Fact File International Relations PDF

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in IAS 2021 | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS |
CONTENTS
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS ..................... 1
f Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ...................................................................... 1
f Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) ........................................................... 3
f South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) .................................................... 4
f Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and ........................................................ 7
Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
f Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ................................................................................. 8
f European Union (EU).................................................................................................................... 10
f Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) ............................................................................ 12
f Asian Development Bank (ADB) ................................................................................................. 14
f New Development Bank (NDB) .................................................................................................. 16
f International Monetary Fund (IMF) ........................................................................................... 17
f Various Groupings ....................................................................................................................... 20
REPORTS ......................................................................................... 24
f Ease of Doing Business; World Bank .......................................................................................... 24
f Global Economic Prospect (GEP) Report; World Bank ............................................................. 25
f Ease of Living Index and Municipal Performance Index (MPI), India: Ministry ................... 26
of Housing and Urban Affairs
f Universal Health Coverage (UHC), World Bank ........................................................................ 27
f Financial Stability Report: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ........................................................... 28
f World Economic Outlook; International Monetary Fund (IMF).............................................. 29
f Global Competitiveness Report 2019; World Economic Forum (WEF)................................... 30
f Global Hunger Index; Welthungerhilfe...................................................................................... 32
f The State of World Children Report 2019, UNICEF .................................................................. 33
f Climate Change Performance Index -2020; Germanwatch, Climate Action ......................... 34
Network International, and the New Climate Institute.
f SDG INDIA INDEX 2019; NITI Aayog.......................................................................................... 36
f Global Gender Gap Report 2020; World Economic Forum ...................................................... 37
f World Employment and Social Outlook; International Labour Organization (ILO) ............. 38
f Gender Inequality Index (GII); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ............. 39
f Global Social Mobility Index; World Economic Forum (WEF) ................................................. 40
IAS 2021 | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | www.iasscore.in
UNITED NATIONS ITS BODIES ..................................................... 43-65

f United Nations & Its Bodies ........................................................................................................ 43
f General Assembly ......................................................................................................................... 48
f United Nations Security Council ................................................................................................. 49
f Economic and Social Council....................................................................................................... 51
f International Court of Justice (ICJ) ............................................................................................ 52
f Trusteeship Council ...................................................................................................................... 54
f Secretariat ..................................................................................................................................... 55
f UN Specialized Agencies ............................................................................................................. 58
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www.iasscore.in IAS 2021 | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | 1
INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS
AND
INSTITUTIONS
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

It was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration
(Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines,
Singapore, and Thailand.
Brunei Darussalam then joined on 7 January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar
on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of
ASEAN.
Aims & Purposes

To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through
joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous
and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations;
To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the
relationship among countries of the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations
Charter;
To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the
economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields;
To assist each other in the form of training and research facilities in the educational, professional,
technical and administrative spheres;
2 IAS 2021 | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | www.iasscore.in
To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilisation of their agriculture and industries, the
expansion of their trade, including the study of the problems of international commodity trade,
the improvement of their transportation and communications facilities and the raising of the living
standards of their peoples;
To promote Southeast Asian studies; and
To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organisations with
similar aims and purposes, and explore all avenues for even closer cooperation among themselves.
History
1995 – Members signed a deal to create a nuclear-free zone in Southeast Asia.
1997 – Adoption of ASEAN Vision 2020.
2003 – Bali Concord II for the establishment of an ASEAN Community.
2007 – Cebu Declaration, to accelerate the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015.
2008 – ASEAN Charter comes into force and becomes a legally binding agreement.
2015 – Launch of ASEAN Community.
ASEAN Structure
ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC)
f It was established in 2008, comprises the ASEAN Foreign Ministers, and is held at least twice annually
to prepare for the ASEAN Summit.
Roles of the ACC
f Prepare the meetings of the ASEAN Summit;
f Coordinate the implementation of agreements and decisions of the ASEAN Summit;
f Coordinate with the ASEAN Community Councils to enhance policy coherence, efficiency, and
cooperation among them;
f Coordinate the reports of the ASEAN Community Council to the ASEAN Summit;
f Consider the annual report of the Secretary-General on the work of ASEAN;
f Consider the report of the Secretary-General on the functions and operations of the ASEAN Secretariat
and other relevant bodies;
f Approve the appointment and termination of the Deputy Secretaries-General upon the
recommendation of the Secretary-General; and
f Undertake other tasks provided for in this Charter or such other functions as may be assigned by the
ASEAN Summit.
ASEAN Community Councils

Itcomprisesthe Council of all the three pillars of ASEAN. Under their purview is the relevant ASEAN
Sectoral Ministerial Bodies.ASEAN Community is comprised of three pillars:
f ASEAN Political-Security Community
f ASEAN Economic Community
f ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
Committee of Permanent Representatives

It is constituted by the Permanent Representatives of ASEAN Member States. The Chairmanship
of the Committee is in line with the annual rotation of ASEAN Chairmanship.
The CPR’s tasks may generally be categorised as follows:
" Monitoring and implementing Leaders’ decisions;
" Coordinating cross-pillar issues;
" Strengthening relations with ASEAN’s external partners; and
" Providing substantive and administrative direction and support to the ASEAN Secretariat.
ASEAN-led Forums
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF): Launched in 1993. Its objective is to foster constructive dialogue
and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern and to make
significant contributions to efforts towards confidence-building and preventive diplomacy in
the Asia-Pacific region.
ASEAN Plus Three: The consultative group initiated in 1997 brings together ASEAN’s ten members,
China, Japan, and South Korea.
East Asia Summit (EAS): First held in 2005, the summit seeks to promote security and prosperity in
the region and is usually attended by the heads of state from ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Japan,
New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. ASEAN plays a central role as the agenda-
setter.
How important is the region Economically?

If ASEAN were a country, it would be the seventh-largest economy in the world, with a combined GDP
of $2.6 trillion in 2014. By 2050 it’s projected to rank as the fourth-largest economy.
Home to more than 622 million people, the region has a larger population than the European Union or
North America. It also has the third-largest labour force in the world, behind China and India.
Free-trade agreements (FTAs) with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand.
ASEAN’s share of global exports has also risen, from only 2 percent in 1967 to 7 percent by 2016,
indicating the rising importance of trade to ASEAN’s economic prospects.
The ASEAN Single Aviation Market and Open Skies policies have increased its transport and
connectivity potential.
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership

(RCEP)
It is a proposed agreement between the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) and its free trade agreement (FTA) partners.
The RCEP was built upon the existing ASEAN+1 FTAs with the spirit to strengthen economic
linkages and to enhance trade and investment-related activities as well as to contribute to minimising
development gap among the parties.
The RCEP negotiations were launched by Leaders from 10 ASEAN Member States (Brunei Darussalam,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam)
and six ASEAN FTA partners (Australia, People’s Republic of China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, and
New Zealand) during the 21st ASEAN Summit and Related Summitsin Phnom Penh, Cambodia in
November 2012.
The objective
To achieve a modern, comprehensive, high-quality, and mutually beneficial economic partnership
agreement among the ASEAN Member States and ASEAN’s FTA partners. The RCEP negotiations
commenced in early 2013.
Coverage Areas
Negotiation includes trade in goods, trade in services, investment, economic and technical
cooperation, intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement, e-commerce, small and medium
enterprises (SMEs), and other issues.
NOTE:
In 16thASEAN-India Summit held at Bangkok;India decided not to join the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
India had been raising the issue of market access as well as protected lists of goods
mainly to shield its domestic market as there have been fears that the country may be
flooded with cheap Chinese agricultural and industrial products once it signs the deal.
There was a fear in India that its industries would be unable to compete with China and
Chinese goods would flood Indian markets.
India’s farmers were also worried given that they would be unable to compete on a global scale.
South Asian Association for Regional

Cooperation (SAARC)
SAARCwas established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985. SAARC
comprises of eight Member States: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal,
Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The Secretariat of the Association was set up in Kathmandu on 17 January 1987.
Objectives
To promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life;
To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide
all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potentials;
To promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia;
To contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another’s problems; to promote
active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific
fields;
To strengthen cooperation with other developing countries;
To strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common

interests;
To cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.
SAARC Structure
It includes SAARC Summit, Council of Minister, Standing Committee, Programme Committee,
Technical Committee, Working Group, Action Committees
Areas of Cooperation
Human Resource Development and Tourism
Agriculture and Rural Development
Environment, Natural Disasters, and Biotechnology
Economic, Trade, and Finance
Social Affairs
Information and Poverty Alleviation
Energy, Transport, Science, and Technology
Education, Security, and Culture
SAARC Summits
The Meetings of the Heads of Stateor Government of Member States is the highest decision-
making authority under SAARC. Summits are usually held biennially hosted by a Member State in
alphabetical order. The Member State hosting the Summit assumes the Chair of the Association.
The key outcome of a SAARC Summit is a Declaration. The Summit Declaration contains decisions and
directives of the Leaders to strengthen and consolidate regional cooperation in different areas
being pursued under the auspices of SAARC.
Council of Ministers
It comprises of the Ministers of Foreign /External Affairs of the Member States. It undertakes:
f Formulation of policies of the Association;
f Review of progress of cooperation under SAARC;
f Decision on new areas of cooperation;
f Establishment of the additional mechanism under SAARC, as deemed necessary;
f Decision on other matters of general interest to SAARC.

Standing Committee
It comprises of the Foreign Secretaries of the SAARC Member States.
f They take measures /decisions relating to:
f Overall monitoring and coordination of programme of cooperation under different areas;
f Approval of projects and programmes, including modalities of their financing;
f Determination of inter-sectoral priorities;
f Mobilisation of regional and external resources;
f Identification of new areas of cooperation based on appropriate studies.
SAARC Secretariat
The SAARC Secretariat was established in Kathmandu on 16 January 1987. Its role is to coordinate
and monitor the implementation of SAARC activities, service the meetings of the association, and serve
as a channel of communication between SAARC and other international organizations.
The Secretariat comprises the secretary-general, seven directors, and the general services staff. The
secretary-general is appointed by the Council of Ministers on the principle of rotation, for a non-
renewable tenure of three years.
SAARC Specialized Bodies

SAARC Development Fund (SDF)
The 13th SAARC Summit (Dhaka, 12-13 November 2005) decided to establish the SAARC
Development Fund (SDF) as a comprehensive funding mechanism with the provision of
three Windows (Social, Economic, and Infrastructure).
SDF is governed by a Board consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Finance of
the Member States.
South Asian University (SAU)
The Agreement for the Establishment of South Asian University was signed by the
Ministers of Foreign/External Affairs of the MSs of SAARC during the Fourteenth SAARC
Summit.
South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO)
The fifteenth SAARC Summit paved the way for establishing SARSO to harmonize
standards and promote cooperation in the fields of metrology, accreditation and conformity
assessment for enhancing the capacity of the respective national institutions in carrying
out their technical tasks.
SAARC Arbitration Council(SARCO)
The agreement on SARCO was signed during the Thirteenth Summit and came into effect
on 2 July 2007. SARCO was established to resolve cost-effective settlement of disputes via
arbitration within the region
Related news:
The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) on April 14,
2020, announced a training programme for the health care professionals from SAARC
countries
COVID-19 Emergency Funds
India contributed 10 million USD towards the funds. Pakistan contributed 3 million
USD. Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan have announced to contribute 1.5 million USD
each. Sri Lanka has announced to contribute 5 million USD. Maldives and Bhutan are to
contribute 200,000 USD and 100,000 USD respectively.
The accumulated sum of money in the funds account to 21.8 million USD.
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral

Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC)
It is a regional organization comprising seven Member States lying in the littoral and adjacent areas
of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.
It came into being on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
It constitutes seven Member States: five deriving from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Nepal, Sri Lanka, and two from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand.
Initially, the economic bloc was formed with four Member States with the acronym ‘BIST-EC’ (Bangladesh,
India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
Following the inclusion of Myanmar on 22 December 1997 during a special Ministerial Meeting in
Bangkok, the Group was renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand
Economic Cooperation).
With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan at the 6th Ministerial Meeting (February 2004, Thailand), the
name of the grouping was changed to ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation’ (BIMSTEC).
Objective
The objective of building such an alliance was to harness shared and accelerated growth through mutual
cooperation in different areas of common interests by mitigating the onslaught of globalization and by
utilizing regional resources and geographical advantages.
Unlike many other regional groupings, BIMSTEC is a sector-driven cooperative organization. Starting
with six sectors—including trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, and fisheries—for sectoral
cooperation in late 1997, it expanded to embrace nine more sectors—including agriculture, public
health, poverty alleviation, counter-terrorism, environment, culture, people to people contact and climate
change—in 2008.
Institutional Mechanisms
BIMSTEC Summit – Highest policymaking body in the BIMSTEC process and is comprised of heads of
state/government of member states.
Ministerial Meeting – Second apex policy-making forum of BIMSTEC attended by the External/Foreign
Ministers of Member States.
Senior Officials’ Meeting – Represented by Senior Officials of Foreign Ministries of the Member
States.
BIMSTEC Working Group – Attended by Ambassadors of BIMSTEC Member Countries to Bangladesh
or their representatives every month at the BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka.
Business Forum & Economic Forum – The two important forums to ensure active participation of the
private sector.
What does this grouping mean in numbers?

The BIMSTEC region is home to around 1.5 billion people which make up for around 22% of the
world’s population. The region has a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $2.8 trillion.
India’s interest in the grouping

Bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia: The two Southeast Asian countries in the grouping,
Myanmar and Thailand, have a crucial place for India’s ambitious connectivity plans for the northeastern
region. Myanmar is only a Southeast Asian country India has a land boundary with.
Act East policy: An India-Myanmar-Thailand highway is one of the key projects that figures in a big way
in the government’s Act East (earlier Look East) policy.
Pakistan’s obstructive attitude at the SAARC: BIMSTEC more naturally lends itself to regional
integration—physical connectivity as well as economic cooperation—than SAARC which is dominated
by India and Pakistan and hamstrung by tensions between the two.
Enhanced Connectivity: BIMSTEC has at last three major projects that, when finished, could transform
the movement of goods and vehicles through the countries in the grouping.
f One is the Kaladan Multimodal Project that seeks to link India and Myanmar.
f Another is the Asian Trilateral Highway connecting India and Thailand through Myanmar.
f Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) have signed a pact for the movement of goods and
vehicles among them.
NOTE:
India invited the leaders of BIMSTEC countries for NarendraModi’s swearing-in as prime minister
on May 30. This indicates a shift in the government’s neighbourhood policy.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

It is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation, the creation of which was
announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s
Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the
Republic of Uzbekistan. It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism.
Its Charter was signed during the St. Petersburg SCO Heads of State meeting in June 2002 and entered
into force on 19 September 2003.
SCO pursues its internal policy based on the principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality,
mutual consultations, respect for cultural diversity, and a desire for common development, while
its external policy is conducted in accordance with the principles of non-alignment, non-targeting any
third country, and openness.
On the meeting held on 8-9 June 2017 in Astana, the status of a full member of the Organization
was granted to the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
SCO’s Main Goals

Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states;
Promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, the economy, research, technology, and culture,
as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and other areas;
Making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security, and stability in the region;
Moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair, and rational new international political and
economic order.
Organisation has two permanent bodies

The SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist
Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.
The SCO Secretary-General and the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS are appointed
by the Council of Heads of State for a term of three years.
Observer States Dialogue Partner
Afghanistan Azerbaijan
Belarus Armenia
Iran Cambodia
Mongolia Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka
Importance for India

For India, two important objectives are counter-terrorism and connectivity. These sit well with the
SCO’s main objective of working cooperatively against the “three evils” i.e. terrorism, separatism
and extremism.
India wants access to intelligence and information from SCO’s counter-terrorism body Regional Anti-
Terror Structure (RATS).
A stable Afghanistan to is in India’s interest, and RATS provides access to non-Pakistan-centred
counter-terrorism information there.
Connectivity is important for India’s Connect Central Asia policy. Energy cooperation dominates its
interest – and it’s in China’s neighbourhood. India’s cooperation with Central Asia is the geographic
reality that it is separated from the region by a hostile Pakistan and unstable Afghanistan
SCO membership also bolsters India’s status as a major pan-Asian player, which is boxed in the South
Asian paradigm.
European Union (EU)

EUis a group of 28 countries that operates as a cohesive economic and political block. Nineteen of
the countries use the euro as their official currency.9 EU members (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) do not use the euro.
Note: In a 2016 referendum, the U.K. voted to leave the EU. Though the terms of Brexit had
been challenged many times, Jan 31, 2020, marked the official enactment of Britain leaving the
European Communities (EU).
The EU grew out of a desire to form a single European political entity to end the centuries of warfare among
European countries that culminated with World War II and decimated much of the continent.
The European Single Market was established by 12 countries in 1993 to ensure the so-called four
freedoms: the movement of goods, services, people, and money.
The EU began as the European Coal and Steel Community, which was founded in 1950 and had just six
members: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
The Maastricht Treaty took effect on November 1, 1993, and the EU replaced the EC. The treaty
created the euro, which is intended to be the single currency for the EU.
Goals of the European Union (EU)

Promote peace, its values and the well-being of its citizens
Offer freedom, security, and justice without internal borders
Sustainable development based on balanced economic growth and price stability, a highly competitive
market economy with full employment and social progress, and environmental protection
Combat social exclusion and discrimination
Promote scientific and technological progress
Enhance economic, social and territorial cohesion and solidarity among EU countries
Respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity
Establish an economic and monetary union whose currency is the euro.
The goals and values form the basis of the EU and are laid out in the Lisbon Treaty and the EU
Charter of fundamental rights
History of the European Union (EU)

Treaty of Paris:In 1952, European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was founded under this treaty by
6 countries called Six (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) to renounce
part of their sovereignty by placing their coal and steel production in a common market, under it.
European Court of Justice (called “Court of Justice of the European Communities” until 2009) was also
established in 1952 under the Paris Treaty.
In 1957, the Treaty of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC), or ‘Common
Market’.
Merger Treaty (1965, Brussels) in which an agreement was reached to merge the three communities
(ECSC, EAEC, and EEC) under a single set of institutions, creating the European Communities (ECs).
The Commission and Council of the EEC were to take over the responsibilities of its counterparts (ECSC,
EAEC) in other organisations.
The 1990s was also the decade of two treaties: the ‘Maastricht’ Treaty on the European Union in 1993
and the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999.
Single European Act (1986): Enacted by the European Community that committed its member countries
to a timetable for their economic merger and the establishment of a single European currency and
common foreign and domestic policies.
The Maastricht Treaty-1992 (also called the Treaty on European Union) was signed on 7 February
1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands to further European
integration. It led to:
f European Communities (ECSC, EAEC, and EEC) incorporated as the European Union.
f European citizenship was created, allowing citizens to reside in and move freely between the Member
States.
f A common foreign and security policy was established. It paved the way for the creation of a single
European currency – the euro.
f It established the European Central Bank (ECB).
f It enabled people to run for local office and for European Parliament elections in the EU country they
lived in.
Schengen Agreement (1985) paved the way for the creation of open borders without passport controls
between most member states. It was effective in 1995.
EU Institutions
European Parliament
European Council
Council of the European Union
Presidency of the Council of the EU
European Commission
Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)
European Central Bank (ECB)
European Court of Auditors (ECA)
European External Action Service (EEAS)
How It Is Governed?
Three bodies run the EU. The EU Council represents national governments. The Parliament is elected by
the people. The European Commission is the EU staff. They make sure all members act consistently in
regional, agricultural, and social policies. Contributions of 120 billion euros a year from member states
fund the EU.
f The European Commission proposes new legislation. It layout EU strategy, its role in setting
priorities, and its implementation through EU policy. The commissioners serve a five-year term.
f The European Parliament: The European Parliament is the EU’s only directly-elected institution.
Itgets the first read of all laws the Commission proposes. Its members are elected every five years.
The European Council:
f The European Council defines the EU’s overall political direction and priorities.
f It is not one of the EU’s legislating institutions, so it does not negotiate or adopt EU laws. Instead,
it sets the EU’s policy agenda, traditionally by adopting ‘conclusions’ during European Council
meetings which identify issues of concern and actions to take.
f The members of the European Council are the heads of state or government of the 27 EU member
states, the European Council President and the President of the European Commission
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

It is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes
in Asia. Headquartered in Beijing, it began operations in January 2016 and has now grown to 102
approved members worldwide.
By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia and beyond, it will
better connect people, services, and markets that over time will impact the lives of billions and build a
better future.
AIIB Governance
Board of Governors
It consists of one Governor and one Alternate Governor appointed by each member country.
Governors and Alternate Governors serve at the pleasure of the appointing member.
Board of Directors
Non-resident Board of Directors is responsible for the direction of the Bank’s general
operations, exercising all powers delegated to it by the Board of Governors.
This includes approving the Bank’s strategy, annual plan and budget; establishing
policies; taking decisions concerning Bank operations; and supervising management and
operation of the Bank, and establishing an oversight mechanism.
International Advisory Panel(IAP)
The Bank has established an IAP to support the President and Senior Management on the
Bank’s strategies and policies as well as on general operational issues.
The Panel meets at least twice a year, once in tandem with the Bank’s Annual Meeting,
and the second time at the Bank’s Headquarters in Beijing.
The President selects and appoints members of the IAP to an initial two-year term, which can be
renewed upon completion. Panelists receive a small honorarium and do not receive a salary. The
Bank pays the reasonable costs associated with Panel meetings.
AIIB Project Preparation Special Fund

It provides grants to support and facilitate the preparation of projects to be financed by AIIB in eligible
member countries (International Development Association recipients, including International
Development Association Blend countries.)
In exceptional circumstances, Fund resources may also be used for preparing innovative/complex
projects, regional/cross-border projects that have a significant regional impact, and benefit other
members or non-sovereign backed transactions where there is a demonstrable need.
Goals of the AIIB

Foster sustainable economic development, create wealth, and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia
by investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors.
To promote regional cooperation and partnership in addressing development challenges by working in
close collaboration with other multilateral and bilateral development institutions.
To promote investment in the public and private capital for development purposes, in particular for the
development of infrastructure and other productive sectors.
To utilize the resources at its disposal for financing such development in the region, including those
projects and programs which will contribute most effectively to the harmonious economic growth of the
region;
To encourage private investment in projects, enterprises, and activities contributing to economic
development in the region when private capital is not available on reasonable terms and conditions.
Membership
Membership in the AIIB is open to all members of the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank
and is divided into regional and non-regional members.
Regional members are those located within areas classified as Asia and Oceania by the United
Nations.
Unlike other MDBs (Multilateral Development Bank), the AIIB allows for non-sovereign entities to
apply for AIIB membership, assuming their home country is a member.
Thus, sovereign wealth funds (such as the China Investment Corporation) or state-owned enterprises of
member countries could potentially join the Bank.
Financial Resources of AIIB

The AIIB’s initial total capital is USD 100 billion divided into 1 million shares of 100 000 dollars each, with
20% paid-in and 80% callable.
Paid-Up Share Capital: It is the amount of money that has already been paid by investors in exchange
for shares of stock.
Called-Up Share Capital: Some companies may issue shares to investors with the understanding they
will be paid at a later date.
This allows for more flexible investment terms and may entice investors to contribute more share capital
than if they had to provide funds upfront.
China is the largest contributor to the Bank, contributing USD 50 billion, half of the initial subscribed
capital.
India is the second-largest shareholder, contributing USD 8.4 billion.
Voting Rights
China is the largest shareholder with 26.61 % voting shares in the bank followed by India (7.6%),
Russia (6.01%), and Germany (4.2 %).
The regional members hold 75% of the total voting power in the Bank.
The AIIB has a governance structure similar to other MDBs (Multilateral Development Bank), with two
key differences:
f It does not have a resident board of executive directors that represents member countries’ interests
on a day-to-day basis; and
f The AIIB gives more decision-making authority to regional countries and the largest shareholder,
China.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)

It envisions a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its
efforts to eradicate extreme poverty in the region.
ADB assists its members, and partners, by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity
investments to promote social and economic development.
ADB maximizes the development impact of its assistance by facilitating policy dialogues, providing
advisory services, and mobilizing financial resources through co-financing operations that tap official,
commercial, and export credit sources.
Origins
ADB was conceived in the early 1960s as a financial institution that would be Asian in character
and foster economic growth and cooperation in one of the poorest regions in the world.
A resolution passed at the first Ministerial Conference on Asian Economic Cooperation held by the
United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East in 1963 set that vision on the way
to becoming reality.
The Philippines capital of Manila was chosen to host the new institution, which opened on 19
December 1966, with 31 members that came together to serve a predominantly agricultural
region.
During the 1960s, ADB focused much of its assistance on food production and rural development.
Members
ADB has now 68 members—of which 49 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside.
Organization
Board of Governors: The Agreement Establishing the Asian Development Bank, known as the ADB
Charter, vests all the powers of the institution in the Board of Governors, which in turn delegates some
of these powers to the Board of Directors. The Board of Governors meets formally once a year during
ADB’s Annual Meeting.
Board of Directors: The Board of Directors is responsible for the direction of the general operations
of the Bank. The Board (i) takes decisions concerning policies of the Bank, and loans, guarantees,
investments and technical assistance by the Bank, (ii) approves borrowings by the Bank, (iii) clears the
financial accounts of the Bank for approval by the Board of Governors, and (iv) approve the budgets of
the Bank.
Management: The President heads a management team comprising six Vice-Presidents. The team
supervises the work of ADB’s operational, administrative, and knowledge departments.
Strategy 2030 Achieving a Prosperous, Inclusive, Resilient, and

Sustainable Asia and the Pacific
ADB’s long-term corporate strategy to 2030 sets the course for ADB’s efforts to respond effectively
to the Asia and Pacific region’s changing needs.
Under Strategy 2030, ADB will expand its vision to achieve a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and
sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.
Funds and Resources

Most of ADB’s lending comes from its ordinary capital resources, offered at near-market terms to lower- to
middle-income countries, and beginning in 2017, at very low-interest rates to lower-income countries.
ADB also provides loans and grants from Special Funds, of which the Asian Development Fund is the
largest. The Asian Development Fund offers grants that help reduce poverty in ADB’s poorest borrowing
countries
Voting Rights
It is modelled closely on the World Bank and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are
distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions.
Top 5 shareholders in ADB are: Japan (15.6%), United States (15.6%), People’s Republic of China
(6.4%), India (6.3%) and Australia (5.8%)
India and ADB

ADB’s support to India aims to accelerate economic transformation by building industrial competitiveness,
creating jobs, accelerating the growth of low-income states, and addressing environmental and climate
change challenges.
India was a founding member of ADB and is now the fourth-largest shareholder, but operations in the
country began only in 1986 when India opted to become a borrowing member.
Country Partnership Strategy (2018-2022)

Country Partnership Strategy (CPS), 2018–2022 for India aims to support the government’s goal
of faster, inclusive, and sustainable growth accompanied by rapid economic transformation and job
creation.
The CPS has five principles to enhance value addition, maximize impact, and sharpen the focus of ADB
operations in support of India’s priorities.
In line with these, ADB operations will :
f Be driven by front-end strategic studies to identify and prioritize transformative investments and
associated policy advice;
f Adopt a synergic approach across sectors and themes;
f Align assistance with the government’s strategies and flagship programs, as well as its commitments
to the Sustainable Development Goals;
f Progressively enhance engagement and forge partnerships with low-income states;
f Integrate capacity development as an operational priority.
Recently ADB Approved $1.5 Billion Financing to Support India’s COVID-19 Response.
New Development Bank (NDB)

During the sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (2014), the leaders signed the Agreement establishing
the New Development Bank (NDB).
NDB strengthens cooperation among BRICS and will supplement the efforts of multilateral and regional
financial institutions for global development, thus contributing to collective commitments for achieving
the goal of strong, sustainable, and balanced growth.
It is a multilateral development bank established by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa
with the objective of financing infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other
emerging economies and developing countries, complementing the efforts of multilateral and regional
financial institutions toward global growth and development.
The Bank also provides technical assistance for projects to be supported by the NDB and engage in
information, cultural and personnel exchanges to contribute to the achievement of environmental and
social sustainability.
Main Objectives of NDB

Fostering the development of member countries
Supporting economic growth
Promoting competitiveness and facilitating job creation
Building a knowledge-sharing platform among developing countries
To fulfill its purpose, the Bank will support public or private projects through loans, guarantees,
equity participation, and other financial instruments.
Shares Distribution and Voting Powers

Authorized and Subscribed Capital
f It has an initial subscribed capital of US$ 50 billion and an initial authorized capital of US$ 100
billion.
f The initial subscribed capital shall be equally distributed

amongst the founding members.
f The voting power of each member shall equal its subscribed
shares in the capital stock of the Bank. InNew Development
Bank each participant country will be assigned one vote and
none of the countries will have veto power.
f Share holding Structure of the NDB:
Subscription of shares
f Each member shall subscribe to shares of the capital stock of
the Bank.
f Shares of stock initially subscribed by founding members shall
be issued at par. Other shares shall be issued at par unless the Board of Governors decides in special
circumstances to issue them on other terms.
f No increase in the subscription of any member to the capital stock shall become effective, and any
right to subscribe thereto is hereby waived, which would have the effect of:
f Reducing the voting power of the founding members below 55 (fifty-five) percent of the total voting
power;
f Increasing the voting power of the non-borrowing member countries above 20 (twenty) percent of
the total voting power;
f Increasing the voting power of a non-founding member country above 7 (seven) percent of the total
voting power.
International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Founding and Mission
f The IMF was conceived in July 1944 at the United Nations Bretton Woods Conference in New
Hampshire, United States.
f The 44 countries in attendance sought to build a framework for international economic cooperation
and avoid repeating the competitive currency devaluations that contributed to the Great Depression
of the 1930s.
f The IMF’s primary mission is to ensure the stability of the international monetary system—the system
of exchange rates and international payments that enables countries and their citizens to transact
with each other.
f It promotes international financial stability and monetary cooperation. It also facilitates international
trade, promotes employment and sustainable economic growth, and helps to reduce global poverty.
The IMF is governed by and accountable to its 189 member countries.
FuncƟons
Capacity Development
" The IMF provides technical assistance and training to help member countries build better economic
institutions and strengthen related human capacities.
" This includes:
y Designing and implementing more effective policies for taxation and administration,
y Expenditure management,
y Monetary and exchange rate policies,
y Banking and financial system supervision and regulation,
y Legislative frameworks and economic statistics.
Financial Assistance
" Providing loans to member countries that are experiencing actual or potential balance-of-
payments problems is a core responsibility of the IMF.
" Individual country adjustment programs are designed in close cooperation with the IMF
and are supported by IMF financing, and on-going financial support is dependent on the effective
implementation of these adjustments.
" In response to the global economic crisis, in April 2009 the IMF strengthened its lending capacity
and approved a major overhaul of its financial support mechanisms, with additional reforms
adopted in subsequent years.
" These changes enhanced the IMF’s crisis-prevention toolkit, bolstering its ability to mitigate
contagion during systemic crises and allowing it to better tailor instruments to meet the needs of
individual member countries.
Surveillance
To maintain stability and prevent crises in the international monetary system, the IMF monitors
member country policies as well as national, regional, and global economic and financial
developments through a formal system known as surveillance.
Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)

The IMF issues an international reserve asset known as Special Drawing Rights or SDRs, that
can supplement the official reserves of member countries. IMF members can voluntarily exchange
SDRs for currencies among themselves.
The currency value of the SDR is determined by summing the values in U.S. dollars, based on
market exchange rates, of an SDR basket of currencies.
SDR basket of currencies includes the U.S. Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen, Pound Sterling,and the
Chinese Renminbi(included in 2016).
The SDR currency value is calculated daily (except on IMF holidays or whenever the IMF is closed
for business) and the valuation basket is reviewed and adjusted every five years.
Governance and Organization

Board of Governors
f It isthe highest decision-making body of the IMF, consists of one governor and one alternate governor
for each member country.
f The governor is appointed by the member country and is usually the minister of finance or the
governor of the central bank. All powers of the IMF are vested in the Board of Governors.
f The Board of Governors normally meets once a year.
Executive Board
f It is responsible for conducting the day-to-day business of the IMF.
f It is composed of 24 Directors, who are elected by member countries or by groups of countries, and
the Managing Director, who serves as its Chairman.
f The Board usually meets several times each week.
f It carries out its work largely based on papers prepared by IMF management and staff.
Ministerial Committees
f The Board of Governors is advised by two ministerial committees,
International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)
f IMFC has 24 members, drawn from the pool of 189 governors, and represents all member countries.
f It discusses the management of the international monetary and financial system.
f It also discusses proposals by the Executive Board to amend the Articles of Agreement.
f And any other matters of common concern affecting the global economy.
Development Committee
f It is a joint committee (25 members from the Board of Governors of IMF & World Bank), tasked with
advising the Boards of Governors of the IMF and the World Bank on issues related to economic
development in emerging market and developing countries.
Voting Rights
Votes of each member equal the sum of its basic votes (equally distributed among all members) and
quota-based votes. A member’s quota determines its voting power.
IMF Quotas
Quotas are the building blocks of the IMF’s financial and governance structure. An individual member
country’s quota broadly reflects its relative position in the world economy. Quotas are denominated in
Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), the IMF’s unit of account.
Multiple roles of quotas

Resource Contribution: Quotas determine the maximum amount of financial resources a member is
obliged to provide to the IMF.
Voting Power: Quotas are a key determinant of the voting power in IMF decisions. Votes comprise one
vote per SDR100,000 of quota plus basic votes (same for all members).
Access to Financing: The maximum amount of financing a member can obtain from the IMF under
normal access is based on its quota.
SDR Allocations: Quotas determine a member’s share in a general allocation of SDRs.
Quota formula
A quota formula is used to help assess members’ relative position in the world economy and it can play
a role in guiding the distribution of quota increases. The current formula was agreed in 2008 and a new
quota formula is being discussed in the context of the 15th General Review of quotas.
India and latest quota reforms at IMF

India’s voting rights in IMF increase to 2.6 percent from the current 2.3 percent, and China’s, to six
percent from 3.8, as per the new division.
The reforms bring India and Brazil into the list of the top 10 members of IMF, along with the U.S,
Japan, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, China, and Russia.
Various Groupings
Group of Twenty (G20)
The Group of Twenty, or the G20, is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. The G20
brings together the leaders of both developed and developing countries from every continent.
Collectively, G20 members represent around 80% of the world’s economic output, two-thirds of the
global population, and three-quarters of international trade. Throughout the year, representatives from
G20 countries gather to discuss financial and socioeconomic issues.
How does the G20 Work?

The presidency of the G20 rotates between member countries every year.
The presidency plays a leading role in setting the agenda and organizing the Leaders’ Summit, which is
attended by the G20 Heads of State or Government.
At the Summit, the leaders issued a declaration, or communiqué, based on policy discussions at meetings
held throughout the year.
In the run-up to the Summit, the presidency hosts several meetings featuring Ministers, senior government
officials as well as civil society representatives.
At the government level, the G20 work is organized around the Finance and Sherpa Tracks, while civil
society assembles through Engagement Groups.
Each G20 Presidency develops a theme for the year which is central to international discussion.
This year’s theme is “Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All”.
The Finance Track

Meetings of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, as well as their Deputies,
which focus on fiscal and monetary policy issues such as the global economy, infrastructure,
financial regulation, financial inclusion, international financial architecture, and
international taxation.
The Sherpa Track

Meetings of Ministers and relevant senior officials, which focus on socioeconomic issues such
as agriculture, anti-corruption, climate, digital economy, education, employment, energy,
environment, health, tourism, trade, and investment.
Engagement Groups
Represent civil society and develop recommendations that are submitted to G20 Leaders for
their consideration. Engagement Groups include the Business 20, Youth 20, Labour 20, Think
20, Civil 20, Women 20, Science 20, and Urban 20.
Note: The group has no permanent staff of its own, so every year in December, a G20 country
from a rotating region takes on the presidency.
G20 Participants
The G20 members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia,
Italy, Japan, Mexico, RepublicofKorea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom,
the United States and the European Union (EU).
Spain is a permanent guest invitee to the G20 meetings. In 2020, Jordan, Singapore, and Switzerland
are invited as guest countries.
International Organizations that have historically contributed to the G20 work are invited as well.
These include:
" Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
" the Financial Stability Board (FSB),
" the International Labour Organization (ILO),
" the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), the United Nations (UN),
" the World Bank Group (WBG),
" the World Health Organization (WHO)
" the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Areas of concern for G20

The G20 focuses on a broad agenda of issues of global importance, although, issues pertaining
to the global economy dominate the agenda, additional items have become more important in
recent years, like:
" Financial markets
" Tax and fiscal policy
" Trade
" Agriculture
" Employment
" Energy
" Fight against corruption
" Advancement of women in the job market
" 2030 agenda for Sustainable development
" Climate Change
" Global Health
" Anti-terrorism
f Inclusive entrepreneurship
In news: Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit was convened on 26 March 2020 to discuss the challenges
posed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and to forge a globally coordinated response.
Group of 7 (G7)
The G7 (or Group of Seven) is an organisation made up of the world’s seven largest so-called advanced
economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The group regards itself as “a community of values”, with freedom and human rights, democracy and the
rule of law, and prosperity and sustainable development as its key principles.
It used to be known as the G8 (Group of Eight) until 2014 when Russia was excluded because it
annexed Crimea from Ukraine.
Ministers and civil servants from the G7 countries meet throughout the year to discuss matters of mutual
interest.
Each member nation takes over the G7 presidency for a year on a rolling basis and hosts the
annual centre-piece two-day summit meeting.
Energy policy, climate change, HIV/Aids, and global security are just some of the subjects discussed at
past summits.
At the end of the summit, a communiqué is issued, outlining what has been agreed upon.
Attendees include the G7 nations’ heads of government plus the president of the European Commissionand
the president of the European Council.
Significance
G7 is capable of setting the global agenda because decisions taken by these major economic powers
have a real impact. Thus, decisions taken at the G7 are not legally binding but exert strong political
influence.
G7 Summits
Its first summit was held at Rambouillet, France, in 1975
This year, the 45th G7 summit will be held on August 24-26, 2019, in Biarritz, France. It will focus on
fighting income and gender inequality and protecting biodiversity.
The 2019 G7 Summit, presided over by France, will focus on fighting inequality.
Following are the five objectives for the 2019 Summit:
f fighting inequality of opportunity, promoting in particular gender equality, access to education and
high-quality health services;
f reducing environmental inequality by protecting our planet through climate finance and a fair
ecological transition, preserving biodiversity and the oceans;
f strengthening the social dimension of globalization through more fair and equitable trade, tax and
development policies;
f taking action for peace against security threats and terrorism which weaken the foundations of our
societies; and
f tapping into the opportunities created by digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI
Criticism of the group

Criticised as “an artifact of a bygone era”.
It has no representative from any African, Russian, or Middle Eastern nation – is completely outdated.
G7 leaders are creating a wide gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ both in their countries as well
as across the globe, according to a new report published by non-profit Oxfam International.
Group of 4 (G4)
G-4 is a group of four countries i.e. Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan which support each other’s bids
for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Each of these four countries has figured among the elected non-permanent members of the council
since the UN’s establishment.
Their economic and political influence has grown significantly in the last decades, reaching a scope
comparable to the permanent members (P5)
G4 campaigns for U.N. Reforms, including more representation for developing countries, both in the
permanent and non-permanent categories, in the UNSC
G4’s bids are often opposed by Uniting for Consensus movement or Coffee Club (ground 12 countries
including Pakistan led by Italy) and particularly their economic competitors or political rivals.
**********
REPORTS
Ease of Doing Business; World Bank

What does the Ranking mean?
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1–190.
A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to
the starting and operation of a local firm.
The rankings are determined by sorting the aggregate scores on 10 topics, each consisting of
several indicators, giving equal weight to each topic.
What are the indicators?

Regulation for starting a business
Construction permits
Getting electricity,
Registering property
Getting credit
Protecting minority investors

Paying taxes
Trading across borders
Enforcing contracts
Resolving insolvency
India’s Position
The World Bank recently released its Ease of Doing Business Report, 2020. India was placed at 63rd
position this time (2019) out of 190 countries marking an improvement of 14 places from its 77th
position in 2018.
Sustained business reforms over the past several years have helped India jump 14 places to
move to 63rd position in global Ease of Doing Business rankings recently.
What are these reforms?

India has made it easier to start a business in the country.
India also reduced the time and cost of obtaining construction permits and improved building quality
control by strengthening professional certification requirements.
Its efforts to make it easier to trade across borders and resolve insolvency have also helped improve
its ranking.
NOTE:
India continues to maintain its first position among South Asian countries. It was 6th (in
2014).
The World Bank will now include Kolkata and Bengaluru, besides Delhi and Mumbai,
for preparing ease of doing business report, to provide a holistic picture of the business
environment of the country.
Global Economic Prospect (GEP) Report; World

Bank
On January 9, 2020, the World Bank released its Global Economic Prospect.
Its projection for the year 2020

According to it,global growth is projected at 2.5 percent in 2020, just above the post-crisis low
registered last year.
While growth could be stronger if reduced trade tensions mitigate uncertainty, the balance of risks
is to the downside.
A steep productivity growth slowdown has been underway in emerging and developing economies
since the global financial crisis, despite the largest, fastest, and most broad-based accumulation of
debt since the 1970s.
These circumstances add urgency to the need to rebuild macroeconomic policy space and undertake
reforms to rekindle productivity.
Its projection for India

The report cuts India’s growth for the financial year 2020 to 5% from 6% estimated earlier.
This is the slowest growth forecast since the 3.1% rate recorded in the financial year 2008-09 when
the global financial crisis had derailed the economy.
In India, the weakness in credit from non-bank financial companies is expected to linger
Regional growth
In comparison, the report forecasts Bangladesh’s growth to ease to 7.2% for the fiscal year
ending June. While Pakistan and Sri Lanka’s growth rates are expected to rise to 3% and 3.3%,
respectively, in FY20.
It also estimates growth to rise to 5.5% for the South Asian region as a whole in the calendar year
2020, on the assumption of a modest rebound in domestic demand and accommodative policy in
India and Sri Lanka.
The report also cites improved business confidence and support from infrastructure investments in
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan for the expected uptick.
Ease of Living Index and Municipal

Performance Index (MPI), India: Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs
What is it about?
Ease of Living Index is aimed at understanding various aspects; beginning from the services provided
by local bodies, the effectiveness of the administration, the outcomes generated through these
services in terms of the liveability within cities, and, finally, the citizen perception of these outcomes.
It helps in assessing the progress made in cities through various initiatives and empowers them to use
evidence to plan, implement, and monitor their performance.
Both these indices are designed to assess the quality of life of citizens in 100 Smart Cities and 14
other Million Plus Cities.
The Ministry assess the performance of municipalities (MPI) based on five enablers namely:
" Service
" Finance
" Planning
" Technology
" Governance
These have been further divided into 20 sectors which will be evaluated across 100 indicators.
Objectives of the Ease of Living Index:

Generate information to guide evidence-based policy-making
Catalyse action to achieve broader developmental outcomes including the SDG
Assess and compare the outcomes achieved from various urban policies and schemes
Obtain the perception of citizens about their view of the services provided by the city
administration.
NOTE:
EoLI 2019 will facilitate the assessment of ease of living of citizens across three pillars: Quality
of Life, Economic Ability, and Sustainabilitywhich are further divided into 14 categories across 50
indicators.
For the first time, as part of the Ease of Living Index Assessment, a Citizen Perception Survey is
being conducted on behalf of the Ministry (which carries 30% of the marks of the Ease of Living
Index).
This is a very important component of the assessment exercise as it will help in directly capturing
the perception of citizens to the quality of life in their cities
Universal Health Coverage (UHC), World Bank

What is it about?
It is about ensuring that people have access to the health care they need without suffering financial
hardship.
It iskey to achieving the World Bank Group’s (WBG) twin goals of ending extreme poverty and
increasing equity and shared prosperity and as such it is the driving force behind all of the WBG’s
health and nutrition investments.
UHC allows countries to make the most of their strongest asset: human capital.
Health is a foundational investment in human capital and economic growth—without good health,
children are unable to go to school and adults are unable to go to work. It is one of the global
economy’s largest sectors and provides 50 million jobs, with the majority held by women.
Affordable quality healthcare at the community level across age groups is the key to advancing
universal health coverage
Understanding India’s current situation

India launched a national health protection scheme, Ayushman Bharat, to achieve UHC in 2018.
The mission, through its Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) initiative, established 150,000
health and wellness centres (HWCs) and provides health insurance coverage to 40% of the
country’s population - nearly 500 million people, or roughly the equivalent of the entire population
of the European Union.
In its first year of implementation, Ayushman Bharat has reached close to 3.9 million Indians who
have taken advantage of cashless treatment, resulting in a savings of $1.6 billion for the benefitting
families.
Challenges in India’s healthcare value chain

Gaps in healthcare infrastructure, a divergence between rural and urban geographies, an acute
shortage of skilled workers, and inadequate public funding.
Qualified healthcare providers are in short supply nationally and those available are mal-distributed,
with marked density differences across regions.
The majority of healthcare professionals happen to be concentrated in urban areas where consumers
have higher paying power, leaving rural areas underserved.
Impoverishment due to unaffordable healthcare expenditure affects 7 percent of our population, as
noted even in recent national surveys.
India’s public health spending as a percentage of GDP went up by just 0.16 percentage points from
1.12% to 1.28% of GDP
How India can turn the challenges of providing UHC into

opportunities?
Sustainable financing and investment instruments to strengthen infrastructure.
Building the capacity of the healthcare workforce
Fostering new technologies for last-mile delivery and continuum of care
Integrating healthcare for scale and global impact
Financial Stability Report: Reserve Bank of

India (RBI)
What is it about?
The FSR reflects the collective assessment of the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and
Development Council (FSDC) on risks to financial stability and the resilience of the financial system.
The Report also discusses issues relating to the development and regulation of the financial sector.
It has released the 20th issue of the Financial Stability Report (FSR) recently in December.
Key issues in the report

Expected Increase in Gross Non-Performing Asset (GNPA) Ratio
" It highlighted the fact that the gross non-performing asset (GNPA) ratio of banks may increase
to 9.9 percent by September 2020 from 9.3 percent in September 2019.
" Public Sector Banks’ (PSB) GNPA ratios may increase to 13.2% by September 2020 from 12.7% in
September 2019.
" For private banks, the ratio may climb to 4.2% from 3.9%, under the stress scenario.
" Foreign banks’ (FB) GNPA ratio may increase to 3.1% from 2.9% in September 2019
" NBFCs have also reported stress in asset quality
Other areas of concern
" The asset quality of agriculture and services sectors, as measured by their GNPA ratios, deteriorated
to 10.1 percent in September 2019 as compared to around 8 percent in March 2019.
" For the industry sector, the slippages during the period declined to 3.79 percent from around 5
percent in March 2019
" It noted that banks’ credit growth remained subdued at 8.7 percent year-on-year in September
2019, down from 13.2 percent in March 2019.
All banks’ Capital to Risk-weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) improved to 15.1% in September 2019
from 14.3% in March 2019, following the recapitalisation of PSBs by the government.
World Economic Outlook; International

Monetary Fund (IMF)
IMF’s 2019 World Economic Outlook (WEO) projected Global Manufacturing Downturn due to Rising
Trade Barriers.
Report Summary
Global growth was forecasted at 3.0 percent for 2019, its lowest level since 2008–09.
With uncertainty about prospects for several countries like Latin America, the Middle East, and
emerging and developing Europe that is under macroeconomic strain, a projected slowdown in
China and the United States, and prominent downside risks, a much more subdued pace of global
activity could well materialize.
The report stressed on Policies which should decisively aim at defusing trade tensions, reinvigorating
multilateral cooperation, and providing timely support to the economic activity where needed.
It also gives importance to strengthening resilience; policy makers should address financial
vulnerabilities that pose risks to growth in the medium term.
Making growth more inclusive, which is essential for securing better economic prospects for all,
should remain an over arching goal.
India- specific observations in its October 2019 report

IMF estimated India’s growth to 6.1% from 7%, calling on the country to use monetary policy and
broad-based structural reforms to address cyclical weakness and strengthen confidence. In short,
it has a projected growth rate of 6.1 percent for the 2019 fiscal year, despite an almost one
percent cut in the forecast.
India retains its rank as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, tying with China.
Reasons for the cut in growth projection for India

Growth has softened on the back of corporate and environmental regulatory uncertainty with
concerns about the health of the non bank financial sector.
The reduction in India’s growth projection for 2019 “reflects a weaker-than-expected outlook for
domestic demand”.
What India could do to revive its growth?

Use monetary policy and broad-based structural reforms to address cyclical weakness and strengthen
confidence.
Subsidy-spending rationalisation and tax-base enhancing measures.
Reduce the public sector’s role in the financial system; reform the hiring and dismissal regulations.
Global Competitiveness Report 2019; World

Economic Forum (WEF)
World Economic Forum (WEF) released the 2019 edition of the Global Competitiveness Report in October.
It features the Global Competitiveness Index 4.0 (GCI 4.0).
Global Competitiveness Index 4.0

GCI 4.0 methodology is used by the Global Competitiveness Report. It provides guidance on what
matters for long-term growth.
It maps the competitiveness landscape of 141 economies through 103 indicators organized into 12
pillars.
Key Findings
Singapore became the world’s most
competitive economy in 2019, pushing
the US to second place. Hong Kong SAR
is ranked 3rd, the Netherlands is 4th and
Switzerland is ranked 5th.
The report showed that those countries
which integrate into their economic
policies an emphasis on infrastructure,
skills, research, and development and
support those left behind are more
successful compared to those that focus
only on traditional factors of growth.
India’s Position
India moved down 10 places to rank 68th on
an annual global competitiveness index. It
was ranked 58th earlier and is among the
worst-performing BRICS nations.
India was ranked high at 15th place in
terms of corporate governance, while it
is ranked second globally for shareholder
governance.
In terms of the market size, India is
ranked third, while it has got the same
rank for renewable energy regulation.
India also punches above its development status when it comes to innovation, which is well ahead
of most emerging economies and on par with several advanced economies.
India ranked high on macroeconomic stability (90, 43rd) and market size (93.7, 3rd).
Major shortcomings in some of the basic enablers of

competitiveness in the case of India
Limited ICT (information, communications, and technology) adoption, poor health conditions, and
low healthy life expectancy.
India has been ranked 109th out of total the 141 countries surveyed for the healthy life expectancy
index, is one of the shortest outside Africa, and significantly below the South Asian average.
Its product market efficiency is undermined by a lack of trade openness and the labour market
is characterised by a lack of worker rights’ protections, insufficiently developed active labour
market policies, and critically low participation of women.
With a ratio of female workers to male workers of 0.26, India has been ranked very low at 128th
place.
Comparing with its Neighbour

In the overall ranking, India is followed by some of its neighbours including Sri Lanka at 84th place,
Bangladesh at 105th, Nepal at 108th, and Pakistan at 110th place.
Global Competitiveness Index 4.0 Framework

Enabling Environment Human Market Innovation Ecosystem
Capital
Pillar 1- Institution Pillar 5- Health Pillar 7- Product Market Pillar 11- Business
Pillar 2- Infrastructure Pillar 6- Skills Pillar 8- Labour Market dynamism
Pillar 3- ICT adoption Pillar 9- Financial Pillar 12-Innovation

system capability
Pillar 4-
Macroeconomic Pillar 10- Market Size
stability
India was ranked 129 out of 189 countries on the 2019 Human Development Index (HDI) improving
from the 130th position in 2018.
HDI is a part of the Human Development Report that is published by the UNDP.
Key findings
India still remains home to 28 percent of the world’s poor despite lifting 271 million people out of
poverty between 2005-15.
India remains the home of 364 million poor people (28 percent), out of a global population of 1.3
billion.
Around 661 million of these poor people live in Asia and the Pacific, of which India is a part.
South Asia, of which India is the largest country, constitutes 41 percent of the world’s poor.
In the last three decades, life expectancy at birth in India increased by 11.6 years, whereas the
average number of schooling years increased by 3.5 years. Per capita incomes increased 250 times.
The report finds that despite progress, group-based inequalities persist on the Indian Subcontinent,
especially affecting women and girls.
Top Performers in 2019

Norway, Switzerland, Ireland occupied the top three positions in that order.
Germany is placed fourth along with Hong Kong, and Australia secured the fifth rank on the global
ranking.
Changing nature of inequality

The report states that as the number of people coming out of poverty is increasing, the world is
veering towards another type of poverty.
The old inequalities were based on access to health services and education whereas the next
generation of poverty is based on technology, education, and climate.
India has both types of poverty. Even as Indians continue to face a lack of access to healthcare and
education, many others are becoming poor based on the new criteria.
HDI measures average achievement of a country in three basic

dimensions of human development:
A long and healthy life,
Access to knowledge, and
A decent standard of living
Note:
South Asia was the fastest-growing region in human development progress witnessing
a 46% growth over 1990-2018, followed by East Asia and the Pacific at 43%.
Global Hunger Index; Welthungerhilfe

About the Index
The annual index is designed to measure and track hunger at the global, national, and regional levels
and to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger.
It ranks countries on a 100-point scale, with 0 being the best score (no hunger) and 100 being the
worst, although neither of these extremes is reached in actuality.
Key Findings
With a 2019 GHI score of 20.0, the level of hunger and under nutrition worldwide is on the cusp of
the moderate and serious categories.
South Asia and Africa Southof the Sahara are the regions with the highest 2019 GHI scores, at
29.3 and 28.4 respectively, indicating serious levels of hunger.
Inequalities within country borders allow hunger and under-nutrition to persist even in countries
that appear to be doing well according to national averages.
India’s Position
India was ranked 102 among 117 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) as it continues to slide
down the rankings.
India is now ranked below Pakistan (94), Bangladesh (88), and Sri Lanka (66) among South Asian
nations.
In India, just 9.6 percent of all children between six to 23 months of age are fed a minimum
acceptable diet. As of 2015-2016, 90 percent of Indian households used an improved drinking water
source while 39 percent of households had no sanitation facilities.
India has demonstrated improvement in under 5 mortality rates.
India’s child wasting rate is extremely high at 20.8 percent, the highest wasting rate of any country.
India’s child stunting rate, 37.9 percent, is also categorized as very high.
The report also highlights that despite “Clean India” campaign open defecation is still practiced.
The GHI is based on four indicators

Under nourishment:The share of the population that is undernourished (insufficient caloric intake)
Child wasting: The share of children under the age of five who are wasted (low weight for their
height, reflecting acute under-nutrition)
Child stunting: The share of children under the age of five who are stunted (low height for their age,
reflecting chronic under-nutrition)
Child mortality: The mortality rate of children under the age of five (in part, a reflection of the fatal
mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments)
The State of World Children Report 2019,

UNICEF
For the first time in 20 years, UNICEF’s flagship report examines the issue of children, food, and nutrition,
providing a fresh perspective on a rapidly evolving challenge.
About the Report

2019 edition of The State of the World’s Children (SOWC) examines the issue of children, food, and
nutrition, providing a fresh perspective on a rapidly evolving challenge.
Despite progress in the past two decades, one-third of children under age 5 are malnourished
– stunted, wasted, or overweight – while two-thirds are at risk of malnutrition and hidden
hunger because of the poor quality of their diets.
At the center of this challenge is a broken food system that fails to provide children with the diets
they need to grow healthy.
This report also provides new data and analyses of malnutrition in the 21st century and outlines
recommendations to put children’s rights at the heart of food systems.
Key findings
The report talks about the triple burden of malnutrition- undernutrition, hidden hunger, and
overweight.
Overweight and obesity continue to rise. From 2000–2016, the proportion of overweight children (5
to 19 years old) rose from 1 in 10 to almost 1 in 5.
The number of stunted children has declined in all continents, except in Africa while the number of
overweight children has increased in all continents, including in Africa.
India’s Position
Under 5 Mortality Rate in India is 37 per 1,000 live births against the Global average of 39 per
1,000 live births in 2018, which translates to more than 8 lakhs under 5 deaths in India.
Malnutrition caused69 percent of deaths of children below the age of five in India.
Indian women’s health: Every second woman is anaemic. Anaemia is the most prevalent in children
under the age of five years. Its prevalence among adolescent girls is twice that of adolescent
boys.
Indian children are being diagnosed with adult diseases such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease,
and pre-diabetic.
The data states that children under the age of five years are affected by micronutrient deficiencies.
While every fifth child under the age of five is vitamin A deficient, one in every third baby has vitamin
B12 deficiency and two out of every five children are anaemic.
Overweight and obesity increasingly begin in childhood with a growing threat of non-communicable
diseases like diabetes (10 percent) in school-aged children and adolescents.
Urban India is moving into an unhealthy food snacking environment, which is influencing children’s
food choices and this is spreading to rural areas.
Food consumption patterns in India reveal that child diets are largely starved of proteins and
micronutrients and are influenced by household (adult) food choices.
The report highlighted that POSHAN Abhiyaan or the National Nutrition Mission is playing a
major role in improving nutrition indicators across India.
The Anaemia Mukt Bharat programme to fight anaemic prevalence has been recognized as one of
the best programmes implemented by governments across the world to address malnutrition.
The 6X6X6 strategy (six target beneficiary groups, six interventions, and six institutional
mechanisms) of the programme has been highlighted for using anaemia testing and treatment as
the entry point to provide information on healthy diets.
NOTE:
Hidden hunger is a lack of vitamins and minerals which harms children and women.
Iron deficiency reduces children’s ability to learn and iron deficiency anaemia increases
women’s risk of death during or shortly after childbirth.
Climate Change Performance Index -2020;

Germanwatch, Climate Action Network

International, and the New Climate Institute.
What is the CCPI (Climate Change Performance Index)?
The CCPI is an independent monitoring tool of countries’ climate protection performance.
It aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables the comparability of
climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.
It is published by Germanwatch, Climate Action Network International, and the NewClimate

Institute, annually.
Findings of the CCPI 2020

Emissions decreased in 31 out of 57 High Emitting Countries. The major reason being, falling
global coal consumption.
As none of the countries assessed is already on a path compatible with the Paris climate targets, the
first three places of the ranking remained unoccupied.
Sweden (4th) and Denmark (5th) achieved overall high or very high ratings,
China which is the largest global emitter slightly improved its ranking in the index to 30th place
(“medium”)
Australia (56th out of 61), Saudi Arabia, and above all the US performed particularly poor - the US was
the worst performer for the first time.
Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the US gave cause for “great concern” with their low to very low
performance in emissions and renewable energy development as well as climate policy.
These three governments are massively influenced by the coal and oil lobby, there are hardly any
signs of serious climate policy insight,
While only two G20 countries, the UK (7th) and India (9th), are ranked in the “high” category, eight
G20 countries remained in the worst category of the index (“very low”)
India’s achievement
India ranked among the top 10 for the first time in the recent Climate Change Performance Index
(CCPI). ranking improved two places, from 11th (CCPI 2019) to 9th (CCPI 2020)
The current levels of per capita emissions and energy use in India, ranked 9th in the “high category”,
are still comparatively low and, along with ambitious 2030 targets, result in high ratings for the
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use categories.
The Indian government has yet to develop a roadmap for the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies that
would consequently reduce the country’s high dependence on coal.
India received an overall medium rating in the renewable energy category.
According to the index, its 2030 renewable energy target is rated very high for its well-below 2
degrees Celsius compatibility.
NOTE:
The ranking results are defined by a country’s aggregated performance in 14 indicators within the
four categories “GHG Emissions”, “Renewable Energy” and “Energy Use”, as well as on “Climate
Policy”, in a globally unique policy section of the index
SDG INDIA INDEX 2019; NITI Aayog

It was the second edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index.
Key Findings
Kerala retained the top rank while Bihar was adjudged as the worst performer. The states are
evaluated on the progress of States and Union Territories on social, economic, and environmental
parameters.
India’s composite score has improved from 57 in 2018 to 60 in 2019. All the States/UTs are either
in the Performer or Front Runner category.
The biggest improvers since 2018 are UP (which has moved from the 29th position to the 23rd), Odisha
(23rd to 15th), and Sikkim (15th to 7th).
The maximum gains have been made in Goals 6 (clean water and sanitation), 9 (industry,
innovation, and infrastructure), and 7 (affordable and clean energy).
However, nutrition and gender equality continue to be problem areas for India, requiring a more
focused approach from the government.
On ‘zero hunger’ parameters, Goa, Mizoram, Kerala, Nagaland, and Manipur were the front
runners
SDG India Index

The Index has been constructed spanning across 16 out of 17 SDGs with a qualitative assessment on
SDG 17.
It tracks the progress of all the States and Union Territories (UTs) on a set of 100 National Indicators
derived from the National Indicator Framework, measuring their progress on the outcomes of
interventions and schemes of the Government of India.
The SDG India Index 2019-20 is intended to provide a holistic view of the social, economic, and
environmental status of the country and its States and UTs.
It has been designed to provide an aggregate assessment of the performance of all Indian States and
UTs and to help leaders and change-makers evaluate their performance on social, economic, and
environmental parameters.
NITI Aayog has developed the SDG India Index in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics &
Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Global Green Growth Institute, and United Nations.
It comprehensively documents the progress made by India’s States and Union Territories towards
achieving the 2030 SDG target.
SDG India Index 2019 is more robust than the first edition as the Index spans 16 out of 17 SDGs with
a qualitative assessment on Goal 17, while the 2018 Index covered only 13 goals.
A composite score was computed in the range of 0–100 for each State/UT based on its aggregate
performance across 16 SDGs.
The higher the score of a State/UT, the closer it is towards achieving the targets.
Classification criteria: Aspirant: 0 – 49, Performer: 50 – 64, Front Runner: 65 – 99 and Achiever: 100.
Global Gender Gap Report 2020; World

Economic Forum
About the report
It is a framework for capturing the magnitude of gender-based disparities and tracking their progress
over time.
They are designed to create global awareness of the challenges that gender gaps pose, as well as the
opportunities that emerge when action is taken to reduce them.
Key Findings
The world has closed 68.6% of its gender gap and at the current rate of change, it will take 99.5 years
to close the overall gender gap.
Economic Participation and Opportunity: The economic opportunity gap has worsened, widening
to 257 years, compared to 202 years last year. The report highlighted the fact that one of the greatest
challenges to closing this gap is women’s under-representation in emerging roles, such as cloud
computing, engineering, and data and AI.
Gender disparity is in political empowerment: Only 25% of the 35,127 seats in parliaments around
the world are occupied by women, and only 21% of the 3,343 ministers are women.
Nordic countries continue to lead the way to gender parity. Iceland (87.7%) remains the world’s
most gender-equal country.
Yemen is ranked the worst (153rd), while Iraq is 152nd and Pakistan 151st.
India- Specific Findings

India slipped to the 112th spot from its 108th position in 2018.
Economic gender gap:

Only one-third of the gap has been bridged (score of 35.4%, 149th). Since 2006, the gap has gotten
significantly wider. Among the 153 countries studied, India is the only country where the economic
gender gap is larger than the political gender gap.
Only one-quarter of women, compared with 82% of men, engage actively in the labour market.
The female estimated earned income is a mere one-fifth of the male income (among the world’s
lowest).
Women’s representation on company boards is also very low (13.8%).
Political Empowerment:
India ranked 18th in political empowerment and 4th in the number of years a female or a male ruled
a state.
It ranked high on the political empowerment sub-index, largely because the country was headed by
a woman for 20 of the past 50 years.
But female political representation today is low as women make up only 14.4 percent of Parliament
(122nd rank globally) and 23 percent of the cabinet (69th)
Health and Survival:

It ranked 112th in educational attainment and 150th in health and survival.
Widening of Health and survival gap is mainly due to abnormally low sex ratios at birth in India (91
girls for every 100 boys), violence against women, forced marriages, and discrimination in access to
health.
From primary to tertiary education, the share of women attending school is systematically larger than
the share of men.
However, only 66% of women are literate compared with 82% of men.
Note: The wide Gender Gap in India is due to Religious and Historical Societal linkages.
Four thematic dimensions used by the Global Gender Gap Index to

benchmarks 153 countries’ progress:
Economic Participation and Opportunity
Educational Attainment
Health and Survival, and
Political Empowerment.
World Employment and Social Outlook;

International Labour Organization (ILO)
About the Report
ILO has recently released the World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2020 (WESO)
report.
This report provides an overview of global and regional trends in employment, unemployment, labour
force participation, and productivity.
It also provides an overview of dimensions of job quality such as employment status, informal
employment, and working poverty.
It also examines income and social developments and provides an indicator of social unrest.
Highlights of the Report

Global unemployment is projected to increase by around 2.5 million in 2020
Almost half a billion people are working fewer paid hours than they would like or lack adequate
access to paid work.
Persisting and substantial work-related inequalities and exclusion are preventing people from finding
decent work and better futures.
The number of people unemployed around the world stands at some 188 million.
Mismatch between labour supply and demand extends far beyond the 188 million unemployed
across the world in 2019
Also, 165 million people do not have enough paid work, and 120 million have either given up actively
searching for work or otherwise lack access to the labour market.
The report stated that developed countries are experiencing slow growth, and some African countries
are stagnating.
The consequence is that not enough new jobs are being created to absorb the growing labour force
as it enters the market.
ILO projected that moderate or extreme working poverty is expected to edge up in 2020-21 in
developing countries, increasing the obstacles to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 1 on
eradicating poverty everywhere by 2030.
Working poverty (It is defined as earning less than USD 3.20 per day in purchasing power parity
terms) is affecting more than 630 million workers or one in five of the global working population.
Inequalities related to gender, age, and geographical location continue to plague the job market.
These factors limit both individual opportunity and economic growth.
In 2019, the female labour force participation rate was just 47 percent, 27 percentage points below
the male rate (at 74 percent). There is strong regional variation in gender disparities in access to
employment.
Some 267 million young people aged 15-24 are not in employment, education or training, and many
more endure substandard working conditions.
Gender Inequality Index (GII); United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP)
About Gender Inequality
The GII is an inequality index. It measures gender inequalities in three important aspects of human
development:
" Reproductive health- measured by maternal mortality ratio and adolescent birth rates
" Empowerment- measured by the proportion of parliamentary seats occupied by females and
the proportion of adult females and males aged 25 years and older with at least some secondary
education;
" Economic status- Expressed as labour market participation and measured by labour force
participation rate of female and male populations aged 15 years and older.
The GII is built on the same framework as the IHDI—to better expose differences in the distribution
of achievements between women and men.
It measures the human development costs of gender inequality. Thus, the higher the GII value
the more disparities between females and males and the more loss to human development.
Some recent findings:

According to the recent Human Development Report published in 2019:
Inequalities can start before birth, and many of the gaps may compound over a person’s life. E.g.
figure shows the relation among health, education, and parents’ socioeconomic status, because of
which inequalities across generations can persist. So, the policies shall focus on breaking the cycle.
Income and wealth inequalities are often translated into political inequality and power asymmetries
among various groups (which may be defined by ethnicity, language, gender or caste, etc.). It
potentially leads to even more inequalities and even leads to breakdowns in institutional functions,
weakening the effectiveness of policies.
For E.g. in many countries women and men vote equally in elections, there are differences in higher
levels of political power (90 percent of heads of state and government are men.)
The report forecasts that it may take 202 years to close the gender gap in economic opportunity.
Findings with respect to India

India is only marginally better than the South Asian average on the gender development index (0.829
versus 0.828) and ranks at a low 122 of 162 countries on the 2018 gender inequality index.
Neighbours China (39), Sri Lanka (86), Bhutan (99), Myanmar (106) were placed above India.
In India, between 1990 and 2018, life expectancy at birth increased by 11.6 years, mean years of
schooling increased by 3.5 years, and expected years of schooling increased by 4.7 years. Per capita
incomes rose by over 250 percent.
In terms of Education, inequality in India is more than that in the South Asian region and the world.
Indian girls attend school for a shorter period than the regional average.
Women earn about a fifth of the income earned by men in India, a ratio which is near to 0.5 for
the world.
NOTE:
The Human Development Report Office releases five composite indices each year: Human Development
Index (HDI), the Inequality-Adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI), the Gender Development
Index (GDI), the Gender Inequality Index (GII), and the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
The Human Development Report was released for the first time in the year 1990, by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP).
The 2019 Human Development Report was titled “Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today:
Inequalities in human development in the 21st century”.
Global Social Mobility Index; World Economic

Forum (WEF)
About the Index
The WEF has created a new index to measure social mobility, providing a much-needed assessment
of the current state of social mobility worldwide. The Global Social Mobility Index benchmarks 82
global economies.
It is designed to provide policy-makers with a means to identify areas for improving social mobility
and promoting equally shared opportunities in their economies, regardless of their development.
What is social mobility?

Social mobility can be understood as the movement in personal circumstances either “upwards” or
“downwards” of an individual to those of their parents.
In absolute terms, it is the ability of a child to experience a better life than their parents. On the other
hand, relative social mobility is an assessment of the impact of socio-economic background on an
individual’s outcomes in life.
It can be measured against a number of outcomes ranging from health to educational achievement
and income.
Key Findings
Denmark holds the first place followed by Norway, Finland, and Sweden.
Five economies most to gain from boosting social mobility are China, the United States, India, Japan,
and Germany.
Only a handful of nations across the 82 countries covered have put in place the right conditions to
foster social mobility
The social and economic consequences of inequality are profound and far-reaching: a growing sense
of unfairness, precarity, perceived loss of identity and dignity, weakening social fabric, eroding trust in
institutions, disenchantment with political processes, and an erosion of the social contract.
The most socially mobile societies in the world, according to the report’s Global Social Mobility Index,
are all European.
WEF calls for a new financing model for social mobility: Improving tax progressivity on personal
income, policies that address wealth concentration and broadly rebalancing the sources of taxation
can support the social mobility agenda.
Findings with respect to India

India has been ranked very low at 76th place out of 82 countries on a new Social Mobility Index.
It ranks 41st in lifelong learning and 53rd in working conditions.
The Areas of improvement for India include social protection (76th) and fair wage distribution (79th).
NOTE:
It measures countries across five key dimensions distributed over 10 pillars: health; education
(access, quality, and equity); technology; work (opportunities, wages, conditions); and protections and
institutions (social protection and inclusive institutions)
Fair wages, social protection, and lifelong learning are the biggest drags on social mobility globally.
**********
UNITED NATIONS
ITS BODIES
United Nations & Its Bodies

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. It is currently made up of 193
Member States. The mission and work of the United Nations are guided by the purposes and principles
contained in its founding Charter.
The United Nations can take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21st century, such aspeace
and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism,
humanitarian and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, food production, and more.
It also provides a forum for its members to express their views in the General Assembly, the Security
Council, the Economic and Social Council, and other bodies and committees. By enabling dialogue
between its members, and by hosting negotiations, the Organization has become a mechanism for
governments to find areas of agreement and solve problems together.
Functions
Maintain International Peace and Security
Protect Human Rights
Deliver Humanitarian Aid

Promote Sustainable Development
Uphold International Law
Maintain International Peace and Security

The United Nations came into being in 1945, following the devastation of the Second World War, with
one central mission: the maintenance of international peace and security. The UN does this by working:
f To prevent conflict;
f Helping parties in conflict make peace;
f Peacekeeping;
f Creating the conditions to allow peace to hold and flourish.
These activities often overlap and should reinforce one another, to be effective. The UN Security Council
has the primary responsibility for international peace and security.
The General Assembly and the Secretary-General play major, important, and complementary roles, along
with other UN offices and bodies.
How does the UN maintain international peace and security?

Preventive Diplomacy and Mediation
Peacekeeping
Peacebuilding
Countering Terrorism
Disarmament
Protect Human Rights

The term “human rights” was mentioned seven times in the UN’s founding Charter, making the promotion
and protection of human rights a key purpose and guiding principle of the Organization.
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights brought human rights into the realm of international
law. Since then, the Organization has diligently protected human rights through legal instruments and
on-the-ground activities.
How does the UN promote and protect human rights?

High Commissioner for Human Rights: The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) has lead responsibility in the UN system for the promotion and protection of human rights.
Human Rights Council: It was established in 2006, it replaced the 60-year-old UN Commission on
Human Rights as the key independent UN intergovernmental body responsible for human rights.
Human Rights Treaty Bodies: These are committees of independent experts that monitor the
implementation of the core international human rights treaties.
Special Procedures: The special procedures of the Human Rights Council are prominent, independent
experts working voluntarily, who examine, monitor, publicly report, and advice on human rights from a
thematic or country-specific perspective.
UNDG-HRM: The UN Development Group’s Human Rights Mainstreaming Mechanism (UNDG-HRM)

advances human rights mainstreaming efforts within the UN development system.
The International Bill of Human Rights: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) was the
first legal document protecting universal human rights. Together with the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
the three instruments form the so-called International Bill of Human Rights.
Deliver Humanitarian Aid

One of the purposes of the United Nations, as stated in its Charter, is “to achieve international co-
operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian
character.” The UN first did this in the aftermath of the Second World War on the devastated continent
of Europe, which it helped to rebuild.
The Organization is now relied upon by the international community to coordinate humanitarian relief
operations due to natural and man-made disasters in areas beyond the relief capacity of national
authorities alone.
What key UN entities deliver humanitarian aid?

Four UN entities, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Refugee
Agency (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme
(WFP) have primary roles in the delivery of relief assistance.
UNDP is the agency responsible for operational activities for natural disaster mitigation, prevention, and
preparedness. When emergencies occur, UNDP Resident Coordinators coordinate relief and rehabilitation
efforts at the national level.
f Helping refugees:The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) leads and co-ordinates international action to
protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide.
f Helping Children: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has strived to reach as many children
as possible with effective, low-cost solutions to counter the biggest threats to their survival. UNICEF
also consistently urges governments and warring parties to act more effectively to protect children.
f Feeding the Hungry:The World Food Programme (WFP) provides relief to millions of people,
who are victims of disasters. It is responsible for mobilizing food and funds for transport for all large-
scale refugee-feeding operations managed by UNHCR.
f Healing the Sick: The World Health Organization (WHO) coordinates the international response to
humanitarian health emergencies. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters,
shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy
options, providing technical support to countries, and monitoring and assessing health trends.
Uphold International Law

The UN Charter, in its Preamble, set an objective: “to establish conditions under which justice and respect
for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained”.
Ever since, the development of, and respect for international law has been a key part of the work of the
Organization. This work is carried out in many ways - by courts, tribunals, multilateral treaties - and by
the Security Council, which can approve peacekeeping missions, impose sanctions, or authorize the use
of force when there is a threat to international peace and security if it deems this necessary.
Settling Disputes between States

International Court of Justice (ICJ)
f The principal judicial organ of the United Nations is the ICJ. This main body of the UN settles legal
disputes submitted to it by States in accordance with international law. It also gives advisory opinions
on legal questions referred to it from authorized UN organs and specialized agencies.
Courts and Tribunals
f In addition to the ICJ, a wide variety of international courts, international tribunals, ad hoc tribunals,
and UN-assisted tribunals have varying degrees of relation to the United Nations (such as the
tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Extraordinary
Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon).
f The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (the MICT) was established by the United
Nations Security Council on 22 December 2010 to carry out several essential functions of the
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), after the completion of their respective mandates. These are
established by (and are Subsidiary Organs of) the Security Council.
f The International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS),
were established by conventions drafted within the UN, but are now independent entities with
special cooperation agreements.
What Is International Law?

International law defines the legal responsibilities of States in their conduct with each other, and
their treatment of individuals within State boundaries.
Its domain encompasses a wide range of issues of international concern, such as human rights,
disarmament, international crime, refugees, migration, problems of nationality, and the treatment
of prisoners, the use of force, and the conduct of the war, among others.
It also regulates the global commons, such as the environment and sustainable development,
international waters, outer space, global communications, and world trade.
Promote Sustainable Development

From the start in 1945, one of the main priorities of the United Nations was to “achieve international
co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian
character and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.”
Improving people’s well-being continues to be one of the main focuses of the UN. The global
understanding of development has changed over the years, and countries now have agreed that
sustainable developmentoffers the best path forward for improving the lives of people everywhere.
Sustainable Development: Development that promotes prosperity and economic opportunity,

greater social well-being, and protection of the environment.
A Sustainable Development Agenda

f A sustainable development portal, 2015 Time for Global Action for People and Planet, was
launched by the United Nations in 2015.
f It focuses on the UN’s post-2015 sustainable development agenda and contains information on
the UN’s efforts to tackle climate change and on many other related issues.
SDG Summit 2019
f On 24 and 25 September 2019, Heads of State and Government will gather at the United Nations
Headquarters in New York to follow up and comprehensively review progress in the implementation
of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). The event is the first UN summit on the SDGs since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in
September 2015.
The Millennium Development Goals
f In September 2000, world leaders committed their nations to achieve eight Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
f These goals range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and
providing universal primary education.
Climate Change
f The UN is supporting efforts to assess climate science, facilitate negotiations under the UN Framework
Convention for a climate agreement, and provide assistance to countries and communities to reduce
emissions and to build climate resilience.
f The UNFCCC Secretariat supported efforts to reach a new universal climate change agreement in
Paris in 2015, providing a pathway forward to limit temperature rise to well below 2 degrees, maybe
even 1.5.
Disaster Risk Reduction
f The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) works with governments and
other stakeholders to ensure the reduction of disaster losses in lives and assets of communities and
countries.
Gender equality and empowering women and girls
f UN Women works to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower all women, and
achieve equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human
rights, humanitarian action and peace, and security.
What are the main UN offices and programmes working on development?

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs works closely with governments and stakeholders
to help countries around the world to meet their economic, social, and environmental goals.
The United Nations Development Programme works with people at all levels of society to help build
nations that can withstand crisis and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality
of life for everyone.
Many UN agencies work on specific aspects of development, such as the World Health Organization,
the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF, UNESCO, and the UN Environment Programme.
Structure of the United Nations

The main organs of the UN are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social
Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat. All
were established in 1945 when the UN was founded.
General Assembly
All 193 Member States of the Organization are represented in the General Assembly to discuss and work
together on a wide array of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations, such as
development, peace, and security, international law, etc.
Every year in September, all the Members meet in this unique forum at Headquarters in New York for
the General Assembly session.
Functions and powers of the General Assembly:
f The Assembly is empowered to make recommendations to States on international issues within
its competence.
f It has also initiated actions—political, economic, humanitarian, social, and legal—which have
benefitted the lives of millions of people throughout the world.
According to the Charter of the United Nations, the General Assembly may:
f Consider and approve the United Nations budget and establish the financial assessments of Member
States;
f Elect the non-permanent members of the Security Council and the members of other United
Nations councils and organs and, on the recommendation of the Security Council, appoint the
Secretary-General;
f Consider and make recommendations on the general principles of cooperation for maintaining
international peace and security, including disarmament;
f Discuss any question relating to international peace and securityand, except where a dispute or
situation is currently being discussed by the Security Council, make recommendations on it;
f Discuss, with the same exception, and make recommendations on any questions within the scope of
the Charter or affecting the powers and functions of any organ of the United Nations;
f Initiate studies and make recommendations to promote international political cooperation, the
development and codification of international law, the realization of human rights and fundamental
freedoms, and international collaboration in the economic, social, humanitarian, cultural, educational
and health fields;
f Make recommendations for the peaceful settlement of any situation that might impair friendly
relations among countries;
f Consider reports from the Security Council and other United Nations organs.
The Assembly may also take action in cases of a threat to the peace, breach of peace or act of aggression
when the Security Council has failed to act owing to the negative vote of a permanent member. In such
instances, according to its “Uniting for Peace” resolution of 3 November 1950, the Assembly may
consider the matter immediately and recommend to its Members collective measures to maintain or
restore international peace and security.
United Nations Security Council

The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote.
Under the Charter of the United Nations, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council
decisions.
The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of
aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods
of adjustment or terms of the settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing
sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.
Under the United Nations Charter, the functions and powers of

the Security Council are to:
Maintain international peace and security by the principles and purposes of the United Nations;
Investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to international friction;
Recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement;
Formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate armaments;
Determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression and to recommend what action
should be taken;
Call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures not involving the use of force to
prevent or stop aggression;
Take military action against an aggressor;
Recommend the admission of new Members;
Exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in “strategic areas”;
Recommend to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and, together with the
Assembly, to elect the Judges of the International Court of Justice.
Members
Five nations are permanently represented on the Security Council. They reflect the post-war power
structure that held sway when the council was formed. (Five permanent members are China, France,
Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States)
Members of this privileged group work alongside 10 non-permanent member countries. Each member -
permanent or otherwise - holds the presidency of the council for one month, on a rotating basis.
The non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by members of the UN General
Assembly.
The aim is to achieve a regional balance, with five Asian or African members, two Latin American
members, one east European, and two members from Western Europe or other regions making up the
mix of non-permanent members.
Nations compete keenly for council membership, maybe because of the prestige attached, or the chance
to raise an issue that is in the national interest. Some countries announce their candidacy many years in
advance and actively canvass votes.
How are non- permanent members elected?

Each year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members out of a total of 10, for a two-
year term.
Distribution of seats:
f These 10 seats are distributed among the regions thus: five for African and Asian countries; one
for Eastern European countries; two for Latin American and Caribbean countries; two for Western
European and other countries.
f Of the five seats for Africa and Asia, three are for Africa and two for Asia; there is an informal
understanding between the two groups to reserve one for an Arab country. The Africa and Asia
Pacific group takes turns every two years to put up an Arab candidate.
f Elections for terms beginning in even-numbered years select two African members, and one each
within Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
f Terms beginning in odd-numbered years consist of two Western European Members and Other
members, and one each from Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Votes:
f Irrespective of whether a country is a “clean slate” candidate and has been endorsed by its group,
it needs to secure the votes of two-thirds of the members present and voting at the General
Assembly session (a minimum of 129 votes if all 193 member states participate).
f When contested, the elections for non-permanent seats can be fraught and can go on for several
rounds.
Decision-making
f Draft resolutions are drawn up by one or more members of the council and circulated privately
to the others. The drafts can be negotiated or changed in a process called “consultations”. If
agreed to by all members, the resolution is formally proposed to the council.
f Each member has one vote. Decisions on what the council calls “substantive” issues need a
majority of nine votes before they can be passed, including either votes or abstentions from
all five permanent members.
Right of veto
f Each of the permanent members has the right of veto; if one of them votes against a resolution,
it cannot be passed. But a resolution can be passed if a permanent member abstains from the
vote.
f The Security Council attaches great importance to preventing armed conflict in the first place, but
once a dispute has flared, its first aim is to seek a diplomatic solution.
f If the conflict persists, the Security Council may work towards a cease fire and deploy peacekeepers.
It can order UN nations to impose sanctions and, as a last resort, it may authorize military
action against an aggressor.
Expansion
f The status quo of the permanent members had not changed since the council’s first meeting in 1946,
and the make-up of the Security Council has climbed up the UN agenda.
f India, Germany, Japan, and Brazil - known as the G4 - and the African Union are among those
who have long lobbied for coveted permanent-member status.
f A working group on reform set up under the UN General Assembly in 1993 had made little progress
on the matter, with a lack of consensus over potential candidates.
Economic and Social Council

It is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development
– economic, social, and environmental.
It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways
forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals.
It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.
The UN Charter established ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations.
It has 54 Members, elected by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms.
Functions
Promoting Sustainable Development
Advancing policy integration
Development Cooperation Forum
Financing for sustainable development
Coordinating humanitarian action
Guiding operational activities for development
f ECOSOC has the main responsibility for following up on all major past international conferences
linked to the three pillars of sustainable development and will continue to do this alongside the
implementation of sustainable development goals.
f ECOSOC’s Integration Segment meets annually to help the UN Member States and others map ways
to achieve the three pillars of sustainable development—economic, social, and environmental.
f ECOSOC is charged with reviewing the financing for the development follow-up process. In 2002,
the International Conference on Financing for Development, which issued the Monterrey Consensus,
brought over 50 heads of state and an unprecedented number of finance and other ministers together
to agree on the first international framework for financing development. A follow-up process was
continued through intergovernmental negotiations to build on and update commitments, including
the Second Global Conference on Financial for Development in Doha in 2008 and the Third
International Conference on Financing for Development held in Addis Ababa in July 2015. The
subsequent Addis Ababa Action Agenda laid out a new global framework for financing sustainable
development that aligns all financing flows and policies with economic, social and environmental
priorities, and committed countries to a comprehensive set of policy actions towards the means of
implementation for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Structure
ECOSOC membership is based on geographical representation. Out of 54 seats, specific quotas fixed for
Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Europe, etc.
They’re elected from General Assembly for a term of three years.
Four UNSC members – US, UK, Russia, and France- are re-elected continuously, because they provide the
majority of the funding to ECOSOC.
Decisions by simple majority vote.
Presidency changes annually.
NGOs also gave “Consultative status”
International Court of Justice (ICJ)

It 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). Of the six principal organs of
the United Nations, it is the only one not located in New York (United States of America).
The Court’s role is to settle, as per 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.
The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected for terms of office of nine years by the United
Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. It is assisted by a Registry, its administrative organ.
Its official languages are English and French.
Members of the Court

ICJ is composed of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms of office by the United Nations General
Assembly and the Security Council. These organs vote simultaneously but separately.
To be elected, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of the votes in both bodies. This sometimes
makes it necessary for a number of rounds of voting to be held.
To ensure a degree of continuity, one-third of the Court is elected every three years. Judges are
eligible for re-election. Should a judge die or resign during his or her term of office, a special election
is held as soon as possible to choose a judge to fill the unexpired part of the term.
Elections are held in New York (United States of America) during the annual autumn session of
the General Assembly. The judges elected at a triennial election commence their term of office on 6
February of the following year, after which the Court holds a secret ballot to elect a President and a Vice-
President to hold office for three years.
All States parties to the Statute of the Court have the right to propose candidates. Such proposals
are made not by the government of the State concerned, but by a group consisting of the members
of the Permanent Court of Arbitration designated by that State, i.e. by the four jurists who can be
called upon to serve as members of an arbitral tribunal under the Hague Conventions of 1899 and
1907.
In the case of countries not participating in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, nominations are
made by a group constituted in the same way.
Each group can propose up to four candidates, no more than two of whom may be of its nationality,
while the others may be from any country whatsoever, regardless of whether it is a party to the Statute
or has declared that it accepts the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ.
The names of candidates must be communicated to the Secretary-General of the United Nations within
a time-limit of his/her choosing.
Judges must be elected from among persons of high moral character, who possess the qualifications
required in their respective countries for appointment to the highest judicial offices or are jurisconsults
of recognized competence in international law.
The Court may not include more than one national of the same State. Moreover, the Court as a
whole must represent the main forms of civilization and the principal legal systems of the world.
Once elected, a Member of the Court is a delegate neither of the government of his own country
nor of that of any other State. Unlike most other organs of international organizations, the Court is not
composed of representatives of governments.
Members of the Court are independent judges whose first task, before taking up their duties,
is to make a solemn declaration in open court that they will exercise their powers impartially and
conscientiously.
To guarantee his or her independence,no Member of the Court can be dismissed unless, in the
unanimous opinion of the other Members, he/she no longer fulfills the required conditions. This
has never happened.
Indian Judges at the ICJ

Judge Dalveer Bhandari: Member of the Court since 27 April 2012
Raghunandan Swarup Pathak: 1989-1991
Nagendra Singh: 1973-1988
Sir Benegal Rau: 1952-1953
Jurisdiction and Functioning

ICJ acts as a world court with two-fold jurisdiction i.e. legal disputes between States submitted to it by
them (contentious cases) and requests for advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by United
Nations organs and specialized agencies (advisory proceedings).
Only States which are members of the United Nations and which have become parties to the Statute
of the Court or which have accepted its jurisdiction under certain conditions are parties to contentious
cases.
States have no permanent representatives accredited to the Court. They normally communicate
with the Registrar through their Minister for Foreign Affairs or their ambassador accredited to the
Netherlands.
When they are parties to a case before the Court they are represented by an agent. Since international
relations are at stake, the agent is also as it were the head of a special diplomatic mission with powers
to commit a sovereign State.
The judgment is final, binding on the parties to a case and without appeal (at the most it may be subject
to interpretation or, upon the discovery of a new fact, revision).
By signing the Charter, a Member State of the United Nations undertakes to comply with the decision of
the Court in any case to which it is a party.
A State which considers that the other side has failed to perform the obligations incumbent upon it
under a judgment rendered by the Court may bring the matter before the Security Council, which is
empowered to recommend or decide upon measures to be taken to give effect to the judgment.
The procedure described above is the normal procedure. However, the course of the proceedings may
be modified by incidental proceedings.
ICJ discharges its duties as a full court but, at the request of the parties, it may also establish ad hoc
chambers to examine specific cases.
Advisory proceedings before the Court are only open to five organs of the United Nations and 16
specialized agencies of the United Nations family or affiliated organizations
Limitation of ICJ
International law is both heterogeneous and fragmentary createsa challenge for an international court,
whose work in the service of peace was entirely dependent on the application of that law.
f Since the subjects of international law were both creators and targets of the rules of that law, it
often fell to them to interpret and apply those rules.
f When the Court made a decision in such cases, it was all the actors on the international stage, not
merely the parties to a dispute, who are affected by that decision.
The court confronts circumstantial constraints due to grave material difficulties. These constraints
seriously imperiled the very discharge of the Court’s duties at a time of greatly increased activity.
It has no jurisdiction to try individuals accused of war crimes or crimes against humanity. As it is
not a criminal court, it does not have a prosecutor able to initiate proceedings.
It differs from the Courts which deal with allegations of violations of the human rights conventions under
which they were set up, as well as applications from States at which courts can entertain applications
from individuals thatare not possible for the ICJ.
The jurisdiction of the ICJ is general and thereby differs from that of specialist international tribunals,
such as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
The ICJ only has jurisdiction based on consent, not compulsory jurisdiction
The Court can only hear a dispute when requested to do so by one or more States. It cannot deal with a
dispute on its initiative. Neither is it permitted, under its Statute, to investigate and rule on acts of
sovereign States as it chooses.
Permanent Court of International Justice:

It is the predecessor of the ICJ, was provided for in the Covenant of the League of
Nations.
It held its inaugural sitting in 1922 and was dissolved in 1946.
The work of the PCIJ, the first permanent international tribunal with general jurisdiction, made
possible the clarification of a number of aspects of international law, and contributed to its
development.
Trusteeship Council
The Trusteeship Council suspended its operations on 1 November 1994, a month after the
independence of Palau, the last remaining United Nations trust territory. By a resolution adopted
on 25 May 1994, the Council amended its rules of procedure to drop the obligation to meet annually and
agreed to meet as occasion required -- by its decision or the decision of its President, or at the request
of a majority of its members or the General Assembly or the Security Council.
Background
In setting up an International Trusteeship System, the Charter established the Trusteeship Council as one
of the main organs of the United Nations and assigned to it the task of supervising the administration of
Trust Territories placed under the Trusteeship System.
The main goals of the System were to promote the advancement of the inhabitants of Trust
Territories and their progressive development towards self-government or independence.
The Trusteeship Council is made up of the five permanent members of the Security Council -- China,
France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The aims of the Trusteeship System have been fulfilled to the extent that all Trust Territories have
attained self-government or independence, either as separate States or by joining neighboring
independent countries.
Functions and powers

Under the Charter, the Trusteeship Council is authorized to examine and discuss reports from the
Administering Authority on the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the
peoples of Trust Territories and, in consultation with the Administering Authority, to examine petitions
from and undertake periodic and other special missions to Trust Territories.
Secretariat
The Secretariat is one of the main organs of the UN, is organized along departmental lines, with each
department or office having a distinct area of action and responsibility. Offices and departments
coordinate with each other to ensure cohesion as they carry out the day to day work of the Organization
in offices and duty stations around the world.
The Secretariat comprises the Secretary-General and tens of thousands of international UN staff
members who carry out the day-to-day work of the UN as mandated by the General Assembly and the
Organization’s other principal organs.
The Secretary-General is the chief administrative officer of the Organization, appointed by the General
Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a five-year, renewable term.
UN staff members are recruited internationally and locally, and work in duty stations and on peacekeeping
missions all around the world.
But serving the cause of peace in a violent world is a dangerous occupation. Since the founding of the
United Nations, hundreds of brave men and women have given their lives in its service.
Funds, Programmes, Specialized Agencies, and Others

The UN system, also known unofficially as the ‘UN family’, is made up of the UN itself and many
programmes, funds, and specialized agencies, all with their leadership and budget.
The programmes and funds are financed through voluntary rather than assessed contributions.
The Specialized Agencies are independent international organizations funded by both voluntary and
assessed contributions.
Funds and Programmes

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
f It works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and
build resilience so countries can sustain progress.
f As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the
Sustainable Development Goals.
f It provides expert advice, training, and grants support to developing countries, with an increasing
emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries.

f The UNDP Executive Board is made up of representatives from 36 countries around the world who
serve on a rotating basis.
f It is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from member nations.
f UNDP is central to the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), a network
that spans 165 countries and unites the 40 UN funds, programmes, specialized agencies and other
bodies working to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
United Nations Children’s Fund( UNICEF):
f UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and
to help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
f In 1953, it became a permanent part of the United Nations System, and the words “international”
and “emergency” were dropped from the organization’s name, though it retained the original
acronym, “UNICEF”.
f A 36-member board establishes policies, approves programs, and oversees administrative and
financial plans.
f The members are government representatives who are elected by the United Nations Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC), usually for three-year terms.
f UNICEF relies on contributions from governments and private donors. It focuses on:
" Child protection and inclusion: UNICEF works with partners around the world to promote policies
and expand access to services that protect all children.
" Child survival: UNICEF has helped reduce child mortality all over the world by working to reach
the most vulnerable children, everywhere.
" Education: UNICEF works around the world to support quality learning for every girl and boy,
especially those in the greatest danger of being left behind.
" Social policy: UNICEF works around the world to reduce child poverty and shield girls and boys
from their lifelong consequences.
" UNICEF in emergencies: UNICEF is on the ground before, during, and after emergencies, working
to reach children and families with lifesaving aid and long-term assistance.
" Gender: UNICEF works all over the world to empower girls and women, and to ensure their full
participation in political, social, and economic systems.
" Supply and logistics: UNICEF delivers sustainable access to lifesaving supplies where they are
most needed, accelerating results for the most vulnerable children.
" Research and analysis: UNICEF’s global programmes and initiatives are grounded in rigorous
research and thoughtful analysis of the situation of children.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA):
f UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency.
f Its mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every
young person’s potential is fulfilled.
f The organization was created in 1969, the same year the United Nations General Assembly
declared “parents have the exclusive right to determine freely and responsibly the number and
spacing of their children.”
f UNFPA Supports:
" Reproductive health care for women and youth in more than 150 countries – which are home to
more than 80 percent of the world’s population
" The health of pregnant women, especially the 1 million who face life-threatening complications
each month
" Reliable access to modern contraceptives sufficient to benefit 20 million women a year
" Training of thousands of health workers to help ensure at least 90 percent of all childbirths are
supervised by skilled attendants
" Prevention of gender-based violence, which affects 1 in 3 women
" Abandonment of female genital mutilation, which harms 3 million girls annually
" Prevention of teen pregnancies, complications of which are the leading cause of death for girls
15-19 years old
" Efforts to end child marriage, which could affect an estimated 70 million girls over the next 5
years
" Delivery of safe birth supplies, dignity kits, and other life-saving materials to survivors of conflict
and natural disaster
" Censuses, data collection, and analyses, which are essential for development planning
f The Executive Board provides intergovernmental support and supervision for the activities of
UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS in accordance with the policy guidance of the General Assembly,
the Economic and Social Council, and the United Nations Charter.
f The Executive Board ensures that UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS remain responsive to the evolving
needs of programme countries, and supports the work of UNFPA in delivering a world where every
pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
NOTE:
General Assembly resolution 48/162 of 20 December 1993 created the Executive Board, which
consists of representatives from 36 countries who serve on a rotating basis. The Executive
Board superseded the 48-member Governing Council on 1 January 1994. The Governing Council
previously served as the governing body for UNFPA from 1973 to 1993.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):

Itis the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the
coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United
Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.
Its work is categorized into seven broad thematic areas:climate change, disasters and conflicts,
ecosystem management, environmental governance, chemicals and waste, resource efficiency, and the
environment under review.
UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) established the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988 to assess climate change based on the latest science.
Since its founding, the UNEP has played a key role in the development of multilateral environmental
agreements (MEAs). The secretariats for the following nine MEAs are currently hosted by UNEP:
f Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
f Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
f Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
f Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer

f Minamata Convention on Mercury
f Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their
Disposal
f Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
f Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals
and Pesticides in International Trade
UN-Habitat
f UN-Habitat works for a better urban future. Based in over 90 countries, it promotes the development
of socially and environmentally sustainable cities, towns & communities. UN-Habitat strives for
adequate shelter with better living standards for all.
f UN-Habitat, the United Nations Programme for Human Settlements, was mandated by the UN
General Assembly in 1978 to address issues of urban growth.It collaborates with governments
and local partners to define the urban vision of tomorrow.
f The 2nd United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996,
set the twin goals of the Habitat Agenda:
" Adequate shelter for all
" Development of sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing world.
f The 3rd United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III)
was held in 2016 in Quito, Ecuador. It elaborated on Goal-11 of the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDG): “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
UN Specialized Agencies
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
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.
With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. Itbelieves that everyone can
play a part in ending hunger.
Governing body of FAO
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

It is a UN specialized agency, established by States in 1944 to manage the administration and governance
of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).
ICAO works with the Convention’s 193 Member States and industry groups to reach consensus on
international civil aviation Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and policies in support of
a safe, efficient, secure, economically sustainable, and environmentally responsible civil aviation sector.
These SARPs and policies are used by the ICAO Member States to ensure that their local civil aviation
operations and regulations conform to global norms, which in turn permits more than 100,000 daily
flights in aviation’s global network to operate safely and reliably in every region of the world.
In addition to its core work resolving consensus-driven international SARPs and policies among its
Member States and industry, and among many other priorities and programmes, ICAO also does:
f Coordinates assistance and capacity building for States in support of numerous aviation development
objectives;
f Produces global plans to coordinate multilateral strategic progress for safety and air navigation;
f Monitors and reports on numerous air transport sector performancemetrics;
f Audits States’ civil aviation oversight capabilities in the areas of safety and security.
The ICAO Council

It is a permanent body of the Organization responsible for the Assembly. It is composed of 36 Member
States elected by the Assembly for a three-year term.
Functions of Council
f To submit annual reports to the Assembly; carry out the directions of the Assembly; and discharge the
duties and obligations which are laid on it by the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago,
1944).
f It also administers the finances of ICAO; appoints and defines the duties of the Air Transport
Committee, as well as the Committee on Joint Support of Air Navigation Services, the Finance
Committee, the Committee on Unlawful Interference, the Technical Co-operation Committee and the
Human Resources Committee.
f It appoints the members of the Air Navigation Commission and it elects the members of the Edward
Warner Award Committee.
Assembly
The Assembly, comprised of all Member States of ICAO, meets not less than once in three years and
is convened by the Council at a suitable time and place.
An extraordinary meeting of the Assembly may be held at any time upon the call of the Council or the
request of not less than one-fifth of the total number of Member States.
The Assembly has numerous powers and duties, among them to: elect the Member States to be
represented on the Council; examine and take appropriate action on the reports of the Council and
decide any matter reported to it by the Council, and approve the budgets of the Organization.
International Labour Organization (ILO)

It is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights, pursuing
its founding mission that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace.
Only tripartite U.N. agency, the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers representatives
of 187 member States, to set labor standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent
work for all women and men.
It emphasized that the future of work is not predetermined: Decent work for all is possible but societies
have to make it happen. It is precise with this imperative that the ILO established its Global Commission
on the Future of Work as part of its initiative to mark its centenary in 2019.
Its job is to undertake an in-depth examination of the future of work that can provide the analytical basis
for the delivery of social justice in the 21st century.
Main Bodies
The ILO accomplishes its work through three main bodies which comprise governments’, employers’ and
workers’ representatives:
The International LaborConference sets the International labor standards and the broad policies
of the ILO. It meets annually in Geneva. Often called an international parliament of labor, the
Conference is also a forum for discussion of key social and labor questions.
The Governing body is the executive council of the ILO. It meets three times a year in Geneva. It
takes decisions on ILO policy and establishes the programme and the budget, which it then submits
to the Conference for adoption.
The International Labour Office is the permanent secretariat of the ILO. It is the focal point for
the International Labour Organization’s overall activities, which it prepares under the scrutiny of the
Governing Body and the leadership of the Director-General.
The work of the Governing Body and the Office is aided by tripartite committees covering major
industries. It is also supported by committees of experts on such matters as vocational training,
management development, occupational safety and health, industrial relations, workers’ education,
and special problems of women and young workers.
Regional meetings of the ILO member States are held periodically to examine matters of special
interest to the regions concerned
Objectives of the ILO

To promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and rights at work.
To create greater opportunities for women and men to secure decent employment.
To enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all.
To strengthen tripartism and social dialogue.
The eight-core conventions of the ILO

Forced Labour Convention
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
Equal Remuneration Convention
Discrimination (Employment Occupation) Convention
Minimum Age Convention
Worst forms of Child Labour Convention
Freedom of Association and Protection of Right to Organised Convention
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
Flagship programmes
International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour and Forced Labour (IPEC+)
Safety + Health for All
Jobs for Peace and Resilience
Building Social Protection Floors for All
International Maritime Organization (IMO)

It is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and
the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. IMO’s work supports UN SDGs.
Its role is to create a level playing-field so that ship operators cannot address their financial issues
by simply cutting corners and compromising on safety, security, and environmental performance. This
approach also encourages innovation and efficiency.
IMO measures cover all aspects of international shipping – including ship design, construction,
equipment, manning, operation, and disposal – to ensure that this vital sector remains safe, environmentally
sound, energy-efficient, and secure.
As part of the United Nations family, IMO is actively working towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and the associated SDGs. Indeed, most of the elements of the 2030 Agenda will only be
realized with a sustainable transport sector supporting world trade and facilitating the global economy.
IMO’s Technical Cooperation Committee has formally approved linkages between the Organization’s
technical assistance work and the SDGs. While the ocean’s goal, SDG 14, is central to IMO, aspects of
the Organization’s work can be linked to all individual SDGs.
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

It is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.
Founded in 1865 to facilitate international connectivity in communications networks, we allocate
global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develop the technical standards that ensure networks and
technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strive to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities
worldwide.
ITU is committed to connecting the entire world’s people – wherever they live and whatever their
means. Through our work, we protect and support everyone’s right to communicate.
It allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develops the technical standards that ensure
networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strive to improve access to ICTs to underserved
communities worldwide.
General Secretariat of ITU

The mission of the General Secretariat is to provide high-quality and efficient services to the
membership of the Union.
The General Secretariat manages the administrative and financial aspects of the Union’s
activities, including the provision of conference services, planning, and organization of major
meetings, information services, security, strategic planning, and corporate functions such as
communications, legal advice, finance, personnel, procurement, internal audit, etc.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO)
It was founded in 1945 to develop the “intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind” as a means of
building lasting peace. It is located in Paris (France).

In this spirit, UNESCO develops educational tools to help people live as global citizens free of hate and
intolerance.
By promoting cultural heritage and the equal dignity of all cultures, UNESCO strengthens bonds among
nations.
Members
The Organization has 193 Members and 11 Associate Members.
Membership of UNESCO is governed by Articles II and XV of the Constitution and by rules 98 to 101
of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference. Membership of the United Nations carries with
it the right to membership of UNESCO.
States that are not members of the United Nations may be admitted to UNESCO, upon
recommendation of the Executive Board, by a two-thirds majority vote of the General Conference.
Expertise
Education
Culture
Natural Sciences
Social and Human Sciences
Communication & Information
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

It invests in rural people, empowering them to increase their food security, improve the nutrition of their
families, and increase their incomes. It helps them build resilience, expand their businesses, and take
charge of their development.
IFAD is an international financial institution and specialized United Nations agency based in Rome,
the UN’s food and agriculture hub. Since 1978, it has provided over US$21 billion in grants and low-
interest loans to projects that have reached about 491 million people.
IFAD’s Strategic Framework 2016-2025 sets out how it will work over the coming decade to play a
crucial role in the inclusive and sustainable transformation of rural areas. It articulates its contribution to
the 2030 Agenda, including the larger role IFAD will play in supporting countries to fulfill their priorities
relative to the Agenda.
The Framework sets three strategic objectives:
f increasing the productive capacity of poor rural people
f increasing their benefits from market participation
f strengthening the environmental sustainability and climate resilience of their economic activities
World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO, as the directing and coordinating authority on international health within the United Nations
system, adheres to the UN values of integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity.
The values of the WHO workforce furthermore reflect the principles of human rights, universality, and
equity established in WHO’s Constitution as well as the ethical standards of the Organization.
These values are inspired by the WHO vision of a world in which all peoples attain the highest possible
level of health, and our mission to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable, with
measurable impact for people at the country level.
It began functioning on April 7, 1948 – a date now being celebrated every year as World Health Day.
It is an inter-governmental organization and works in collaboration with its Member States usually
through the Ministries of Health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is responsible for

Providing leadership on global health matters,
Shaping the health research agenda,
Setting norms and standards,
Providing evidence-based policy options,
Providing technical support to countries,
Monitoring and assessing health trends.
Governance of WHO
f World Health Assembly
" The Health Assembly is composed of delegates representing Members.
" Each Member is represented by not more than three delegates, one of whom is designated by the
Member as chief delegate.
" These delegates are chosen from among persons most qualified by their technical competence in
the field of health, preferably representing the national health administration of the Member.
" The Health Assembly meets in regular annual session and sometimes in special sessions as well
f The Executive Board
" It is composed of 34 technically qualified members elected for three-year terms. The annual Board
meeting is held in January when the members agree upon the agenda for the World Health
Assembly and the resolutions to be considered by the Health Assembly.
" A second shorter meeting takes place in May, as a follow-up to the Health Assembly. The main
functions of the Board are to implement the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly and
advise and generally to facilitate its work
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)

As a specialized agency of the United Nations, WMO is dedicated to international cooperation and
coordination on the state and behavior of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the land and
oceans, the weather and climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources.
WMO has 187 Member States and 6 Member Territories. Members are divided into six regions:
f Region I: Africa
f Region II: Asia
f Region III: South America

f Region IV: North America, Central America, and the Caribbean
f Region V: South-West Pacific
f Region VI: Europe
Established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23 March 1950, WMO became the specialized
agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related
geophysical sciences a year later.
The Secretariat, headquartered in Geneva, is headed by the Secretary-General. Its supreme body is the
World Meteorological Congress.
WMO programmes facilitate and promote the:

Establishment of networks of observational stations to provide weather, climate, and water-related
data;
Establishment and maintenance of data management centres and telecommunication systems for
the provision and rapid exchange of weather, climate, and water-related data;
Creation of standards for observation and monitoring to ensure adequate uniformity in the practices
and procedures employed worldwide and, thereby, ascertain the homogeneity of data and statistics;
Application of science and technology in operational meteorology and hydrology to aviation,

transport (air, land and maritime), water resource management, agriculture, and other focus areas;
Activities in operational hydrology as well as closer cooperation between National Meteorological

and Hydrological Services in states and territories where they are separate;
Coordination of research and training in meteorology and related fields.
World Meteorological Congress: World Meteorological Congress

assembles delegates of Members once every four years to:
Determine general policies for the fulfillment of the purposes of the Organization
Consider membership of the Organization
Determine the General, Technical, Financial and Staff Regulations
Establish and coordinate the activities of constituent bodies of the Organization
Approve long-term plans and budget for the following financial period
Elect the President and Vice-Presidents of the Organization and members of the Executive
Council
Appoint the Secretary-General
WIPO
WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information, and cooperation.
It is a self-funding agency of the United Nations, with 193 member states.

Its mandate, governing bodies, and procedures are set out in the WIPO Convention, which established
WIPO in 1967.
The main policy and decision-making bodies of WIPO are the General Assembly and the Coordination
Committee. Twenty-one Assemblies, and other bodies of the member states of WIPO and of the Unions
administered by WIPO, traditionally meet in ordinary or extraordinary session in autumn.
Members
WIPO currently has 193 member states.
All member states of the UN are entitled, though not obliged, to become members of the specialized
agencies like WIPO.
188 of UN member states, as well as the Cook Islands, Holy See and Niue, are members of WIPO.
Palestine has permanent observer status.
Some 250 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) have
official observer status at WIPO meetings.
India joined WIPO in 1975
Functions
Policy forum to shape balanced international IP rules for a changing world.
Global services to protect IP across borders and to resolve disputes.
Technical infrastructure to connect IP systems and share knowledge.
Cooperation and capacity-building programs to enable all countries to use IP for economic, social,
and cultural development.
A world reference source for IP information.
**********

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in IAS 2021 | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS |

 UNITED NATIONS ITS BODIES ..................................................... 43-65

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

 Aims & Purposes

 ASEAN Community Councils

 Committee of Permanent Representatives

How important is the region Economically?

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership

South Asian Association for Regional

 To strengthen cooperation with other developing countries;

 To strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common

 Agriculture and Rural Development

 Environment, Natural Disasters, and Biotechnology

 Economic, Trade, and Finance

 Information and Poverty Alleviation

 Energy, Transport, Science, and Technology

 Education, Security, and Culture

f Formulation of policies of the Association;

f Review of progress of cooperation under SAARC;

f Decision on new areas of cooperation;

f Establishment of the additional mechanism under SAARC, as deemed necessary;

f Decision on other matters of general interest to SAARC.

f They take measures /decisions relating to:

f Overall monitoring and coordination of programme of cooperation under different areas;

f Approval of projects and programmes, including modalities of their financing;

f Determination of inter-sectoral priorities;

f Mobilisation of regional and external resources;

f Identification of new areas of cooperation based on appropriate studies.

SAARC Specialized Bodies

Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral

What does this grouping mean in numbers?

India’s interest in the grouping

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

SCO’s Main Goals

Organisation has two permanent bodies

Observer States Dialogue Partner

Mongolia Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka

Importance for India

European Union (EU)

Goals of the European Union (EU)

History of the European Union (EU)

 The European Council:

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

AIIB Project Preparation Special Fund

Goals of the AIIB

Financial Resources of AIIB

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Strategy 2030 Achieving a Prosperous, Inclusive, Resilient, and

Funds and Resources

India and ADB

Country Partnership Strategy (2018-2022)

New Development Bank (NDB)

Main Objectives of NDB

Shares Distribution and Voting Powers

f The initial subscribed capital shall be equally distributed

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)

Governance and Organization

Multiple roles of quotas

India and latest quota reforms at IMF

 How does the G20 Work?

The Finance Track

UNITED NATIONS ITS BODIES ..................................................... 43-65

Aims & Purposes

ASEAN Community Councils

Committee of Permanent Representatives

To strengthen cooperation with other developing countries;

To strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common

Agriculture and Rural Development

Environment, Natural Disasters, and Biotechnology

Economic, Trade, and Finance

Information and Poverty Alleviation

Energy, Transport, Science, and Technology

Education, Security, and Culture

The European Council:

How does the G20 Work?

Areas of concern for G20

Criticism of the group

What are the indicators?

Protecting minority investors

What are these reforms?

Its projection for the year 2020

Its projection for India

Objectives of the Ease of Living Index:

Understanding India’s current situation

Challenges in India’s healthcare value chain

How India can turn the challenges of providing UHC into

Key issues in the report

India- specific observations in its October 2019 report

Reasons for the cut in growth projection for India

What India could do to revive its growth?

Global Competitiveness Index 4.0

Major shortcomings in some of the basic enablers of

Comparing with its Neighbour

Global Competitiveness Index 4.0 Framework

Top Performers in 2019

Changing nature of inequality

The GHI is based on four indicators

About the Report

It is published by Germanwatch, Climate Action Network International, and the NewClimate

Findings of the CCPI 2020

India received an overall medium rating in the renewable energy category.

SDG India Index

India- Specific Findings

Economic gender gap:

Health and Survival:

Highlights of the Report

Some recent findings:

Findings with respect to India

What is social mobility?

Findings with respect to India

Deliver Humanitarian Aid

UNDG-HRM: The UN Development Group’s Human Rights Mainstreaming Mechanism (UNDG-HRM)

Courts and Tribunals