INDIA IN THE UN
India participates in UNSC open debate
India participated in the UNSC open debate on ‘the promotion and strengthening of the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security: the Rule of Law among Nations’ that was held on 12 January 2023. Speaking in the debate, India’s Permanent Representative (PR) to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said that three factors are essential to ensure and strengthen the rule of law in the conduct of international relations. First is the peaceful settlement of disputes. It is important that countries do not unilaterally undermine bilateral or multilateral agreements. Second, is the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity especially in the context of their violation by acts of cross border terrorism. Third, is the reform of institutions of global governance.Click here to read...
Participating in yet another open debate on ‘Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace: Investing in people to enhance resilience against complex challenges’ on 26 January 2023, India’s PR said that there is a need to recognize the primacy of national governments in identifying and driving priorities, strategies, and activities for sustaining peace. She highlighted that it is important to forge social cohesion and trust in conflict-ravaged societies. She emphasized the need for representative, inclusive and resilient structures of governance. It was highlighted that gender sensitivity and the inclusion of women in the security sector are important, as is the effort to get the youth out of the conflict.Click here to read...
India participates in Intergovernmental Negotiations on UNSC reform
Speaking at the first plenary of Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on UNSC reform, India’s representative gave a call for transforming the IGN from an informal process to a regular negotiation process within the General Assembly. There must be text-based negotiations. There must also be a factual record of what has gone on as part of the IGN. In all parts of the document, there must be attribution of positions of different countries to make it more convenient to highlight points of convergence. The Security Council, it was opined, would only be effective once it includes the voice of the voiceless.Click here to read...
INDIA’S G20 PRESIDENCY
India hosts the Voice of Global South Summit
As a first of its kind event in the history of the G20, India hosted a virtual Voice of Global South on 11-12 January 2023. Nearly 120 countries participated in the Summit with the aim of providing their inputs in the G20 process. Speaking at the Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted that the developing world desires ‘human centric globalisation’. He announced the intention to create a Global South Centre of Excellence for research on development solutions and launch a Science and Technology initiative. He also launched the Aarogya Maitri project aimed at providing medical supplies to any developing country affected by natural disasters or humanitarian crisis.Click here to read...
Working Group on Infrastructure meets
The first G20 Infrastructure Working Group meeting was held in Pune on 16-17 January 2013. It discussed the flagship theme of “Financing Cities of Tomorrow- Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable”. Among the issues discussed were making cities economic centres of growth, financing urban infrastructure, building future-ready urban infrastructure, the role of cities in meeting sustainability targets, directing fiscal investments for unlocking private financing for energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable infrastructure and mitigating social imbalances. The meeting was also complemented by a High-Level Workshop on “Financing of Cities of Tomorrow”.Click here to read...
International Financial Architecture Working Group inaugurated
The meeting of the International Financial Architecture working group was held in Chandigarh on 30-31 January 2023. Inaugurating the meeting, Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar said that the group will consider how it can redesign global and financial governance. The Minister for Food Processing Industries Pashupati Kumar Paras said that India’s Presidency will try to “ensure that the international financial architecture today is well equipped to meet the acute challenges and provide maximum support to vulnerable groups.” It was pointed out that the financial institutions must be made responsive to the needs of the developing and low income countries. Also, that multilateral Banks must be equipped to meet the challenges of development. Click here to read...
First Health Working Group Meeting held
The first meeting of the Health Working Group was held in Thiruvananthapuram from 18-20 January 2023. During the meeting, delegates discussed health priorities like health emergencies prevention and preparedness, strengthening cooperation in pharmaceutical sector and digital health innovation and solutions. Speaking at a side-event on Medical Value Travel (MVT), Dr. V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, said that MVT helps eliminate health disparities across the globe and therefore there is a need for developing standards and accreditation for healthcare facilities and Medical Travel Facilitators and enabling digitization in the Medical Value Travel segment.Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar emphasised on the need for strengthening and empowering communities to become resilient to future health emergencies.Click here to read... and Click here to read...
GLOBAL ECONOMY
World Bank Group discuss the Evolution Roadmap
The Board of the World Bank Group held discussions on the document “Evolving the World Bank Group’s Mission, Operations, and Resources: A Roadmap” which was released by the management in December 2022. According the roadmap, the World Bank is aiming to climate action the focus of its work in the coming years. The focus on ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity in a sustainable way will continue to be the mainstay of the World Bank group. The document envisages the review of the vision and mission of the Group; it’s operating model and enhance its financial capacity and model.Click here to read...
IMF warns of global economic fragmentation
A staff discussion note of the IMF released in January says that as a result of levelling-off of global flow of goods and capital and increasing trade restrictions since the end of the financial crisis of 2008-09 there is a Global Economic Fragmentation (GEF). This will adversely affect per capita incomes and poverty levels in developing countries as well low –income people in developed countries. It will mean enhanced restrictions on cross-border migration and reduced capital flows. “GEF could strain the international monetary system and the global financial safety net (GFSN). Financial globalization could give way to “financial regionalization” and a fragmented global payment system”.Click here to read...
AIIB turns 7
The Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank completed seven years in operation. It was established in 2016 with 57 members. With the addition of Mauritania to its membership this month, its membership stands at 106 making it the second largest multilateral development bank after the World Bank. Thus far, it has funded a total of 202 projects in 33 countries with a value of $38.8 billion. These projects are in the sectors of energy, transportation, water, communications, education and public health. While its focus has largely been on sustainable development projects in Asia, the AIIB extended financing to non-regional members such as Brazil and Cote d’Ivoire in 2022.Click here to read...
PLURILATERAL DEVELOPMENTS
South Africa assumes Chair of BRICS
South Africa assumed the chairmanship of BRICS in January 2023. The Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa grouping is gearing up for the 15th Summit of the BRICS in August. The Summit is complemented by meetings of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and National Security Advisers. Inter-BRICS cooperation has been extended to several areas such as economy, trade, finance, science and technology, industry, agriculture, culture, education, health, think tanks etc. The theme of the Presidency is “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism.”Click here to read...
SCO Film Festival held in Mumbai
As part of India’s presidency of the SCO, a film festival was organized in Mumbai from 27-31 January. This was done to encourage cultural interaction between the SCO countries. A total of 57 films were selected for screening. On the sidelines of the festival, a roundtable discussion was held on “Reaching Out- India and the SCO”. At the roundtable, SCO member nations were urged to promote talent exchange and explore Co-production Agreements with India and avail benefits of the existing Indian film incentives through joint projects. The main objective of the roundtable was to share experiences and provide insights and suggestions for improving the overall ecosystem and outreach in terms of incentives for foreign production and official co-productions announced by Government of IndiaClick here to read...
Iran set to join SCO
The Guardian Council of Iran has approved of Iran joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. While the bill for the same had been approved by the Iranian Parliament in November 2022, the Guardian Council was required to approve the annexes and agreements in the bill on cooperation with the SCO. Once the Parliament had addressed the ambiguities in the bill, the Guardian Council attested that the bill was not against the Sharia or the Iranian Constitution. Click here to read...
PEACE AND SECURITY
PEACEKEEPING
India deploys a women’s battalion for peacekeeping
India deployed a platoon of women peacekeepers as part of the Indian battalion in the United Nations Interim Security Force (UNISFA), Abyei, Sudan. The battalion will include two officers and 25 other ranks, and will be part of an Engagement platoon that will specialise in community outreach while also executing extensive security-related activities. The team was inducted to the mission area on January 14 and over the course of one year, the platoon will work along with their counterparts towards the goal of durable peace in Abyei.Click here to read...
32 peacekeeping fatalities in 2022
The UN staff union revealed that 32 peacekeepers- 28 military and 4 police- lost their lives during peacekeeping in the bygone year. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) was the deadliest for peacekeepers with 14 fatalities, followed by 13 fatalities in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), four fatalities in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and one fatality in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). India lost two peacekeepers.Click here to read...
Challenges to Peacekeeping in Mali
A report of the Secretary General submitted to the Security Council has highlighted that the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) may have be wound up if additional peacekeeping troops cannot be made available. In mid-December, the mission had 12,388 soldiers (against 13,289 authorized by the mandate) and 1,598 police officers (for 1,920 authorized). The main challenge is of finding troops, as several contributing countries (with a total of 2,250 peacekeepers) have announced their withdrawal from MINUSMA, which has paid a heavy price with 165 dead since 2013. Click here to read...
TERRORISM
BIMSTEC holds counter-terrorism meet
The 10th meeting of the BIMSTEC Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (JWG-CTTC) was held on 12 January 2023. The meeting discussed traditional and emerging non-traditional security threats in the BIMSTEC region. The participants deliberated and made recommendations on wide ranging issues to enhance cooperation and collaboration in countering terrorism and transnational crimes in the region. The meeting further discussed on institutional mechanism for CTTC cooperation, Information Sharing System, and Capacity Building for BIMSTEC countries.Click here to read...
Abdul Rahman Makki designated global terrorist
The UN listed the deputy chief of the Lashkar-e- Tayyaba as a global terrorist pursuant to a case submitted by India and supported by the United States in June 2022 under the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC. China had put a technical hold on the decision, but it withdrew its hold, allowing for the designation. Makki was arrested on 15 May 2019 by the Pakistan government and placed under house arrest in Lahore. In 2020, a Pakistani court convicted Makki of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison. Makki has been linked to five terrorist attacks perpetrated in India.Click here to read...
ISIL-SEA designated as global terrorist organisation
Islamic State of Iraq and Levant in Southeast Asia was designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, subjecting it to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. The outfit, also known as Islamic State East Asia Division and Dawlatul Islamiyah Waliyatul Mashriq, was, according to the UN website, formed in June 2016 “upon announcement by now-deceased Isnilon Hapilon” and is associated with Islamic State in Iraq and Levant, listed as Al-Qaida in Iraq.Click here to read...
