General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - August 2015

Aug 2015

Jun 10, 2024

European Commission Excludes Tanzania from Conservation Grant

The European Commission (EC) removed Tanzania from the list of countries eligible for its 18 million Euro conservation grant to be launched in East Africa as part of its NaturAfrica initiative.
'CORRIGENDUM NO 4' uploaded under the section 'EU Funding & Tenders Portal' on the EC portal as on June 5, 2024, notes that, "This call for proposals is targeting the Eastern Rift Savannahs and Watersheds (ERiSaWa) component of NaturAfrica, and more particularly two KLCDs of high biodiversity importance, which offer sustainable socio-economic opportunities to local communities and require good governance to continue providing critical ecosystem services."
'KLCD' is short for Key Landscapes for Conservation and Development.

Emmanuel Macron Dissolves National Assembly, Calls Snap Elections in France

French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the parliament after the far-right defeated his centrist alliance in EU polls. Macron called snap legislative elections on June 30 and July 7. Hundreds of millions of Europeans are voting to select 720 Members of the European Parliament.
Macron said that he can't pretend nothing has happened and that the outcome of the EU election is "not a good result for parties who defend Europe". He added the rise of nationalists was a danger for France and Europe.

Philemon Yang of Cameroon Elected President of Upcoming General Assembly Session

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) elected former Cameroonian Prime Minister Philemon Yang as president of the 79th UNGA session. Yang will succeed Denis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago, president of the 78th UNGA session, when the 79th UNGA session opens on September 10 at the UN headquarters in New York.
Yang served as Cameroonian prime minister from 2009 to 2019, and since 2020, he has been serving as the Grand Chancellor of National Orders at the Presidency of the Republic. He served as Cameroon's High Commissioner to Canada between 1984 and 2004, and has held the position of Chairperson of the Panel of Eminent Africans of the African Union since February 2020. Following Uganda (2014) and Nigeria (2019), Cameroon became the 13th African country to have a representative appointed as president of the UN General Assembly.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ.

Jun 09, 2024

UN Adds Israel to List of Militaries Committing Violations against Children

The UN added the Israeli military to a list of offenders failing to protect children last year (2023), Israel's ambassador to the UN said.
A spokesman for the Palestinian President said that the decision was a step closer to holding Israel accountable for what he called its crimes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the UN had added itself to the "blacklist of history" and that the Israeli military was the "most moral army in the world".

Jun 08, 2024

Bonn Climate Conference 2024: Stage Set for New Climate Finance Goal Enroute to Baku

The 60th Session of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies, also called the Bonn Climate Change Conference, commenced on June 3, 2024, and expectedly, all eyes this year (2024) are on climate finance. With a new climate finance goal to be decided at the 29th Conference of Parties (COP 29) to the UNFCCC in Baku, Azerbaijan later this year (2024), the progress made at this mid-way mark is instrumental for an ambitious outcome.
The Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, Simon Stiell, reiterated the urgency of the discussions on the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance (NCQG), reminding country leaders: "We cannot afford to reach Baku with too much work left to do."
The 60th Session of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies concludes on June 13, 2024.

Jun 07, 2024

King Charles III Currency Notes Introduced in UK

Banknotes featuring King Charles III entered circulation in the United Kingdom.
According to the Bank of England, Charles is only the second monarch, after his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to appear on banknotes issued by the BoE. It's also the first time the bank has changed the monarch on its notes.
Charles' portrait appears on notes of £5, £10, £20 and £50. Meanwhile, the rest of the design remains the same as the current notes that feature the late Queen Elizabeth II on their fronts.

Somalia with UN Security Council Seat

Somalia won a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council - hailed as a significant step for the worn-torn nation.
It will be the first time the country, which descended into civil war more than 30 years ago, has held the position since the 1970s.
The top table at the UN determines how the organisation should respond to conflicts around the world.
There are 10 rotating non-permanent members on the council, along with the five permanent members - the US, the UK, France, China and Russia.
To win a seat, which carries much influence in world affairs, a country needs to secure the support of at least two thirds of the General Assembly delegations that are voting.
Somalia was elected along with Denmark, Greece, Pakistan and Panama to serve for two years from January next year (2025).
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security,[2] recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly,[3] and approving any changes to the UN Charter.
It officially came into existence on October 24, 1945 upon ratification of the Charter by the five then-permanent members of the Security Council and by a majority of the other 46 signatories.
It has its headquarters in New York City, U.S.

Delhi to Sign IPEF Pact on Clean Economy after Domestic Nod

The government said that 13 members of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) members have signed the fair and clean economy agreements while India will ink the pacts after getting domestic approval. "India did not formally sign these agreements as domestic approval processes are still underway and will be completed after the formation of the new government.
These agreements will enter into force after at least five IPEF partners complete their internal legal procedures for ratification, acceptance or approval. IPEF members signed these agreements which are first-of-their-kind approaches to addressing 21st-century challenges and strengthening economic engagement across a critical region. India actively participated in the signing proceedings and the ministerial deliberations.

Kuwait's Emir Names Sheikh Sabah as New Crown Prince

Kuwait's emir named a new Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, just six months after taking over the throne and weeks after suspending parliament.
The 71-year-old sheikh was the Gulf state's Foreign Minister from 2011 to 2019 and then Prime Minister until 2022.

Jun 06, 2024

Slovenia Becomes Latest EU Country to Recognise Palestinian State

Slovenia became the latest European Union country to recognise an independent Palestinian state after its parliament approved the move with majority vote, dismissing a call for a referendum on the issue by the largest opposition party.
The government last week decided to recognise Palestine as an independent and sovereign state following in the steps of Spain, Ireland and Norway as part of a wider effort to coordinate pressure on Israel to end the conflict in Gaza.
Palestine is a semi-presidential country. The country consists of the institutions that are associated with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which includes President of the State of Palestine – appointed by the Palestinian Central Council.
The current (as in June 2024) President is Mahmoud Abbas.

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