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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Dec 15, 2023

India's Uma Sekhar Triumphs over US, Russia, China Candidates in UNIDROIT Election

India's Uma Sekhar was elected to the governing council of the Rome-based International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) in an election that saw 32 contestants in the fray including from the US, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and France.
The UNIDROIT is an independent intergovernmental organisation dealing with various legal issues including studying needs and methods for modernising commercial and private laws.
Uma Sekhar was elected to the Governing Council of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) with an impressive 45 votes out of 59 votes in the first round at the elections held in Rome.
India will be a member of the body for the period 2024-28.

Maldives Govt. Scraps Hydrographic Survey Agreement with India

As India-Maldives relations experience further strain following the demand for troop withdrawal, the Maldivian government led by President Mohamed Muizzu, chose to terminate the hydrographic survey agreement with India. The announcement came merely a month after President Muizzu requested the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives, aligning with his 'India Out' campaign platform.
The hydrographic survey agreement, inked on June 8, 2019, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Maldives, permitted India to conduct a comprehensive study of the island nation's territorial waters, encompassing reefs, lagoons, coastlines, ocean currents, and tide levels.
The third Joint Hydrographic survey by the Indian Navy and the MNDF was carried out by Indian Naval Ship Investigator (INS Investigator) from January 19 to February 26, 2023. The ship surveyed Northern Maldives covering Ihavandhippolhu and Thiladhanmatee atolls and Gallandhu Kandu.

Next BRICS Summit in Russia will Establish a Fair World Order

President Vladimir Putin criticised the West for demanding a so-called 'rules-based world order' and said that the next BRICS summit under Russia's presidency in October 2024 will be dedicated to establishing a 'fair world order'.
Putin said the next BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, under Russia's chairmanship, will influence the current situation to move in the right direction.
He said the summit will demonstrate that there are enough forces in this world, powerful countries who want to live not by those unwritten rules, but rather by the rules enshrined in fundamental, cornerstone documents, which include the United Nations Charter.

Dec 13, 2023

UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali Officially Ends After 10 Years

The United Nations officially ended its decade-long peacekeeping mission in Mali after 10 years, responding to the government's claim that the force was inadequate in addressing the escalating threat of violent extremism. This move marked the conclusion of the deadliest peacekeeping mission globally, with over 300 personnel casualties. The withdrawal came as Mali grapples with persistent challenges from Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012.
Mali, a landlocked West African nation, has faced significant challenges in containing an Islamic extremist insurgency that emerged in 2012. Despite a French-led military operation that ousted extremist rebels from northern cities in 2013, the insurgents regrouped in the desert and resumed attacks on the Malian army and its allies, including the UN peacekeeping force.
Maj. Gen. Mamadou Gaye, the commander of the 13,000-strong force, acknowledged the vast and difficult terrain in Mali but expressed confidence in the country's security forces to handle the security crisis independently. Despite criticism from some quarters in Mali, Gaye highlighted the positive aspects of the mission, emphasizing its role in improving the capacity of Malian security forces.

Dec 12, 2023

Myanmar Overtakes Afghanistan as World's Biggest Opium Producer

Myanmar became the world's biggest producer of opium in 2023, overtaking Afghanistan after the Taliban government's crackdown on the trade, according to a United Nations.
Myanmar produced an estimated 1,080 metric tonnes of opium -- essential for producing heroin -- this year (2023).
In Myanmar, the main cultivating area is Shan state, the northern part of which has been convulsed by fighting in recent weeks after an alliance of ethnic minority armed groups launched an offensive against the junta and its allies.
Shan accounted for about 88 percent of the 41,300 hectares (102,054 acres) of opium poppy areas nationwide, as per the UN report.

Polish Prime Minister Loses Vote of Confidence, Clears Way for Donald Tusk

Poland's incumbent Prime Minister lost a vote of confidence making way for Donald Tusk's coalition of pro-European Union parties to take power.
The vote marked the conclusion of an eight-year-tenure of nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which as per the critics vandalised judicial independence, turned state-owned media into a propaganda outlet and instigated prejudice against minorities such as immigrants and the LGBT community.
Out of the 456 members of parliament who cast their votes, 266 voted no confidence in Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Dec 11, 2023

US Vetoes UNSC Resolution on Ceasefire in Gaza, UK Abstains

The US was the sole country to oppose a resolution at the 15-member UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. With Foreign Ministers from Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in Washington meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for an early end to the Gaza war, the US in New York vetoed the UNSC resolution that was backed by 13 countries, with the UK being the only abstention.

Javier Milei is Argentina's President

Libertarian economist Javier Milei was sworn-in as the new President of Argentina and warned in his maiden speech that he had no other option but to adopt harsh policies to fix the country's worst economic crisis in decades.
Milei a former TV pundit took over from Peronist leader Alberto Fernandez, whose government was dogged by failures to rein in soaring prices.

Dec 09, 2023

PM Modi Tops Global Leaders' List Again, Gets Highest Rating of 76%

Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued to be at the top among world leaders with an approval rating of 76 per cent, according to a survey by Morning Consult.
According to the US-based consultancy firm's 'Global Leader Approval Rating Tracker' 76 per cent of people in India approve of PM Modi's leadership, while 18 per cent disapprove of it and six per cent did not give any opinion.
Notably, this is a huge number by a far margin, as the second-best approval rating was enjoyed by Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (66 per cent) and Switzerland President Alain Berset (58 per cent) third.
In previous surveys too, Prime Minister Modi had topped the global ratings. At the same time, the approval ratings of other big global leaders are at a modest level.
US President Joe Biden has a 37 per cent approval rating, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has 31 per cent, UK PM Rishi Sunak ratings stands at 25 per cent, and France President Emmanuel Macron stands at just 24 per cent.

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