Multilateralism Digest: October 2023 - Issue 10

Dr Arpita Anant, Research Fellow, VIF

November 13 , 2023 Views: 613 Comments: 0

I. India in the UN

India abstains on UNGA vote on Israel-Palestine

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution titled the “Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations”, proposed by Jordan on behalf of the Arab League and co-sponsored by about 40 countries, on October 27 with 120 votes in favour, 14 including the U.S. and U.K. against, and 45 abstentions, including India. India explained its vote by stating that the resolution did not include “explicit condemnation” of the October 7 terror attacks in Israel. Click here to read...

“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” resonates in UN portals

The Permanent Mission of India in partnership with the Indian Council of Cultural Relations organised an International Conference on "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" at the United Nations Headquarters on 10 October 2023. The conference focused on the relevance on the relevance of the concept in the context of the complexities of peacekeeping operations as well as for the preservation of environmental sustainability. Click here to read...

India endorses the work UNCITRAL’s 56th Session

At the general debate of the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly on 16 October 2023, India commended the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) for developing the draft guide on access to credit for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises; for taking up the issue of technology related dispute resolution and adjudication in addition to the ways to further accelerate the resolution of disputes; for the progress on Investor-State dispute settlement reform and mediation. The Indian representative also informed that India had successfully hosted the second South Asia UNCITRAL conference jointly with the UNCITRAL and the UNCCI (UNCITRAL National Coordination Committee for India) in September 2023. This was the first in-person flagship event organised by UNCITRAL in the South Asian region since the pandemic. Click here to read...

India cautions regarding ILCs draft articles on Crimes against Humanity

Participating in a discussion on the subject of crimes against humanity in the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly on 12 October 2023, India’s representative voiced the concern regarding the draft articles proposed by the International Law Commission (ILC) fora proposed Convention on prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity. It was pointed out that these draft articles are inspired by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to which several countries in Africa and Asia, including India, are not parties. Click here to read...

II. India’s G20 Presidency

P20 Summit held

Under the Indian presidency, the Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20 Summit) was held on 13-14 October 2023 in New Delhi. The Presiding Officers unanimously adopted a Joint Statement under the Chairmanship of Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla. The statement affirms that the Parliaments will continue to engage in parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue in relevant fora as a catalyst for promoting international peace, prosperity and harmony, including supporting the peaceful resolution of conflicts and disputes. Click here to read...

Fourth FMCBG Meeting adopts communique

The fourth and final meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBGs) under the Indian Presidency was held from 12-13 October 2023 in Marrakesh, Morocco on the sidelines of the IMF/WB Annual Meetings. In this meeting, the G20 FMCBGs unanimously adopted the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Communique. The FMCBG Communique has welcomed the Report of the G20 Independent Expert Group on Strengthening MDBs. Click here to read...

III. Plurilateral Developments

IREDA participates in AtoZero ASEAN Summit

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA) set up a pavilion at the Accelerate to Net Zero (AtoZero) Summit of the ASEAN held from 4-6 October 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The IREDA pavilion showcased the company's achievements, expertise, and contributions to the renewable energy sector. It served as a platform for IREDA to collaborate with international partners and showcase the country's progress in renewable energy development. Chairman and Managing Director of IREDA, Shri Pradip Kumar Das, accompanied by senior officials, also graced the inauguration ceremony. Click here to read...

8th BRICS ICC 2023 held

The 8th BRICS International Competition Conference 2023 hosted by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) was held from 11-13 October 2023 in New Delhi. In the plenary session on BRICS joint documents, Leniency Programme and Digital Economy Reports were released and discussed. The other plenary and breakout sessions facilitated the exchange of views amongst speakers from BRICS and other jurisdictions on a range of new and emerging issues related to competition law and policy. A Joint Statement was signed by the heads of BRICS competition authorities, which inter alia acknowledges the importance of continuing to share information, experience and best practices to strengthen enforcement capabilities and promote fair competition practices within BRICS jurisdictions. Click here to read...

IV. Multilateral Institutions

World Bank, IMF Annual Meeting in Marrakesh

The 2023 World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings were held in Marrakech, Morocco from 9-15 October 2023. The theme for the Annual Meetings was “Global Action, Global Impact”. A joint statement of the Presidents of the World Bank and IMF along with the officials of Morocco laid out the 4 Marrakech Principles for Global Cooperationnamely: Reinvigorating Inclusive and Sustainable Growth, Building Resilience, Supporting Transformational Reforms and Strengthening and Modernizing Global Cooperation. Click here to read...

WTO negotiations on IFD progress

WTO members taking part in the negotiations on investment facilitation for development (IFD) have reached consensus on pursuing the plurilateralavenue for the incorporation of the IFD Agreement into the WTO legal architecture. Following the last round of talks on 11-13 October, members agreed to continue ongoing technical work — notably completing the final provisions of the Agreement — based on that option. Click here to read...

V. Peace and Security

MINUSMA closes 8th base in Mali

MINUSMA ended its presence in the Kidal region of Mali on 31 October 2023, following the departure of its last personnel by air and land convoy. The departure from Kidal marks the closure of MINUSMA's eighth base out of a total of 13 in central and northern Mali, as well as in the capital, Bamako. Since July, the Mission has withdrawn almost 6,000 civilian and uniformed personnel from Mali, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2690 (2023). The Mission is determined to complete its withdrawal on schedule, by December 31, 2023. Click here to read...

UNOCT facilitates parliamentary engagement on counterterrorism

Parliamentary Assemblies from different parts of the world met in Vienna to participate in the Fourth Counter-Terrorism Coordination Meeting, organised by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Programme Office on Parliamentary Engagement with the support of the Shura Council of the State of Qatar, and in cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA). The meeting was held from 4-5 October 2023. Over 80 participants from 16 parliamentary assemblies from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East attended the hybrid meeting. Click here to read...

FATF holds 4th Plenary

The fourth Plenary of the FATF under the Presidency of T. Raja Kumar of Singapore was held in Paris from 24-25 October 2023. Delegates from the FATF’s Global Network (of over 200 jurisdictions) and observers from international organisations participated in these discussions at the FATF headquarters in Paris.FATF welcomed Indonesia as its 40th Member. Click here to read...

VI. Miscellaneous

World Health Summit focuses on sustainable health

The World Health Summit was held in Berlin, Germany from 15-17 October 2023. The focus of the Summit was on learning from COVID-19 for future pandemic prevention, preparedness and response; recommitting to universal health coverage; sustainable health for people and planet; G7/G20 measures to enhance global health equity and security; harnessing the power of digital technologies for global health; the World Health Organization’s 75th anniversary; and innovations to accelerate the fight against tuberculosis. The need to build climate-resilient, low-carbon and sustainable health systems is at the heart of a joint statement by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Health Summit. Click here to read...