1. India hosts LeadIT Summit with Sweden at COP27, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Tags: Environment place in news Summits
India and Sweden hosted the LeadIT (Leadership for Industry Transition) Summit, on 15 November 2022 on the side-lines of Conference of Parties (COP) 27 being held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from 6-18 November 2022. The initiative focuses on low carbon transition of the industrial sector which is a major source of carbon emission in the world.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav co-hosted the summit with the Swedish Minister for Climate and the Environment Ms. Romina Pourmokhtari.
Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT)
The Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) was launched by the governments of Sweden and India at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019 at New York City, United States of America.
It brings together countries and companies that are committed to action to achieve the 2016 Paris Agreement on reduction of carbon emission.
The LeadIT members are committed to achieving a net zero carbon emission.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Indonesia to attend the 17th G20 Summit in Bali
Tags: Summits Person in news
The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a three day (14-16 November) visit to Indonesia to attend the 17th G20 Summit in Bali. He will leave India on 14th November 2022 .The 17th G-20 Summit will be held in Bali on 15 and 16 November 2022.
Giving the information the Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said during the G-20 summit the leaders will deliberate extensively upon key issues of global concern under the Summit theme of 'Recover Together, Recover Stronger'.
Three working sessions will be held as part of the G20 Summit Agenda. These are food and energy security, health, and digital transformation.
Indonesia to hand over the Presidency to India
According to Kwatra at the closing session of the Summit, the Indonesia President will symbolically hand over the G20 Presidency to Prime Minister Modi. India will formally assume the G20 Presidency from 1st December this year. India will host the next G20 summit in September next year.
During the G20 Presidency, India-Indonesia-Brazil would be the troika. This would be the first time in G20 that the troika would consist of three developing countries and emerging economies in a row.
The G20 Summit programme also includes a Leaders' visit to amangrove forestin Bali on the 16th of this month.
The Foreign Secretary said that on the sidelines of the Summit, Prime Minister Modi will have several bilateral interactions with the G20 leaders.
G-20 is a group of 19 leading developed and developing countries and the European Union. It has emerged as an influential group to deliberate on pressing world issues. G20 members represent around 85 percent of the global GDP, over 75 percent of the global trade and about two thirds of the world's population.
3. Vice President Dhankhar calls for free and open Indo-Pacific region at the 17th East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh
Tags: place in news Summits Person in news
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar speaking at the 17th East Asia Summit meeting being held in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh on 13 November 2022 highlighted India’s concern on food and security and emphasized the role of the East Asia Summit (EAS) in promoting free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific with freedom of navigation and overflight.
The 17th EAS is being hosted by the current ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian Nations) chairman Cambodia.
Earlier speaking in the summit the American President Joe Biden and the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also highlighted the aggressive behaviour of China in the South China Sea and called for peace in the Taiwan Strait and ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar also called upon the EAS members’ full contribution to the International Year of Millets in 2023.
Vice President visit to Cambodia
The Vice President was on a three day (11-13 November) visit to Cambodia to attend the 19th India-ASEAN summit meeting which has been designated as the commemorative summit, to mark the 30 years of Indian ASEAN relationship.
This year is also being celebrated as ASEAN-India Friendship Year.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is accompanying Vice-President Dhankhar on this visit.
Observer Research Foundation signs Mou with AVI
On the sideline of the summit meeting Observer Research Foundation (ORF) of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a leading Cambodian think tank AVI.
The two institutions engaged in the realm of public policy will endeavour to cooperate more closely to enhance their mutual understanding on a range of issues from geopolitics and international relations to sustainable development and cultural engagement.
East Asia Summit
- The East Asia summit group consists of 18 countries.
- The concept of an East Asia Grouping was first promoted in 1991 by the then Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir bin Mohamad.
- It was set up in 2005 as a forum to promote strategic dialogue and cooperation on political, security and economic issues of common regional concern in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Initially it consisted of ASEAN members (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam) and China, Japan ,South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
- The United States of America and Russia were included in 2011.
4. ASEAN agrees to admit Timor- Leste as its 11th member
Tags: Summits International News
The 10 nations group Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has agreed in principle to admit Timor- Leste as its 11th member. This was declared by the ASEAN after its summit meeting held in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh on 11 November 2022 Timor- Leste applied for membership of the ASEAN in 2011.
The other members of ASEAN are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Timor- Leste will be initially granted an observer status at a high level ASEAN meeting and it will take years before it becomes a full member of the ASEAN group.
The country would be the first new member of the regional grouping in more than two decades, since Cambodia was admitted in 1999.
Timor- Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta welcomed the decision, saying a membership would strengthen wider diplomatic relations with ASEAN's partners and will help attract more foreign direct investment in the country.
Timor- Leste
It was earlier called East Timor and was a Portuguese colony till 1975 .After the Portuguese left it was occupied by Indonesia. The people of Timor- Leste waged a freedom struggle to gain Independence from Indonesia.
In the 1999 United Nations supervised referendum the people of Timor-Leste voted for Independence from Indonesia.
It was officially recognised as an independent country by the United Nations in 2022, making it Asia's youngest country.
Capital of Timor- Leste: Dilli
Currency: Dollar
President: Jose Ramos-Horta
5. India and ASEAN relations enhanced to comprehensive strategic partnership level
Tags: Summits
According to the Ministry of External Affairs the India - ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian Nation) ties have been upgraded to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership level from the earlier Strategic Partnership. This upgradation of ties signifies a greater level of trust between the two sides and conveys a sense of mutual value, strategic alignment and positive intent to further strengthen ties.
The upgradation of the ties between the two sides was agreed upon during the visit of the Vice -President Jagdeep Dhankhar to Cambodia to participate in the 19th India ASEAN summit held on 12 November 2022. The 19th India ASEAN summit has been designated as the commemorative summit, to mark the 30 years of Indian ASEAN relationship. Cambodia is currently the chairman of the 10 nations ASEAN group.
He will also participate in the 17th East Asia Summit to be held in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.
The focus area of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership are as follows;
- Advanced maritime cooperation in areas of maritime security including maritime security, countering piracy, search and rescue operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster management. The two sides will work to implement the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
- Strengthen cooperation in cybersecurity, digital economy and fintech, including the inter-operability of digital financial systems.
- Enhanced cooperation in sustainable development with the focus on new and emerging technologies for renewable energy, smart agriculture, healthcare and space.
- Promote the revival of tourism and enhance activities involving youth,
- Work together on regional and international issues of common concern to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
Bilateral meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen
The Vice President also held a meeting with the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. India and Cambodia signed 4 memorandums of understanding.
The Indian side announced a grant of $426,000 to support Cambodia’s efforts to remove mines that were laid from the late 1970s to the 1990s.
Background to the India ASEAN meeting
As per the Look East foreign policy of the Narasimha Rao government in 90s, the government of India focussed on increasing trade and investment with East Asia with special focus on ASEAN.
Evolution of India -ASEAN relationship
- India was initially made a sectoral partner by ASEAN in 1992. With the increasing depth in the relationships the status was changed to a Dialogue Partner in 1996.
- In 2022 the relationship was further upgraded to Summit level
- And finally in 2012 it was elevated to Strategic partnership.
Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN)
It is considered to be one of the most successful regional groups in the world.
It was set up in 1967 as a group of South-East Asian nations.
At present there are 10 members in the group. They are
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The headquarters of ASEAN: Jakarta, Indonesia.
6. India announces additional contribution of ‘$ 5 million’ to ASEAN-India science and technology fund
Tags: Science and Technology Summits International News
The Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on 12 November 2022 announced an additional contribution of USD 5 million to the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Fund (AISTDF) to enhance cooperation in sectors of public health, renewable energy and smart agriculture.
The announcement came during the three-day visit of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to Cambodia for ASEAN-India and East Asia summits.
ASEAN India S&T Development Fund (AISTDF)
ASEAN-India Science & Technology Collaboration formally started in 1996 with the establishment of the ASEAN India S&T working group (AIWGST).
Initially, the collaborative S&T projects and activities between India and ASEAN were supported through ASEAN India Fund (AIF).
In 2008, a dedicated ASEAN India S&T Development Fund (AISTDF) with an equivalent amount of USD 1 million was established jointly by the Ministry of External Affairs and Department of Science and Technology (DST) to support Research and Development projects and associated project development activities.
The AISTDF was enhanced to an equivalent amount of USD 5 million through an announcement by the Prime Minister of India on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Summit in Malaysia in November 2015.
7. India to host 'No Money For Terror' Ministerial Conference in Delhi
Tags: National Summits National News
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India will organize the 3rd Ministerial Conference on 'No Money for Terror' in New Delhi on 18th and 19th November.
Important facts
Representatives from 75 countries and international bodies will attend the two-day conference for deliberations.
The purpose of this conference is to take forward the discussions on combating terrorist financing held by the international community in the previous two conferences in Paris (2018) and Melbourne (2019).
It will also discuss technical, legal and regulatory aspects of all aspects of terrorism financing.
The conference will discuss diverse topics such as global trends in terrorism and terrorist financing, use of formal and informal channels of funding for terrorism, emerging technologies, international cooperation to address challenges in combating terrorist financing and terrorist financing.
The participating countries will also deliberate on how to effectively implement the standards mandated by the Financial Action Terror Force (FATF) and UN listing on terrorist groups and terrorists.
India had hosted two global events in October, 2022 - Interpol's annual general assembly in Delhi and a special session of the United Nations Anti-Terrorism Committee in Mumbai and Delhi.
8. Global Investors Summit-2023' to be held in Visakhapatnam
Tags: Economy/Finance Summits National News
On 8 November 2022, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy unveiled the logo of the 'Global Investors Summit-2023' to be held in Visakhapatnam at his camp office.
Important Facts
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed to organise 'Global Investors Summit' to be held in Visakhapatnam on March 3 and 4 in the year 2023.
Investment summits could not be held in the state in the last three years.
Other states are just starting to do so and the AP government has also focused on MSMEs providing infrastructure for the development of campuses in the state.
Machilipatnam and Bhavanapadu ports are being constructed, Visakha and Kakinada ports are being developed as well as five shipping ports are in progress.
Leading industrialists from across the world will also be invited to the summit at the Global Investors Summit to be held in Visakhapatnam.
Andhra Pradesh
Capital: Amaravati
Governor: Vishwa Bhushan Harichandan
Chief Minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
9. 16th Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Disease and Nutrition (ASCODD)
Tags: National Summits International News
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Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar addressed the 16th Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Disease and Nutrition (ASCODD) at Kolkata on 11 November, 2022.
Important facts
Delegates from India and other Southeast Asian countries, African countries, US, European countries attended the conference through video conferencing.
The theme of the Conference was “Prevention and control of cholera, typhoid and other enteric diseases in low and middle-income countries through community participation : beyond the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic”.
The conference was organised by ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases.
The conference focused on issues such as intestinal infections, nutrition, policy and practice, development of cholera vaccines, contemporary approaches to antimicrobial resistance of intestinal bacteria, etc., including a roadmap to end cholera by 2030.
10. India joins MAC, at 27th session of COP27 in Egypt
Tags: National Summits National News
India has joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.
Important facts
After joining the alliance, India called for the integration of mangrove conservation with reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) programs for carbon sequestration.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said studies have shown that mangrove forests can absorb four to five times more carbon emissions than landed tropical forests.
What are Mangroves?
These are small trees and shrubs that grow along the coast and thrive in salt water and develop into unique forests on land and sea shore.
Mangrove ecosystems are one of the most productive and ecologically important ecosystems in the world.
They offer significant climate change mitigation and adaptation co-benefits because they are able to store carbon up to 400 percent faster than land-based tropical rainforests.
They protect coastal areas from rising sea levels, erosion and storms and provide breeding grounds for marine biodiversity.
About 80 percent of the world's fish population depend on these ecosystems for their survival.
India contributes about half of the total mangrove cover in South Asia and the Sundarbans in West Bengal has the highest percentage of mangrove cover in India.
West Bengal has the highest percentage of mangrove cover in India. It is followed by Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Kerala also have mangroves.
About Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC)
MAC is an intergovernmental coalition that seeks to accelerate the conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems.
India is among the first five countries to join the MAC, which includes Australia, Japan, Spain and Sri Lanka.
