2019

INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS
 INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
1 UN & RELATED ORGANISATION 1.11.2 IAEA
1.1 UNITED NATIONS……………..…5 1.11.3 IOM
1.2 General assembly: 1.11.4 OPCW
1.3 Security Council 1.11.5 UNFCCC
1.4 Economic and Social Council 1.11.6 WTO
1.5 International Court of Justice
2 INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS: INDIA
1.6 Secretariat IS A MEMBER……………………23
1.7 Trusteeship Council 2.1 African Development Bank Group
1.8 Funds, Programmes: (AfDB)
1.8.1 UNDP 2.2 Asian Development Bank (ADB)
1.8.2 UNEP (UN Environment) 2.3 Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
1.8.3 UNFPA (AIIB)
1.8.4 UN-Habitat 2.4 Australia Group (AG)
1.8.5 UNICEF 2.5 Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
1.8.6 WFP 2.6 Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperation
1.9 Specialized Agencies:
(BIMSTEC)
1.9.1 FAO
2.7 BRICS
1.9.2 ICAO
2.8 Colombo Plan (CP)
1.9.3 IFAD
2.9 Commonwealth (C)
1.9.4 ILO
2.10 Community of Democracies (CD)
1.9.5 IMF
2.11 Conference of Interaction and
1.9.6 IMO Confidence-Building Measures in Asia
1.9.7 ITU (CICA)
1.9.8 UNESCO 2.12 East Asia Summit (EAS)
1.9.9 UNIDO 2.13 Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
1.9.10 UNWTO 2.14 Group of 20 (G-20)
1.9.11 UPU 2.15 Group of 24 (G-24)
1.9.12 WHO 2.16 Group of 77 (G-77)
1.9.13 WIPO 2.17 Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
1.9.14 WMO 2.18 International Atomic Energy Agency
1.9.15 World Bank (IAEA)
1.10 Other Entities and Bodies 2.19 International Chamber of Commerce
(ICC)
1.10.1 UNAIDS
2.20 International Criminal Police
1.10.2 UNCTAD
Organization (Interpol)
1.10.3 UNHCR
2.21 International Federation of Red Cross
1.10.4 UNIDIR and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS)
1.10.5 UNITAR 2.22 International Hydrographic
1.10.6 UNOPS Organization (IHO)
1.10.7 UNRWA 2.23 International Mobile Satellite
1.10.8 UNSSC Organization (IMSO)
1.10.9 UN Women 2.24 International Olympic Committee (IOC)
1.11 Related organisation: 2.25 International Organization for
Standardization (ISO)
1.11.1 CTBTO

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 2.26 International Telecommunication 3.18 TIR Convention
Satellite Organization (ITSO) 3.19 Cape Town Convention Act
2.27 International Trade Union 3.20 Antarctic treaty.
Confederation (ITUC)
3.21 The Aichi Biodiversity Targets
2.28 Nonaligned Movement (NAM)
3.22 Climate Vulnerable Forum
2.29 Organization for the Prohibition of
3.23 Global Wetland Outlook
Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
3.24 World Environment Day
2.30 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
3.25 The Un Climate Summit (Cop24)
2.31 Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO) 3.26 Montreal Protocol
2.32 South Asia Co-operative Environment 3.27 Global Environmental Facility
Program (SACEP) 3.28 Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas
2.33 South Asian Association for Regional 3.29 United Nations Sustainable
Cooperation (SAARC) Development Framework
2.34 United Nations Disengagement 3.30 Virtual Climate Summit
Observer Force (UNDOF) 3.31 Champions of the Earth award
2.35 World Customs Organization (WCO) 3.32 CITES
2.36 Arctic Council (observer) 3.33 High forest cover and low deforestation
2.37 Association of Southeast Asian Nations conference
(ASEAN) dialogue partners
2.38 European Organization for Nuclear 4 CLIMATE CHANGE & SUSTAINABLE
Research (CERN) associate member DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCES…….49
2.39 Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) partner 4.1 Club of Rome
4.2 Brundtland Commission.
3 TREATIES & CONVENTIONS………35 4.3 UNCED:
3.1 Bali Declaration 4.4 UNFCCC:
3.2 Warsaw Convention 4.5 Important COP’s :
3.3 Vienna Convention 1961 4.6 1997-COP 3 Kyoto, Japan
3.4 Hague Code of Conduct 4.7 - COP 11/CMP 1 Montreal, Canada.
3.5 Hague Adoption Convention 4.8 2007-COP 13/CMP 3 Bali, Indonesia
3.6 Biological Weapons Convention 4.9 2009-COP 15/CMP 5 Copenhagen,
3.7 Convention on Supplementary Denmark
Compensation for Nuclear Damage 4.10 2010-COP 16/CMP 6 Cancún, Mexico
3.8 Refugee Convention 4.11 2012-COP 18/CMP 8 Doha, Qatar
3.9 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban 4.12 2013-COP 19/CMP 9 Warsaw, Poland
Treaty
4.13 2014-COP 20/CMP 10 Lima, Peru
3.10 Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty
4.14 2015-COP 21/CMP 11 Paris, France
3.11 Pelindaba Treaty.
4.15 2016-COP 22/ CMP 12/ CMA 1-1
3.12 UN Convention against Torture Marrakech, Morocco
3.13 Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual 4.16 2017-COP 23/ CMP 13/ CMA 1-2
Property Rights(TRIPS) Bonn, Germany
3.14 Open Skies Treaty 4.17 2018-COP 24/ CMP 14/ CMA 1-3
3.15 Outer Space Treaty Katowice, Poland
3.16 Raisina Dialogue 4.18 2019-COP 25/ CMP 15/ CMA 2
3.17 Mission Innovation Santiago, Chile. Yet to Happen

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 1. UN & RELATED ORGANISATION

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1.1 UNITED NATIONS
● The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945.
● It is currently made up of 193 Member States (south Sudan latest to join).
● The mission and work of the United Nations are guided by the purposes and principles
contained in its founding Charter.
Preamble of founding charter:
● It resolves to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our
lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
● To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human
person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
● To establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from
treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
● To promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.

Main organs of UN:

The main organs of the UN are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic
and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the
UN Secretariat. All were established in 1945 when the UN was founded.

1.2 General assembly:

● The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative
organ of the UN.
● All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly, making it
the only UN body with universal representation.
● Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of
new members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority of the General
Assembly.
● Decisions on other questions are by simple majority. The General Assembly, each year,
elects a GA President to serve a one-year term of office.

1.3 Security Council

● The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the UN Charter, for the
maintenance of international peace and security.
● It has 15 Members (5 permanent -US, UK, Russia, France & China and 10 non-
permanent members for 2years term). Each Member has one vote. Under the Charter,
all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.
● The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace
or act of aggression.
● In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even
authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.
● The Security Council has a Presidency, which rotates, and changes every month.

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 1.4 Economic and Social Council
● The Economic and Social Council is the principal body for coordination, policy review,
policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues,
as well as implementation of internationally agreed development goals.
● It serves as the central mechanism for activities of the UN system and its specialized
agencies in the economic, social and environmental fields, supervising subsidiary and
expert bodies.
● It has 54 Members, elected by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. It
is the United Nations’ central platform for reflection, debate, and innovative thinking on
sustainable development.

1.5 International Court of Justice

●The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
●Its seat is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).
●It is the only one of the six principal organs of the United Nations not located in New
York (United States of America).
● The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes
submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it
by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.
● The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected for terms of office of nine years by
the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. It is assisted by a
Registry, its administrative organ. Its official languages are English and French.
How the Court Works?
● The Court may entertain two types of cases: legal disputes between States submitted
to it by them (contentious cases) and requests for advisory opinions on legal
questions referred to it by United Nations organs and specialized agencies (advisory
proceedings)
● In order to ensure a degree of continuity, one third of the Court is elected every three
years. Judges are eligible for re-election. Should a judge die or resign during his or her
term of office, a special election is held as soon as possible to choose a judge to fill the
unexpired part of the term.

1.6 Secretariat
● The Secretariat comprises the Secretary-General and tens of thousands of international
UN staff members who carry out the day-to-day work of the UN as mandated by the
General Assembly and the Organization's other principal organs.
● The Secretary-General is chief administrative officer of the Organization, appointed
by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a five-
year, renewable term.
● UN staff members are recruited internationally and locally, and work in duty stations and
on peacekeeping missions all around the world

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 1.7 Trusteeship Council
● The Trusteeship Council was established in 1945 by the UN Charter, to provide
international supervision for 11 Trust Territories that had been placed under the
administration of seven Member States, and ensure that adequate steps were taken to
prepare the Territories for self-government and independence.
● At the end of World War I, control over territories that had once been part of the German
and Ottoman Empires was transferred by the League of Nations (predecessor of the UN)
to other European countries. These territories, referred to as League of Nations
Mandates, were renamed United Nations Trust Territories once the UN Charter came
into force in late 1945.
● By 1994, all Trust Territories had attained self-government or independence. The
Trusteeship Council suspended operation on 1 November 1994.
● The Council amended its rules of procedure to drop the obligation to meet annually and
agreed to meet as occasion required -- by its decision or the decision of its President,
or at the request of a majority of its members or the General Assembly or the Security
Council.

The UN system, also known unofficially as the "UN family"is made up of the UN itself and many
affiliated programmes, funds, and specialized agencies, all with their own membership,
leadership, and budget. The programmes and funds are financed through voluntary rather than
assessed contributions. The Specialized Agencies are independent international organizations
funded by both voluntary and assessed contributions.

1.8 Funds, Programmes:

1.8.1 UNDP
● United Nations Development Programme was established in 1965 which works in about
170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the
reduction of inequalities and exclusion.
● it helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional
capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.
● In September 2015, UNDP adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
● It also releases Human Development Report, Gender Inequality Index, Education
Development Index

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1.8.2 UNEP (UN Environment)
● The United Nations Environment Programme established in 1972, headquartered in
Kenya Nairobi. is the voice for the environment within the United Nations system. UNEP
acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote the wise use and
sustainable development of the global environment.
● It also hosts the secretariats of many critical multilateral environmental agreements and
research bodies, bringing together nations and the environmental community to tackle
the greatest challenges of our time. These include the following:

1. The Convention on Biological Diversity :

➢ The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an international legally-binding
treaty with three main goals:
a. conservation of biodiversity;
b. sustainable use of biodiversity;
c. fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic
resources.
➢ Its overall objective is to encourage actions, which will lead to a sustainable
future.
➢ The CBD has following two protocols:

d. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological

Diversity is an international agreement which aims to ensure the safe
handling, transport and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting
from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on biological
diversity, taking also into account risks to human health.
e. The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and
Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the
Convention on Biological Diversity is a supplementary agreement to the

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 Convention on Biological Diversity. It provides a transparent legal framework
for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD:
the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of
genetic resources.

2. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and

Flora:
➢ CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between
governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of
wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

3. The Minamata Convention on Mercury:

➢ The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human
health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The
Minamata Convention entered into force on 16 August 2017.

4. The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions:

➢ The Basel Convention:
● Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of
Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted on 22 March
1989 by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Basel, Switzerland, in
response to a public outcry following the discovery, in the 1980s, in
Africa and other parts of the developing world of deposits of toxic
wastes imported from abroad.

➢ Rotterdam Convention:
● To promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among
Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in
order to protect human health and the environment from potential
harm;
● to contribute to the environmentally sound use of those hazardous
chemicals, by facilitating information exchange about their
characteristics, by providing for a national decision-making process
on their import and export and by disseminating these decisions to
Parties.
● The Convention creates legally binding obligations for the
implementation of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure. It
built on the voluntary PIC procedure, initiated by UNEP and FAO in
1989 and ceased on 24 February 2006.

➢ The Stockholm Convention:

● Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is a global
treaty to protect human health and the environment from chemicals
that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely
distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans

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 and wildlife, and have harmful impacts on human health or on the
environment

5. The Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol:

● Vienna convention is multilateral environmental agreement agreed upon at
the 1985 Vienna Conference and entered into force in 1988. It is one of the
most successful treaties of all time in terms of universality.It acts as a
framework for the international efforts to protect the ozone layer. These are
laid out in the accompanying Montreal Protocol.
● Montreal Protocol It is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone
layer by phasing out the production of numerous Ozone Depleting
Substances (ODSs) i.e Hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). These are
responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on 26 August 1987 in
Montreal.
● Kigali Amendment To The Montreal Protocol: On October 15, 2016, Parties to
the Montreal Protocol adopted the Kigali amendment to phase down
production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) worldwide. While
these chemicals do not deplete the stratospheric ozone layer, some of them
have high GWPs (Global warming potential) ranging from 12 to 14,000. The
approved a timeline for their gradual reduction by 80-85 per cent by the late
2040s

6. The Convention on Migratory Species-Bonn Convention:

● The Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP/CMS), also known as the Bonn
Convention, aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species
throughout their range.
7. The Carpathian Convention:
● The Carpathian Convention is a subregional treaty to foster the sustainable
development and the protection of the Carpathian region.

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 ● It has been signed in May 2003 by seven Carpathian States (Czech
Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Ukraine)
8. The Bamako Convention:
● Bamako Convention is a treaty of African nations prohibiting the import into
Africa of any hazardous (including radioactive) waste. The convention came
into force in 1998.
9. The Tehran Convention:
● The Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of
the Caspian Sea is the first legally binding agreement signed by all five
nations surrounding the Caspian Sea.

1.8.3 UNFPA
● United Nations Population Fund is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health
agency. The organization was created in 1969. Its mission is to deliver a world where
every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is
fulfilled.
● Headquarters: New York City

1.8.4 UN-Habitat
● UN-Habitat is the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future. Its
mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements
development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all.
● Headquarters Nairobi, Kenya

1.8.5 UNICEF
● United Nations Children's Fund is mandated by the UN General Assembly to advocate
for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand
their opportunities to reach their full potential.
● UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to
establish children’s rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of
behaviour towards children.
● Head quarter:New York City, United States

1.8.6 WFP
● The World Food Programme (WFP) is the food-assistance branch of the United
Nations and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and
promoting food security.
● According to the WFP, it provides food assistance to an average of 91.4 million people in
83 countries each year. From its headquarters in Rome and more than 80 country
offices around the world, WFP works to help people who cannot produce or obtain
enough food for themselves and their families.
● It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its executive
committee.

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1.9 Specialized Agencies:
1.9.1 FAO
● The Food and Agriculture Organization leads international efforts to fight hunger. It is
both a forum for negotiating agreements between developing and developed countries
and a source of technical knowledge and information to aid development.
● It aims to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access
to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states,
FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide
● Headquarters :Rome, Italy

1.9.2 ICAO

● The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a UN specialized agency,

established by States in 1944 to manage the administration and governance of the
Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).
● ICAO works with the Convention’s 192 Member States and industry groups to reach
consensus on international civil aviation Standards and Recommended Practices
(SARPs) and policies in support of a safe, efficient, secure, economically
sustainable and environmentally responsible civil aviation sector.
● Headquarters : Montreal, Canada

1.9.3 IFAD
● The International Fund for Agricultural Development, since it was created in 1977, has
focused exclusively on rural poverty reduction, working with poor rural populations in
developing countries to eliminate poverty, hunger and malnutrition; raise their
productivity and incomes; and improve the quality of their lives.
● Headquarters: Rome, Italy

1.9.4 ILO
● The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the International Labor Organization brings
together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States , to set labour
standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all
women and men.
● The main aims of the ILO are to promote rights at work, encourage decent
employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on
work-related issues.
● ILO publishes following reports:
1. World Social Protection Report
2. International Labour Organization
3. World Employment and Social Outlook
4. World of Work Report
5. Global Wage Report

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 1.9.5 IMF

● Created in 1945, the IMF is governed by and accountable to the 189 countries that make
up its near-global membership.
● The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 189 countries, working to
foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate
international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth,
and reduce poverty around the world.
● 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.
● IMF publishes following reports: World Economic Outlook; Global Financial Stability
Report ; Fiscal Monitor Reports ;Regional Economic Reports

1.9.6 IMO
● IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized
agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention
of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. IMO's work supports the UN SDGs.
● As a specialized agency of the United Nations, IMO is the global standard-setting
authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international
shipping.
● Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and
effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.

1.9.7 ITU
● International Telecommunication Union is a United Nations specialized agency for
information and communication technologies.
● Founded in 1865 to facilitate international connectivity in communications networks, it
allocate global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develop the technical standards
that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strive to improve
access to ICTs to underserved communities worldwide.
● Every time we make a phone call via the mobile, access the Internet or send an email,
we are benefitting from the work of ITU.
● ITU is committed to connecting all the world's people – wherever they live and whatever
their means. Through our work, we protect and support everyone's right to communicate
● Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland

1.9.8 UNESCO
● UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
● It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, Sciences and
Culture.
● UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development
Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.
● Headquarters :Paris.

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 1.9.9 UNIDO
● United Nations Industrial Development Organization is the specialized agency of the
United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction,
inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability.
● The mission of the UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the
fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, is to promote and
accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States.

1.9.10 UNWTO
● The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for
the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
● As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO promotes
tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental

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 sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge
and tourism policies worldwide.
● the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET) is a comprehensive set of principles
designed to guide key-players in tourism development. Addressed to governments, the
travel industry, communities and tourists alike, it aims to help maximise the sector’s
benefits while minimising its potentially negative impact on the environment, cultural
heritage and societies across the globe.

1.9.11 UPU
● Established in 1874, the Universal Postal Union (UPU), with its headquarters in the
Swiss capital Berne, is the second oldest international organization worldwide.
● The Universal Postal Union sets the rules for international mail exchanges.
● It makes recommendations to stimulate growth in mail, parcel and financial- services
and to improve the quality of service for customers. It also provides technical assistance
where needed.(The first and oldest intergovernmental organization is the Central
Commission for Navigation on the Rhine, created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna.)

1.9.12 WHO
● The World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority on
international health within the United Nations system. The objective of WHO is the
attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.
● Health, as defined in the WHO Constitution, is a state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
● Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

1.9.13 WIPO
● The World Intellectual Property Organization ensures that the rights of creators and
owners of intellectual property—people such as musicians, writers, scientists and
inventors—are protected worldwide and that creators are, therefore, recognized and
rewarded for their ingenuity and creativity

1.9.14 WMO
● The World Meteorological Organization coordinates global scientific research and
data on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the
oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.
● WMO also provides vital information for early warnings of weather-, climate- and
water-related phenomena, which cause nearly three quarters of all natural disasters,
so as to save lives and minimize damage to property.

1.9.15 World Bank

The World Bank aims to overcome poverty, enhance economic growth while caring
for the environment and create individual opportunities and hope. To this end, it
provides low-interest loans, interest-free credits and grants to developing countries
to be invested in education, health, public administration, infrastructure, financial and
private-sector development, agriculture and environmental and natural
resource management.

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World bank publishes following reports/indices:
1. Ease of Doing Business .
2. World Development Report .
3. Global Economic Prospect (GEP) report
4. Remittance Report
5. Ease of Living Index.
6. India Development Update
7. Universal Health Coverage Index
8. The Service Trade Restriction Index

The World Bank Group consists of five organizations:

a) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

It lends to governments of middle-income and credit worthy low-income countries.
b) The International Development Association
It provides interest-free loans — called credits — and grants to governments of the
poorest countries.
Together, IBRD and IDA make up the World Bank.
c) The International Finance Corporation
It is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector.
We help developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment,
mobilizing capital in international financial markets, and providing advisory services to
businesses and governments.
d) The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) was created in 1988 to promote
foreign direct investment into developing countries to support economic growth, reduce
poverty, and improve people’s lives. MIGA fulfills this mandate by offering political risk
insurance (guarantees) to investors and lenders.
e) The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) provides
international facilities for conciliation and arbitration of investment disputes.

1.10 Other Entities and Bodies

1.10.1 UNAIDS

● The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS is an innovative partnership that

leads and inspires the world in achieving complete access for all to HIV prevention,
treatment, care and support.
● The objective is zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related
deaths. This requires long-term investment, and the strategy of UNAIDS is to bolster
prevention, treatment, care and support, as well as advance human rights and gender
equality.

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 1.10.2 UNCTAD
● The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development promotes the integration
of developing countries into the world economy.
● It helps shape debates and thinking on development and ensures that the policies of
different countries and international action are mutually supportive in bringing about
sustainable development.

1.10.3 UNHCR
● The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees provides legal
protection for refugees and seeks long-lasting solutions to their problems, by helping
them either return voluntarily to their homes or settle in other countries.
● Nearly 50 per cent of the refugees worldwide are children.The UNHCR aims to uphold
their rights, seeking to reunite them with their families and caregivers; protecting
them from sexual exploitation, abuse, violence and military recruitment; and offering
them education and training.

1.10.4 UNIDIR
● The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research promotes research, creative
thinking and dialogue on disarmament and security challenges of today and
tomorrow.
● UNIDIR deals with topics as diverse as nuclear materials, control of small arms
ammunition, the security of refugee camps, disarmament as humanitarian action,
peacekeeping and remote sensing technologies in the service of peace and
disarmament, among other subjects.

1.10.5 UNITAR
● The United Nations Institute for Training and Research carries out research and
training activities and develops pedagogical materials. Often working with other
academic institutions, it offers instruction in the fields of peace and security, social
and economic development, environment, multilateral diplomacy and international
cooperation.

1.10.6 UNOPS
● The United Nations Office for Project Services aims to expand the capacity of the
United Nations System and its partners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian
and development operations that matter for people in need.
● Core services include project, human resources and financial management, as well as
the procurement of material and other services.

1.10.7 UNRWA
● The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East provides assistance, protection and advocacy for registered Palestine refugees.
● UNRWA offers education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and
improvement, community support, microfinance and emergency response, including in
times of armed conflict.

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 1.10.8 UNSSC
● The United Nations System Staff College runs courses for United Nations personnel,
assisting the staff of United Nations organizations in developing the skills and
competencies needed to meet today’s global challenges.

1.10.9 UN Women
● UN Women is the global champion for gender equality, working to develop and uphold
standards and create an environment in which every woman and girl can exercise her
human rights and live up to her full potential.
● It is the trusted partners for advocates and decision-makers from all walks of life, and a
leader in the effort to achieve gender equality.

1.11 Related organization:

1.11.1 CTBTO
● The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
Organization promotes the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which
prohibits nuclear explosions by anyone anywhere on the Earth’s surface, in the
atmosphere, underwater or underground.
● CTBTO also has a monitoring system set up around the world to make sure that no
nuclear explosion goes undetected. The Treaty will enter into force when the required
number of countries ratifies it.

1.11.2 IAEA
● The International Atomic Energy Agency serves as the global focal point for nuclear
cooperation. It assists countries in planning for and using nuclear science and
technology for peaceful purposes, such as the generation of electricity, and it develops
nuclear safety standards.
● IAEA also uses a system of inspections to ensure that States comply with their
commitment to use nuclear material and facilities only for peaceful purposes

1.11.3 IOM
● The International Organization for Migration works to help ensure the orderly and
humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on
migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems
and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and
internally displaced people.

1.11.4 OPCW
● The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is dedicated to the
implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production,
Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (usually
referred to as the Chemical Weapons Convention).
● The main obligation under the Convention is the prohibition of use and production of
chemical weapons, as well as the destruction of all chemical weapons. The destruction

19
 activities are verified by the OPCW which also verifies that toxic chemicals that States
produce are not intended for use as weapons of mass destruction.

1.11.5 UNFCCC
● The UNFCCC Secretariat (UN Climate Change) was established in 1992 when
countries adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC). With the subsequent adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris
Agreement in 2015, Parties to these three agreements have progressively reaffirmed
the Secretariat’s role as the United Nations entity tasked with supporting the global
response to the threat of climate change.
● The secretariat provides technical expertise and assists in the analysis and review of
climate change information reported by Parties and in the implementation of the Kyoto
mechanisms. It also maintains the registry for Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDC) established under the Paris Agreement, a key aspect of implementation of the
Paris Agreement.

1.11.6 WTO
● The World Trade Organization is a forum for governments to negotiate trade
agreements and settle trade disputes.
● the WTO, which was established in 1995, and its predecessor organization the GATT
have helped to create a strong and prosperous international trading system, thereby
contributing to unprecedented global economic growth. The WTO currently has 164
members, of which 117 are developing countries or separate customs territories.
● The WTO's founding and guiding principles remain the pursuit of open borders, the
guarantee of most-favoured-nation principle and non-discriminatory treatment by
and among members, and a commitment to transparency in the conduct of its
activities.
● Decisions in the WTO are generally taken by consensus of the entire membership. The
highest institutional body is the Ministerial Conference, which meets roughly every
two years. A General Council conducts the organization's business in the intervals
between Ministerial Conferences.
● It publishes : World Trade Outlook Indicator.
● WTO's main activities are:
a. Negotiating the reduction or elimination of obstacles to trade (import tariffs, other
barriers to trade) and agreeing on rules governing the conduct of international
trade (e.g. antidumping, subsidies, product standards, etc.)
b. Administering and monitoring the application of the WTO's agreed rules for trade
in goods, trade in services, and trade-related intellectual property rights
c. Monitoring and reviewing the trade policies of our members, as well as ensuring
transparency of regional and bilateral trade agreements
d. Settling disputes among our members regarding the interpretation and
application of the agreements
e. Building capacity of developing country government officials in international trade
matters

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 f. Assisting the process of accession of some 30 countries who are not yet
members of the organization
g. Conducting economic research and collecting and disseminating trade data in
support of the WTO's other main activities
h. Explaining to and educating the public about the WTO, its mission and its
activities.

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22
 2 INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS: INDIA IS A
MEMBER

2.1 African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

● The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group is a regional multilateral development
finance institution established to contribute to the economic development and social
progress of African countries that are the institution’s Regional Member Countries
(RMCs).
● The AfDB comprises three entities:
➢ the African Development Bank (ADB),
➢ the African Development Fund (ADF) and
➢ the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF).
● India is the non-regional member.

2.2 Asian Development Bank (ADB)

● Founded in 1966, the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) headquarters are in Manila,
Philippines.
● The Asian Development Bank's primary mission is to foster growth and cooperation
among countries in the Asia-Pacific Region.
● The Asian Development Bank provides assistance to its developing member countries,
the private sector and public-private partnerships through grants, loans, technical
assistance, and equity investments to promote development.
● The two largest shareholders of the Asian Development Bank are the United States
and Japan.
● India has subscribed 6.35% of capital and 5.386% voting power.

2.3 Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

● The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with
a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia.
● Headquartered in Beijing, it began operations in January 2016 and have now grown to
93 approved members worldwide.
● By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia and
beyond.
● All powers of the Bank are vested in our Board of Governors, which is the highest
decision-making body

2.4 Australia Group (AG)

● The Australia Group is an informal arrangement which aims to allow exporting or
transshipping countries to minimise the risk of assisting chemical and biological
weapon (CBW) proliferation.

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 ● Participants in the Australia Group do not undertake any legally binding obligations:
the effectiveness of their cooperation depends solely on a shared commitment to CBW
non-proliferation goals and the strength of their respective national measures.
● All states participating in the Australia Group are parties to the Chemical Weapons
Convention (CWC) and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and strongly
support efforts under those Conventions to rid the world of CBW.
● India became its member in 2018

2.5 Bank for International Settlements (BIS)

● Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is a
bank for central banks.
● Founded in 1930, the Bank for International Settlements is the oldest global financial
institution and The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is an international
organisation which fosters international monetary and financial cooperation and serves
as a bank for central banks.

2.6 Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and

Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
● The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization comprising seven Member
States lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a
contiguous regional unity.
● This sub-regional organization came into being on 6 June 1997 through the
Bangkok Declaration.
● It constitutes seven Member States: five deriving from South Asia, including
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and two from Southeast Asia,
including Myanmar and Thailand.
● The objective of building such an alliance was to harness shared and
accelerated growth through mutual cooperation in different areas of common
interests by mitigating the onslaught of globalization and by utilizing regional
resources and geographical advantages.
● BIMSTEC is a sector-driven cooperative organization in trade, technology,
energy, transport, tourism, fisheries, agriculture, public health, poverty alleviation,
counter-terrorism, environment, culture, people to people contact and climate
change.
● The BIMSTEC region is home to around 1.5 billion people which make up for
around 22% of the world’s population. The region has a combined gross
domestic product (GDP) of $2.8 trillion.

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2.7 BRICS
● BRICS brings together five major emerging economies, comprising 43% of the world
population, having 30% of the world GDP and a 17% share in the world trade.
● It seek common ground in political and economic venues; to achieve peace, security,
development, and cooperation; to contribute significantly to the development of
humanity and to establish a more equitable world.
● The acronym BRIC was first used in 2001 by Goldman Sachs in their Global
Economics Paper, "The World Needs Better Economic BRICs"
● The 1st BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on June 2009. while South
Africa hosted the most recent 10th BRICS summit in July 2018.
● The Johannesburg declaration has called for definite stand on corruption and
extradition of economic offenders and fugitives and their asset recovery. It also called
for fighting international terrorism and early implementation of the Comprehensive
Convention on International Terrorism.

2.8 Colombo Plan (CP)

● The Colombo Plan was established on July 1951 by Australia, Canada, India,
Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom and currently has expanded
to 27 member countries.
● The Colombo Plan is a partnership concept of self-help and mutual-help in
development aimed at socio-economic progress of its member countries.

2.9 Commonwealth (C)

● The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 independent and equal sovereign
states mostly territories of the former British Empire.Formerly called the British
Commonwealth.

25
 ● set up after the second world war (in 1949) by Britain, to maintain close economic ties
with its erstwhile colonies that were now rapidly becoming independent and it is not a
trade block.
● It aims to promote democracy, human rights, world peace .

2.10 Community of Democracies (CD)

● The Community of Democracies (CoD) established in 2000 is a global
intergovernmental coalition comprised of the Governing Council Member States that
support adherence to common democratic values and standards outlined in the Warsaw
Declaration.

2.11 Conference of Interaction and Confidence-Building

Measures in Asia (CICA)
● Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) is a multi-
national forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and
stability in Asia.
● It is a forum based on the recognition that there is a close link between peace, security
and stability in Asia and in the rest of the world.
● Objectives:
➢ enhance co-operation through elaborating multilateral approaches towards
promoting peace, security and stability in Asia;
➢ eradicate the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations;
➢ combat illicit drug production and trafficking;
➢ promote trade and economic cooperation for the prosperity and stability in Asia;
➢ cooperation on all issues relating to the environment;

2.12 East Asia Summit (EAS)

● The East Asia Summit is a unique Leaders-led forum of 18 countries of the Asia-Pacific
region formed to further the objectives of regional peace, security and prosperity.
● It has evolved as a forum for strategic dialogue and cooperation on political, security and
economic issues of common regional concern and plays an important role in the regional
architecture.
● Established in 2005, EAS allows the principal players in the Asia-Pacific region to
discuss issues of common interest and concern, in an open and transparent manner, at
the highest level.

2.13 Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

● The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in
1989 by the Ministers of its Member jurisdictions.
● The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation
of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering,

26
 terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international
financial system.
● The FATF is therefore a “policy-making body” which works to generate the necessary
political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas.

2.14 Group of 20 (G-20)

● The Group of 20, also called the G-20, is a group of finance ministers and central
bank governors from 19 of the world's largest economies and the European Union.
● The G-20 was formed in 1999 as a forum for member nations to discuss key global
economic issues. The mandate of the G-20 is to promote global economic growth,
international trade and financial market regulation.
● The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France,
Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European
Union.

2.15 Group of 24 (G-24)

● The G-24 is a group of twenty-four countries that was
● Its goal is to work together to coordinate the positions of developing countries on
international monetary and development finance issues.
● The G-24 countries also work together to ensure that their interests were adequately
represented in negotiations on international monetary matters (IMF).

2.16 Group of 77 (G-77)

● The Group of 77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing
nations in the United Nations.
It was created on June 15, 1964, and has since expanded to 130 members. The group enables
countries to jointly leverage their negotiating capacity related to major international economic
issues within the U.N. and "promote their collective economic interests."

2.17 Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

● William Randal Cremer of the UK and Frederic Passy of France were instrumental in
establishing the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in 1889.
● The IPU is the first permanent forum for political multilateral negotiations. It is a centre
for dialogue and parliamentary diplomacy among legislators representing all the main
political systems and political learnings in the world.
● It is having headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland.
● The IPU has been created to foster contacts, coordination and exchange of experience
among parliaments and parliamentarians of all the countries; contribute to the defence
and promotion of human rights which are essential for the parliamentary democracy and

27
 development; and contribute to better knowledge of the working of representative
institutions and the strengthening and development of their means of action.

2.18 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

● The International Atomic Energy Agency is the world's central intergovernmental
forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the nuclear field. It works for the safe,
secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, contributing to
international peace and security and the United Nations' Sustainable Development
Goals.
● The IAEA was created in 1957 in response to the deep fears and expectations
generated by the discoveries and diverse uses of nuclear technology.
● The Agency’s genesis was U.S. President Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” address to
the General Assembly of the United Nations inDecember 1953.
● The Medium Term Strategy has been prepared through a joint consultation process
among Member States and the Secretariat. It covers a period of six years from 2018 to
2023.
● The Medium Term Strategy serves as a strategic direction and roadmap for the
Secretariat to prepare the Agency’s programme and budget during the period covered
by it, by identifying priorities among and within its programmes for three biennia for the
achievement of the Agency’s statutory objectives in an evolving international
environment.

2.19 International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

● ICC is the world’s largest business organization, representing more than 45 million
companies in over 100 countries.
● Through a unique mix of advocacy, solutions and standard setting, we promote
international trade, responsible business conduct and a global approach to
regulation, in addition to providing market-leading dispute resolution services.
● The ICC was founded in Paris, France in 1919. The organization’s international
secretariat was also established in Paris, and its International Court of Arbitration was
formed in 1923.

2.20 International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)

● It is the inter-governmental organization. Which have 194 member countries. It helps
police to work together to make the world a safer place.
● To do this, it enables them to share and access data on crimes and criminals, and offers
a range of technical and operational support.

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2.21 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (IFRCS)
● The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world's
largest humanitarian network and is guided by seven Fundamental Principles:
Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, universality
and unity.
● Founded in 1919, the IFRC comprises 190 member Red Cross and Red Crescent
National Societies, a secretariat in Geneva and more than 60 delegations strategically
located to support activities around the world. There are more societies in formation.
● The Red Crescent is used in place of the Red Cross in many Islamic countries.

2.22 International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)

● The International Hydrographic Organization is an intergovernmental consultative and
technical organization that was established in 1921 to support safety of navigation
and the protection of the marine environment.

The object of the Organization is to bring about:

● The coordination of the activities of national hydrographic offices
● The greatest possible uniformity in nautical charts and documents
● The adoption of reliable and efficient methods of carrying out and exploiting
hydrographic surveys
● The development of the sciences in the field of hydrography and the techniques
employed in descriptive oceanography
● Hydrography involves measuring the depth of the water and fixing the position of all
the navigational hazards that lie on the seafloor, such as wrecks and rocks.

29
2.23 International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)
● The International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) is the inter-governmental
organization whose Primary Purpose is the oversight of certain public satellite safety
and security communication services provided by mobile satellite communication
systems.

2.24 International Olympic Committee (IOC)

● The International Olympic Committee (IOC; French: Comité International Olympique
CIO) is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Created by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas in 1894, it is the authority
responsible for organising the modern Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

2.25 International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

● ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a
membership of 164 national standards bodies.
● Through its members, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop
voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support
innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.

2.26 International Telecommunication Satellite Organization

(ITSO)
● ITSO is an intergovernmental organization with 149-member states, that incorporates
the principle set forth in Resolution 1721 (XVI) of the General Assembly of the United
Nations, which established that communication by means of satellites should be
available to the nations of the world as soon as practicable on a global and non-
discriminatory basis.

2.27 International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

● The ITUC’s primary mission is the promotion and defence of workers’ rights and
interests, through international cooperation between trade unions, global campaigning
and advocacy within the major global institutions.
● Its main areas of activity include the following: trade union and human rights;
economy, society and the workplace; equality and non-discrimination; and
international solidarity.
● The ITUC adheres to the principles of trade union democracy and independence.
● It is governed by four-yearly world congresses, a General Council and an Executive
Bureau.

30
2.28 Nonaligned Movement (NAM)
● The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is the largest political grouping of countries in
multilateral fora. The Asian-African Conference of 1955 held in Bandung was the
catalyst for the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement.
● The Non-Aligned Movement was formed during the Cold War as an organization of
States that did not seek to formally align themselves with either the United States or the
Soviet Union, but sought to remain independent or neutral.
● NonAlignment 2.0 is an attempt to identify the basic principles that should guide
India’s foreign and strategic policy over the next decade.

2.29 Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

(OPCW)
● The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is the implementing
body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, which entered into force in April 1997. The
OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently and
verifiably eliminate chemical weapons.
● Goal: Member States share the collective goal of preventing chemistry from ever again
being used for warfare, thereby strengthening international security. To this end, the
Convention contains four key provisions:
➢ Destroying all existing chemical weapons under international verification by
the OPCW.
➢ Monitoring chemical industry to prevent chemical weapons from re-emerging.
➢ Providing assistance and protection to States Parties against chemical threats.
➢ Fostering international cooperation to strengthen implementation of the
Convention and promote the peaceful use of chemistry.

2.30 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)

● Established in 1899 to facilitate arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution
between states, the PCA has developed into a modern, multi-faceted arbitral institution
perfectly situated to meet the evolving dispute resolution needs of the international
community.
● The PCA has a three-part organizational structure consisting of an Administrative
Council that oversees its policies and budgets, a panel of independent potential
arbitrators known as the Members of the Court, and its Secretariat, known as the
International Bureau, headed by the Secretary-General.
● Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands

2.31 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

● The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental
international organisation, the creation of which was announced in June 2001 in
Shanghai (China) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the

31
 Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of
Uzbekistan. It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism.
● The SCO's main goals are as follows:
➢ Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states;
➢ 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; making joint efforts to maintain and
ensure peace, security and stability in the region; and
➢ Moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new
international political and economic order.
● The SCO comprises eight member states, namely the Republic of India, the Republic
of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic
Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the
Republic of Uzbekistan;

2.32 South Asia Co-operative Environment Program (SACEP)

● South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) is an inter-governmental
organization, established in 1982 by the governments of South Asia to promote and
support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the region.
● SACEP member countries are Afghanistan , Bangladesh , Bhutan , India , Maldives ,
Nepal , Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

2.33 South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

(SAARC)
●The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established with
the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka in December 1985. SAARC comprises of
eight Member States: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
● The Secretariat of the Association was set up in Kathmandu
The objectives of the Association as outlined in the SAARC Charter are:
➢ to promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to improve their quality
of life;
➢ to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in
the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to
realize their full potentials;
➢ to promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of
South Asia;
➢ to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another's
problems;
➢ to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social,
cultural, technical and scientific fields; to strengthen cooperation with other
developing countries;
➢ to strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters
of common interests; and
32
 ➢ to cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and
purposes.

2.34 United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)

● The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was established by
Security Council resolution 350 (1974) of May 1974 to:
➢ Maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Syria;
➢ Supervise the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces; and
➢ Supervise the areas of separation and limitation, as provided in the May 1974
Agreement on Disengagement.

2.35 World Customs Organization (WCO)

● The World Customs Organization (WCO), established in 1952 as the Customs Co-
operation Council (CCC) is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to
enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations.
● The WCO represents 183 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively
process approximately 98% of world trade.
● As the global centre of Customs expertise, the WCO is the only international
organization with competence in Customs matters and can rightly call itself the voice of
the international Customs community.

2.36 Arctic Council (observer)

● Established in 1996 to address the common concerns and challenges faced by Arctic
governments and the people of the Arctic; to protect the Arctic environment.
● The Ottawa Declaration lists the following countries as Members of the Arctic Council:
Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation,
Sweden and the United States.
● Observer status in the Arctic Council is open to non-Arctic states, along with inter-
governmental, inter-parliamentary, global, regional and non-governmental organizations
that the Council determines can contribute to its work.
● India is the observer state

2.37 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

dialogue partners
● The WCO represents 183 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively
process approximately 98% of world trade. As the global centre of Customs expertise,
the WCO is the only international organization with competence in Customs matters and
can rightly call itself the voice of the international Customs community.

33
AIMS AND PURPOSES:
● Its principal aim is to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and socio
cultural evolution, promote Southeast Asian studies, alongside the protection of
regional stability.
● Member: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia,
Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
● ASEAN plus Three was created to improve existing ties with the People's Republic of
China, Japan, and South Korea.
● ASEAN became ASEAN Plus Six with additional countries: Australia, New Zealand and
India

2.38 European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

associate member

● CERN, byname of Organisation Européene pour la Recherche Nucléaire, formerly

(1952–54) Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, English European
Organization for Nuclear Research, international scientific organization established for
the purpose of collaborative research into high-energy particle physics.
● Founded in 1954, the organization maintains its headquarters near Geneva and
operates expressly for research of a pure scientific and fundamental character.”
● CERN’s scientific-research facilities—representing the world’s largest machines, particle
accelerators, dedicated to studying the universe’s smallest objects, subatomic
particles—attract thousands of scientists from around the world.
● India has now become an officially associated member with CERN in 2017 and can
involve in decision making and propose experiments.

2.39 Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) partner

● The Pacific Islands Forum is the region’s premier political and economic policy
organisation. Founded in 1971, it comprises 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.
● India is a dialogue partner since 1989.

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 3. TREATIES & CONVENTIONS

3.1 Bali Declaration

● The Bali Declaration called on all parties to contribute to restoring stability and security
in the Rakhine region.
● The Declaration urged everyone to “exercise maximum self-restraint from using violent
means, respect the human rights of all people in Rakhine state regardless of their faith
and ethnicity, as well as facilitate and guarantee safe access for humanitarian
assistance”.
● India has refused to be a part of Bali Declaration adopted at the conclusion of World
Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development held in Bali, Indonesia to show of
solidarity with Myanmar.
● Who are Rohingyas?
➢ Rohingya is an ethnic Muslim minority group, largely comprising Muslims
living primarily in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state. They practice a Sufi-
inflected variation of Sunni Islam.
➢ They differ from Myanmar’s dominant Buddhist groups religiously, ethnically and
linguistically. They speak Bengali dialect, as opposed to commonly spoken
Burmese language in Myanmar.
➢ Myanmar considers the Rohingya as illegal Bengali immigrants, despite the
fact that many they have resided in Rakhine province of Myanmar for centuries.

3.2 Warsaw Convention

● The Warsaw convention was created in 1929 with 152 member states all over the world.
● It specified the conditions under which airline could be liable for the death or injury
to passengers, loss or damage to baggage and delay;
● It also sets limits to the amount of compensation that could be claimed; and excluded
resort to national laws.
● The Warsaw convention was amended by the Montreal convention in 1999
● The Montreal convention regulates the liability of the airlines in case of bodily injury or
death of the passengers.

3.3 Vienna Convention 1961

● It lays out the rules and regulations for diplomatic relations between countries as
well as the various privileges that diplomats and diplomatic missions enjoy.
● One of these privileges is legal immunity for diplomats so that they don’t have to face
prosecution as per their host country’s laws.
● Diplomatic immunity does not mean that its beneficiaries can do whatever they want and
get away with it. Police officers are allowed to disregard it whenever necessary to
prevent a grave crime or an imminent danger to public safety.

35
 ● The purpose of these privileges and immunities is not to benefit individuals but to
ensure the efficient and effective performance of their official missions on behalf of
their governments

3.4 Hague Code of Conduct

● It is the International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation/HCOC
was established in 2002 as an arrangement to prevent the proliferation of ballistic
missiles.
● The HCOC does not ban ballistic missiles, but it does call for restraint in their
production, testing, and export.
● India joined the HCOC in 2016.
● While MTCR has a similar mission, it is just an export group with only 35 members.

3.5 Hague Adoption Convention

● The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of
Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) is an international treaty that
provides important safeguards to protect the best interests of children, birth parents, and
adoptive parents who are involved in intercountry adoptions.
● The Hague Adoption Convention entered into force in the United States on April 1, 2008.

3.6 Biological Weapons Convention

●The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), the first multilateral disarmament treaty
banning the development, production and stockpiling of an entire category of
weapons of mass destruction.
● The Geneva Protocol prohibits use but not possession or development of
chemical and biological weapons.
● Egypt, Haiti, Somalia, Syria and Tanzania have signed but not ratified it.
What are biological weapons ?
● Biological weapons are complex systems that disseminate disease-causing organisms
or toxins to harm or kill humans, animals or plants. They generally consist of two
parts – a weaponized agent and a delivery mechanism.

3.7 Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear

Damage
● The CSC is a convention that allows for increasing the compensation amount in the
event of a nuclear incident through public funds pooled in by contracting parties based
on their own installed nuclear capacities.
● India had also passed its own domestic nuclear liability law, the Civil Law for Nuclear
Damage (CLND) Act in 2010. Countries such as the U.S. have said that the Indian
law’s provisions are violative of the CSC, but this has been denied by India

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3.8 Refugee Convention
● The 1951 Geneva Convention is the main international instrument of refugee law.
● The Convention clearly spells out who a refugee is and the kind of legal protection, other
assistance and social rights he or she should receive from the countries who have
signed the document.
● The Convention also defines a refugee’s obligations to host governments and certain
categories or people, such as war criminals, who do not qualify for refugee status.
● 2/3 of refugees come from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan,
Myanmar and Somalia.

Who is a refugee?
● A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of
persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for
reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social
group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal
and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries.

Who is a stateless person?

● A stateless person is someone who is not a citizen of any country. A person can
become stateless due to a variety of reasons, including sovereign, legal, technical or
administrative decisions or oversights.

What is citizenship?
● Citizenship is the legal bond between a government and an individual, and allows for
certain political, economic, social and other rights of the individual, as well as the
responsibilities of both government and citizens.

Who is an asylum seeker?

● When people flee their own country and seek sanctuary in another country, they
apply for asylum – the right to be recognized as a refugee and receive legal protection
and material assistance. An asylum seeker must demonstrate that his or her fear of
persecution in his or her home country is well-founded.

3.9 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

● The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is the Treaty banning all nuclear
explosions - everywhere, by everyone. The Treaty was negotiated at the Conference
on Disarmament in Geneva and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

Why is the CTBT so important?

● The CTBT is the last barrier on the way to develop nuclear weapons. It curbs the
development of new nuclear weapons and the improvement of existing nuclear weapon
designs.
● China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the United States have signed but not ratified the Treaty
● India, North Korea & Pakistan have not signed it.

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3.10 Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty
● The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) includes a comprehensive
set of prohibitions on participating in any nuclear weapon activities. These include
undertakings not to develop, test, produce, acquire, possess, stockpile, use or
threaten to use nuclear weapons.
● The Treaty also prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons on national territory and
the provision of assistance to any State in the conduct of prohibited activities.
● The eight nuclear weapon states i.e US, Russia, Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan
and North Korea along with Israel had not participated in the negotiations.
● India is not a signatory to TPNW.

3.11 Pelindaba Treaty.

● The African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone was established with the signing of the
Pelindaba Treaty by the continental African states in Cairo in April 1996.
● The Pelindaba Treaty established the ANWFZ through prohibiting the manufacture,
testing, stockpiling, research, development, acquisition, possession, and control
of any nuclear explosive device of any form by the signatory parties comprising the
African continental states.
● All nuclear weapons programs pre-dating the treaty must be disarmed or converted for
peaceful use. The dumping of radioactive waste is also prohibited. The Treaty promotes
the development of peaceful nuclear energy programs in alignment with the NPT and
IAEA standards.
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 ● South Sudan is not a signatory to this treaty.
● Other Nuclear Free zone Treaties- Antarctica, Tlatelolco (Latin American and
Caribbean), Rarotonga (South Pacific), Bangkok (ASEAN).

3.12 UN Convention against Torture

● The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December
1984.
● The convention seeks to ensure that countries put in place various institutional
mechanisms to prevent the use of torture. Each country that is a party to the
convention is required to carry out certain steps such as
(i) legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent torture, and
(ii) ensure that torture is a criminal offence, among others.
● The Law Commission of India recommended that the government should ratify it.

What is Sovereign immunity?

 Sovereign immunity is the principle that the government is not responsible for the actions
of its agents (such as police forces). The Commission states that courts have rejected
this principle in various cases and therefore agents of the government cannot engage in
torture.

3.13 Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property

Rights(TRIPS)
● A breakthrough of the GATT signed in 1994 was that it brought TRIPs as a common
standard for the protection of intellectual property globally.
● It is the major achievement of the Uruguay Round as an international trade agreement.
➢ TRIPs provide minimum standards in the form of a common set of rules for the
protection of intellectual property globally under WTO system.
➢ The TRIPs agreement gives set of provisions deals with domestic procedures and
remedies for the enforcement of intellectual property rights.
● WTO gives following areas of intellectual property – copyright and related rights,
trademarks, protection of undisclosed information (trade secrets), geographical
indications, industrial designs, integrated circuits, patents, and control of anti-competitive
practices in contractual licences.

● What are intellectual property rights?

Intellectual property rights are the rights given to people over the creations of their
minds.

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3.14 Open Skies Treaty
● The Treaty establishes the Open Skies regime for the conduct of short-notice,
unarmed, observation flights by States Parties over the territories of other States
Parties.
● The Treaty gives each State Party the right to conduct and the obligation to accept
observation flights over their territory.
● The Treaty establishes a “passive quota” for each State Party, which is the total
number of observation flights that each State Party is obliged to accept over its territory,
and an “active quota,” which is the number of observation flights that a State Party shall
have the right to conduct over the territory of each of the other States Parties. A State
Party’s “active quota” cannot exceed its “passive quota,” and a single State Party cannot
request more than half of another State Party’s “passive quota.”
● Currently, it has 34 member states. Russia and U.S. are signatories to the treaty.
● India is not signatory to this treaty.

3.15 Outer Space Treaty

● Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of
Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies
●
● (1967), international treaty binding the parties to use outer space only for peaceful
purposes.
● Under the terms of the treaty, the parties are prohibited from placing nuclear arms or
other weapons of mass destruction in orbit, on the Moon, or on other bodies in
space.
● Nations cannot claim sovereignty over the Moon or other celestial bodies. Nations are
responsible for their activities in space, are liable for any damage caused by objects
launched into space from their territory, and are bound to assist astronauts in distress.

3.16 Raisina Dialogue

● The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference committed to addressing the most
challenging issues facing the global community.
● Every year, global leaders in policy, business, media and civil society are hosted in New
Delhi to discuss cooperation on a wide range of pertinent international policy matters.
● The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with
the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs.

3.17 Mission Innovation

● Mission Innovation (MI) is a global initiative of 23 countries and the European
Commission (on behalf of the European Union) working to reinvigorate and accelerate
global clean energy innovation with the objective to make clean energy widely
affordable.

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 ● MI was announced at COP21 on November 30, 2015, as world leaders came together
in Paris to commit to ambitious efforts to combat climate change.
● India is a founding member of Mission Innovation and part of the Steering Committee.

3.18 TIR Convention

● TIR (Transport Internationaux Routier) is a globally applicable international customs
transit and guarantee system.
● It enables goods to be shipped from a country of origin, through transit countries, to a
country of destination in sealed load compartments that are controlled by customs via a
multilateral, mutually recognized system.
● It is the easiest, safest and most reliable way to move goods across multiple
international borders, saving time and money for transport operators and customs
authorities.
● India also ratified the convention.
● It would enable India to move goods seamlessly along the International North South
Transport Corridor (INSTC) and also boosting trade with the Central Asian Republics
and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

3.19 Cape Town Convention Act

● The main objective of the Convention/ Protocol is to ensure efficient financing of high
value mobile equipment like airframes, helicopters and engines, in order to make the
operations as a cost effective and affordable as possible.
● the Cape Town Convention is for three sectors -- aviation, railways and space
equipment, there are separate protocols for each of the three. The aircraft protocol was
adopted at Cape Town in 2001
● Indian government plans to bring in the Cape Town Convention Act which will help
reduce risks related to asset-based financing and leasing transactions in the civil
aviation space.

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3.20 Antarctic treaty.

● The Antarctic Treaty originated in an extraordinary moment of Cold War-era cooperation.

In the mid-1950s, a group of scientists convinced the United Nations to institute an event
to promote cooperation in the sciences.
● Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and
shall not become the scene or object of international discord.
● The Treaty obligates Parties to use Antarctica for peaceful purposes only. Any measures
of a military nature, including testing of any type of weapons, are prohibited; any
nuclear explosions in Antarctica and the disposal there of radioactive waste material are
prohibited.

3.21 The Aichi Biodiversity Targets

● Aichi Biodiversity Targets, for the 2011-2020 period.adopted in Nagoya, Aichi
Prefecture, Japan.
Following are the goals:
●Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming
biodiversity across government and society
● Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable
use
● Strategic Goal C: To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems,
species and genetic diversity
● Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services
● Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge
management and capacity building
In 2020 the Convention on Biological Diversity will adopt a post-2020 global biodiversity
framework as a stepping stone towards the 2050 Vision of “"Living in harmony with nature".

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3.22 Climate Vulnerable Forum
● This is a cluster of countries that are most susceptible to climate impacts. It has
worked mostly on the sidelines. But in COP 22 -Marrakesh, the number of nations on the
platform reached 48 and gathering got a great deal of consideration.
● Member countries underlined that the goal should be to maintain global temperature
rise to within 1.5 (not 2) degrees Celsius from pre-industrial times.
● They pledged to update their climate action plans before 2020 to acquire more
prominent aspiration and set up a long-term low-carbon development policy for 2050
with a 1.5-degree target.
● They also said they would endeavor to attain 100% renewable energy production
between 2030 and 2050.

3.23 Global Wetland Outlook

● Its first-ever global report on the state of the world’s wetlands released by the
RAMSAR convention.
● report found that around 35% of wetlands — which include lakes, rivers, marshes and
peatlands, as well as coastal and marine areas like lagoons, mangroves and coral reefs
were lost between 1970 and 2015.
Importance of wetland:
● They are a vital source for food, raw materials, genetic resources for medicines, and
hydropower; they mitigate floods, protect coastlines and build community resilience to
disasters, and they play an important role in transport, tourism and the cultural and
spiritual well-being of people.
● Directly or indirectly, they provide almost all of the world’s consumption of freshwater
and more than 40% of all species live and breed in wetlands.
● India currently has 26 Ramsar Sites.

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3.24 World Environment Day
● World Environment Day is the United Nations day for encouraging worldwide
awareness and action to protect our environment. Since it began in 1974,
● India was the global host for 2018 world environment day and.The theme for 2018 is
beating plastic pollution.
● China is hosting the 2019 world environment day The theme for 2019 is “Air pollution”.
Significance of host country:
● Every World Environment Day has a different global host country, where the official
celebrations take place. The focus on the host country helps highlight the environmental
challenges it faces, and supports the effort to address them.

3.25 The UN Climate Summit (Cop24)

● The 24th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP-24) to United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place at Katowice, Poland.

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 ● COP-24 is expected to finalise guidelines for implementation of Paris Agreement
adopted in 2016.
● COP is the supreme decision-making body of UNFCCC. All States that are Parties to
the UNFCCC are represented at COP.
● At COP, all parties review implementation of the Convention and take decisions
necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention.

3.26 Montreal Protocol

● Montreal Protocol It is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by
phasing out the production of numerous Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs) i.e
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). These are responsible for ozone depletion. It
was agreed in August 1987 in Montreal.
● Kigali Amendment To The Montreal Protocol: in October 2016, Parties to the
Montreal Protocol adopted the Kigali amendment to phase down production and
consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) worldwide. While these chemicals do
not deplete the stratospheric ozone layer, some of them have high GWPs (Global
warming potential) ranging from 12 to 14,000. The approved a timeline for their gradual
reduction by 80-85 per cent by the late 2040s
World ozone day:
● In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 16 September the
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the date
of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer.

3.27 Global Environmental Facility

● The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established in 1991 and unites 182
member governments — in partnership with international institutions, nongovernmental
organizations, and the private sector — to address global environmental issues.
● The GEF Trust Fund was established to help tackle our planet’s most pressing
environmental problems.
● Funds are available to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to
meet the objectives of the international environmental conventions and agreements
● The GEF is the largest funder of projects to improve the global environment.
● It is a financial mechanism for five major international environmental conventions:
➢ The Minamata Convention On Mercury,
➢ The Stockholm Convention On Persistent Organic Pollutants (Pops),
➢ The United Nations Convention On Biological Diversity (Uncbd),
➢ The United Nations Convention To Combat Desertification (Unccd) And
➢ The United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change (Unfccc).
● India has announced that it will increase grants to $15 million from present $12million
to GEF for the next 4 years..

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3.28 Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas
● India’s soil biodiversity is in grave peril, according to the Global Soil Biodiversity
Atlas prepared by the World Wide Fund for Nature.
● Loss of above-ground diversity, pollution and nutrient over-loading, over-grazing,
intensive agriculture, fire, soil erosion, desertification and climate change — shows India
among countries whose soil biodiversity faces the highest level of risk.
● The two key drivers of biodiversity loss were the over exploitation of natural resources
and agriculture.
● India’s per capita ecological footprint was less than 1.75 hectares/person (which is in
the lowest band, among countries surveyed) its high population made it vulnerable to an
ecological crisis, even if per-capita consumption remained at current levels.

3.29 United Nations Sustainable Development Framework

● NITI Aayog and United Nations in India signed the Sustainable Development Framework
for 2018-2022.
● The agreement is a reflection of the commitment and efforts made by India towards
attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.
The focus areas in the agreement include the following :
➢ poverty and urbanization;
➢ health, water, and sanitation;
➢ education;
➢ nutrition and food security;
➢ climate change, clean energy, and disaster resilience;
➢ Skilling, entrepreneurship, and job creation; and
➢ gender equality and youth development

3.30 Virtual Climate Summit

● Virtual Climate Summit is the first Heads of Government-level conference to be held
entirely online, eliminating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promoting inclusive
dialogue.
● The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) will convene a global political leaders’ summit to
build increased support to safeguard those that are most vulnerable to the growing
climate change impacts.
What does CVF mean?
● The CVF stands for Climate Vulnerable Forum. Founded in 2009 by the Maldives, it is
now an international partnership of the 48 countries most vulnerable to climate change in
Asia, Africa and Latin America. Together, CVF countries take action and advocate to
bring about ambitious action to tackle the global threat of climate change.

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3.31 Champions of the Earth award
● Champions of the Earth, the UN’s highest environmental honour, celebrates
outstanding figures from the public and private sectors and from civil society whose
actions have had a transformative positive impact on the environment.
● Launched in 2005, Champions of the Earth has recognized dozens of exemplary
individuals and organizations. Through their extraordinary achievements – whether
through political leadership, grassroots action, scientific innovation, or entrepreneurial
vision – each of these Champions has inspired critical action on behalf of the global
environment.
● Champions of the Earth recognizes laureates in the following categories:
➢ Policy leadership
➢ Action and inspiration
➢ Entrepreneurial vision
➢ Science and innovation

For 2018 India has received two awards in the following categories:
● Entrepreneurial Vision: Cochin Airport.
➢ Cochin International Airport World’s first solar power airport
➢ Cochin International Airport is the world’s first solar power airport.
➢ Its entire operations are powered by solar energy.
● Policy Leadership: Prime minister Narendra Modi
➢ UN Environment is recognizing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his bold
environmental leadership on the global stage.
➢ Under PM’s leadership, India pledged to eliminate all single-use plastics in the
country by 2022. And also supports and champions the International Solar
Alliance, a global partnership to scale up solar energy.

3.32 CITES
● CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure
that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten
their survival.
● CITES is legally binding on state parties to the convention, which are obliged to adopt
their own domestic legislation to implement its goals.
● CITES classifies plants and animals according to three categories, or appendices, based
on how threatened they are.
● Appendix I:
lists endangered species that are at risk of extinction. It also prohibits outright the
commercial trade of these plants and animals; however, some may be transported
internationally in extraordinary situations for scientific or educational reasons.
● Appendix II:
species are those that are not threatened with extinction but that might suffer a serious
decline in number if trade is not restricted; their trade is regulated by permit.
● Appendix III:

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 species are protected in at least one country that is a CITES member and that has
petitioned others for help in controlling international trade in that species.

3.33 High forest cover and low deforestation conference

● The HFLD Conference on Climate Finance Mobilization Organized by the Government
of Suriname will bring together leaders of the high forest cover, low deforestation
(HFLD) nations.
● Conference aims to make the international community more aware of the significant
global importance of HFLD countries and the role their productive landscapes play in
combatting climate change.

What are HFLD countries ?

A developing country with more than 50% forest cover and a deforestation rate below 0.22% per
year is considered to fall into the High forest cover, low deforestation category.

Significance of HFLD countries:

HFLD countries contain approximately 24% of the world’s remaining forests and are custodians
of diverse ecosystems, rich biodiversity and a large proportion of forest carbon. Approximately
93% of Suriname’s land mass is covered by intact forest, the highest proportion in the world.

Krutu of Paramaribo Declaration:

● The ‘Krutu of Paramaribo Joint Declaration on HFLD Climate Finance Mobilization’ was
adopted during the first-ever HFLD Conference on Climate Finance Mobilization,
convened by the Government of Suriname in February 2019 in Paramaribo.
● The UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Department of Economic and Social
Affairs (DESA); the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the World Bank,
and the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) were among the organizing partners.
● Krutu is an indigenous Surinamese word that means a gathering of significance or of
high dignitaries, resulting in a workable outcome.

Aims and objectives of conference:

● strengthen cooperation, collaboration and exchange of knowledge and experience
among HFLD countries;
● develop joint strategies and positions to help maintain their intact forests and preserve
forest cover;
● raise awareness of the global importance of HFLD countries and their productive
landscapes in combating climate change;
● share knowledge about climate finance mechanisms available for HFLD countries; and
● strengthen the payment structure for ecosystem services to advance sustainable
development while mitigating the risk of forest destruction and biodiversity loss.

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 4. CLIMATE CHANGE & SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCES
The environmental movement has been described as the largest and most influential social
phenomenon in modern history. From relative obscurity just a few decades ago it has spawned
thousands of organizations and claims millions of committed activists.
The First organization which initiated m among these is club of rome.

4.1 Club of Rome

What is club of Rome?
Founded in 1968 in Bellagio, Italy, the CoR describes itself as "a group of world citizens, sharing
a common concern for the future of humanity." It consists of current and former Heads of State,
UN bureaucrats, high-level politicians and government officials, diplomats, scientists,
economists, and business leaders from around the globe.
The Club of Rome subsequently founded two sibling organizations, the Club of Budapest and
the Club of Madrid. The former is focused on social and cultural aspects of their agenda, while
the latter concentrates on the political aspects.

Limits to growth:
The concept of 'environmental sustainability' was first brought to widespread public attention in
1972 by the Club of Rome in their book entitled The Limits to Growth.
The report basically concluded that the growth of the human population, and an increase in
prosperity, would cause an ecological collapse within the next hundred years

4.2 Brundtland Commission.

Brundtland Report, also called Our Common Future, publication released in 1987 by the World
Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) that introduced the concept of
sustainable development and described how it could be achieved. Sponsored by the United
Nations (UN) and chaired by Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, the WCED
explored the causes of environmental degradation, attempted to understand the
interconnections between social equity, economic growth, and environmental problems, and
developed policy solutions that integrated all three areas.
the Brundtland Report is most often cited for its definition of sustainable development as
“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.”
the Brundtland Report called on the UN to establish the UN Programme of Action on
Sustainable Development to carry out the directives outlined in the report. The report laid the
foundations for the Rio Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which then ultimately led to the
creation of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development

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4.3 UNCED:
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), byname Earth
Summit, conference held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 1992), to reconcile worldwide economic
development with the protection of the environment.
The main documents agreed upon at the Earth Summit are as follows. The Convention on
Biological Diversity is a binding treaty requiring nations to take inventories of their plants and
wild animals and protect their endangered species. The United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or Global Warming Convention, is a binding
treaty that requires nations to reduce their emission of carbon dioxide, methane, and other
“greenhouse” gases thought to be responsible for global warming;

The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was established by

the UN General Assembly in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit.
From its inception, the CSD was highly participatory in structure and outlook, by engaging in its
formal proceedings a wide range of official stakeholders and partners through innovative
formulae.

4.4 UNFCCC:
The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty, signed in 1992 at the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro famously known as Rio
de Janeiro Earth Summit, constitutes the foundational climate agreement that has provided
the platform for most subsequent international climate agreements. The UNFCCC, for example,
birthed both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement .
The ultimate objective of the Convention is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere at a level that would not jeopardize the global climate.

What is the COP?

The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. All States that are Parties to
the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the
Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and take decisions necessary
to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including institutional and
administrative arrangements.

The COP meets every year, unless the Parties decide otherwise. The first COP meeting was
held in Berlin, Germany in March, 1995.

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YEAR-CoP NUMBER LOCATION

1995-COP 1 Berlin, Germany

1996-COP 2 Geneva, Switzerland

1997-COP 3 Kyoto, Japan

1998-COP 4 Buenos Aires, Argentina

1999-COP 5 Bonn, Germany

2000-COP 6 The Hague, Netherlands

2001-COP 6 Bonn, Germany

2001- COP 7 Marrakech, Morocco

2002-COP 8 New Delhi, India

2003-COP 9 Milan, Italy

2004-COP 10 Buenos Aires, Argentina

2005-COP 11/CMP 1 Montreal, Canada

2006-COP 12/CMP 2 Nairobi, Kenya

2007-COP 13/CMP 3 Bali, Indonesia

2008-COP 14/CMP 4 Poznań, Poland

2009-COP 15/CMP 5 Copenhagen, Denmark

2010-COP 16/CMP 6 Cancún, Mexico

2011-COP 17/CMP 7 Durban, South Africa

2012-COP 18/CMP 8 Doha, Qatar

2013-COP 19/CMP 9 Warsaw, Poland

2014-COP 20/CMP 10 Lima, Peru

2015-COP 21/CMP 11 Paris, France

2016-COP 22/ CMP 12/ CMA 1-1 Marrakech, Morocco

2017-COP 23/ CMP 13/ CMA 1-2 Bonn, Germany

2018-COP 24/ CMP 14/ CMA 1-3 Katowice, Poland

2019-COP 25/ CMP 15/ CMA 2 Santiago, Chile

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4.5 Important COPs:

4.6 1997-COP 3 Kyoto, Japan

● The Kyoto Protocol was adopted by consensus with more than 150 signatories.
● The Protocol included legally binding emissions targets for developed country Parties for
the six major GHGs, which are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.
● The Protocol offered additional means of meeting targets by way of three market-based
mechanisms:
❖ Emissions trading: Parties with commitments under the Kyoto Protocol (Annex
B Parties) have accepted targets for limiting or reducing emissions. These
targets are expressed as levels of allowed emissions, or assigned amounts,
at over the 2008-2012 commitment period.
Emissions trading, as set out in the Kyoto Protocol, allows countries that have
emission units to spare - emissions permitted them but not "used" - to sell this
excess capacity to countries that are over their targets.

❖ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): the Protocol, allows a country with an

emission-reduction or emission-limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol
(Annex B Party) to implement an emission-reduction project in developing
countries. Such projects can earn saleable certified emission reduction (CER)
credits, each equivalent to one ton of CO2, which can be counted towards
meeting Kyoto targets.
❖ Joint Implementation (JI): Under Joint Implementation, countries with
commitments under the Kyoto Protocol are eligible to transfer and/or acquire
emission reduction units (ERUs) and use them to meet part of their emission
reduction target.
● Under the Protocol, industrialized countries’ actual emissions have to be monitored and
precise records have to be kept of the trades carried out.

Annex I Countries - (Developed Nations and Nations with Economies in Transition (EIT)
These are Annex I countries without the countries with Economies in Transition (EIT)). That is,
countries not marked with A-1 above.
The non-annex I countries are the developing countries
(The 39 emissions-capped industrialized countries and Economies In Transition (EIT) listed in
Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol)

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4.7 - COP 11/CMP 1 Montreal, Canada.
● This conference was the first to take place after the Kyoto Protocol took force.
● The annual meeting between the parties (COP) was supplemented by the first annual
Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP).
● The countries that had ratified the UNFCCC, but not accepted the Kyoto Protocol, had
observer status at the latter conference.
● The parties addressed issues such as
❖ “capacity building, development and transfer of technologies,
❖ the adverse effects of climate change on developing and least developed
countries, and
❖ Several financial and budget-related issues, including guidelines to the Global
Environment Facility (GEF).”

4.8 2007-COP 13/CMP 3 Bali, Indonesia

● COP parties agreed to a Bali Action Plan to negotiate GHG mitigation actions after the
Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. The Bali Action Plan did not require binding GHG
targets for developing countries.
● The Bali Action Plan is a comprehensive process to enable the full, effective and
sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action, now,
up to and beyond 2012, in order to reach an agreed outcome and adopt a decision.
● The Bali Action Plan also included discussions of new policy areas, such as how to
reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation in developing countries (REDD).

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4.9 2009-COP 15/CMP 5 Copenhagen, Denmark
● During the summit, leaders from the United States, Brazil, China, Indonesia, India and
South Africa agreed to what would be called the Copenhagen Accord which recognized
the need to limit the global temperature rise to 2°C based on the science of climate
change.
● While no legally binding commitments were required by the deal, countries were asked
to pledge voluntary GHG reduction targets. $100 billion was pledged in climate aid to
developing countries.

4.10 2010-COP 16/CMP 6 Cancún, Mexico

● Parties officially adopted major tenets of the Copenhagen Accord including limiting
global warming to 2°C, protecting vulnerable forests, and establishing a framework
for a Green Climate Fund meant to deliver funds to developing countries for mitigation
and adaptation actions.
● Agreeing to a framework to slow, halt, and reverse the destruction of forests (REDD+)
and agreeing the rules for delivering REDD+ and for monitoring progress.

4.11 2012-COP 18/CMP 8 Doha, Qatar

● Parties agreed to extend the expiring Kyoto Protocol, creating a second commitment
phase that would begin on January 1, 2013 and end December 31, 2020. This is
considered as a bridge to the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, agreed upon in
2011, and set to come into force in 2020.
● Parties failed to set a pathway to provide $100 billion per year by 2020 for developing
countries to finance climate change adaptation, as agreed upon at COP 15 in
Copenhagen.
● The concept of "loss and damage" was introduced as developed countries pledged to
help developing countries and small island nations pay for the losses and damages from
climate change that they are already experiencing.

4.12 2013-COP 19/CMP 9 Warsaw, Poland

● The United Nations' Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest
Degradation (REDD+) Program, aimed at preserving the world's forests, was formally
adopted.
● Governments established the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and
Damage.
● The mechanism will address losses and damages associated with long-term climate
change impacts in developing countries that are especially vulnerable to such impacts.

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4.13 2014-COP 20/CMP 10 Lima, Peru
● The 20th Climate Change Conference (COP20) concluded in Peru. More than 190
countries, despite the complexity of negotiations, reached what has been labeled a
watered-down agreement to combat climate change in the sense that the global
agreement was not blocked, and that a door has been left open to continue working on
the unfinished issues.
Positive outcomes:
● Lima Call for Climate Action outlines the main aspects of a new global climate deal.
● Keeps goal of limiting global warming to less than two degrees.
● Contains reference to ensuring the world has net-zero emissions by 2050.
● The ministerial conference also agreed to include curricula and climate awareness in
schools through national development plan.
Negative out comes:
● Doesn’t clarify if a new deal will be legally binding.
● Doesn’t give countries the power to alter other country commitments
● Doesn’t offer new assurances on the flow of climate finance.
● Leaves all options on the table regarding compensation for countries worst hit by climate
change.

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4.14 2015-COP 21/CMP 11 Paris, France
● A major goal of the Paris agreement, therefore, is to keep global temperature increase
“well below" 2 degrees Celsius and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees
Celsius.
● The pact and its progress will be reviewed every five years. In addition, the developed
countries have pledged $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries
by 2020 with a commitment to further raise it in the future.
● While there is no penalty for countries that miss their targets, the agreement has
transparency rules to help encourage countries do achieve their obligations.
● The world’s top two polluters the US and China together account for 40% of global
carbon emissions have already ratified the document. Once the 55% barrier is crossed,
the climate regime will become legally binding on all signatories after a period of 30
days.
● Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are at the heart of the Paris Agreement.
NDCs embody efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the
impacts of climate change. The Paris Agreement requires each Party to prepare,
communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that it
intends to achieve. Parties shall pursue domestic mitigation measures, with the aim of
achieving the objectives of such contributions.
India’s obligations:
● India will have to reduce its carbon footprint by 33-35% from its 2005 levels. This has to
be achieved by 2030.
● Another commitment under the treaty requires India to increase its forest cover by five
million hectares along with an improvement in the quality of green cover of an equal
measure.

4.15 2016-COP 22/ CMP 12/ CMA 1-1 Marrakech, Morocco

● Nations have also agreed on a five-year work-plan on “loss and damage” starting
from 2017, to address issues beyond climate adaptation like slow-onset impacts of
climate change, non-economic losses and migration.
● The Climate Vulnerable Forum was also created, gathering 47 of the poorest countries
in the world, committing to generating 100% of their energy from renewables as soon as
possible, as well as to update their NDCs by 2020 and to prepare their long-term
strategies.
● Along with them, 165 sub-national jurisdictions, calling themselves the Under2s,
announced that they would reduce their emissions by 80-95 per cent below 1990 levels
and limit their per capita emissions to under 2 tons of carbon dioxide by 2050. These
governments range across states like California, New York and Telangana and cities like
Manchester and São Paulo, and contribute to over a third of the global economy.
● Countries gave themselves two years to 2018 to agree rules and procedures for the
Paris Agreement.
● With regard to the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage, the
framework for a five-year rolling work plan was approved.

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4.16 2017-COP 23/ CMP 13/ CMA 1-2 Bonn, Germany
● COP23 made significant progress toward clear and comprehensive implementation
guidelines for the Paris Agreement, which will make the agreement operational.
● The new Ocean Pathway Partnership – launched at COP23 – seeks to encourage the
climate negotiations process to address the relationship between climate change
and the ocean.
● Countries finalised the first-ever Gender Action Plan, which aims to increase the
participation of women in all UNFCCC processes. It also seeks to increase awareness
of and support for the development and effective implementation of gender-responsive
climate policy at all levels of government.
● Countries reached a historic agreement on agriculture that will help them develop and
implement new strategies for adaptation and mitigation within the sector, to both
reduce emissions as well as build resilience to the effects of climate change.

4.17 2018-COP 24/ CMP 14/ CMA 1-3 Katowice, Poland

● The 2018 UN climate change conference (COP24) was held from 2nd to 14th December
in Katowice, Poland.

Katowice
● It is a city in southern Poland.
● It has rich coal reserves in the area

Agenda:
Main task on the hands of negotiators gathered in Katowice would be to finalise the “rulebook”
for the implementation of the Paris Agreement

Key topics of discussion at COP24

1. Technology: To show that there are climate-friendly modern solutions, such as electromobility
allowing for sustainable urban development, clean air and an opportunity for modern jobs.
2. Human: Emphasizing the need to lead change together with people through the solidarity and
fair transformation of regions and industrial sectors.
3. Nature: Including multifunctional and sustainable forest management as part of climate
neutrality and the role of forests as greenhouse gas sinks, and support for a synergic view of the
three UN key conventions: on climate, on biodiversity and on desertification.

Outcomes of the COP 24:

● Paris “rulebook”, which was mandated in 2015 to be finalised by the end of COP24
was agreed by the COPs. This is the detailed “operating manual” needed for the Paris
Agreement to enter into force in 2020.
● Conference launched a declaration on “forests for climate”, highlighting the important
role of forests in reaching Paris Agreement goals.
● It also targeted low-emission transport.it urged cooperation to “renew efforts” to help
achieve “an e-mobility revolution”.

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 ● The special report on the impacts of 1.5C global warming, published by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia
and Kuwait – refused to “welcome” this report.

What was India’s response?

● India reaffirmed its commitment to meeting the goals under the Paris Agreement
and engaged in all the negotiations while protecting its key interests, including climate
justice.
● It expressed strong reservation over the lack of equity in the global stock-take
decision, a proposed five-yearly review of the impact of countries’ climate change
actions.
● India had expected that decisions would be in consonance with the principles of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris pact.

What should India do?

● At an estimated 1.2 tonnes of CO2 per capita, India emits far below the global average
of 4.2 tonnes.
● Yet, cumulative emissions determine the impact on climate, and India’s emissions grew
at an estimated 6.3% in 2018.
● The prospect of increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and sea
level rise in a warming world affecting small island states allows little room for
complacency.
● The task now is to achieve a paradigm shift that will slow down the addition of new
sources of carbon emissions. As a party to the global climate compact, India has to
systematically assess its emissions and measure mitigation actions for reporting to the
UNFCCC at stock-taking meetings.
● This is an opportunity to bring major sectors such as energy production, building,
agriculture and transport on board, and make changes to regulations that favour
environment-friendly alternatives.
● China has taken the lead in advancing electric mobility, while individual States and cities
are ahead of national governments, as in the U.S., in reducing their carbon footprint. A
clean-up in India will help meet emissions commitments and remove the blanket of air
pollution that is suffocating entire cities

4.18 2019-COP 25/ CMP 15/ CMA 2 Santiago, Chile.

(Yet to be organized)

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