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  • Iran, Belarus to be newest SCO Members

    Iran and Belarus are likely to be the two newest additions to the China and Russia-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) grouping.

    What is SCO?

    Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): a Formidable Alliance and its Significance for India - Olive Greens Institute Blog- Olive Greens Institute SSB | NDA | CDS

    • After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the then security and economic architecture in the Eurasian region dissolved and new structures had to come up.
    • The original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
    • The SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan included. It expanded in 2017 to include India and Pakistan.
    • Since its formation, the SCO has focused on regional non-traditional security, with counter-terrorism as a priority.
    • The fight against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism has become its mantra. Today, areas of cooperation include themes such as economics and culture.

    India’s entry to the SCO

    • India and Pakistan both were observer countries.
    • While Central Asian countries and China were not in favor of expansion initially, the main supporter — of India’s entry in particular — was Russia.
    • A widely held view is that Russia’s growing unease about an increasingly powerful China prompted it to push for its expansion.
    • From 2009 onwards, Russia officially supported India’s ambition to join the SCO in 2017.
    • China then asked for its all-weather friend Pakistan’s entry.

    Why expand now?

    • China and Russia are looking to frame the grouping as a counter to the West — particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
    • China wishes to draw a sharp contrast between the SCO and NATO.

    Changing narrative of SCO

    • There has been discussion in the international arena that the trend of non-alignment is back.
    • NATO is based on Cold War thinking.
    • The logic of NATO is creating new enemies to sustain its own existence.
    • However, SCO is a cooperative organisation based on non-alignment and not targeting a third party.

    India and SCO: Present status

    • India will host the SCO summit next year, and Varanasi has been selected as the SCO region’s first “Tourism and Cultural Capital”.
    • India will also be chairing the summit.

    Try this PYQ now:

    In the context of the affairs of which of the following is the phrase “Special Safeguard Mechanisms” mentioned in the news frequently?

     

    (a) United Nations Environment Programme

    (b) World Trade Organization

    (c) ASEAN- India Free Trade Agreement

    (d) G-20 Summits

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”fbcu8jrl5p” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

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  • India ranks 135 out of 146 in Gender Gap Index

    India ranks 135 among a total of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index, 2022, released by the World Economic Forum.

    What is Global Gender Gap Index?

    • The report is annually published by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
    • It benchmarks gender parity across four key dimensions or sub-indices — economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.
    • It measures scores on a 0-to-100 scale, which can be interpreted as the distance covered towards parity or the percentage of the gender gap that has been closed.
    • The report aims to serve “as a compass to track progress on relative gaps between women and men on health, education, economy and politics”.
    • According to the WEF it is the longest-standing index, which tracks progress towards closing these gaps over time since its inception in 2006.

    How has India fared on different sub-indices?

    Here’s how it stands on different sub-indices:

    (1) Political Empowerment

    • This includes metrics such as the percentage of women in Parliament, the percentage of women in ministerial positions etc.
    • Of all the sub-indices, this is where India ranks the highest (48th out of 146).
    • However, notwithstanding its rank, its score is quite low at 0.267.
    • Some of the best-ranking countries in this category score much better.
    • For instance, Iceland is ranked 1 with a score of 0.874 and Bangladesh is ranked 9 with a score of 0.546.
    • Moreover, India’s score on this metric has worsened since last year – from 0.276 to 0.267.
    • The silver lining is that despite the reduction, India’s score is above the global average in this category.

    (2) Economic Participation and Opportunity

    • This includes metrics such as the percentage of women who are part of the labour force, wage equality for similar work, earned income etc.
    • Here, too, India ranks a lowly 143 out of the 146 countries in contention even though its score has improved over 2021 from 0.326 to 0.350.
    • Last year, India was pegged at 151 out of the 156 countries ranked.
    • India’s score is much lower than the global average, and only Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan are behind India on this metric.

    (3) Educational Attainment

    • This sub-index includes metrics such as literacy rate and the enrolment rates in primary, secondary and tertiary education.
    • Here India ranks 107th out of 146, and its score has marginally worsened since last year.
    • In 2021, India was ranked 114 out of 156.

    (4) Health and Survival

    • This includes two metrics: the sex ratio at birth (in %) and healthy life expectancy (in years).
    • In this metric, India is ranked last (146) among all the countries.
    • Its score hasn’t changed from 2021 when it was ranked 155th out of 156 countries.
    • The country is the worst performer in the world in the “health and survival” sub-index in which it is ranked 146.

    Where does India stand amongst its neighbour?

    • India ranks poorly among its neighbours and is behind Bangladesh (71), Nepal (96), Sri Lanka (110), Maldives (117) and Bhutan (126).
    • Only the performance of Iran (143), Pakistan (145) and Afghanistan (146) was worse than India in South Asia.
    • In 2021, India ranked 140 out of 156 nations.

     

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  • Ex-NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant is new G-20 Sherpa

    Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has been picked as India’s new Sherpa for the G-20.

    Who is a Sherpa (in IR context)?

    • A Sherpa is the personal representative of a head of state or government who prepares an international summit, particularly the annual G7 and G20 summits.
    • Between the G7 summits, there are multiple Sherpa conferences where possible agreements are laid out.
    • This reduces the amount of time and resources required at the negotiations of the heads of state at the final summit.
    • The name Sherpa—without further context—refers to Sherpa for the G7 summit, but the designation can be extended to different regular conferences where the participation of the head of state is required.
    • The Sherpa is generally quite influential, although they do not have the authority to make a final decision about any given agreement.

    Etymology

    • The name is derived from the Sherpa people, a Nepalese ethnic group, who serve as guides and porters in the Himalayas, a reference to the fact that the sherpa clears the way for a head of state at a major summit.
    • They are Tibetan Buddhists of the Nyingmapa sect, and have drawn much of their religious tradition from the Rongphu monastery, located at 16,000 feet on the north side of Mount Everest.

    About G20

    • Formed in 1999, the G20 is an international forum of the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies.
    • Collectively, the G20 economies account for around 85 percent of the Gross World Product (GWP), 80 percent of world trade.
    • To tackle the problems or address issues that plague the world, the heads of governments of the G20 nations periodically participate in summits.
    • In addition to it, the group also hosts separate meetings of the finance ministers and foreign ministers.
    • The G20 has no permanent staff of its own and its chairmanship rotates annually between nations divided into regional groupings.

    Aims and objectives

    • The Group was formed with the aim of studying, reviewing, and promoting high-level discussion of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability.
    • The forum aims to pre-empt the balance of payments problems and turmoil on financial markets by improved coordination of monetary, fiscal, and financial policies.
    • It seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization.

    Members of G20

    The members of the G20 consist of 19 individual countries plus the European Union (EU).

    • The 19 member countries of the forum are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.
    • The European Union is represented by the European Commission and by the European Central Bank.

    Its significance

    • G20 is a major international grouping that brings together 19 of the world’s major economies and the European Union.
    • Its members account for more than 80% of global GDP, 75% of trade and 60% of population.

    India and G20

    • India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999.

     

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  • What is the EU’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy?

    Activists have been widely criticizing the EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy as a “greenwashing” exercise that puts the European Union’s climate change targets at risk.

    What is the EU Taxonomy?

    • The EU taxonomy is a complex system to classify which parts of the economy may be marketed as sustainable investments.
    • It includes economic activities, as well as detailed environmental criteria that each economic activity must meet to earn a green label.

    Why in news now?

    • Rules for most sectors came into effect this year, covering investments including steel plants, electric cars and building renovations.
    • The rules for gas and nuclear energy, however, have been long delayed amid intense lobbying from governments who disagree on whether the fuels help fight climate change.

    What does it say about gas and nuclear energy?

    • The European Parliament supported that proposal in a vote paving the way for it to become law and apply from 2023.
    • Under the proposal, for a gas-fuelled power plant to be deemed green, it must emit no more than 270 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt hour, or have average emissions of 550g CO2e/kW over 20 years.
    • It must also commit to switch to low-carbon gases by 2035.
    • Gas and nuclear power plants are classed as transitional activities.

    What’s the taxonomy for?

    • The taxonomy does not ban investments in activities not labelled “green”, but it limits which ones companies and investors can claim are climate-friendly.
    • The EU’s goal to eliminate its net emissions by 2050 will require huge investments, much of it private funding.
    • The rules also aim to stamp out green-washing, where organisations exaggerate their environmental credentials, among so-called eco-friendly investment products.

    Who does it apply to?

    • Providers of financial products – including pension providers – in the EU must disclose which investments comply with the taxonomy’s climate criteria.
    • For each investment, fund or portfolio, they must disclose what share of underlying investments comply with the rules.
    • Large companies and listed firms must also disclose what share of their turnover and capital expenditure complies.
    • That means polluting companies can get recognition for making green investments.
    • For example, if an oil company invested in a wind farm, it could label that expenditure as green.

    What makes a “green” investment?

    The rules classify three types of green investments.

    • First, those that substantially contribute to green goals, for example, wind power farms.
    • Second, those that enable other green activities, for example, facilities that can store renewable electricity or hydrogen.
    • Third, transitional activities that cannot be made fully sustainable, but which have emissions below industry average and do not lock in polluting assets or crowd out greener alternatives.

     

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  • Status of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia

    China has felt a need to re-visit the various projects under the BRI in different South Asian countries.

    Why in news?

    • At the recently concluded summit of G-7 leaders in Germany, US and his allies unveiled their $600 billion plan called the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Intelligence.
    • This is being seen as a counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), valued at a trillion U.S. dollars by some experts.

    What is China’s Belt and Road Initiative?

    • In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his visits to Kazakhstan and Indonesia, expressed his vision to build a Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
    • He then aimed to break the “bottleneck” in Asian connectivity. This vision led to the birth of the BRI.
    • The initiative envisioned a Chinese-led investment of over $1 trillion in partner countries by 2025.
    • More than 60 countries have now joined BRI agreements with China, with infrastructure projects under the initiative being planned or under construction in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America.

    How does BRI work?

    • To finance BRI projects, China offers huge loans at commercial interest rates that countries have to pay within a fixed number of years.
    • The west has accused China of debt-trapping by extending “predatory loans” that force countries to cede key assets to China.
    • However, research indicates that low and middle-income countries are often the ones to approach China after not being able to secure loans from elsewhere.
    • In recent years, the BRI seems to have experienced a slowing down as annual Chinese lending to countries slimmed from its peak of $125 billion in 2015 to around $50 to 55 billion in 2021.

    What have been the BRI’s investments in Pakistan?

    • On his 2015 visit to Pakistan, Xi unveiled the BRI’s flagship project and its biggest one in a single country — the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
    • The CPEC envisioned multiple projects involving energy, transport and communication systems.
    • At the centre of the CPEC was the $700 million development of the city of Gwadar into a smart port city that would become the “Singapore of Pakistan”.
    • Other major projects are the orange line metro, coal power plants to tackle energy shortages and the Main Line 1 rail project from Peshawar to Karachi.

    Pace of progress in Pakistan

    • Multiple reports have shown that shipping activities at the Gwadar Port is almost negligible so far, with only some trade to Afghanistan.
    • Gwadar residents have also protested against the large security force deployed to protect Chinese nationals involved in projects.
    • Chinese nations has also became the target of multiple deadly attacks by Baloch freedom fighters.
    • Coal plants were set up and managed by Chinese firms to improve the power situation in Pakistan.
    • Chinese power firms closing down their operations as the latter did not pay dues worth 300 billion in Pakistani rupees (approximately $1.5 billion).

    What about Sri Lanka?

    • In Sri Lanka, multiple infrastructure projects that were being financed by China came under the fold of the BRI after it was launched in 2013.
    • In 2021, Colombo ejected India and Japan out of a deal to develop the East Container Terminal at the Colombo port and got China to take up the project.
    • Some BRI projects in Sri Lanka have been described as white elephants — such as the Hambantota port.
    • The port had always been secondary to the busy Colombo port until the latter ran out of capacity.
    • Other key projects under BRI include the development of the Colombo International Container Terminal, the Central Expressway and the Hambantota International Airport among others.

    Projects in Afghanistan

    • Afghanistan has not comprehensively been brought into the BRI, despite a MoU being signed with China in 2016.
    • China had promised investments worth $100 million in Afghanistan which is small in comparison to what it shelled out in other South Asian countries.
    • The projects have not materialised so far and uncertainties have deepened after the Taliban takeover last year.

    Projects in Maldives

    • Situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Maldives comprises two hundred islands, and both India and China have strategic interests there.
    • One of the most prominent BRI projects undertaken in the Maldives is the two km long China-Maldives Friendship Bridge — a $200 million four lane bridge.
    • Most of China’s investment in the Maldives happened under former President Abdullah Yameen, seen as pro-China.

    Projects in Bangladesh

    • Bangladesh, which joined the BRI in 2016, has been promised the second-highest investment (about $40 billion) in South Asia after Pakistan.
    • It has been able to benefit from the BRI while maintaining diplomatic and strategic ties with both India and China.
    • It has managed to not upset India by getting India to build infrastructure projects similar to BRI in the country.
    • BRI projects include Friendship Bridges, special economic zones, the $689.35 million-Karnaphuli River tunnel project, upgradation of the Chittagong port, and a rail line between the port and China’s Yunnan province.
    • However, multiple projects have been delayed owing to the slow release of funds by China.

     

     

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  • [pib] Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)

    The Union Cabinet has approved the categorization of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) as an ‘International Organization’.

    What is the news?

    • The cabinet also signed as the Headquarters Agreement (HQA) with CDRI for granting it the exemptions, immunities and privileges as contemplated under the United Nations (Privileges & Immunities) Act, 1947.
    • This will provide CDRI an independent and international legal persona so that it can efficiently and effectively carry out its functions internationally.

    What is CDRI?

    • The CDRI is an international coalition of countries, UN agencies, multilateral development banks, the private sector, and academic institutions that aim to promote disaster-resilient infrastructure.
    • Its objective is to promote research and knowledge sharing in the fields of infrastructure risk management, standards, financing, and recovery mechanisms.
    • It was launched by the Indian PM Narendra Modi at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019.
    • CDRI’s initial focus is on developing disaster-resilience in ecological, social, and economic infrastructure.
    • It aims to achieve substantial changes in member countries’ policy frameworks and future infrastructure investments, along with a major decrease in the economic losses suffered due to disasters.

    Its inception

    • PM Modi’s experience in dealing with the aftermath of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake” as the chief minister led him to the idea.
    • The CDRI was later conceptualized in the first and second edition of the International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (IWDRI) in 2018-19.
    • It was organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in partnership with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the UN Development Programme, the World Bank, and the Global Commission on Adaptation.

    Its diplomatic significance

    • The CDRI is the second major coalition launched by India outside of the UN, the first being the International Solar Alliance.
    • Both of them are seen as India’s attempts to obtain a global leadership role in climate change matters and were termed as part of India’s stronger branding.
    • India can use the CDRI to provide a safer alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well.

    Why designated as International Organization?

    • Deputing experts to other countries
    • Deploying funds globally and receive contributions from member countries
    • Making available technical expertise to assist countries
    • Imparting assistance to countries in adopting appropriate risk governance arrangements and strategies for resilient infrastructure
    • Aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
    • Leveraging international engagement to foster disaster-resilient infrastructure at home; and,
    • Providing Indian scientific and technical institution as well as infrastructure developers an opportunity to interact with global experts.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants is a unique initiative of G20 group of countries
    2. The CCAC focuses on methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons.

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”g1rfo9e6dp” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

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  • G-20 summit expected to be in Delhi

    India is expected to host the G-20 summit in Delhi, while a number of States, including Jammu and Kashmir and north-eastern States, have been asked to suggest venues for about 100 “preparatory” meetings.

    Why in news?

    • The clarifications came in response to questions being raised over reports in the media about the possibility of holding the summit itself in Jammu and Kashmir.
    • Pakistan had issued a strong protest last week, sent formal demarches to Foreign Ministries in G-20 member-states, asking them not to attend such meetings.
    • Pakistan (alone) believes J&K is internationally recognised disputed territory.

    Why such move?

    • The participation of the delegates from G-20 countries will be a major boost to the efforts of the Centre to project the situation in J&K as normal.
    • This is especially after J&K’s special constitutional position was ended in 2019.

    What is G-20?

    • Formed in 1999, the G20 is an international forum of the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies.
    • Collectively, the G20 economies account for around 85 percent of the Gross World Product (GWP), 80 percent of world trade.
    • To tackle the problems or address issues that plague the world, the heads of governments of the G20 nations periodically participate in summits.
    • In addition to it, the group also hosts separate meetings of the finance ministers and foreign ministers.
    • The G20 has no permanent staff of its own and its chairmanship rotates annually between nations divided into regional groupings.

    Aims and objectives

    • The Group was formed with the aim of studying, reviewing, and promoting high-level discussion of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability.
    • The forum aims to pre-empt the balance of payments problems and turmoil on financial markets by improved coordination of monetary, fiscal, and financial policies.
    • It seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization.

    Members of G20

    The members of the G20 consist of 19 individual countries plus the European Union (EU).

    • The 19 member countries of the forum are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.
    • The European Union is represented by the European Commission and by the European Central Bank.

    Its significance

    • G20 is a major international grouping that brings together 19 of the world’s major economies and the European Union.
    • Its members account for more than 80% of global GDP, 75% of trade and 60% of population.

    India and G20

    • India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999.

     

     

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  • Turkey backs Sweden and Finland’s NATO bid

    Turkey has agreed to support Finland and Sweden joining the NATO military alliance after weeks of angering partners by insisting it would veto the Scandinavian countries’ accession.

    What is NATO?

    • NATO is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949.
    • It sought to create a counterweight to Soviet armies stationed in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.
    • Its original members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
    • NATO has spread a web of partners, namely Egypt, Israel, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and Finland.

    Expansion of NATO: Transforming Europe

    • The war in Ukraine has already changed the geopolitics of Europe and the world.
    • The admission of Finland and Sweden to NATO would bring about a transformation in the continent’s security map by giving NATO a contiguous long frontier in western Russia.
    • Finland and Russia share a 1,300-km border — and doubling it from the present 1,200 km, parts of it in northern Norway, Latvia and Estonia, and Poland and Lithuania.
    • In addition, Sweden’s island of Gotland in the middle of the Baltic Sea would give NATO a strategic advantage.
    • Furthermore, when Sweden and Finland join NATO, the Baltic Sea — Russia’s gateway to the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean — would be ringed entirely by NATO members.

    Why Nordic countries are willing to join NATO?

    • Although the debate over joining NATO was ongoing in both countries for nearly three decades, Russia’s annexation of Crimea pushed both towards NATO’s “open door” policy.
    • Still, there was little political consensus in either country, especially in Sweden where the Social Democrats have long been against the idea.
    • However, February 24 changed everything the date on which Russia invaded Ukraine.

    A knee jerk reaction?

    • If Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was meant to deter NATO’s eastward expansion, the war has had the opposite effect.
    • If admitted, Sweden and Finland will become its 31st and 32nd members.

    Russian response

    • Back in March, Russia had evoked a threatening response to take retaliatory measures by stationing its nuclear and hypersonic weapons close to the Baltic Sea.
    • Russia denounced the problems with Finland and Sweden but the NATO’s expansion at the expense of these countries does not pose a direct threat to us.
    • But the expansion of military infrastructure into this territory will certainly provoke their response, warned Mr Putin.
    • Sweden had already said it would not allow NATO bases or nuclear weapons on its territory.

    Hurdles for Finland, Sweden

    • At the moment the main obstacle to their applications in Turkey, a member since 1952 and which has NATO’s second-largest army after the US.
    • Turkish president Erdogan has objected to their applications on the ground that the two countries had provided safe haven to the leaders of the Kurdish group PKK.
    • Many Kurdish and other exiles have found refuge in Sweden over the past decades.
    • PKK is an armed movement fighting for a separate Kurdistan, comprising Kurdish areas in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria.
    • Neither of these countries have a clear, open attitude towards terrorist organisation.

    What could Turkey gain?

    • Turkey is expected to seek to negotiate a compromise deal to seek action on Kurdish groups.
    • Erdogan could also seek to use Sweden and Finland’s membership to wrest concessions from the United States and other allies.
    • Turkey wants to return to the US-led F-35 fighter jet program — a project it was kicked out of following its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems.
    • Alternatively, Turkey is looking to purchase a new batch of F-16 fighter jets and upgrade its existing fleet.

    How does this affect Turkey’s image in the West?

    • Turkey is reinforcing an image that is blocking the alliance’s expansion for its own profit.
    • It also risks damaging the credit it had earned by supplying Ukraine with the Bayraktar TB2 armed drones that became an effective weapon against Russian forces.

    Is Turkey trying to appease Russia?

    • Turkey has built close relations with both Russia and Ukraine and has been trying to balance its ties with both.
    • It has refused to join sanctions against Russia — while supporting Ukraine with the drones that helped deny Russia air superiority.

     

     

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  • Commonwealth adopts ‘Living Lands Charter’

    All 54 Commonwealth members have agreed to voluntarily dedicate a ‘living land’ in their respective countries to future generations, in line with the strategy set for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

    Living Lands Charter

    • The non-binding mandates that member countries will safeguard global land resources and arrest land degradation while acting against climate change, biodiversity loss and sustainable management.
    • It helps to encapsulate the combined effort to hold the global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, said Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.
    • The document came after nearly two years of intense consultation, engagement and negotiation with member countries at UN Rio Convention.

    Key objectives

    • Leaders and their representatives noted with concern in the charter the alarming decline in the health and productivity of global land resources.
    • It aimed to support member countries to effectively deliver their commitments under the three Rio conventions:
    1. UN Convention on Biological Diversity
    2. UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
    3. UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

    Major outcomes

    • The attendees also underlined the principle of “critical guardianship” provided by indigenous peoples and local communities in protecting land and vital ecosystem services.
    • The agreement was released along with a final wide-ranging communiqué by leaders, including on specific items on climate change.
    • Country heads underscored in it that the “urgent threat of climate change” exacerbates existing vulnerabilities and presents a significant threat to COVID-19 recovery efforts.

     

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2012:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. The Commonwealth has no charter, treaty or constitution
    2. All the territories/countries once under the British Empire (jurisdiction/rule/mandate) automatically joined the Commonwealth as its members

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”71vbe5kg8v” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

    Back2Basics: Commonwealth of Nations

    • The Commonwealth of Nations is an intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire.
    • It dates back to the first half of the 20th century with the decolonization of the British Empire through increased self-governance of its territories.
    • It was originally created as the British Commonwealth of Nation through the Balfour Declaration at the 1926 Imperial Conference, and formalized by the UK through the Statute of Westminster in 1931.
    • The current body was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949, which modernized the community, and established the member states as “free and equal”.
    • The symbol of this free association is Queen Elizabeth II, who is the Head of the Commonwealth.
    • The Queen is head of state of 16 member states, known as the Commonwealth realms, while 32 other members are republics and five others have different monarchs.
    • Member has no legal obligations to one another. Instead, they are united by language, history, culture and their shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

     

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  • G-20

    The Jammu and Kashmir administration has constituted a committee to coordinate with the delegates of G-20 countries scheduled to participate in a meeting to be held in the Union Territory (UT) next year.

    Why such move?

    • The participation of the delegates from G-20 countries will be a major boost to the efforts of the Centre to project the situation in J&K as normal.
    • This is especially after J&K’s special constitutional position was ended in 2019.

    What is G-20?

    • Formed in 1999, the G20 is an international forum of the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies.
    • Collectively, the G20 economies account for around 85 percent of the Gross World Product (GWP), 80 percent of world trade.
    • To tackle the problems or address issues that plague the world, the heads of governments of the G20 nations periodically participate in summits.
    • In addition to it, the group also hosts separate meetings of the finance ministers and foreign ministers.
    • The G20 has no permanent staff of its own and its chairmanship rotates annually between nations divided into regional groupings.

    Aims and objectives

    • The Group was formed with the aim of studying, reviewing, and promoting high-level discussion of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability.
    • The forum aims to pre-empt the balance of payments problems and turmoil on financial markets by improved coordination of monetary, fiscal, and financial policies.
    • It seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization.

    Members of G20

    The members of the G20 consist of 19 individual countries plus the European Union (EU).

    • The 19 member countries of the forum are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.
    • The European Union is represented by the European Commission and by the European Central Bank.

    Its significance

    • G20 is a major international grouping that brings together 19 of the world’s major economies and the European Union.
    • Its members account for more than 80% of global GDP, 75% of trade and 60% of population.

    India and G20

    • India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999.

     

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