INDIAN OCEAN NAVAL SYMPOSIUM

• 'IONS' provides a regional forum through which the 'Chiefs-of-Navy' of all the littoral states of the IOR can periodically meet to constructively engage one another through the creation and promotion of regionally relevant mechanisms, events, and activities. (Within the context of 'IONS', the term 'Chief-of-Navy' is used in a generic sense. Consequently, for such countries as do not possess a formally established 'navy', the term is applicable to the 'head of the principal maritime agency').
• The primary aim of 'IONS' is to sustain a regionally relevant, consultative forum within which the navies (and/or the principal maritime agencies responsible for maritime security) of the littoral States of the Indian Ocean Region, along with such other relevant maritime entities as may be agreed upon from time-to-time by the members, can discuss issues and concerns that bear upon maritime security, with a view to arriving at agreed courses of action on trans-national issues, based upon a common understanding of the regional maritime security environment.

Objectives

1. To promote a shared understanding of issues and concerns relevant to the Indian Ocean Region, which bear upon maritime security.
2. To strengthen the capability of all nation-states of the Indian Ocean Region to address present and anticipated challenges to maritime security and stability.
3. To establish and promote a variety of trans-national, maritime, consultative and cooperative mechanisms, designed to address and mitigate maritime security-concerns of the Indian Ocean Region.
4. To develop interoperability in terms of doctrines, strategies, procedures, organisational and logistic systems, and, operational processes, so as to promote the provision of speedy, responsive, and effective Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster-Relief (HADR) throughout the Indian Ocean Region

What is Afro-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO)?

AARDO, formed in 1962, is an autonomous inter-governmental organisation comprising thirty members from Africa and Asia. AARDO is devoted to develop understanding among members for better appreciation of each others' problems and to explore, collectively, opportunities for coordination of efforts for promoting welfare and eradication of thirst, hunger, illiteracy, disease and poverty amongst rural people.

Black money: India backs convention

• India has ratified an international convention on taxation which will help the country in bringing back illegal funds stashed abroad
• India became the 13th country and the first non-OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) nation to ratify the ‘Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters,' which seeks to promote transparency and exchange of tax-related information.
• The Convention, a Ministry release said, “also provides for assistance in the recovery of taxes. This will give a fillip to the efforts of the government in bringing the Indian money illegally stashed abroad.”
• It will also allow India to seek past information in criminal tax matters.
• “A party to the Convention is compulsorily required to exchange the past information in criminal matters for at least three years ...” the release said.
• The convention, it said, explicitly provided for automatic and spontaneous exchange of information and would permit tax officials to enter the territory of the other country to examine individuals and records.

World Economic Forum

http://www.weforum.org/faq

What is the World Economic Forum ?

The World Economic Forum is the foremost global community of business, political, intellectual and other leaders of society who are committed to improving the state of the world.

What is the World Economic Forum's mission ?

The Forum is “committed to improving the state of the world” and we go about achieving this through projects which address issues like HIV/AIDS treatment, water supply and fostering dialogue between Islam and the West. Summits give world leaders and members the opportunity to map out solutions to global challenges like terrorism and corporate citizenship. Developing insight on the most pressing issues also places the Forum in a unique position to mobilize people and resources to act.

Where is the World Economic Forum based?

The Forum’s headquarters are located on the outskirts of Geneva in a town called Cologny. The Forum also has an affiliate in New York, World Economic Forum USA, a representative office in Beijing and opened the Japan office in Tokyo in September 2009.

How did the World Economic Forum begin?
In 1971, Professor Klaus Schwab, then a professor of Business Administration at the University of Geneva, gathered European business leaders in Davos, Switzerland, for a discussion on global management practices. The success of this first conference led Professor Schwab to create the European Management Forum, which in 1987 changed its name to the World Economic Forum.

How is the World Economic Forum governed?
The Forum is a not-for-profit foundation. It has three main governing bodies:
The Foundation Board, which has overall responsibility for establishing the long term direction and objectives of the Forum, and which is comprised of international public and private sector leaders. The International Business Council, which acts as an advisory body providing intellectual stewardship to the Forum.
The Managing Board, which is the in-house management team responsible for the executive oversight and management of the activities and resources of the Forum.

Is the World Economic Forum like the UN, IMF or World Bank?
The Forum shares the goal of these organizations which is to make our world a better place. Where the Forum differs from the World Bank or the IMF is that forum does not provide capital to nations in need. While the UN’s members are state governments,WEF members come mostly from the field of business. Members, in turn, meet leaders from other walks of life during Forum activities and events.

Is the World Economic Forum just a private club for the rich and the powerful?
The Forum was founded on the precept that business cannot operate in a vacuum, and that the great challenges facing humankind need to be addressed by all stakeholders of society. The Forum also believes that economic development has created a better life for millions of people and offers hope to millions more. For these reasons the Forum regularly convenes business leaders and leaders from other key sectors of society to discuss, debate and address the major issues confronting humanity. Far from being a “rich man’s club,” the World Economic Forum is a unique platform for progress on some of the most difficult problems facing the world today.

Does the World Economic Forum have any political affiliations?
The Forum is an independent and neutral organization that does not take political positions on the issues it addresses. Rather, the Forum gives leaders of opposing political beliefs a unique opportunity to discuss their differences and discover common ground.

Who are the World Economic Forum's members and partners?
Our members represent the 1,000 leading companies and 200 smaller businesses - many from the developing world - that play a potent role in their industry or region. Our members are influential, talented and powerful people. Many are also innovative and inspiring individuals who challenge conventional thinking and are committed to making the world a better place. We also work closely with communities of leaders from academia, government, religion, the media, non-governmental organizations and the arts.

Partners are select member companies who strongly support, contribute to and benefit from the World Economic Forum’s commitment to improving the state of the world. They are actively involved in the organization's activities and contribute their expertise and resources.

How to apply to become a member of the World Economic Forum and attend events?
Please note that membership is company-based. If your company is interested in becoming a member, you can send us in-depth figures and details for consideration to contact@weforum.org. In addition to supporting the World Economic Forum’s mission, a typical Member company is one of the world’s foremost 1,000 enterprises with a leading role in shaping the future of its industry or region, a solid projected growth potential and a turnover of a minimum of US$ 5 billion. Participation in events is reserved for Partner and Member companies. Any remaining places will be allocated to leading non-Member companies on the basis of their relevance to the Foundation's existing Members and their contribution to the programme.

Why become a member of the World Economic Forum?
The Forum provides member companies, governments and institutions the opportunity to work together to address global challenges. This opportunity for partnership is based on the belief that no single group can tackle major issues on its own. Professor Klaus Schwab said: “We are living in times of enormous complexity and fragility in a truly interdependent world. Old recipes and traditional ways to deal with global challenges no longer suffice.” Cooperation at all levels will best meet the challenges facing our planet. Where else might you see a famous artist, political leader and religious leader having a discussion over coffee?

How is the World Economic Forum funded?
The Forum's funding comes from three sources:
Membership fees (CHF 42,500) from the 1,000 foremost companies who are the Forum's members and partners Partnership fees from Strategic Partners, Industry Partners and from partners in the Forum's events Participation fees for the Annual Meeting and for regional meetings and summits.

Does the World Economic Forum make a profit?
The Forum is a not-for-profit foundation. Its financial situation, like most organizations, changes from year to year. If any surplus exists from yearly operating costs, it is reinvested either to fund new initiatives and events or to expand existing ones.

What does the World Economic Forum do?
The World Economic Forum brings together leaders in business, politics and society for reflection and connection to generate ideas and proposals, bridging countries and cultures to address the issues affecting our world. We also bring the very best minds and experts to provide the necessary insight to allow leaders to make decisions that can bring about change for the better.Conferences like the Annual Meeting in Davos and regional summits are an occasion for leaders to outline major challenges and define strategies to address them.

Where are the World Economic Forum's events and who goes?
Forum events take place on almost every continent each year, and the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, is the largest of these. International and regional leaders, Forum members from the international business community, governments and institutions attend these meetings.

What kind of economic research does the Forum do?
Economic research at the Forum – led by the Centre for Global Competitiveness and Performance – focuses on identifying the impediments to growth so that strategies to achieve sustainable economic progress can be developed – strategies that reduce poverty and increase prosperity. The Forum’s competitiveness reports range from global coverage, such as The Global Competitiveness Report, to regional and topical coverage, such as the Africa Competitiveness Report, The Lisbon Review and the Global Information Technology Report.

How can I get copies of the Global Competitiveness Report?
The reports are available in print and online on our website.

What is the Annual Meeting, who attends and why is it so important?
Business, religious, government, cultural and society leaders meet each year in Davos, Switzerland, for the Annual Meeting. The event provides a platform for these leaders to debate the difficult global challenges of our planet, identify emerging risks and ways to address them. It’s not surprising then that many initiatives and projects have been created at the Annual Meeting.

Why is it held in Davos?
Since 1971, the scenic village of Davos has been the traditional site of the Annual Meeting. Holding the meeting in such a setting rather than a bustling metropolis allows attendees to focus more easily on the issues at hand.The alpine location also means that local authorities are in a better position to implement the high level of security required for such an event.

What about the protests at the Annual Meeting?
The Forum supports the rights of free speech and peaceful assembly, but opposes violence and destruction of property. In principle, the Forum is supportive of demonstrations by those who desire to have their voices heard. But the Forum condemns – vehemently and unequivocally – those who believe that violence is a legitimate form of public expression or debate. In answer to the protests, the Open Forum was launched to give everyone a voice in the globally focused debates at the Annual Meeting in Davos. On a year-round basis, you can also have your say about critical global issues on the Forum's weblog.

Can the public take part?
The general public cannot take part directly in the Annual Meeting for reasons of security and space. But the Forum and civil society organizations - including church, non-governmental and non-profit organizations - co-organize the Open Forum. These are discussions open to the general public, free-of-charge and held simultaneously with the Annual Meeting in Davos. The general public can also participate through social media by joining the discussions through a variety of ways including video blogs on YouTube, a community on Facebook or subscriptions to Twitter.

Are events behind closed doors, or are they covered by the media?
Many global and local media organizations produce special coverage of Forum events. In fact, nearly one in every five participants at the Annual Meeting hails from the media sector. The Forum’s weblog provides even greater access to sessions, and it is a virtual forum where people unable to attend the meetings can have their say too

India has the most toxic air: Study

• It is official: India has the world's most toxic air.
• In a study by Yale and Columbia Universities, India holds the very last rank among 132 nations in terms of air quality with regard to its effect on human health.
• India scored a miniscule 3.73 out of a possible 100 points in the analysis, lagging far behind the next worst performer, Bangladesh, which scored 13.66. In fact, the entire South Asian region fares badly, with Nepal, Pakistan and China taking up the remaining spots in the bottom five of the rankings.
• These rankings are part of a wider study to index the nations of the world in terms of their overall environmental performance. The Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and Columbia's Center for International Earth Science Information Network have brought out the Environment Performance Index rankings every two years since 2006.
• India's performance over the last two years was relatively good in sectors such as forests, fisheries, biodiversity and climate change. However, in the case of water — both in terms of the ecosystem effects to water resources and the human health effects of water quality — the Indian performance is very poor.
• The Index report was presented at the World Economic Forum currently taking place in Davos, where it's being pitched as a means to identify the leaders and the laggards on energy and environmental challenges prior to the iconic Rio+20 summit on sustainable development to be held in Brazil this June.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
4. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. 
5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 
6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
8. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
9. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
10. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
11.  Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
12. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
13. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
14. (1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
15. (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
16. (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
17. (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. 
19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
20. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
21. (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country. (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
22. Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
23. (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
24. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
25. (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
26. (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
27. (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
28. Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
29. (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
30. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

World Wide Fund for Nature

http://wwf.panda.org

Infant mortality rate shows slight decline

• The infant mortality rate (IMR) has shown a 3 point decline, dropping from 50 deaths per 1,000 live births to 47 and moving a step closer to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target of 30. However, IMR increased by one point in Kerala, Mizoram and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
• According to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS), conducted by the Registrar-General of India, the two worst performing States — Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh — have shown an impressive 5 point decline. In the former, the figure dropped from 67 in 2009 to 62 in 2010 and in the latter, it was from 45 to 40 .
• While the IMR national average is 47, it stands at 51 in the rural areas and 31 in the urban regions. However, neo-natal deaths continue to be a challenge where 34 babies are still dying for every 1,000 born.
• Bihar, Gujarat, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Tripura had shown a four-point decline in the IMR. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh have shown a three-point decline.
• Similarly, in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the IMR came down by two points while it remained static in Lakshdweep and Puducherry. A one point decline was reported from Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Daman and Diu.
  

Newborn-care

Efforts would now be focussed on home-based newborn-care as 52 per cent of child deaths took place in the first 28 days of birth. "Home-based newborn-care through Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) has been initiated by providing an incentive of Rs. 250. The purpose of home-based newborn-care is to improve newborn practices at the community level and early detection and referral of sick newborns."

Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, providing for free transport, food and drugs and diagnostics to all pregnant women and sick newborns, would further promote institutional delivery and eliminate out-of-pocket expenses, which act as a barrier to seeking institutional care.

Importantly, the government intended to set up facilities such as Special New Born Care Units, New Born Stabilisation Units and New Born Baby Corners at different levels with at least one at the district level.

The mother and child tracking system had evoked a huge response, with 1.32 crore women and 82.6 lakh children already registered, acutely anaemic mothers and low birth weight babies identified and improved universal immunisation programme.

Wassenaar Arrangement

The Wassenaar Arrangement has been established in order to contribute to regional and international security and stability, by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing destabilising accumulations. Participating States seek, through their national policies, to ensure that transfers of these items do not contribute to the development or enhancement of military capabilities which undermine these goals, and are not diverted to support such capabilities.

The decision to transfer or deny transfer of any item is the sole responsibility of each Participating State. All measures with respect to the Arrangement are taken in accordance with national legislation and policies and are implemented on the basis of national discretion. Therefore, for specifics on Export Controls in Participating States contact the National Authorities in that country.

Representatives of Participating States meet regularly in Vienna where the Wassenaar Arrangement's Secretariat is located.

The Australia Group : An Introduction

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. The Group meets annually to discuss ways of increasing the effectiveness of participating countries' national export licensing measures to prevent would-be proliferators from obtaining materials for CBW programs.

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. Key considerations in the formulation of participants' export licensing measures are:

• they should be effective in impeding the production of chemical and biological weapons;
• they should be practical, and reasonably easy to implement, and
• they should not impede the normal trade of materials and equipment used for legitimate purposes.
  

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.

BIMSTEC

http://www.bimstec.org/about_bimstec.html

UNCTAD Report !!

The UNCTAD's Trade and Development Report gives a fresh perspective to the policy challenges that governments around the world have been facing since the 2008 global financial crisis.

It questions the prevailing orthodoxy, the growing practice of governments resorting to tight monetary and fiscal policies. In the recovery phase, economic growth has been uneven across the world. The "two speed" recovery — developing countries have outstripped the developed ones and remain the engine of growth — is based on different sets of economic circumstances prevailing in the two broad categories. Most striking is the vast difference in domestic demand. In developing countries, strong wage growth and public support have sustained the recovery in investment and consumption demand. 

For countries such as India, the task before policymakers is to rebalance demand from consumption to investment by inducing more people to save. On the other hand, in most developed countries, private demand is subdued because of stagnating wages and high unemployment. The report disapproves of the fiscal-tightening measures the developed countries led by the United States seem keen on adopting. At this juncture not only will such belt-tightening be counter-productive, but when adopted by some of the biggest economies, it will pose a major risk for the global economy.

Policymakers do not appear to have learnt the right lessons from the crisis. There is hardly any justification for the current shift towards austerity, says the report. Fiscal imbalances were not the cause, but the consequence, of the crisis. Fiscal retrenchment, especially the moves to cut the fiscal deficits, and curbing public debt are inappropriate responses and, when projected as something that needs to be done to regain the confidence of the financial markets, self-defeating. The much anticipated reform of the global financial and monetary systems, especially the regulatory aspects, has been slow in coming. It is well recognised that financialisation of commodity markets has affected the prices of such basic goods as food staples and energy. Urging greater transparency in derivatives, the report wants an internationally-coordinated, tighter regulation of financial investors. To remove the disconnect between foreign exchange markets and macroeconomic fundamentals, the report calls for a rules-based system to monitor exchange rate movements at the multilateral level. These suggestions are by no means original. But seldom has a U.N. agency so eloquently called for a check on the unbridled expansion of global finance as UNCTAD has done now.

India ratifies U.N. Convention against Corruption

• India has ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption — a politically correct move that ought to take some heat off a government battling serious corruption charges and seen as unwilling to crackdown on black money stashed away abroad.
• Indeed, in recent days a question often asked was why India had not ratified the Convention when asset recovery is stated explicitly as a fundamental principle of the Convention. Besides, member-countries are bound by the Convention to render mutual legal assistance towards prosecution of offenders as well in tracing, freezing, and confiscating the proceeds of corruption.
• The Prime Minister's explanation for the delay was that the ratification had been under active consideration since September 2010 and a Group of Ministers was deputed to oversee the process. 
• The text of the United Nations Convention against Corruption was negotiated during seven sessions between January 21, 2002 and October 1, 2003. The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly by Resolution 58/4 of October 31, 2003 and it entered into force on December 14, 2005.

STOCKHOLM CONVENTION ON PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPs)

http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/poprc/about.htm

BRICS: Shifting global Calculus

• Multilateral groupings existed before between the BRICS states, such as the trilateral meetings of Russia-China-India (taking off from Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov's suggestion in December 1998), India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA –from 2003), Brazil-South Africa-India-China (BASIC) on climate change proposals at the 2009 Copenhagen Summit meeting, these initiatives remained either geographically confined or limited in focus.
  
• The third meeting at Sanya thus expands not only the geographical reach of the grouping to include Africa, but also increased the number of issues like exploring cooperation in local currencies, curbing cross-border capital flows in emerging economies, food security, bio-diversity, countering cyber crime, sports, etc. Previously, the trilateral meetings (from the 2005 Vladivostok event) have mentioned the necessity for reforming the structure of the United Nations, including its Security Council.
  
• The Sanya declaration mentioned support to India, Brazil and South Africa (currently all these three are non-permanent members of UN Security Council) in their "aspiration to play a greater role in the UN" and possible coordination in the UN.
  
• Secondly, a strong imprint of the South-South dialogue and multipolarity is unmistakable at Sanya and indicates to the long-term experience and work of the BRICS countries in this field. In the "Broad Vision and Shared Prosperity" speeches of the four presidents and one prime minister at Sanya, it is clear that the common minimum agreeable propositions have been laid out and resolved to work for an equitable world order based on rules, sustainability, predictability and of peaceful transition. 
  
• Thirdly, although the BRICS economic and financial status has risen in the last decade, several indicators indicate that they are still marginal in their influence on the global and economic order. By deciding that the BRICS constituents would work together in coordination and cooperation with each other at several levels, the Sanya deliberations and declaration re-emphasised such work in the multilateral field. For instance, despite the BRICS emerging significantly as larger economies with higher economic growth rates, the intra-BRICS trade is currently marginal and at best lopsided in nature, with huge favourable balance of trade in favour of one or another. 
  
• As such the BRICS countries trade very less as compared to their other trading partners, specifically with that of the United States and Europe. Diversifying trade from these countries as well as cooperating among themselves could benefit the BRICS.
  
• The action plan prepared at the venue, viz.on periodic meetings between finance ministers, central bank governors, representatives of international organisations, and inancial cooperation between development banks further provides concrete steps for the growth of the BRICS. 
  
• Fourthly, despite divergent political systems in the BRICS, the Sanya declaration was unequivocal in criticising the recent no-fly-zone and military action by the NATO forces in Libya and suggested that the UN Charter respecting the sovereignty of the member states should be respected. 
  
• The declaration called for multilateral initiatives such as by the African Union and deliberations at the UN. Nevertheless, the declaration was significant in mentioning that the "legitimate aspirations of their [Libyan] people" should also be respected.
  
• Overall, the significance of the BRICS should not be under-estimated. In a span of three years, the multilateral grouping not only was expanded, but also had attracted global attention. While the impact of the BRICS on the international order may not be known immediately, the BRICS are making an effort, as Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said in his speech at Sanya, to "harness the vast potential" that exists among this multilateral grouping.

Cabinet approves signing of Nagoya Protocol on biodiversity

• According to the Environment Ministry, the genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge can be used to develop a wide range of products and services for human benefit, such as medicines, agricultural practices, cosmetics etc.
• India is a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which is one of the agreements adopted during the Rio Earth Summit held in 1992.
• One of the three objectives of the CBD relates to ABS, which refers to the way in which genetic resources may be accessed, and benefits resulting from their use shared by the users with the countries that provide them.The CBD prescribes that access to genetic resources is subject to national legislation. Accordingly, India after extensive consultative process had enacted Biological Diversity Act in 2002 for giving effect to the provisions of the CBD.However, in the near absence of user country measures, once the resource leaves the country providing the resources, there is no way to ensure compliance of ABS provisions in the country where it is used.Towards this, a protocol on access and benefit sharing has been negotiated under the aegis of CBD, and adopted by the tenth Conference of Parties (CoP-10) held in Nagoya.India has participated actively and contributed meaningfully in the ABS negotiations which formally started about six years back.
• "The objective of the Nagoya Protocol on ABS is fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies," the Ministry said.It is expected that the ABS Protocol which is a key missing pillar of the CBD, would address the concern of misappropriation or biopiracy of its genetic resources.

India to make determined bid for NSG membership

• Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao will lead India's bid for full membership in the four international export control regimes — the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Group.
• Observers, however, felt that obtaining NSG membership may be the most difficult for India given its close association with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
• However, with every NSG plenary revising the export control list in consistency with the assessment of proliferation trends, officials said it was important for India, as a major player, to be in the organisation.
• Besides engaging with the NSG, senior Indian officials would continue to be engaged with other governments through various outbreak meetings. India would also have bilateral engagement with individual members.
• India is already an adherent to the NSG and MTCR guidelines but does not, as it is not a full member, have a direct say in deciding on changes in norms.

SUMMIT-LEVEL SUPPORT

India had already secured summit-level support — from the United States, Russia and France — which is expected to impart the initial momentum, for this endeavour. Several member countries in the four international export control regimes had been positive to India's bid.

"This acknowledgement is based on India's impeccable non-proliferation record and the benefits that the non-proliferation regime will get [through] India's full membership [in] the four regimes," the sources said.

Asked to comment on the approval granted by the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Directors to the safeguard agreement for Chashma III & IV, sources said this was not unexpected. India had raised the issue with a number of countries, including China. Although a number of countries had expressed concerns regarding China's supply of two additional reactors to Pakistan, it appeared that China has had its way.

India applies for CERN associate membership

• India has applied to the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) at Geneva in Switzerland for associate membership.
• If India was granted associate membership, Indian researchers would be eligible for jobs at the CERN. Currently, researchers of institutes that collaborate with the CERN can only be deputed there for short periods of time. It will also open the gates for the private sector to the international research organisation.
• The CERN was established in 1954 by 12 European countries. At present, it has 20 member-States.
• Under the scheme, associate membership is an essential pre-requisite for membership to the organisation. Thus countries may apply for associate membership alone, or apply to become associate members on the route to becoming members of the organisation

BCIM forum to focus on regional connectivity

• The Forum of Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM) on Wednesday agreed on the need to improve the cooperation mechanism, which would feature a multi-track initiative with track I coordination, to promote regional prosperity and harmony.
• Launched in 1999, the Kunming initiative, which later evolved into the BCIM Forum, has so far been a track II initiative.
• In a joint statement signed by the heads of delegations, the Forum agreed to focus on improved regional connectivity and establishing the Kunming-Mandalay-Dhaka-Kolkata economic corridor. However, the Myanmar delegate emphasised the need to submit the matter to the new government in Yangon.

India, World Bank to Deepen Cooperation on India’s Green Agenda

• The Bank will now support to strengthen Indian capacity of Central Pollution Controls Board, State Pollution Control Boards and biodiversity conservation in addition to other various projects for which financial support have already been given. 
• The partnership between the World Bank and the Government of India will support programmes that help India maintain high growth as a primary objective. This will include projects with fuel-efficient transport infrastructure, clean energy hydropower plants, efficient water supply and wastewater systems, programs that help farmers, fishing communities and people in other vulnerable communities safeguard their livelihoods against the vagaries of changing.
• The proposed project to strengthen the capacity of the Pollution Control Boards will help build their skills and infrastructure, ensure their financial sustainability and set up new monitoring and data management mechanisms where as the biodiversity project will seek to demonstrate conservation measures in various ecosystems, catalogue India's rich biodiversity in hotspots, and support livelihoods of communities living within biodiversity-rich areas and enable them to benefit from investments in these areas. 
• The Bank has already given its financial support for three environment management and protection projects which include Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project, Industrial Pollution Management Project and the National Ganga Project with 220 million, $65 million and $ 20 million help respectively. Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project will help to establish an institutional structure to coordinate coastal zone management nationally and is piloting integrated approaches to coastal zone management in Gujarat, Orissa and West Bengal. Under Industrial pollution Management Project, select industrially polluted sites will be rehabilitated, a national framework for the remediation of polluted and orphaned contaminated sites will be developed and ozone-depleting substances will be phased out. Under the National Ganga Project, pollution in the river will be reduced by sewage collection and treatment and municipal solid waste management.