Multilateralism Digest: March 2024-Issue 3

I. India in the UN

• India bats for reform in ILO’s governing structure
• India suggests reform of UNSC working methods
• Second meeting of Group of Friends of Peacekeepers held
• An Indian SR for Disaster Risk Reduction

II. Plurilateral Developments

• Samudra Paheredar visits ASEAN nations
• 2nd EWG meeting of G20 held
• O20 social group of G20 meets
• 1st meeting of G20 Bioeconomy initiative held
• BRICS discuss arbitration initiative
• BRICS Contact Group on Economic and Trade Issues focuses on SMEs, consumer protection in e-commerce

III. Multilateral Institutions

• 13th WTO Ministerial Conference concludes
• Global Digital Summit 2024
• World Bank’s renewable energy initiative

IV. Peace and Security

• UN-Habitat joins Compact on Counter-Terrorism
• UNFICYP@60

V. Miscellaneous

• UNEP and GEF to support detoxification of farm land

I. India in the UN

India bats for reform in ILO’s governing structure

At the 350th session of the ILOs Governing Body, India’s representative Barkha Tamrakar said that India advocates the principle of “one country, one voice, one vote” which would give equal weightage to voices of all the countries participating in various organs/ bodies of ILO. She argued that it is important to address the existing representational asymmetry in the regional government groupings of the ILO Governance organs and various Committees. This in turn requires the ILO Secretariat to be made more geographically representative. Click here to read... [2]

India suggests reform of UNSC working methods

At the UN Security Council open debate on working methods of the Security Council on 11 March 2024, India emphasised the need for analytical reporting of UNSC proceedings to the General Assembly, change in the obscure methods of working of the sub-committees and transparency in selection of Chairs of sub-committees from among the 10 non-permanent members of the Council. Click here to read... [3]

Second meeting of Group of Friends of Peacekeepers held

The second meeting of the India-led Group of Friends to promote accountability for crimes against Peacekeepers was held on 26 March 2024. The meeting marked a significant step towards accountability—launching a dedicated database designed to serve as an online repository, empowering the Secretariat, Missions, and member states to monitor and address cases of malicious acts against Peacekeepers. This database, sponsored by India, is hosted on the Unite Aware platform and is poised to facilitate comprehensive analysis and drive effective strategies for promoting accountability. Click here to read... [4]

An Indian SR for Disaster Risk Reduction

On 27 March 2024, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Mr. Kamal Kishore of India as Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). As part of India’s Group of 20 (G20) presidency, Kishore led the G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction. He has also contributed to the development of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, launched by the Prime Minister of India at the Climate Action Summit in 2019. Click here to read... [5]

II. Plurilateral Developments

Samudra Paheredar visits ASEAN nations

Indian Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialised Pollution Control Vessel is on an overseas deployment to ASEAN countries namely the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei from 25 March to 12 April 2024. The deployment is the third in a row by the Indian Coast Guard to ASEAN countries. The visit's agenda includes professional exchanges, cross-deck visits, joint exercises, as well as official and social engagements including visits to capacity-building facilities. The ship is equipped with specialized marine pollution control equipment and a Chetak Helicopter in pollution response configuration, designed to contain, and recover spilled oil and augment the operation. Click here to read... [6]

2nd EWG meeting of G20 held

The second meeting of the Employment Working Group of the G20 was held on 28-29 March 2024. The Indian delegation, led by Secretary, Labour and Environment, Sumita Dawra, participated as the co-Chair of the group and highlighted the need for G20 countries to work towards the G20 EWG commitment of Indian Presidency in 2023 for incorporation of basic and extended indicators in respective national surveys for mapping global skills gaps. This classification of occupations and skills has the potential to benefit developed, developing and least developed nations alike. Click here to read... [7]

O20 social group of G20 meets

The first meeting of the Oceans 20 Engagement Group set up by the Brazilian Presidency was held in Rio de Janeiro from 18-20 March 2024. The G20 countries hold prominent and significant positions in all the main ocean-related businesses, such as maritime transportation, offshore energy generation, aquaculture, fishing, tourism, port services, shipyards, equipment and finance. With the largest share of global GDP and greenhouse gas emissions and half of the world's coastlines, any ocean-related progress by the G20 countries will have positive implications for the global community as a whole. Click here to read... [8]

1st meeting of G20 Bioeconomy initiative held

From 14-15 March 2024, the first meeting of Brazil’s initiative on bioeconomy was held. Although it is not a multilaterally agreed concept, Bioeconomy can be defined as a knowledge-based development model that includes new technologies as well as ancient technologies and traditional knowledge, such as the use and management of ecosystems and biodiversity species. The attempt is to arrive at a definition or alteast pointers of bioeconomy to be included in the final declaration. Click here to read... [9]

BRICS discuss arbitration initiative

An online expert meeting was held as part of Russia’s Chairship of BRICS to discuss the Russian initiative to establish an International BRICS Investment Arbitration Centre on 6 March 2024. State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Andrey Loginov kicked off the event drawing attention to the importance of open dialogue and stressing the relevance of arbitration when seeking to attract investment and economic development.
Participants shared their views on the Russian initiative and raised issues that would require a joint effort taking into account the features of the legal systems of BRICS countries. Click here to read... [10]

BRICS Contact Group on Economic and Trade Issues focuses on SMEs, consumer protection in e-commerce

The first meeting of the BRICS Contact Group on Economic and Trade Issues as part of Russia’s BRICS Chairship was held online on 4-5 March 2024. The partners were particularly interested in a Russian initiative for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises. Meeting participants confirmed the need to remove the barriers hindering the development of SMEs within BRICS, the importance of digital mechanisms, and the need to integrate the companies into BRICS supply chains while expressing their willingness to share the best practices and tools to improve existing support. One topic recognised as requiring urgent attention within BRICS was the consumer protection in e-commerce. Click here to read... [11]

III. Multilateral Institutions

13th World Ministerial conference concludes

The 13th Ministerial conference of the WTO concluded on 2 March 2024 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It reached five ministerial decision regarding Work Programme on Small Economies, WTO Smooth Transition Support Measures in Favour of Countries Graduated from the LDC Category, Dispute Settlement Reform, Work Programme on Electronic Commerce , and TRIPS Non-Violation and Situation Complaints. It also adopted two Ministerial declarations related to reducing technical barriers to trade and special and different treatment on sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Click here to read... [12]

Global Digital Summit 2024

The World Bank held its first Global Digital Summit from 4-7 March 2024. The summit highlighted forward-thinking perspectives, cutting-edge technologies, and new insights centered on three pillars namely connect, innovate, and transform. In the course of the Summit on 6 March 2024, the Digital Progress and Trends Report 2023 was released. The report provides a sweeping analysis of countries’ production and use of digital technologies—from digital jobs, digital services exports, and app development, to internet use, affordability, quality, and more. Click here to read... [13]
Click here to read... [14]

World Bank’s renewable energy initiative

The World Bank Board approved a pioneering $2 billion initiative to enhance energy security and affordability by scaling up renewable energy in emerging and developing economies in the Europe and Central Asia region on 28 March 2024.The Europe and Central Asia Renewable Energy Scale-up (ECARES) program is a 10-year, multi-phased initiative that aims to enable, in the first phase, the addition of 15 GW of renewable energy capacity (enough to charge 650 million electric cars every year) and reduce 240 million metric tons of carbon emissions (equivalent to avoiding the combustion of 100 billion liters of gasoline). Click here to read... [15]

IV. Peace and Security

UN-Habitat joins Compact on Counter-Terrorism

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) joined the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact in an observer status in a signing ceremony attended by principals of both entities. With this, the Compact, already the largest coordination framework within the UN system, now comprises 47 UN and non-UN entities. With its capacity-building activities and close collaboration with civil society organizations and other actors on the ground, UN-Habitat contributes to promoting a more holistic and socially inclusive approach to preventing and countering terrorism. Click here to read... [16]

UNFICYP@60

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus marked sixty years of its existence on 4 March 2024. In the course of the sixty years, more than 150,000 peacekeepers from 43 countries served with UNFICYP and contributed to the fulfillment of its mandate. 187 peacekeepers and staff lost their lives while serving with the Mission. The multi-contingent medal ceremony saw military and UNPOL officers awarded medals and veterans, who served in the Mission in the past six decades, awarded commemorative coins for their service for peace. Click here to read... [17]

V. Miscellaneous

UNEP and GEF to support detoxification of farm land

The governments of Ecuador, India, Kenya, Laos, Philippines, Uruguay, and Vietnam have come together to launch a $379 million initiative to combat pollution from the use of pesticides and plastics in agriculture over the next five years. The Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management Programme (FARM) will led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It seeks to influence banks and policy-makers to reorient policy and financial resources towards farmers to help them adopt low- and non-chemical alternatives to toxic agrochemicals and facilitate a transition towards better practices. Click here to read... [18]