1. Fourth edition of Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue started in New Delhi
Tags: Summits
The fourth edition of the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) was begun on November 23, 2022 in New Delhi. This dialogue will continue till 25 November.
Important facts
IPRD is an apex level international annual conference of the Indian Navy.
The National Maritime Foundation is the knowledge partner of the Navy and the main organiser of each edition of the event.
The theme of IPRD-2022 is the 'Operationalising the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative'.
The theme was articulated by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in Bangkok, at the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) on 4 November 2019.
Six professional sessions will be organised in this three-day event.
As part of the event, globally renowned speakers and eminent panellists will explore how the areas of maritime cooperation can be operationalized optimally and inclusively.
In addition, there will be Margdarshan sessions which will include addresses by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav.
Subject of the Dialogue
Maritime Security, Maritime Ecology, Maritime Resources, Disaster Risk-reduction and Management, Trade-Connectivity and Maritime Transport, Capacity-building and Resource sharing, and Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation.
Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue
The first two editions of IPRD were held in New Delhi in 2018 and 2019 respectively, however, IPRD 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19.
The third edition of IPRD was conducted in online mode in 2021.
Each edition of the IPRD aims to review the opportunities and challenges arising within the Indo-Pacific.
2. Change in rules for Shisham based items by CITES to benefit Indian exporters
Tags: Environment Summits
In a major relief to the handicraft exporter from India the 19th Conference of Parties (CoP 19) to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) has agreed that any numbers of Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo, North Indian rosewood) timber-based items can be exported as a single consignment in a shipment without CITES permits if the weight of each individual item of this consignment is less than 10 kg.
The 19th meeting of the Conference of Parties to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild fauna and flora (CITES) is being held in Panama City, Panama from 14th to 25th of November 2022.
Earlier every consignment of furniture or handicrafts weighing above 10 Kg required CITES permission which badly affected Shisham exports from India. This change in rule is expected to boost export of furniture or handicrafts made of Shisham from India and will benefit 50,000 artisans who work on it.
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 (CITES) was set up in 1973 to help protect wild flora and fauna from extinction by requiring government permits for international trade in threatened wildlife and wildlife products.
At present 184 countries are its members.
The first meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was held in Berne, Switzerland in 1976.
The 18th meeting was held in Geneva, Switzerland in 2019.
3. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh co chair the first India ASEAN defence ministers meeting in Cambodia
Tags: place in news Defence Summits
Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Cambodia on 21 November 2022 to participate in the to co-chair the first India-ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting and attend the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus).This year, India and Cambodia are celebrating 70 years of diplomatic ties.
On 22 November he along with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Cambodia General TEA Banh co-chaired the first India-ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting to commemorate the 30 years of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations. Also the year 2022 is being celebrated as the ASEAN-India Friendship Year to commemorate the 30 years of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations.
He will also attend the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) to be held on 23 November 2022.
Cambodia is the current chairman of the ASEAN (Association of South East Nation) and all ASEAN related summits and conferences are being hosted by it. Both the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) and India-ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting will be held at Siem Reap, Cambodia. Siam Reap is the second largest city of Cambodia after its capital Phnom Penh.
Angkor Wat
Siem Reap province of Cambodia is home to Angkor Wat. It is a world heritage site and is the world's largest religious structure, covering some 400 acres. It is dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is helping in the preservation of the Temple.
ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus)
The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States (collectively referred to as the "Plus Countries"), to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region.
The first ADMM-Plus was convened in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, on 12 October 2010.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
It is an association of 10 countries of SouthEast Asia. They are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The headquarters of ASEAN: Jakarta, Indonesia.
4. Government to hold the 25th National e-Governance Conference in Jammu
Tags: place in news National Summits
The 25th National e-Governance conference will be held at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University at Kakryal in Katra town of Reasi district in Jammu region on 25 and 26 November 2022. The 24th National e-Governance conference 2021 was held on 7 &8th January 2021 at Hyderabad, Telangana.
The conference will be inaugurated by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Minister of State of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, Government of India.
26th November is celebrated as the Constitution Day in the country to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India. As part of the celebrations Union Minister, Dr. Jitendra Singh will administer reading of the Preamble to the Constitution with all participants on 26th November 2022.
Who is organising the Conference
The Department of Administrative Reforms· & Public Grievances (DARPG) and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), in association with the Union Territory Government of Jammu and Kashmir is organizing the conference.
Nearly 2000 officers from across the country are likely to attend the two-day long conference.
Theme of the Conference
The theme of the 25th National e-Governance conference is “Bringing Citizens, Industry and Government Closer”.
The application and use of Information technology and communication (ICT) in governance is known as e-governance. It is makes governance transparent and efficient. Some of the examples of e-governance are Digital India, Aadhaar, and National Portal of India etc.
5. India to take over Chairmanship of the Global Partnership on AI from France
Tags: place in news Science and Technology Summits
India will take over the Chairmanship of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) from France during the third edition of the annual Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) being held in Tokyo, Japan on 21 November 2022. India will be chairman for the 2022-23 period.
France will symbolically hand over the chairmanship to the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar who is representing India at the 2day (21-22 November) Tokyo summit meet.
AI which stands for artificial intelligence refers to systems or machines that mimic human intelligence to perform tasks and can iteratively improve themselves based on the information they collect.
Artificial Intelligence is expected to contribute 450 to 500 billion US dollars to India’s GDP by 2025 accounting for 10 per cent of the country’s 5 trillion dollar GDP target. It is expected to contribute 967 billion US dollars to the Indian economy by 2035.
What is Global Partnership in Artificial Intelligence?
It was launched on June 15, 2020, with fifteen members as its founding member. India is one of the founding member country of Global Partnership in Artificial Intelligence (GPAI).
The initiative facilitates international cooperation on artificial technology by bringing together on a single platform, experts from fields such as science, industry, civil society, governments, international bodies, and academia.
At present, GPAI has twenty-five member Countries. They are : Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union (EU).
6. Amit Shah proposes a permanent secretariat for counter terror financing at the ’No Money for Terror' conference iin New Delhi
Tags: place in news Summits Person in news
The Indian Home Minster Amit Shah proposed a permanent secretariat for institutions focused on countering terror financing built on the ‘No Money for Terror’ conference initiative. He was speaking at the closing session of the third 'No Money for Terror' conference in New Delhi on 19 November 2022.
The two day (18 and 19) conference was organized by India’s premier anti-terrorism agency, National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Amit Shah said that ‘India has sensed the need for permanency of this unique initiative of NMFT (no money for terror), in order to sustain global focus on countering the financing of terrorism.’ He offered India as the host of such a proposed secretariat.
Quoting the International Monetary Fund and World Bank report he said that “criminals across the world launder close to $2 trillion to $4 trillion every year. A major part of this goes in fuelling terrorism.”
However many of the delegates which participated in the conference feels that it will duplicate the other International anti-terror body Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
A total of 72 countries and close to 15 multilateral anti-terror organisations attended the third edition of the conference. China did not attend the conference, while Pakistan was not invited.
Sri Lanka and Jamaica have called for institutionalizing the conference annually.
The first meeting of this kind took place in Paris, France, in 2018, and the second one took place in Melbourne, Australia, in 2019.
7. 21st World Congress of Accountants starts in Mumbai
Tags: place in news Economy/Finance Summits
The Institute of Chartered Accountant of India (ICAI) is hosting the 21st World Congress of Accountants 2022(WCOA) at the Jio World Centre, Mumbai, from November 18-21, 2022 in a Hybrid mode. WCOA 2022 is being held in hybrid mode for the first time ever in the Congress’s history.
The Theme of the 21st World Congress of Accountants 2022 is: Building Trust Enabling Sustainability”.
The Lok Sabha Speaker OM Birla addressed the Congress on 18 November 2022 and described chartered accountants as "saints of the new economic order". They are the engines and architects of the economic world.
ICAI
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is a statutory body established under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949.
- It was set up on 1 July 1949.
- The ICAI is the second largest professional body of Chartered Accountants in the world after the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
- It is the regulator of the Chartered Accountancy profession in India.
- It comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.
Headquarters: New Delhi
President: Dr. Debashish Mitra
8. BASIC group ministerial meeting held at the COP27 in Egypt
Tags: Environment place in news Summits
The Ministers of Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC group) met on 15 November 2022 at the 27th Conference of Parties (COP 27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The meeting was chaired by the South African Environment minister Barbara Creecy and was attended by the Indian Environment minister Bhupendra Yadav, Brazilian Environment minister Joaquim Leite, Chinese special envoy on Climate change XIE Zhenhua.
Currently South Africa is the chairman of the BASIC group and it rotates annually amongst the member countries.
The ministers pledged their full support to the Egyptian COP27 Presidency for a successful conference. They emphasised the principle of common but different responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of national circumstances.
They expressed concern that the developed countries are not keeping up their promise of providing USD 100 billion per year financial aid to the Developing countries to deal with the adverse effect of climate change. In the 15th Conference of Parties meeting at Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009. The developed countries had promised such aid to the developing countries.
BASIC Group
The BASIC Group of countries was formed by India, Brazil, South Africa and China in November 2009 just before the 15th Conference of Parties (COP) meeting at Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009.
The group was formed so as to collectively bargain with the Developed countries on issues such as reduction of greenhouse gasses and need of climate financing.
Brazil, South Africa, India and China together have one-third of the world's geographical area and nearly 40% of the world’s population.
China is the largest emitter of Carbon dioxide in the world and India is the third largest .The United States is the second largest emitter of Carbon dioxide in the world.
9. India participates in ‘4th meeting of Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan’ held in Russia
Tags: place in news Summits International News
India participated in the fourth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan held in Moscow on 16 November 2022. Special Envoys and Senior Officials from Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan also participated in the meeting.
According to the External Affairs Ministry, the participants discussed issues related to Afghanistan. These include the current humanitarian situation and the ongoing efforts of various stakeholders to provide assistance, intra-Afghan talks, formation of an inclusive and representative government, efforts to counter threats of terrorism and ensuring regional security.
Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan
The Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan, launched in 2017, is a regional platform on Afghanistan involving the special envoys of Russia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, China, and Pakistan.
Its mandate is to facilitate political reconciliation between the then-internationally backed Kabul government and the Taliban, establish peace, and ensure regional security.
10. APEC summit disrupted in Bangkok due to North Korean ICBM test
Tags: Summits International News
The 29th summit meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) being held in Bangkok, Thailand was briefly interrupted on 18 November 2022 as they condemned the North Korea for its fresh test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). ICBM is a land based nuclear capable ballistic missile with a range of 5,600 Km or more.
The two-day (18 & 19 November) summit meeting was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Thailand Prayuth Chan-ocha on 18 November 2022.
The U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called an emergency gathering of leaders from Australia, Japan, South Korea, Canada and New Zealand on the sidelines of the summit after North Korea carried out the missile test just an hour before its inauguration.
This is the third summit level meeting in the Asia Pacific region within a month after the East Asia Summit in Cambodia and G-20 summit at Bali, Indonesia.
Russia is a member of both G20 and APEC but President Vladimir Putin has stayed away from the summits. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov is representing him at APEC.
The next Summit meeting will be held in the United States of America in 2023.
India is not a member of APEC.
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum with 21 member economies across Asia-Pacific region.
It was set up in 1989 to promote regional economic integration under a non-legally binding manner and friendly environment.
APEC group countries account for 38% of the global population, 62% of world’s gross domestic product and 48% of the world trade.
21 Member of APEC are:
Australia; Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand; United States, China; Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei(Taiwan), Mexico ,Papua New Guinea ,Chile , Peru; Russia; and Vietnam.
Headquarters: Singapore
