibilities:

o The IMF’s primary purpose is to ensure the stability of the international monetary system—the system of exchange rates and international payments that enables countries (and their citizens) to transact with each other.

o The Fund’s mandate was updated in 2012 to include all macroeconomic and financial sector

issues that bear on global stability.

ü It provides regular assessment of

o Global prospects in its World Economic Outlook

o Financial markets in its Global Financial Stability Report

o Public finance developments in its Fiscal Monitor

o Series of regional economic outlooks.

ü The IMF provides technical assistance and training to help member countries strengthen their

capacity to design and implement effective policies.

ü The IMF issues an international reserve asset known as Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) that can

supplement the official reserves of member countries.

ü The primary source of the IMF’s financial resources is its members’ quotas, which broadly reflect

members’ relative position in the world economy.

Facts-IMF

ü Membership: 189 countries

ü Headquarters: Washington, D.C

in Salta, Argentina.

ü The Group of Twenty (G20) is a leading forum of the world’s major economies that seeks to develop

global policies to address most pressing challenges.

ü The G20 is made up of 19 countries and the European Union.

ü The G20 was born out of a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors in 1999 who saw a need for a more inclusive body with broader representation to have a stronger impact on

addressing the world’s financial challenges.

ü G20 plays a significant role in consensus building at the highest political level, especially at times of

financial crisis and help to achieve financial stability.

ü Collectively, G20 members represent all inhabited continents, 85 percent of global economic output,

two-thirds of the world’s population, and 75 percent of international trade.

ü The 2018 G20 summit will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

ü Japan will host the summit in 2019 and Saudi Arabia in 2020.

ü The 1st summit was held in United States in 2008.

For the first time, India will host the annual G-20 Summit in 2022

Why in News?

11th World Hindi Conference was recently held in Port Louis, Mauritius. The theme for this year’s

conference is “Vaishvik Hindi Aur Bharatiya Sanskriti“.

About World Hindi Secretariat

ü Ministry of External Affairs has set up the World Hindi Secretariat in Mauritius.

ü objectives -the promotion of Hindi as an international language and further the cause for

recognition at the United Nations as an Official Language.

About Panini Language Laboratory

ü Panini Language Laboratory’ has been set up at Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) in Mauritius.

ü The lab, gifted by the Indian government, will help MGI in teaching Indian languages in Mauritius.

ü  aims to promote reading and writing Hindi amongst young generation and its further development.

ü  serve as medium to generate more interest in learning Hindi amongst youngsters thereby

strengthening language.

Why in News?

ICOMOS launches initiative to save cultural heritage damaged in flood-hit Kerala

to the rich cultural and built heritage in flood-devastated Kerala and set up an emergency response platform.

International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)

ü a prestigious non-government organization.

ü headquartered in Paris.

ü dedicated for promoting the application of theory, methodology and scientific techniques for

conservation of architectural and archaeological heritage across the world.

ü The initiative also aims at setting up a platform for emergency response to the cultural heritage damaged by the floods in Kerala.

ü ICOMOS is also an advisory body to the UNESCO for cultural heritage, in particular for

implementation of the World Heritage Convention.Relations

ü Rome-based ICCROM is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to the preservation of cultural

heritage worldwide through training, information, research, cooperation and advocacy programmes.

Why in News?

The third edition of Indian Ocean Conference begin at Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam

ü organized by Indian Foundation along with the partners from Singapore, Bangladesh and Sri

Lanka.

ü The Indian Ocean Conference will emphasise on better cooperation, strategic collaboration and

governance architectures.

ü This conference will serve a platform to the countries to come closer and exchange better views on the

economic and strategic importance of the region and neighbourhood.

ü Earlier, the conference was held in Singapore and Sri Lanka in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

ü The theme of the two- day conference is ‘Building Regional Architectures’, particularly with regards to

trade and commerce, security and governance.

The Pakistani side will reiterate its objections over two water storage and hydropower projects being built

by India i.e 1000 MW Pakal Dul and 48 MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects on the Chenab River

ü It is also expected to discuss ways and means for timely and smooth sharing of hydrological data on shared rivers.

More about Indus Water Commission

ü Under Indus Water Treaty, a Permanent Indus Commission is set up as a bilateral commission to

implement and manage the Treaty.

ü As per its provisions, India and Pakistan shall each create a permanent post of Commissioner for Indus Waters. These two Commissioners will together form the Permanent Indus Commission.

ü A person who is ordinarily a high-ranking engineer competent in the field of hydrology and water use is appointed as its commissioners.

Functions of the commission

ü meet regularly at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

ü The Commission must submit annual report to the Government of India and to the Government of Pakistan.

ü The Commission can determine its own procedures.

ü The status of each Commissioner and his duties and responsibilities towards his Government will be

determined by that Government.

ü It has the responsibility of

o the furnishing or exchange of information or data provided for in the Treaty

o the giving of any notice or response to any notice provided for in the Treaty.

o undertake, once in every five years, a general tour of inspection of the Rivers for ascertaining the facts.

The United States and Mexico agreed to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),

putting pressure on Canada to agree to new terms on auto trade

New auto rules

ü require 75 per cent of auto content to be made in the NAFTA region, up from the current level of 62.5 per cent.

ü The deal improves labor provisions, in part by requiring 40 percent to 45 percent of auto content to

be made by workers earning at least $16 per hour.

ü The United States relented on its demand for an automatic expiration for the deal, known as a “sunset clause.”

ü Instead, the United States and Mexico agreed to a 16-year lifespan for the deal, with a review every six years that can extend the pact for 16 years.

ü The core dispute over the Caspian is it a lake or a sea.

ü The terminology matters because it dictates how the littoral states use the body of water and how the

Caspian’s resources are divvied up.

ü Until 1991, the Caspian had only two littoral states — the Soviet Union and Iran — which treated the

Caspian as a border lake, with their 1921 Treaty of Friendship.

Outcomes

ü The convention signed confirm that the surface of the Caspian Sea would be legally classified as a sea

It means that each country would control 15 nautical miles of water from its shoreline for mineral exploration and 25 natural miles of shoreline for fishing.

ü All other parts of the Caspian Sea would be considered neutral waters for common use.

ü The convention stipulates that only countries through which a pipeline crosses would have to agree on the construction.

ü Another feature of the agreement that has wider implications is a prohibition on military vessels from non-littoral states in the sea.

ü Please note: Do not confuse ICJ with International Criminal Court and the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

All three are different entities set up for different purposes

üestablished in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations.

üseat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).

ü Of the six principal organs of the United Nations, it is the only one not located

in New York.

ü assisted by a Registry, its administrative organ.

ü official languages are English and French.

ü composed of 15 judges, who are elected for terms of office of nine years by the United

Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.

ü created in Hague by treaty in 1899.

ü It is not a court and does not have permanent judges.

ü PCA seeks to facilitate arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution involving various combinations of states, state entities, and international organisations.

ü consists of an Administrative Council and an International Bureau.

ü The cases span a range of legal issues involving territorial and maritime boundaries, sovereignty, human rights, international investment, and international and regional trade.

ü The decision of the arbitrators is binding in all cases on the parties

The 18th edition of Asian Games is being held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.

ü Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the country’s first-ever World champion in athletics, is carrying the National Flag.

ü The two Koreas, North and south, entered the stadium under a unified flag, the first since the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.

ü Iraq made history with its shooter Elaheh Ahmadi carrying the flag, its first woman to get the honour at the Games.

ü This will be the first time that the Asian Games will be held in two cities – Jakarta and Palembang.

Facts

ü 2014 – Incheon, South Korea.

ü 2022- Hangzhou, China.

ü India hosted 1st (1951) and 9th (1982).

ü India participated in all editions (only 7 countries have done that).

ü Won by Japan and China alone (2014-China topped).

ü  one of the sports making its Asian Games debut in Indonesia.

ü  a traditional wrestling event that is highly popular in Central Asia.

ü The objective of kurash is to throw the opponent on the ground on their

back by grabbing hold of the towel around their waist.

ü A kurash contest starts with both players in a position known as Tazim.

ü There are three ways to score points

1. Halal – Throwing down your rival on his back with full speed and control.

2. Yambosh – This means a throw that is not exactly a halal but is close to one. Two yamboshes equal to one halal.

3. Chala – This refers to throws that are close to a yambosh.

ü A maximum of two penalties – Tambik & Dakk – are allowed and in case of a third penalty, known as Girrom, the player is disqualified.

ü The ‘2+2’ dialogue is a meeting between the India Ministers for External Affairs and Defence, and the US Secretaries of State and Defense.

ü cover a broad range of bilateral, regional and

global issues of shared interest, to strengthen the strategic and

security ties between the two countries.

ü It will replace the Strategic and Commercial Dialogue between

the foreign and commerce ministers of the two countries that was

held during the previous Obama administration.

ü This is the first time that India will be holding a ‘2+2’ dialogue

with any country at the ministerial level.

ü India-Japan 2+2 dialogue which is the first of its kind involves dialogues between the Foreign and

Defence Secretaries of both sides.

Why in News?

UN Security Council adopts Resolution 2428 to impose arms Embargo on South Sudan

ü also withholds training, technical and financial assistance related to military activities or materials.

ü In addition, it lays out several exemptions to the country’s arms embargo — including for material and activities related to humanitarian activities.

ü The Council further decides to renew until 31 May 2019 a travel ban and assets freeze, as laid out in resolution 2206 (2015).

well-being and empowerment of children throughout the conflict cycle.

ü The resolution got unanimous approval of the 15 members of the council.

ü The resolution strongly condemns the recruitment and use of children by parties to armed conflict

as well as their re-recruitment, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, and

abductions.

ü The resolution also condemns attacks against schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access by parties to armed conflict and all other violations of international law committed against children in situations of armed conflict.

ü also emphasizes the responsibility of all states to put an end to impunity and to

investigate and prosecute those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and

other egregious crimes perpetrated against children.

(UNESCO)- be setting up a ‘Design

University for Gaming’ in Visakhapatnam

Organisational structure

ü The structure of UNESCO consist of General Conference, Executive Board, and Secretariat

ü Each member state has one vote in UNESCO’s General Conference, which meets every two years to set the agency’s budget, its program of activities, and the scale of contributions made by member states

to the agency.

ü The 58-member Executive Board, which is elected by the General Conference, generally meets twice each year to give advice and direction to the agency’s work.

ü The Secretariat is the agency’s backbone and is headed by a director general appointed by the

General Conference for a six-year term.

ü Established in 1964, it functions as a forum for intergovernmental deliberations, supported by

discussions with experts and exchanges of experience, aimed at consensus building.

ü Headquarter of UNCTAD is located in Geneva, Switzerland, and it have its offices in New York and

Addis Ababa.

ü report to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.

ü also part of the United Nations Development Group.

ü Its membership is 194 countries.

Organisational Structure

ü The highest policy-making body of UNCTAD is the Conference, which meets once every four years to set

policy guidelines and to formulate a program of work.

ü It comprises four divisions—on globalization and development strategies; international trade;

investment, technology, and enterprise development; and services infrastructure.

ü Asian ministerial conference for disaster risk reduction (AMCDRR) is being organised in collaboration

with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

ü The first conference was held in China in the year 2005

ü India hosted the Seventh edition of conference in New Delhi in 2016

ü the first AMCDRR after introduction of Sendai

Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRRR) 2015-30 at 3rd UN World Conference in Sendai

ü The eighth edition of AMCDRR is hosted by Mongolia in Ulaan Baatar.

ü The Conference will reflect on three years into the implementation of the Sendai Framework, review progress made against the commitments at the AMCDRR 2016, and

reaffirm political commitment on disaster risk reduction and strengthen coherent implementation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

ü Expected outcomes of the conference include the ‘Ulaanbaatar Declaration’, a 2018-2020 Action Plan for implementation of

the Asia Regional Plan, and voluntarycommitments.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

ü established in 1999 as a dedicated secretariat to facilitate the implementation of the

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR)

ü mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to serve as the focal point for the coordination

of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United

Nations system and regional organizations and activities in socio‐economic and humanitarian fields.

ü  an organisational unit of the UN Secretariat and is led by the UN Special Representative of the

Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG).

ü The UNISDR Headquarters is located in Geneva.

ü UNISDR has five regional offices – in Asia (Bangkok), Africa (Nairobi), Europe (Brussels), Arab States (Cairo) and Americas and the Caribbean (Panama

 10th BRICS Summit at Johannesberg, South Africa.

10th BRICS Summit

ü 10th BRICS Summit held in Johannesberg,South Africa.

ü This is the second time the South Africa has hosted the summit after the 2013 summit.

ü The theme of this year’s summit is, ‘BRICS in Africa – collaboration for inclusive growth and shared prosperity in the 4th industrial revolution’.

Summit Host Highlights

First, 2009 Yekaterinburg, Russia

Third, 2011 Sanya, China

First summit to include South Africa alongside the

original BRIC countries.

Sixth, 2014 Fortaleza, Brazil

BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) and BRICS

Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA)

agreements signed.

Nineth, 2017 Xiamen, China Joint summit with EMDCD(Emerging Markets and Developing Countries Dialogue)

About BRICS

ü an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia,

India, China and South Africa.

ü term BRICS is coined by British Economist Jim O’Neill.

ü BRICS nations accounts for 43% of the world population, 30% of world GDP and 17% in world trade.

ü All the five counties are G20 members.

New Development Bank

ü The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a

multilateral development bank operated by the BRICS states.

ü to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies, as well as in developing countries.

ü The possibility of setting up a new Development Bank was discussed in the 4th BRICS Summit in New Delhi (2012).

ü During the sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (2014), the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the New Development Bank (NDB).

ü The headquarters of the Bank is located in Shanghai

ü The International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol is an international organization that facilitates international police cooperation.

ü 192 member countries

ü General Assembly

o INTERPOL’s supreme governing body is the General Assembly.

o It is composed of delegates appointed by each member country.

o It meets annually to take all important decisions.

ü Executive Committee

o It is elected by the General Assembly

o It is headed by the President of the

Organization.

o It provides guidance and direction to the

Organization and oversees the

implementation of decisions made at the

annual General Assembly.

ü Secretariat

o Day-to-day implementation of the

Organization’s strategic decisions is

carried out by the General Secretariat and

National Central Bureaus.

History

ü The idea of INTERPOL was born in 1914 at

the first International Criminal Police

Congress, held in Monaco.

ü It was officially created in 1923 as the

International Criminal Police Commission and

the Organization became known as INTERPOL

in 1956.

Priorities

ü The Strategic Framework 2017-2020 serves as a roadmap for INTERPOL’s global activities.

India is now the 69th shareholder

üinvests in 38 emerging economies across three continents, according to a set of criteria that aim

to make its countries more competitive, better governed, greener, more inclusive, more resilient and more integrated

ü  established in 1991 after fall of the Berlin wall to promote private and entrepreneurial initiative in emerging Europe.

ü Initially focused on the countries of the former Eastern Bloc

it expanded to support development in more than 30 countries.

ü Headquartered in London, the EBRD is owned by 65 countries and two EU institutions.

ü  an international development finance institution dedicated to

reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through loans and other financial assistance.

ü ADB assists its members, and partners, by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to promote social and economic development.

ü  67 members—of which 48 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside

ü A resolution passed at the first Ministerial Conference on Asian Economic Cooperation held by the

United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East in 1963 set that vision on the way

to becoming reality.

ü The Philippines capital of Manila was chosen to host the new institution, which opened on 19

December 1966, with 31 members

ü ADB operations are designed to support the three complementary agendas of

o Inclusive economic growth

o Environmentally sustainable growth

o Regional integration.

Structure

ü ADB is modeled closely on the World Bank, and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are

distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions.

ü India has about 6% voting rights (4th highest, Japan and US has the highest voting rights)

ü The highest policy-making body of the bank is the Board of Governors, composed of one representative

from each member state.

ü The Board of Governors, in turn, elect among themselves the twelve members of the Board of Directors and their deputies.

ü Eight of the twelve members come from regional (Asia-Pacific) members while the others come from nonregional Members

ü Government of India has renamed the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) as

the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research.

ü NCAOR, since 1998, charged with conducting expeditions to India’s base stations to the Antarctic

continent.

ü India’s earth sciences community also views the Himalayas as a “third pole” because of the large

quantities of snow and ice it holds.

ü an intergovernmental forum promoting

cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues.

ü formed with the signing of the Ottawa Declaration on 19 September 1996 in Ottawa, Canada.

ü The Ottawa Declaration states that only those countries that are

located in the Arctic region are eligible for membership.

The participants of the Arctic Council

ü Governments of the eight member states – Canada,

Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia , Sweden and the

United States.(Nordic countries + US, Canada, Russia)

ü The Permanent Participants (PPS) (6 organizations to represent

Arctic indigenous peoples) and 6 Working Groups.

ü Observers – Observer status in the Arctic Council is open to Non-arctic states, Inter-governmental and

inter-parliamentary organizations, global and regional Non-governmental organizations

ü India received the permanent observer status in Arctic Council at Kiruna Ministerial Meeting in 2013.

Other Details

ü The Chairmanship of the Arctic Council rotates every two years among the Arctic States.

ü The Arctic Council has no programming budget.

ü The Arctic Council does not and cannot implement or enforce its guidelines, assessments or

recommendations.

ü The Arctic Council’s mandate explicitly excludes military security.

What is in News?

The 10th edition of the Delhi Dialogue was recently held in New Delhi. The theme of the two-day DD -10

was “Strengthening India-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation”.

 Delhi Dialogue?

ü a premier annual track 1.5 event to

discuss politico-security, economic and socio-cultural engagement between India and ASEAN.

ü the first major event to be organized after the ASEAN India Commemorative Summit that was held in New Delhi in January 2018.

ASEAN

ü The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising

ten Southeast Asian countries that promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and socio-cultural integration amongst its members.

ü The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established in the year 1967 in Bangkok,Thailand with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration).

ü ASEAN Secretariat is in, Jakarta, Indonesia.

ü The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.

ü The founding Members of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

ü India is not a member of ASEAN

ü The first ASEAN summit was held in Bali, Indonesia in the year 1976

ü The thirtieth and thirty-first ASEAN Summits – Manila, Philippines in April 2017 and November 2017 respectively.

ü  volunteer organization that operates in parts

of rebel-controlled Syria and in Turkey.

ü  officially known as Syrian Civil Defence (SCD).

ü SCD was formed in 2014 during the Syrian Civil War.

ü Their activity in Syria consists of urban search and rescue in response

to bombing, medical evacuation, evacuation of civilians from danger

areas, and essential service delivery

France celebrated Bastille Day with a colourful military parade in Paris

which is celebrated on 14 July each year.

ü Bastille Day commemorates the storming in 14th July 1789 of a prison where political dissidents were

locked up, a key event in the French Revolution

enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations.

ü established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC).In 1994, the organization adopted its current name, the World Customs Organization.

ü  maintains the international Harmonized System (HS) goods nomenclature, and

administers the technical aspects of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements on Customs

Valuation and Rules of Origin.

ü The WCO’s governing body – the Council – relies on the competence and skills of a Secretariat and a range of technical and advisory committees to accomplish its mission.

ü The Secretariat comprises over 100 international officials, technical experts and support staff of some nationalities.

ü Discussed measures to boost the bilateral strategic ties by

strengthening cooperation in trade and agriculture sectors.

ü India is to open a High Commission in Rwanda.

ü The two countries signed agreements on leather and allied areas and

agricultural research.

ü India extended two lines of credit

o One for development of industrial parks and Kigali special

economic zone (SEZ) in Rwanda.

o Other for agriculture.

.

ü the oldest preferential trade agreement among developing countries in Asia-Pacific.

ü Seven countries– Bangladesh, China, India, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, and Sri Lanka are the parties to the APTA.

ü  previously named the Bangkok Agreement.

ü APTA is the first plurilateral agreement among the developing countries in the region to adopt common operational procedures for certification and verification of the origin of goods

It has the longest effective implementation period amongst the trade agreements in the entire Asia-Pacific.

• About QUAD: It is an informal mechanism between India, the US, Australia and Japan, and interpreted as a joint effort to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Key Takeaway: It covered a range of security and economic issues under the rubric of supporting a free, open and inclusive rules-based order.

Two Indians, Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk are among the

six winners of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award

pragmatic idealism within a democratic society.

ü  an annual award.

ü  established in April 1957 by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund based in New

York City with the concurrence of the Philippine government.

ü  internationally-recognized as Asia’s Nobel Prize counterpart.

ü the highest award given to Asian individuals and organizations.

protection of works and the rights of their authors in the digital environment.

ü also deals with two subject matters to be protected by copyright

o Computer programs, whatever the mode or form of their expression

o Compilations of data or other material (“databases”)

ü Apart from the rights recognized by the Berne Convention, the Treaty also grants several other rights to authors such as:

o The right of distribution;

o The right of rental; and

o A broader right of communication to the public.

ü The term of protection must be at least 50 years for any kind of work.

and Technology

ü a New Delhi based Indian think-tank for the study of international relations and foreign affairs.

ü established in 1943 as a non-official, non-political and non-profit organisation under the

Registration of Societies Act 1860

ü The Vice President of India is the ex-officio President of ICWA.

Minister of External Affairs is its Vice- President.

ü It is housed in Sapru House, the name being derived from Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, who was also the founder President of the Council.

ü ICWA is a member of the United Nations Academic Impact.

ü Historic international conferences like ‘Asian Relations Conference’ in 1947 under the leadership of

freedom fighter Sarojini Naidu and ‘United Nations and the New World Order’ in 1994 have been held by this think tank in which world renowned dignitaries addressed huge gatherings of intellectuals

The first ever Global Disability Summit was held in London

hosted by the Department for International Development, the Kenyan government and the

International Disability Alliance

ü Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment represented India

Why in news?

World powers vowed to uphold a landmark deal curbing Iran’s nuclear programme after U.S.A pulled out of

the agreement, raising fears of a fresh confrontation with Tehran.

ü Iran Nuclear Deal is the deal which Iran agreed in 2015 on its nuclear programme with the P5+1 group of world powers.

ü P5+1 group of world powers means- the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.

ü Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors

in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

ü The framework deal was embodied in a document called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

ü In exchange for Iran compliance to deal, economic sanctions that had kept Iran away from international

banking and the global oil trade were lifted.

Why in news?

India is considering bringing together a group of 8-10 member countries of the WTO to prepare an agenda for creation of a conducive atmosphere in Geneva to ensure smooth functioning of the global trade body.

Interest Groups in WTO

ü An interest group is an organization of people who share a common interest and work together to protect and promote their interest by influencing the organisation or government

India has pledged USD 5 million in assistance to the UN agency working for the welfare of Palestinian

Refugees

ü United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a relief and human development agency which supports registered Palestinian refugees, and their descendants.

ü It was established following the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.

ü contributed to the welfare and human development of four generations of Palestine refugees.

ü UNRWA benefits from the generous support of UN Member States, the European Union and regional governments.

ü the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict

ü The act was enacted on August 2, 2017.

ü The act empowers the US President to impose sanctions on persons engaged in a “significant transaction”

with Russian defence and intelligence sectors.

ü Two of the most stringent of these sanctions are the export licence restriction by which the US President is authorised to suspend export licences related to munitions, dual-use and nuclear related items; and

the ban on American investment in equity/debt of the sanctioned person.

ü No sanctions have yet been imposed on any country; however US officials claim that they have been successful in persuading a few potential buyers from buying Russian arms.

ü The issue is of particular significance when India is looking to buy Guardian drones from US.

ü CAATSA, if implemented in its stringent form, is likely to affect India’s arms procurement from

Russia in a number of ways.

ü India’s planned procurement from Russia, particularly the S-400 air defence system, Project 1135.6 frigates and Ka226T helicopters, will come under the immediate scanner of US authorities.

ü a new proposal by International Solar Alliance to finance solar projects exclusively.

ü plans to approach multilateral development banks (MDBs) such as Asian Infrastructure

Investment Bank (AIIB) to create a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to specifically finance solar projects.

ü This SPV aimed at financing $150 billion and would later become a World Solar Bank.

ü The proposal comes against the backdrop of ISA’s mission to undertake joint efforts required to reduce the cost of finance and the cost of technology.

ü They believe that the initiative will help to mobilize more than $1,000 billion of investments needed by 2030 for massive deployment of solar energy, and pave the way for future technologies.

Feed-In Tariff (FIT) Specifics

ü Feed-in tariffs are meant for anyone who produces renewable energy—homeowners, business owners, farmers and private investors.

ü Generally, FITs have 3 provisions.

o They guarantee grid access, meaning energy producers will have access to the grid.

o They offer long-term contracts, typically in the range of 15-25 years.

o They offer cost-based purchase prices, meaning that energy producers are paid in proportion

to the resources and capital expended in order to produce the energy.

India offered additional 10 slots to Cuba under the ITEC programme, taking the total annual scholarships

given to Cuba to 70

ü launched by Government of India as a programme of bilateral cooperation and technical assistance.

ü launched on 15th September 1964.

ü Presently 158 countries are invited to share in the Indian developmental experience in various fields.

ü fully-funded by the Government of India.

ü The expenses on training under ITEC Programme, i.e. tuition fees, living allowances, study tours, emergency medical assistance as well as return international air fares are borne by the Government of India.

ü The various training fields covered under the programme include information technology, nonconventional energy, banking and finance etc.

ü ITEC is one of the vehicles for the sharing of India’s experience in the field of economic development, manpower skills and technologies with other countries.

ü There is the Special Commonwealth African Assistance Programme (SCAAP) which is a sister programme of the ITEC.

Why in news?

US President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un created history by coming together at the US-North Korea summit held in Singapore, which resulted in the signing of a “comprehensive document”

• North Korea had also announced to destroy its Punggye-ri nuclear testing zone.

Outcomes

• marks the establishment of new US-DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) relations.

• US had committed to provide security guarantees to North Korea and end US-South Korea Joint war games.

• Reaffirming the Panmunjom declaration

ü Grey list is a classification used by Financial Action Task Force for its ineffectiveness to deal with

terrorist and its facilitators.

ü These countries will be subjected to direct monitoring and intense scrutiny by the International Cooperation

Review Group (ICRG) on terror financing

ü established by the G-7 Summit that was held in Paris in 1989 to examine and develop measures

to combat money laundering.

ü In October 2001, the FATF expanded its mandate to incorporate efforts to combat terrorist financing, in addition to money laundering.

ü developed a series of Recommendations that are recognised as the international standard for

combating of money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass

destruction.

ü In collaboration with other international stakeholders, the FATF works to identify national-level vulnerabilities with the aim of protecting the international financial system from misuse.

Forty Plus Nine recommendations and Black List.

ü The FATF’s primary policies issued are the Forty Recommendations on money laundering from 1990 and

the Nine Special Recommendations (SR) on Terrorism Financing (TF).

ü These together are called 40+9 recommendations.

ü Apart from this FATF In 2000 issued a list of “Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories” (NCCTs),

commonly called the FATF Blacklist.

Why in news?

More than 30 global technology firms have signed up to a “digital Geneva convention”, committing never to

partake in cyber-attacks against individuals or businesses

four key areas:

o Strengthening defensive capabilities,

o Refusing to provide offensive ones,

o Helping customers and users defend themselves, and

o Working collectively to minimise the potential for damaging cyber-attacks.

ü Here in the accord, companies pledged to protect their users around the globe against cybersecurity threats and to

abstain from helping any government launch a cyber-attack.

ü Through the accord the firms committed never to partake in cyber-attacks against individuals or businesses.

ü The tech accord commits companies to responsible action in

ü This will help companies take a principled path towards more effective steps to work together and defend customers around the world

Why in news?

United Nations member states (except the U.S. and Hungary) have agreed on a Global Compact for Migration to better manage international migration

o Ease the pressures on host countries

o Enhance refugee self-reliance

o Expand access to third-country solutions

o Support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity

About Global Compact for Migration

• It is framed in consistent with target 10.7 of the SDG in which Member States committed to cooperate internationally to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration.

Prime Minister said that Yoga has become one of the most powerful ‘Unifying Forces’ in the world.

ü celebrated across the whole world on 21st June every year.

ü Theme of 2018 Yoga Day was ‘Yoga for Peace.’

ü The day came into being when the UN general Assembly adopted India led resolution to celebrate June

21 as ‘International Day of Yoga’ in December, 2014.

ü The resolution was adopted under agenda of UN’s Global Health and Foreign Policy.

ü Dehradun was the host city for 2018.

ü The day was selected because it represents one of the two solstices and is the longest day in the northern hemisphere.

ü The first international yoga day was celebrated on 21st June 2015.

ü The council works closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

ü The Council is mandated to meet for at least three regular sessions per year.

ü also can convene in special session when necessary,upon the request of one-third of its members.

ü made up of 47 States responsible for the promotion

and protection of all human rights around the globe.

ü The UN General Assembly elects the members who occupy the UNHRC’s 47 seats.

ü The term of each seat is three years, and no member may occupy a seat for more than two consecutive terms.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released its new International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The ICD is the foundation for identifying health trends and statistics worldwide, and contains around 55,000

unique codes for injuries, diseases and causes of death

The new ICD includes new chapters, one on traditional medicine

Another new chapter on sexual health brings together conditions that were previously categorized in

other ways (for instance gender incongruence was listed under mental health conditions) or described

differently.

ü Gaming disorder has been added to the section on addictive disorders

study of mortality (death) and morbidity (illness) trends.

ü  designed to promote international compatibility in health data collecting and reporting.

ü It is right now the foundation for the identification of health trends and statistics globally, and the international standard for reporting diseases and health conditions.

ü The ICD contains a description of all known diseases and injuries

ü The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations,

charged with the maintenance of international peace and security as well as accepting new members to the United Nations and approving any changes to its United Nations Charter.

ü  the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

üestablished in 1945 and headquartered in New York.

ü consists of fifteen members – 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members.

Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States are the permanent members.

ü These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.

ü The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms.

ü The presidency of the Council is held by each of the members in turn for one month, following the English alphabetical order of the Member States names.

ü More than 60 United Nations Member States have never been Members of the Security Council.

ü A State which is a Member of the United Nations but not of the Security Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers that country’s interests are affected.

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US.

ü The G-6 was formed in 1975 and consisted of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom.

ü Later Canada was invited to join the group in 1976.

ü Russia made the G-7 into the G-8 from 1998 to 2014.

ü In 2014, Russia was suspended from the group after the annexation of Crimea and tensions in Ukraine.

CONTINGENCY PLAN

Present MOU

ü Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will be the Competent National Authority and national operational contact

point for implementation of “Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan”.

ü ICG Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) will be the national emergency response centre

for marine incidents.

ü an intergovernmental environmental organization for the South Asia region which aims to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the South

Asian region.

ü The Governments of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka established the SACEP in 1982 with its secretariat in Sri Lanka.

ü diverse working areas related to environment like

Combatting Illegal Trade in Wildlife, Restoration of Biodiversity, Adaptation to Climate Change,

Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) etc.

ü SACEP since 1983 has served as the secretariat for the South Asian Seas Programme, which comes under the umbrella of UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan

The SACEP jointly with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) developed a “Regional Oil Spill

Contingency Plan“

ü The plan aims to facilitate international co-operation and mutual assistance in preparing and

responding to a major oil pollution incident in the seas around the Maritime States of Bangladesh, India,Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Why in News?

Mumbai is set to be the newest member and the first Indian city on the World Cities Culture Forum

(WCCF), a platform for cities to share their culture

ü Mumbai, like members of the Forum, will be able to share its culture as part of a comparative research to understand its role and impact.

ü The municipal corporation will be able to maintain a relationship with the other member cities and

Mumbai will be represented on the Forum at all events.

About World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)

ü The WCCF enables the policy makers of member cities to share research and intelligence, while

exploring the vital role of culture in their future prosperity.

ü The forum, which began in 2012 with eight members, is a network of 32 key cities today, including

London, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Cape Town, Dakar, Edinburgh, Lisbon, San Francisco, Shanghai,Singapore, Toronto and many others.

ü Forum members collaborate via a program of events including themed symposia, regional summits and workshops.

ü Through its leadership exchange program, the city’s policy makers will be able to share ideas,

technology, challenges and access cultures and arts

Why in News?

Norway’s ‘doomsday’ seed bank, which seeks to protect the world’s crops from natural disasters, said

it had gathered more than a million varieties as it marked its 10-year anniversary

island in a Norwegian archipelago.

ü located 1,000 km from the North Pole in the remote Svalbard archipelago, which is far from civil strife.

ü  the capacity to store up to 4.5 billion seeds.

ü The Svalbard vault was opened on February 26, 2008 with the

aim of providing a “fail-safe seed storage facility, built to stand the test of time and the challenge of

natural or man-made disasters.”

ü Although housed in Norway, the seeds belong to the donor states and institutions and they can

withdraw them at their convenience.

ü Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.

ü Situated north of mainland Europe, it is about midway between continental Norway and the North Pole

Why in News?

India was ranked 47th out of 86 nations in the Inclusive Internet Index 2018, which was released by the

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

ü Internet connectivity grew 8.3% over the past year, with a 65.1% increase in low-income countries.

ü The mobile Internet gap between the rich and poor is shrinking.

ü The gender gap in Internet inclusion is still far too pervasive.

ü Internet use is empowering, especially to citizens in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

ü Privacy and security concerns are limiting the use of the Internet, especially in Europe.

About Inclusive Internet Index

ü The Inclusive Internet Index, commissioned by Facebook and conducted by The Economist

Intelligence Unit, seeks to measure the extent to which the Internet is not only accessible and

affordable, but also “relevant to all, allowing usage that enables positive social and economic outcomes

at individual and group level.”

ü The index provides a rigorous benchmark of national-level Internet inclusion across four categories:

Availability, Affordability, Relevance and Readiness.

1. Availability à This category examines the quality and breadth of available infrastructure required

for access and levels of Internet usage.

2. Affordability à This category examines the cost of access relative to income and the level of

competition in the Internet marketplace.

3. Relevance à This category examines the existence and extent of local language content and relevant

content.

4. Readiness à This category examines the capacity to access the Internet, including skills, cultural

acceptance, and supporting policy.

ü Each category incorporates key indicators of internet inclusion, including quantitative measures

such as network coverage and pricing, and qualitative measures such as the presence of e-inclusion

policies and the availability of local-language content

ü The membership would help India leverage the technical assistance and sectoral knowledge of the bank for the benefit of development of private sector.

ü Following the approval of Indian membership, India is expected to join EBRD within the first half of the year.

ü an international financial institution founded in 1991.

ü As a multilateral developmental investment bank, the EBRD uses investment as a tool to build market economies.

ü  headquartere- London.

ü owned by 66 countries, the European Union and the European Investment Bank.

ü Each shareholder is represented individually on the Board of Governors of the EBRD which has overall authority over the Bank.

ü In 2017, the EBRD signed a pact with the International Solar Alliance, which was unveiled in 2015 in Paris.

ü The largest shareholder in EBRD is U.S.

ü Despite its public-sector shareholders, it invests mainly in private enterprises, together with

commercial partners

About General Council of WTO

ü The General Council is the WTO’s highest-level decision-making body in Geneva, meeting regularly

to carry out the functions of the WTO.

ü It has representatives from all member governments and has the authority to act on behalf of the

ministerial conference which only meets about every two years.

ü In 2013, the US filed a complaint before the WTO, arguing that the domestic content requirement

imposed under India’s solar programme (National Solar Mission) violates global trading rules by

unfavourably discriminating against imported solar cells and modules.

ü In February 2016, a WTO panel ruled that by imposing the domestic content requirement, India

had violated its national treatment obligation.

ü The US, which is of the opinion that New Delhi continues to apply the “WTO-inconsistent measures”,

had in December 2017 approached the WTO demanding action against India for non-compliance of the WTO ruling.

ü India, however, has been maintaining that it has complied with the WTO’s ruling.

ü India had requested the WTO to set up a panel to determine its compliance with the rulings of

the dispute.

About Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of WTO

ü The General Council convenes as the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) to deal with disputes between

WTO members.

ü Such disputes may arise with respect to any agreement contained in the Final Act of the Uruguay Round that is subject to the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of

Disputes (DSU).

ü The DSB has authority to establish dispute settlement panels, refer matters to arbitration, adopt

panel, Appellate Body and arbitration reports, maintain surveillance over the implementation of

recommendations and rulings contained in such reports and authorize suspension of concessions in the event of non-compliance with those recommendations and rulings.

Official Languages

ü The SCO’s official languages are Russian and Chinese

o Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states.

o Promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, the economy, research, technology and

culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and

other areas.

o Making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region.

o Moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international

political and economic order.

Structure

ü The Heads of State Council (HSC) is the supreme decision-making body in the SCO.

ü meets once a year and adopts decisions and guidelines on all important matters of the organisation.

ü The SCO Heads of Government Council (HGC) meets once a year to discuss the organisation’s

multilateral cooperation strategy and priority areas, to resolve current important economic and other

cooperation issues, and also to approve the organisation’s annual budget.

ü The Council of National Coordinators of SCO Member States (CNC) acts as the SCO coordination

mechanism.

ECONOMIC COOPERATION)

India will host the first military exercise of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical

and Economic Cooperation) group focussing on counter-terrorism

of Bengal.

ü This sub-regional organisation was started on June 6, in the year 1997 through a Bangkok Declaration.

ü of seven countries: 5 come from South Asia, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh,

Bhutan, and Sri Lanka; and 2 come from Southeast Asia, which includes Myanmar and Thailand.

ü headquarters are situated in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

ü The whole region which constitutes the BIMSTEC is home to over 1.5 billion people.

ü The population counts for around 22 percent of the total world population.

History

ü Initially, the economic bloc was formed with four Member States with the acronym ‘BIST-EC’

(Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).

ü Following the inclusion of Myanmar on 22 December 1997 during a special Ministerial Meeting in

Bangkok, the Group was renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).

ü With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan at the 6th Ministerial Meeting (February 2004, Thailand), the name of the grouping was changed to ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation’ (BIMSTEC)

About AIIB

ü a multilateral development bank with a mission to

improve social and economic outcomes in Asia and beyond.

ü headquartere in Beijing.

ü  commenced its operation in January 2016 challenging the western domination in the global

economy.

ü It has now got 86 approved members from around the world.

ü It has authorized capital of US $100 billion.

ü China is the largest shareholder of AIIB, followed by India and Russia.

ü Unlike other Multilateral Development Banks, Voting pattern of AIIB is based on the size of the economy not on the basis of contribution to bank’s authorized capital.

ü Major non-members include US and Japan.

ü Bank’s structure includes Board of Governors, Board of Directors, Senior Management Team, and

International Advisory Panel.

ü AIIB will be headed by a president who will be elected by board of governors for a term of 5 year and can hold a maximum of two terms.

Colombia will next week formally join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

, making it the only Latin

American nation in the alliance

ü  constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its independent member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party.

ü NATO Headquarters are located in Haren, Brussels, Belgium.

ü The headquarters of Allied Command Operations is near Mons, Belgium.

Why in news?

India’s longstanding demand of being included in the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) as an

observer has found support from Bangladesh and Turkey.

ü The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is an international organization founded to safeguard and

protect the interests of the Muslim world.

ü The Organisation was founded in 1969.

ü Organisation consists of 57 member states.

ü The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union.

ü The official languages of the OIC are Arabic, English, and French.

ü The headquarter of the organisation is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

has recommended that adults and children should consume a

maximum of 10% of their daily calorie intake in the form of saturated fat (found in meat and butter) and 1%

in trans-fats.

ü  established on 7 April 1948.

ü Headquarter of WHO is in Geneva, Switzerland.

ü The WHO is a member of the United Nations Development Group.

ü The WHO is responsible for the World Health Report, the worldwide World Health Survey, and World Health Day.

ü It also releases the Global Urban Air Pollution database.

ü Its main function is to determine the policies of the Organization.

ü The Health Assembly appoints the Director-General, supervises the financial policies of the Organization,

and reviews and approves the Proposed programme budget

ü The Executive Board is composed of 34 members technically qualified in the field of health.

ü purpose is to stimulate and sustain demand for gold, provide industry leadership, and be the global

authority on the gold market.

ü Its members comprise the world’s leading gold mining companies.

ü It is headquartered in London United Kingdom.

ü The Commonwealth dates back to the first half of the 20th century with the decolonisation of the British

Empire through increased self-governance of its territories.

ü It was originally adopted as The British Commonwealth of Nations through the Balfour Declaration, at

the 1926 Imperial Conference, and formalised by the United Kingdom through the Statute of

Westminster in 1931

mostly former territories of the British Empire.

ü The Commonwealth operates by intergovernmental consensus of the member states, organised through

the Commonwealth Secretariat and non-governmental organisations, organised through the

Commonwealth Foundation.

ü The current Commonwealth of Nations was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949.

ü British Queen Elizabeth II is considered as the Head of the Commonwealth. However the position is

symbolic.

ü The Commonwealth Secretariat, established in 1965 is the main intergovernmental agency of the

Commonwealth, facilitating consultation and co-operation among member governments and countries.

ü The main decision-making forum of the organisation is the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

ü Secretary-General is elected by Commonwealth heads of government for no more than two four-year

terms.

Carbon emissions from the global shipping industry will be cut by at least half by 2050 under a major new

international agreement

responsible for regulating shipping.

ü known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) until 1982.

ü the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security & environmental performance of

international shipping by creating a regulatory framework for the shipping industry.

ü The IMO was established in Geneva in 1948 and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first

time in 1959.

ü headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

ü The IMO currently has 173 Member States and three Associate Members.

ü It is the only UN agency to have it’s headquarter in United Kingdom.

ü India has been a member of the IMO since 1959.

Composition

ü The Organization consists of an Assembly, a Council and five main Committees.

ü Assembly is the highest Governing Body of the Organization. It consists of all Member States and it

meets once every two years in regular sessions.

ü The Council is elected by the Assembly for two-year terms.

ü The Council is the Executive Organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization.

ü The council consists of 40 members in which category A consists of 10 members, category B 10 members

and category C 20 members.

ü a permanent intergovernmental organization

of 14 oil-exporting developing nations that coordinates and unifies the petroleum policies of its Member

Countries.

ü its origin at the Baghdad conference in 1960.

ü At the time of origin there were only five members.

These five members are Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

ü Later they were joined by another 10 members.

ü Indonesia suspended its membership in 2016 thus

making the total members as 14.

ü The OPEC Statute distinguishes between the Founder Members and Full Members – those countries

whose applications for membership have been accepted by the Conference.

ü The OPEC Secretariat is the executive organ of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

(OPEC).

ü It is currently located in Vienna

Why in News?

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has become the world’s number one airport in the highest

category – over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) – as per Airports Council International (ACI) – ASQ 2017 rankings

ü For the second year in a row, Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport

(RGIA) has bagged the World No.1 slot in the 5-15 million passengers per annum category in ACI-ASQ Passengers Survey 2017.

ü Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has been ranked as the

World’s Best Airport for customer experience.

About Airports Council International (ACI)

ü the only global trade representative of

the world’s airports.

ü  based in Montreal, Canada.

ü serves 641 members operating 1953 airports in 176 countries.

ü  a non-profit organization whose prime purpose is to advance the interests of airports and to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations.

ü Established in 1991, ACI represents airports interests with Governments and international

organizations such as ICAO, develops standards, policies and recommended practices for airports, and

provides information and training opportunities to raise standards around the world.

ü a New Delhi–based autonomous policy research institute.

ü The institute specialises in issues related to international economic development, trade, investment and technology.

ü The focus of the work programme of RIS is to promote South-South Cooperation and collaborate with developing countries in multilateral negotiations in various forums

India- Wiesbaden Conference 2018

ü India-Wiesbaden Conference 2018 was hosted by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in cooperation with

Government of Germany and UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).

ü The title of the Conference was ‘Securing Global Supply Chains through Government-Industry

Partnerships towards Effective Implementation of UNSC Resolution 1540′.

ü Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) was the industry partner for the event

implementation of UNSC 1540 through Government-Industry partnerships.

ü The UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) establishes legally binding obligations on all States to

adopt and enforce appropriate and effective measures to prevent the proliferation to non-State actors of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and their delivery systems.

ü It requires every state to implement appropriate and effective measures to prevent non-state actors such

as terrorists, from obtaining access to weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

ü The report ranks countries depending on the inadequacy of IP protection and enforcement into three

major categories — priority foreign country (PFC) and priority watch list (PWL) and Watch list.

ü The Special 301 Report is a report from the US that evaluates global intellectual property (IP)

protection and enforcement in other countries.

ü The Report is prepared annually by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

ü The report has been created since 1989.

ü Listed as a ‘priority watch’ country means that the US government believes that a country’s IP laws are not adequate to protect the interests of its investors.

ü A country classified as a ‘priority foreign country’ may face economic sanctions imposed by US against it

ü a forum for the travel and tourism industry.

ü made up of members from the global business community and works with governments to raise

awareness about the travel and tourism industry.

ü It is headquartered in London and it organises global summit every year.

ü The summit is usually held in April.

ü It was founded in 1990.

ü It publishes research in conjunction with Oxford Economics on the economic and social impact of the

industry.

ü UN Road Safety Trust Fund was launched to improve road safety worldwide.

ü This would save lives and prevent the loss of opportunity associated with road accidents.

ü It aims to accelerate progress in improving global road safety by bridging the gaps in the mobilization of resources for effective action at all levels.

ü The Fund will mobilize resources from governments, intergovernmental or non-governmental

organizations, the private sector, philanthropic organizations and individuals.

ü UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will be the secretariat for the Trust Fund.

ü The Trust Fund will support efforts along the five pillars of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety, which include

o Strengthened road safety management capacities,

o Improved safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks,

o Enhanced safety of vehicles,

o Improved behaviour of road users and

o Improved post-crash care.

ü The fund will serve as catalyst for much-needed progress towards road safety targets of Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs).

Why in news?

Reciprocal Logistic Support Agreement is the major strategic outcome of recent visit by French President to

India. It is described as a “golden step” by Indian Prime Minister in his joint statement with French

President.

ü It is a reciprocal logistics support deal between the respective armed forces of India and France to use

of each other’s military facilities.

ü The deal will facilitate the French and Indian armed forces to receive logistical support, supplies and

services from each other.

ü Such support can be availed during authorized port visits, joint exercises, joint training, humanitarian

assistance and disaster relief efforts.

ü Through the pact, India and France stepped up their strategic engagement to a new level.

ü The pact is similar to an earlier logistic pact India had signed with US in 2016 which is known as

Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA).

ü Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle are Asia’s two main Opium producing centers.

ü Almost 90% of the world´s illicitly produced

opiates originate in these two main production

areas.

ü Golden Triangle comprises of areas of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. (Sometimes Vietnam also counted in Golden Triangle.)

ü Due to the presence of Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle in the region, part of South West and

South East Asia are more vulnerable for drug

trafficking and its abuse.

ü Due to India’s close proximity with major opium

growing areas of the region, India is also facing the

serious menace of drug trafficking and as a spillover effect

ü His designs include the IIM-Bangalore; Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad;

cultural spaces in Ahmedabad such as Tagore Memorial Hall,

the Institute of Indology, and Premabhai Hall; and private residence Kamala House (Ahmedabad),

among many others.

ü The architect also designed Aranya Low Cost Housing (Indore, 1989), which currently accommodates

over 80,000 individuals through a system of houses, courtyards and a labyrinth of internal pathways.

About Pritzker Architecture Prize

ü The Prize is awarded annually to honour a living architect

ü The laureate receives USD 100,000 and also a bronze medallion.

ü The Pritzker Prize often referred to as “architecture’s Nobel” and “the profession’s highest honor”.

ü The award was established by the Pritzker family of Chicago through their Hyatt Foundation in 1979.

ü The award is conferred on the laureate/s at a ceremony held at an architecturally significant site

throughout the world.

Why in news?

The first ever Indo-French Knowledge Summit concluded in Delhi

for university, scientific and technology cooperation.

ü The summit was organized by the French Embassy in India and co-hosted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Outcomes of the summit

ü A landmark agreement on mutual recognition of educational qualifications between the two

countries.

ü A record 15 other MoUs between universities and research institutions on joint initiatives and

partnerships.

ü A Franco-Indian Education Trust was also unveiled at the summit. It will be funded by the Indian

industry and French Companies in India to offer educational scholarships and merit based financial

support to Indian students.

Aapravasi Ghat

ü an Immigration Depot set up by the British

in 1849 to receive indentured labourers from India.

ü From 1849 to 1923, half a million Indian indentured labourers

passed through this Immigration Depot to work in plantations.

ü The Aapravasi Ghat site stands as a major historic testimony of

indenture labour in the 19th century and is the sole surviving

example of their large scale migration.

ü Buildings in Aapravasi Ghat have granted UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2006 for its outstanding

universal value.

ü The island nation includes the main island of Mauritius, the island Rodrigues, the two outer

islands of Agaléga, and the archipelago of Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon).

ü Mauritius, Rodrigues, and nearby Réunion (170 km (110 mi) southwest) form part of the

Mascarene Islands.

ü It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the African Union.

ü It was colonialized first by Dutch, French and later by British.

ü Tromelin Island is a disputed island between Mauritus and France where in France has administrative control.

ü Port Luis is the capital and largest city

ü Mauritius share ethnic, cultural and historic ties with India basically due to both countries colonial past

and Aapravasi Ghat exemplify this relation

India-France Joint Statement during State visit of President of France to India called upon all UN member

countries to implement the UNSC Resolution 1267

It was repeatedly in news due to India’s attempts to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood

Azhar as a terrorist under the 1267 sanction regime

regime against individuals/groups associated with Al-Qaida.

ü It was the response to attack on the US embassies in Nairobe and Darussalam by Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and other associated groups in 1999.

ü Since US invasion in Afghanistan, the sanctions have been applied to individuals and organizations in all parts of the world.

ü The UNSCR 1267 (1999), its modifications and its successor resolutions require countries to

immediately freeze funds, financial assets or economic resources of individuals and entities who are designated as terrorist or terrorist organizations.

ü Under the SCR 1267, there is no scope for judicial review of the Security Council decision.

ü No full reasons for designating individuals or organisations as terrorists need be given to the

individuals or the entities concerned.

Myanmar has indefinitely deferred signing an agreement with India to streamline the free movement of

people within 16 km along the border.

Key Facts

ü As per the proposal, there would have been no restrictions on the movement of people across the borders.

ü The domiciles were to be allotted border passes and those going

across for agriculture, work or to meet relatives should carry the pass at all times.

India-Myanmar Border

India and Myanmar share a 1,643 km unfenced border along Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215

km), Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km) and permit a ‘free movement’ regime upto 16 km beyond

the border.

ü On January 3, the Union Cabinet had approved the agreement

between India and Myanmar on land border crossing to enhance economic interaction between people of the two countries.

ü The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been deferred twice in the past seven months.

India, Bangladesh and Russia have signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) for

cooperation in the construction of the Rooppur nuclear power plant in Bangladesh

ü The MoU was signed by the Department of Atomic Energy of India, the Ministry of Science and Technology of Bangladesh and Rosatom.

ü Russia is building the nuclear power plant in Bangladesh on a “turnkey” basis, which means the

contractor will complete the whole project and they will be liable for any problems that arise in the plant.

ü Indian companies can be involved in construction and installation works and in the supply of

equipment of a non-critical category.

ü The Rooppur project is the first initiative under an Indo-Russian deal to undertake atomic energy projects in third countries.

ü This will also be the first-time Indian companies will be able to participate in a nuclear power project abroad.

About Rooppur Nuclear plant

first nuclear power plant in Bangladesh and is under

construction.

ü Location is in Rooppur, on the east side of the river Padma near Ishwardi in the Pabna district of

Bangladesh.

ü The project is being implemented by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), under the

guidance of Science and Technology Ministry of the Government of Bangladesh.

ü The nuclear power plant (NPP) will include two units namely Rooppur Unit-1 and Rooppur Unit-2 with a capacity of 1.2GW each.

ü Foundation stone for the Rooppur NPP was laid in October 2013.

ü Rooppur Unit-1 is scheduled to commence operations in 2023, while Rooppur Unit-2 is due to come online in 2024.

ü The nuclear power plant will use cutting-edge technologies and follow the safety guidelines of the

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

ü The project will provide low-cost electricity and create new jobs in Bangladesh

Why in news?

At least 49 people were killed in an outbreak of ethnic violence overnight in the Democratic Republic of

Congo’s troubled Ituri province

ü The Democratic Republic of Congo is slowly recovering from a

conflict known as Africa’s First World War, which led to the loss

of some five million lives.

ü In 1994, more than 800,000 people, predominantly members of

the ethnic Tutsi group were slaughtered by the Hutu in Rwanda.

Geography of Democratic Republic of Congo

ü It is a central African country.

ü The country has a 25-mile (40-km) coastline on the Atlantic Ocean but is otherwise landlocked.

ü It is the second largest country on the continent; only Algeria is larger. T

ü The capital, Kinshasa, is located on the Congo River .

ü The country is often referred to by its acronym, the DRC, to distinguish it from the other Congo republic,

which is officially called the Republic of the Congo and is often referred to as Congo (Brazzaville).

ü Western Rift Valley, the western arm of the East African Rift System, forms the country’s eastern border

and includes Lakes Albert, Edward, Kivu, Tanganyika, and Mweru

ü It was founded in London in 1961 by the lawyer Peter Benenson.

 Amnesty draws attention to human rights abuses and campaigns for compliance with international laws and standards.

ü works to mobilize public opinion to put pressure on governments that let abuse take place.

ü The organization was awarded the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize for it’s “defence of human dignity against torture”, and the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 1978.

ü BFA is modelled on the World Economic Forum held annually in Davos, Switzerland.

ü held in Boao, Hainan province, China.

ü The forum takes its name from this town of Boao where the session is being held annually since 2002.

ü  also known as the “Asian Davos”.

ü The aim of the Forum is to promote regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries even closer to their development goals.

Why in news?

NITI Aayog, in association with Vision India Foundation, is organising the Venture Capital Symposium 2018

ü The Venture Capital Symposium 2018 is a three day event organised by NITI Aayog to deepen the

economic relationships between France and India.

ü It aims to support the Start-up India programme.

ü Vision India Foundation is the Knowledge Partner for the event.

ü This event was attended by various investors from France.

ü The event facilitates interactions between French investors, Indian investors, Indian start-ups and critical

government functionaries.

ü an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean.

ü founded in 1971.

ü comprises of 18 members: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French

Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

ü Since 1989, the Forum has organised an annual meeting with key Dialogue Partners at Ministerial level.

ü The Forum currently recognises 18 dialogue partners including India.

ü It is an official observer at the United Nations.

Why in news?

“The contribution of migration to global development was recognized for

the first time in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” reports

UN DESA’s Population Division

ü part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for

economic, social and environmental issues.

üoffers services to the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

übased at UN Headquarters in New York.

üestablished in the year 1948.

ü assists countries around the world in agenda-setting and

decision-making with the goal of meeting their economic, social andenvironmental challenges.

ü Its work is guided by the universal and transformative 2030 Agenda

for Sustainable Development, along with a set of 17 integrated

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets.

ü publishes “Sustainable Development Goals Report 2017”,

ü It is also a member of the United Nations Development Group

About Strategy 2030

ü Strategy 2030 is a strategy which would be unleashed by Asian Development Bank for achieving a prosperous, inclusive and resilient and sustainable Asia.

ü Under Strategy 2030, ADB will sustain its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty, given the region’s

unfinished poverty agenda, and expand its vision to achieve a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and

sustainable Asia and the Pacific.

ü The new strategy builds on the 2014 midterm review of its current strategy—Strategy 2020.

ü It outlines a vision and key directions for ADB’s engagement with developing member countries until

2030.

ü The strategy aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on climate change, and other global commitments.

Why in news?

The first edition of the Global Wind Summit will be held in Hamburg from September 25-28, 2018

ü The Global Wind Summit is the largest and most important meeting of the wind industry worldwide.

ü The event combines two conferences, WindEnergy Hamburg and WindEurope

The focus of the conferences would be on three major subjects. Dynamic markets, cost efficiency and smart energy.

ü India is fourth largest country — after China, the US and Germany — in terms of wind energy

installation capacity at around 33 GW.

ü The events together will witness about 1,400 exhibitors and 250 speakers from all over the world.

ü The summit has its origin in Germany’s regional Husum Wind Expo.

ü The Global Wind Summit is held every two years

ü The objective of outreach program is to familiarise school and college students in India about

functioning of the MEA.

ü Under this all officers of External affairs ministry will travel to their hometowns

ü The programme is voluntary and gives officials the option of going back to their alma mater or to any

school or college in their hometown.

BREXIT

Why in news?