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Stingless Bees

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In Peru, conservators try to save stingless bees to save Amazon forests.

  • Scientific name – Melipona eburnean.
  • Nativity – Amazon region.
  Stingless Bees Honey Bees
Nativity South and Central America mainly Amazon Africa, spread to China, America, Europe and India
Habitat Forested areas and tropical climates Most tropical and subtropical regions
Sting No Yes
Viscosity Less, so highly liquid High
Honey Production Less More
Adaptation to agricultural areas Vulnerable to death Adapted to live
  • Pollinator – It pollinate much of the Amazon’s native flora, a creative way to fight deforestation.
  • Medicinal properties – It contains anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and other health-promoting properties.
  • It might be from the resin of Amazonian trees that the stingless bees are pollinating, which are used by different trees for protection when they have a wound.

Amazon is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world and is also known as Lungs of the Earth.

  • Popularity – It became a favoured ingredient in alternative treatments for upper respiratory infections during COVID-19.
  • Threats – Deforestation, use of pesticides, climate change and competition with the honey bee.
  • Challenges – Stingless-bee honey isn’t considered honey under the law.
  • A traces of environmental pollutants are reported in the honey, likely a result of the bees pollinating within pesticide-doused lands


H-1B Visa

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The U.S. State Department recently launched a program to renew the much sought-after H-1B foreign work visas domestically.

About H-1B Visa:

  • It is a non-immigrant visathat allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise for a specified period.
  • A speciality occupation is one that requires the application of a body of highly specialised knowledge and the attainment of at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
  • The intent of the H-1B provisions is to help employers who cannot otherwise obtain needed business skills and abilities from the U.S. workforce by authorising the temporary employment of qualified individuals who are not otherwise authorised to work in the United States.
  • Occupations that qualify for the H-1B visa are typically in fields such as technology, finance, engineering, architecture, or more.
  • Eligibility: In order to be eligible for the H1B visa, you will need:
  • A valid job offer from a U.S. employer for a role that requires speciality knowledge
  • Proof of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in that field
  • The US employer must show that there is a lack of qualified U.S. applicants for the role.
  • Cap:
  • The annual H-1B visa limit is 85,000. There are 65,000 regular H-1B visas each year, and an additional 20,000 visas are reserved for applicants with advanced degrees. 
  • Some exceptions to the H-1B visa cap include people entering the U.S. to work in higher education or affiliated research/non-profit organisations.
  • Applicants are selected for adjudication via a lottery system.
  • Features:
  • The H-1B visa is valid for three yearsand can be extended one time for an additional three years. In general, the H-1B is valid for a maximum of six years.
  • There is no limit to the number of H1-B Visas that an individual can have in his or her lifetime.
  • H1-B holders can seek a Green Card or Lawful Permanent Residency for themselves and their families.
  • If the H1-B holder is changing jobs, he or she must reapply for a new visa.


Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

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Recently, the military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their immediate withdrawal from the West African bloc ECOWAS.

About Economic Community of West African States:

  • It is also known as CEDEAO in French.
  • It is the regional group which was established in 1975 through the Lagos Treaty.
  • Mandate: Promoting economic integration among its members.
  • The vision of ECOWAS is the creation of a “borderless region” that is well-integrated and governed in accordance with the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance.
  • Members: Benin, Cape Verde, Côte d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.
  • ECOWAS’ larger aims are to have a single common currency and create a single, large trading bloc in areas of industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, financial issues, and social and cultural matters.
  • Along with the goals of economic cooperation, it has attempted to quell military conflicts in the region. 
  • It also operated a regional peacekeeping operation known as ECOMOG, led by Nigeria in the 1990s and early 2000s.
  • Headquarters: Abuja, Nigeria.


Houthis

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Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have stepped up their attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea.

About Houthis:

  • The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah (Partisans of God), are an armed religious and political movement in Yemen.
  • Houthis are Zaydi Shiites, or Zaydiyyah. Shiite Muslims are the minority community in the Islamic world, and Zaydis are a minority of Shiites, significantly different in doctrine and beliefs from the Shiites who dominate in Iran, Iraq, and elsewhere.
  • They are a minority in Yemen, which is predominantly Sunni Muslim, but they are a significant one, numbering in the hundreds of thousands and making up as much as a third of the overall population.
  • Its members advocate regional autonomy for Zaidis in northern Yemen.
  • They have been fighting Yemen’s Sunni-majority government since 2004. 
  • The Houthis took over the Yemeni capital Sanaa in September 2014 and seized control over much of north Yemen by 2016.
  • The Houthi movement began as an effort to maintain tribal autonomy in northern Yemen and protest Western influence in the Middle East.
  • Today, the Houthis seek a greater role in the Yemeni government and continue to advocate for Zaidi minority interests.
  • The movement is known for its virulently anti-American and anti-Semitic rhetoric.
  • Several of the group’s leaders have been designated as terrorists by the United States.


Sweden in NATO

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Turkey approved Sweden’s application for NATO membership recently.

  • Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in 2022 and Finland got its membership in 2023.
  • Hungary then becomes the only NATO ally not to have ratified Sweden’s accession.
  • North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established in 1949 of states from Europe and North America to ensure collective security in Western Europe.


FAO’s Committee on Fisheries

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India has been elected as the First Vice Chair of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Committee on Fisheries (COFI) Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management.

About FAO’s Committee on Fisheries:

  • It is a subsidiary body of the Food and Agriculture Organization.
  • It was established by the FAO Conference in 1965.
  • Functions
    • It addresses issues on international fishing and aquaculture, providing policy guidance on fisheries management, recognising global challenges, and promoting collective solutions to ensure the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the fishing industry. 
    • The grouping makes recommendations to the FAO Council or its Director-General.
    • It has also been used as a forum in which global agreements and non-binding instruments were negotiated.
    • The Committee also reviews specific matters relating to fisheries and aquaculture referred to it by the Council 
  • The Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management is a new sub-group formed under the COFI in 2022, during the 35th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), held in Rome.
  • It will work closely with the two other COFI sub-committees, the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture and the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade.

Key facts about the Food and Agriculture Organization

  • It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security.
  • Its goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.
  • Member countries: With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union.
  • Its sister bodies are the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
  • Reports published: The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO), The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA), The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO), The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI)
  • Headquarter: Rome (Italy).


Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP)

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The Indian Vice President recently inaugurated the 12th General Assembly of the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace in New Delhi.

About Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP):

  • It was founded in 1970 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, as a voluntary movement of followers of Buddhism with both monastic (monks) and lay members. 
  • Its aim is to bring together the efforts of Buddhists in support of consolidating universal peace, harmony, and cooperation among people in Asia.
  • It is currently headquartered at the Ganden Tegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and the Supreme Head of Mongolian Buddhists is the ABCP President.
  • History:
    • The roots of founding of ABCP lay in the Cold War politics of peace movements, and consolidation of allies, and building popular outreach among the masses through various organisations. 
    • Most Venerable Gabji Samaagiin Gombojav, Khambo Lama of Mongolia, Venerable J. Gomboyev from Buriat, Khambo Lama of the former Soviet Union, Venerable Kushok Bakula Rinpoche from India, and Buddhist leaders from Sri Lanka and Nepal came together and officially founded the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) in 1970 with a permanent headquarters in Ulaanbaatar.
  • It drew active participation from Mongolia, Japan, India, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bhutan, Russian Far East, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and other regional countries.
  • ABCP was registered as an observer to the UN’s Economic and Social Council in 1988 in recognition of its contribution to the well-being of humanity.


South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ

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Why in news?

  • The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been asked to consider whether Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.
  • South Africa brought the case to the court.

What’s in today’s article?

  • International Court of Justice (ICJ)
  • News Summary

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

  • About
    • The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).
    • It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946.
    • The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).
      • It is the only one of the six principal organs of the UN that is not located in New York City.
    • English and French are the ICJ’s official languages.
  • Background:
    • ICJ is the successor to the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ).
      • PCIJ was brought into being by the League of Nations.
    • After World War II, the League of Nations and PCIJ were replaced by the United Nations and ICJ respectively.
    • The PCIJ was formally dissolved in April 1946, and its last president, Judge José Gustavo Guerrero of El Salvador, became the first president of the ICJ.
  • Role:
    • To settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and
    • To give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.
  • Judges
    • The ICJ has 15 judges who are elected to nine-year terms by the UN General Assembly and Security Council, which vote simultaneously but separately.
    • To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes in both bodies, a requirement that sometimes necessitates multiple rounds of voting.
      • A third of the court is elected every three years and elections are held at the UNHQ in New York during the annual UNGA meeting.
      • The judges elected at the triennial election commence their term of office on February 6 of the following year.
    • The president and vice-president of the court are elected for three-year terms by secret ballot. Judges are eligible for re-election.
  • Indian Judges at ICJ
    • Four Indians have been members of the ICJ so far.
    • Justice Dalveer Bhandari, former judge of the Supreme Court, has been serving at the ICJ since 2012.
  • Members and Jurisdiction
    • All members of the UN are automatically parties to the ICJ statute. However, this does not automatically give the ICJ jurisdiction over disputes involving them.
      • The ICJ gets jurisdiction only if both parties consent to it.
    • The judgment of the ICJ is final & technically binding on the parties to a case.
      • There is no provision of appeal. It can at the most, be subject to interpretation or, upon the discovery of a new fact, revision.
    • The ICJ has no way to ensure compliance of its orders, and its authority is derived from the willingness of countries to abide by them.

News Summary: South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ

  • South Africa has brought a case to the ICJ accusing Israel of committing genocide in its military response to the 7 October Hamas attack that killed hundreds of Israeli civilians.
  • The South African case includes references to the Israeli use of blanket bombing and the cutting of food, water and medicine supplies to Gaza.
  • If ICJ passes an order, it will have legal significance for all States that are parties to the Genocide Convention

Jurisdiction of ICJ in the present case

  • The ICJ cannot automatically decide all cases involving breaches of international law.
  • It can only decide cases that are brought before it by States that consent to its jurisdiction.
  • In the present case, the agreement comes from an article in the UN’s 1948 Genocide Convention.
  • As per this article:
    • Disputes about interpreting, applying, or fulfilling the Convention, including a State’s responsibility for genocide, must go to the ICJ if any party involved asks for it.
  • Both South Africa and Israel are parties to the Convention.

UN’s 1948 Genocide Convention

  • About
    • The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide is an international human rights treaty that codified the crime of genocide for the first time.
    • This was the first human rights treaty adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1948, and has been in effect since January 12, 1951.
  • Genocide acts as per this convention
    • The Convention defines genocide as five Physical acts:
      • killing members of a group;
      • causing serious bodily or mental harm;
      • inflicting on the group, conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction;
      • imposing measures intended to prevent births within a group; and
      • forcibly transferring children of the group to another group — committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
  • Claim of genocide
    • There are two elements: the physical element (given above) and the mental element (specific intent to destroy, in whole or in part a specific group).
    • Committing these acts, however widespread, is not enough to make a claim of genocide.
    • The specific intent to destroy is what distinguishes genocide from war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.
    • Also, the commission of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity do not provide an avenue for States to approach the ICJ because the court does not have automatic jurisdiction over those crimes.


Henley Passport Index 2024

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The average number of visa-free destinations has nearly doubled since 2006, according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index.

About Henley Passport Index:

  • It is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. 
  • It started in 2006as the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (HVRI).
  • The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the largest, most accurate travel information database, and enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team. (Henley & Partners is a London-based advisory firm).
  • The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.
  • The number of countries that a specific passport can access becomes its visa-free ‘score’.
  • Highlights of Henley Passport Index 2024:
    • France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain hold the top spot as the world’s most powerful passports, allowing visa-free entry to 194 global destinations.
    • The top 10 is largely dominated by European countries.
    • The average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled, from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. 
    • India’s passport ranked 80th in the list, with citizens allowed to travel to 62 countries without a visa.
    • Afghanistan occupies the bottom spot on the list, with access to just 28 countries without a visa.
    • Syria, with visa-free access to only 29 destinations, holds the second-lowest position, followed by Iraq with 31 and Pakistan with 34.
    • The United Arab Emirates was the fastest climber over the past decade, jumping to 11th place and offering access to 183 destinations without a visa.


Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)

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Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, also known as Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Day, flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs is celebrated on January 9 every year.

  • Aim – To mark the contribution and achievements of the overseas Indian community to the development of India.
  • It’s a day to acknowledge the achievements of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who have made significant contributions to their adopted countries.


World Heritage Committee

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In a historic milestone, India is set to take the reins as the chair of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee for the very first time.

About the World Heritage Committee:

  • It is a committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
  • The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund, and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
  • It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List.
  • It examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks States Parties to take action when properties are not being properly managed.
  • It also decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
  • Structure:
    • It consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected by their General Assembly.
    • A Committee member’s term of office is six years, but most state parties choose voluntarily to be members of the committee for only four years in order to give other states parties an opportunity to be on the committee.
    • Bureau of the World Heritage Committee:
      • The Bureau consists of seven state parties elected annually by the Committee: a Chairperson, five Vice-Chairpersons, and a Rapporteur.
      • The Bureau of the Committee coordinates the work of the Committee and fixes the dates, hours, and order of business of meetings.


Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024

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India signs Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) recently.

  • The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. It is one of the ‘five pillars’ of Islam.


South Korea’s Workation Visa

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South Korea recently introduced a new visa for foreigners allowing them to visit the country on a working holiday or workation.

About ‘Workation’ Visa:

  • The “workation” or “digital nomad” visa allows foreign nationals to visit South Korea on a working holiday.
  • Eligibility:
    • Foreign nationals with an annual income twice as much as South Korea’s per capita gross national income will be eligible to apply for the visa.
    • It will be given to those having a work experience of over a year in one industry and are eligible for remote work.
    • Moreover, the applicants must also have medical insurance of over 100 million won (₹63,62,655.45) and must cover medical treatment and repatriation fees.
    • The visa will also be allowed to the families of these employees.
  • The visa, which is valid for a year and renewable for up to two years, can be issued at South Korean embassies, and those currently residing in the country under a temporary visa can also apply for it if they meet the requirements. (Currently, foreign nationals interested in working and travelling in Korea need a tourist visa, which is limited to stays of less than 90 days).
  • The people who are awarded this visa cannot be hired by any company in South Korea to work or undertake any profit-making activity.


UN Statistical Commission

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Recently, India started its four-year term as a member of the United Nations Statistical Commission.

About UN Statistical Commission:

  • It was established in 1947 and is the highest body of the global statistical system.
  • It brings together the Chief Statisticians from member states from around the world.
  • Functions:
    • It is the highest decision-making body for international statistical activities, responsible for setting statistical standards and the development of concepts and methods, including their implementation at the national and international levels.
    • The Statistical Commission oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), and it is a Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council.
  • Membership: The Commission consists of 24 member countries of the United Nations elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council based on an equitable geographical distribution according to the following pattern:
    • Five members from African States
    • Four members from Asia-Pacific States
    • Four members from Eastern European States
    • Four members from Latin American and Caribbean States
    • Seven members from Western European and other States
  • Term: The term of office of members is four years.
  • India was a member of the Statistical Commission last in 2004 and the country is returning to the UN agency after a gap of two decades.
  • Headquarter: New York


Eurozone

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The eurozone economy is set for only modest growth next year, despite wages rising faster than inflation for the first time in three years, according to a recent poll of economists.

About Eurozone

  • The eurozone, officially known as the euro area, is a geographic and economic region that consists of all the European Union countries that have fully incorporated the euro as their national currency.
  • As of January 2023, the eurozone consists of 20 countries in the European Union (EU): 
  • Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
  • Not all European Union nations participate in the eurozone; some opt to use their own currency and maintain their financial independence.
  • The European Central Bank (ECB) exercises the sole power to set the monetary policy for the Eurozone countries.
    • The ECB exercises the sole authority to decide the printing and minting of euro notes and coins. It also decides the interest rate for the Eurozone. 
    • The ECBs is headed by a president and a board, comprising the heads of the central banks of the participating nations.
  • How do countries join Eurozone?
    • In order to join the euro area, EU member states are required to fulfil so-called ‘convergence criteria’ which consists of price stability, sound public finances, the durability of convergence, and exchange rate stability.
    • These binding economic and legal conditions were agreed upon in the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 and are also known as ‘Maastricht criteria’.
    • All EU Member States, except Denmark, are required to adopt the euro and join the euro area once they are ready to fulfill them.
    • The Treaty does not specify a particular timetable for joining the euro area but leaves it to member states to develop their own strategies for meeting the condition for euro adoption.
    • The European Commission and the ECB jointly decide whether the conditions are met for euro area candidate countries to adopt the euro.

What is European Union (EU)?

  • The EU is a political and economic union of 27 member states located primarily in Europe.
  • The EU was established by the Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993.
  • The main goal of the EU is to promote cooperation and integration among its member states in order to enhance economic and political stability in Europe.
  • The EU has its own currency, the Euro, which is used by 19 of the member states. 
  • It has a single market where goods, services, and capital can move freely.


Territorial waters

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The Sri Lankan Navy recently arrested 22 Indian fishermen on board four trawlers for allegedly poaching in the country’s territorial waters northwest of Delft Island, Jaffna.

About Territorial waters:

  • What is it? Territorial waters, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is that area of the sea immediately adjacent to the shores of a country and subject to the territorial jurisdiction of that country.
  • Extend: The territorial sea extends to a limit of 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a country’s coast.
  • Importance of Territorial waters:
    • Within its territorial waters, a country exercises full sovereignty over the air space above the sea and over the seabed and subsoil.
    • The government can legislate on matters concerning the safety of navigation, the preservation of the environment, and the prevention, reduction, and control of pollution within its territorial waters.
    • Resource use within the territorial sea is strictly reserved for the coastal nation.
    • All countries have the right of innocent passage(a passage that is not prejudicial to the security of the coastal country) through the territorial sea of another country. However, there is no right to innocent air space passage.
    • The right of innocent passage does not apply to submerged submarines, nor does it include a right to fish.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS):

  • The UNCLOS, also known as the Law of the Sea, was adopted in 1982.
  • It lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world’s oceans and seas, establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.
  • There are many provisions under UNCLOS which regulate and control the functioning and claims of nations on the world’s oceans and seas.
  • The convention was ratified by 168 parties, which included 167 states and the European Union.
  • India is a state party to the UNCLOS.
  • UNCLOS, as the currently prevailing law of the sea, is ultimately binding. 

What is an Exclusive Economic Zone?

  • Exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as defined under the UNCLOS, is an area of the ocean extending up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) immediately offshore from a country’s land coast in which that country retains exclusive rights to the exploration and exploitation of natural resources.


Asia Pacific Plant Protection Commission

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The Asia Pacific Plant Protection Commission unanimously elected India as chair of the Standing Committee on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for the biennium 2023-24 during the 32nd Session held in Bangkok.

About Asia Pacific Plant Protection Commission:

  • It is an intergovernmental organization that promotes cooperation among countries in the Asia-Pacific region to enhance plant health and plant protection.
  • It was established in 1956 as a regional body approved by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
  • Member Countries: The commission consists of 25 member countries, including India.
  • Structure of the organization:
    • The Commission consists of representatives of all member countries and elects amongst them a Chairperson who serves for a period of two years.
    • The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization appoints and provides the secretariat that coordinates, organizes and follows up the work of the Commission.
    • The Commission, according to its provisions convenes at least once every two years and opens for participation to all member countries.
  • Objectives: The commission coordinates and supports plant protection activities of its Members in Asia and the Pacific, with emphasis on developing regional standards for phytosanitary measures (RSPMs) etc.


Exercise Khaan Quest 2023

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Recently, the multinational Peacekeeping Joint Exercise “Ex Khaan Quest 2023” commenced in Mongolia.

About Exercise Khaan Quest 2023:

  • It features participation from military contingents and observers from over 20 countries.
  • The exercise is co-sponsored by Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) and the United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC).
  • The Indian Army is represented by a contingent from the GARHWAL RIFLES.
  • The 14-day exercise is aimed at enhancing the interoperability of the participating nations, sharing experience and training uniformed personnel for the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO).
  • The exercise will prepare participants for future UN Peacekeeping missions, develop peace operations capabilities and enhance military readiness.
  • The exercise includes Command Post Exercise (CPX), Field Training Exercises (FTX), combat discussions, lectures and demonstrations.

Key Facts about United Nations Peacekeeping

  • UN peacekeepers provide security and political peace-building support to help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace.
  • UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles:
    • Consent of the parties
    • Impartiality
    • Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.
  • Role of Security Council: The United Nations Charter gives the United Nations Security Council the responsibility to maintain international peace. For this reason, the international community usually looks to the Security Council to authorize peacekeeping operations through Chapter VII authorizations.
  • UN peacekeepers are often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets.


United Nations High Seas Treaty

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The world’s first international treaty to protect the high seas was recently adopted by the United Nations.

Why in News?

  • Nearly 200 nations signed the document, officially known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, after agreeing to its terms in March following roughly 15 years of discussion.
  • The treaty is meant “to prevent a cascading of species extinctions” brought on by overfishing, oil extraction, deep-sea mining and other activities with environmental impacts that occur in the high seas.

About UN High Seas Treaty:

  • It is the first-ever treaty to protect the world’s oceans that lie outside national boundaries.
  • It is also known as the ‘Paris Agreement for the Ocean.’
  • It is a legally binding treaty that aims at protecting, caring for, and ensuring the responsible use of the marine environment, maintaining the integrity of ocean ecosystems, and conserving the inherent value of marine biological diversity.
  • The treaty is built on the legacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is the last international agreement on ocean protection, signed 40 years ago in 1982. UNCLOS established an area called the high seas.
  • Highlights of the treaty:
    • It aims to place 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030(a pledge made by countries at the UN biodiversity conference in 2022).
    • It will provide a legal framework for establishing vast marine protected areas (MPAs) to protect against the loss of wildlife and share out the genetic resources of the high seas.
    • It also covers environmental assessments to evaluate the potential damage of commercial activities, such as deep-sea mining.
    • The treaty aims at strengthening resilience and contains provisions based on the polluter-pays principle as well as mechanisms for disputes.
    • The treaty offers guidance, including through an integrated approach to ocean management that builds ecosystem resilience to tackle the adverse effects of climate change and ocean acidification, and maintains and restores ecosystem integrity, including carbon cycling services.
    • Treaty provisions also recognize the rights and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, the freedom of scientific research, and need for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits.
    • The treaty also considers the special circumstances facing small-island and landlocked developing nations.
    • It will establish a conference of the parties (CoP)that will meet periodically and enable member states to be held to account on issues such as governance and biodiversity.
    • The treaty also includes a pledge by signatories to share ocean resources.

What are High Seas?

  • The high seas begin at the border of countries’ exclusive economic zones, which extend up to 370km (200 nautical miles) from coastlines.
  • Beyond that point, the seas are under the jurisdiction of no country, and all countries have a right to fish, ship, and do research.
  • They make up more than 60% of the world’s oceans by surface area.
  • Activities on the high seas are often unregulated and insufficiently monitored, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation


International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

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The International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD) recently lauded India for reviving focus on millets and exporting 1.8 million tonnes of wheat to 18 countries that faced an acute shortage of food last year.

About International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD):

  • It is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations.
  • It was established as an international financial institution in 1977 through United Nations General Assembly Resolution 32/107 (15 December 1977) as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference.
  • Headquarters: Rome, Italy
  • It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
  • Governance:
    • Its Governing Council, consisting of representatives of more than 160 member states, is the principal decision-making body.
    • Its 18-member Executive Board oversees daily operations.
  • Functions:
    • It focuses exclusively on rural poverty reduction, working with poor rural populations in developing countries to eliminate poverty, hunger and malnutrition; raise their productivity and incomes; and improve the quality of their lives.
    • IFAD seeks to empower rural people to increase their food security, improve the nutrition of their families and increase their incomes through funding of grants and low-interest loans to several projects.
    • The IFAD assists vulnerable groups such as smallholder farmers, pastoralists, foresters, fishers and small-scale entrepreneurs in rural areas by providing, among others, access to weather information, disaster preparedness, social learning and technology transfer that enables farmers to feed growing populations and increase the climate resilience of rural farming systems.

What are Millets?

  • Millets are coarse grains with a high nutritional value.
  • They are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and fibres.
  • Unlike other cereals, millets require little water and ground fertility.
  • They’re also able to survive in harsh environments and less fertile soil.