International from Dec

Question 1

Palermo Protocol

Answer 1

Palermo Protocol to the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNCTOC) dealing with Trafficking and Smuggling.

Question 2

Wassenaar Arrangement

Answer 2

It is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) to promote transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies.
It was established in 1996 as a successor to the Cold War Era Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (CoCom) and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
It has 42 members with India being the newest entrant. All the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council barring China are signatories of the WA.
• It works according to Wassenaar Control List under which members agree to exchange information on sensitive dual-use goods and technologies and report in such transfers and denials of controlled items to non-participants.

Question 3

Australia Group:

Answer 3

It is an informal group of 42 countries
aiming to control the spread of chemical and biological
weapons. established in 1985 (after the use of chemical weapons by Iraq in 1984). held its first meeting in Brussels, Belgium, in September 1989. With the incorporation of India on January 19, 2018, it now has 43 members Australia manages the secretariat.

Question 4

Nuclear Suppliers group:

Answer 4

It is a group of 48 nuclear supplier countries to frame and implements rules for exporting nuclear equipment, with a view to control the spread of nuclear weapons

Question 5

Missile Technology Control Regime:

Answer 5

It is a voluntary partnership among 35 countries to prevent the proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology capable of carrying above 500 kg payload for more than 300 km.

Question 6

International Maritime Organisation

Answer 6

IMO is a specialised United Nations agency which is committed towards safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean ocean and plays an important role to create fair, effective and universally accepted regulatory framework.
• It is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, the IMO has 172 Member States and three Associate Members.
India has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under Category “B” for two years (2018-19)

Question 7

International Convention for the Control and
Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments
(BWM):

Answer 7

It came into force in September 2017 and aims to prevent spread of harmful aquatic organisms from one region to another by establishing standards for management of ships’ ballast water and sediments.

Question 8

International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker

Oil Pollution Damage (BUNKER):

Answer 8

It aims to provide adequate, prompt and effective compensation to the people who are affected by the damages caused due to oil spills from the ships carrying oil in their bunkers.

Question 9

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

(SOLAS), 1974:

Answer 9

It aims to specify minimum standards for construction, equipment and operation of ships,compatible with their safety.

Question 10

International Solar Alliance

Answer 10

has become a treaty-based intergovernmental organization on 6th Dec, which was marked as Universal Energy Access Day. Three programmes launched by ISA are- Scaling Solar Applications for Agriculture Use, Affordable Finance a Scale, and Scaling Solar Mini-Grids.
It is first specialized intergovernmental body on solar energy expected to drive R&D on solar energy (from
electricity generation to storage capacity).
It is the first international organization to be permanently headquartered in India

Question 11

United Nation’s Global Compact on Migration

Answer 11

The US recently pulled out of it. It is the first, inter-governmentally negotiated agreement and is framed consistent with target 10.7 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in which member States committed to cooperate internationally to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration. It was prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, in September 2016, in the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, which was adopted by 193 UN member states. The declaration is of non-binding nature.
• India has also signed this declaration.

Question 12

Permanent Structured Cooperation on Defence

Answer 12

European Union adopted the decision to establish a European Union defence pact known as Permanent Structured Cooperation on Defence. It is an intergovernmental, binding, permanent framework and a structured process to gradually deepen defence cooperation within EU framework. The aim is to jointly develop defence capabilities and make them available for EU military operations.
• The Member states can also make the military capabilities available under PESCO for United Nations and NATO as well.
So far 25 member of EU have signed the pact except Denmark, Malta and Britain. PESCO is also open to NATO members also who wish to take part in it. However there is no provision about the inclusion of non-EU NATO member.

Question 13

Lisbon Treaty -

Answer 13

It is an international treaty which amended Maastricht Treaty and Treaty of Rome to form European Union on Constitutional Basis. It was signed by EU member states in 2007.

Question 14

The Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11) of WTO took

place in December 2017 in

Answer 14

Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Question 15

G-4 nations

Answer 15

Brazil, Japan, India, and Germany

Question 16

Uniting for Consensus (UfC) or Coffee Club

Answer 16

 UfC is a movement to counter the bids for permanent seats proposed by G-4.
 It demands that a consensus must be reached first on the form and size of the Security Council before expanding it.
 It is led by Italy and includes Pakistan, South Korea, Canada Argentina and some other countries.

Question 17

Trincomalee Port

Answer 17

In North-eastern Sri Lanka for oil tanks farm

Question 18

Mattala airport

Answer 18

in Hambantota (Sri Lanka)

Question 19

International Court of Justice

Answer 19

Established in 1945, at Hague as the primary judicial branch of UN.
 It settles legal disputes submitted to it by states and provides advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international branches, agencies, and the UN General Assembly.
 The ICJ is composed of 15 judges elected to 9-year terms from a list of people nominated by the national groups in the Permanent Court of Arbitration. No two judges can be of the same nationality.
 Judges are elected by members of the UN General Assembly and the UNSC, where polling takes place simultaneously but independent of each other. A candidate needs an absolute majority in both bodies to be elected.
 All members of the UN are automatic parties to the statute, but it gets jurisdiction only on the basis of consent of both parties.

Question 20

Changi Naval Base

Answer 20

Singapore

Question 21

India-UN Development Partnership Fund (UNDPF)

Answer 21

The India-UN Development Partnership Fund (UNDPF) is a dedicated facility within the United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation established in 2017.

It supports Southern-owned and led demand-driven, and transformational sustainable development projects across the developing world, with a focus on least developed countries and small island developing states.

United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), hosted by UNDP since 1974, was established by the UN General Assembly with a mandate to advocate for and coordinate South-South and triangular
cooperation (collaboration and partnerships between South-South-North countries) on a global and UN system-wide basis.

Question 22

Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism (IMAFT)

Answer 22

Recently the first meeting of Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism (IMAFT) was held in Riyadh. It is a Saudi led coalition of 40 countries and constitutes about 60% members of Organizational of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It was announced as a 34 member group initially in 2015. Iran, Syria and Iraq are not part of coalition and Doha though part of the group did not participate in it in the wake of the boycott led by Saudi Arabia.

Question 23

European Bank for Reconstruction and

Development (EBRD).

Answer 23

The union cabinet recently approved India’s membership for EBRD.
It is a multilateral developmental investment bank, established in 1991.
 It initially focused to help former Communist states build their economies after the Cold War and then expanded to support development in more than 30
countries from central Europe to central Asia.
 It works only in countries that are “committed to democratic principles”, using investment as a tool to build market economies.
India will only be providing rather than receiving money with its new membership.

Question 24

International North – South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

Answer 24

 It is a multimodal transportation established in 2000 by India, Russia and Iran.
 It aims to link Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran, and onward to northern Europe via St. Petersburg in Russia.
 Later INSTC was expanded to include 10 new members namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Oman and Syria.

Question 25

International Atomic Energy Agency

Answer 25

 It is an autonomous international organization that reports annually to the UN General Assembly.
 It works for the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, contributing to international peace and security and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Question 26

BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA)

Answer 26

The BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is a framework for the provision of support through liquidity and precautionary instruments in response to actual or potential short-term balance of payments pressures. It was established in 2015 by the BRICS countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Question 27

Operation ‘Insaniyat’:

Answer 27

The Ministry of External Affairs has started Operation Insaniyat to provided assistance to Bangladesh in response to the humanitarian crisis being faced by it due to the large influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

Question 28

Uranium bank for Low Enriched Uranium (LEU)

Answer 28

in Kazakhstan
 IAEA will run the bank independently of any country, will purchase and store low-enriched uranium fuel for civilian reactors but not an ingredient for nuclear weapons.
 A Member State which needs to purchase LEU from the IAEA LEU Bank must have a comprehensive safeguards agreement with the IAEA in force and no issues relating to safeguards implementation.
 It will help countries to obtain fuel without domestic enrichment facilities.

Question 29

Special and Differential Treatment Box (S&DT):

Answer 29

The S&DT measures generally comprise

1. Investment subsidies like tractors and pump sets to farmers
2. Agricultural input services like fertilizers to farmers. These subsidies should be provided only to low income and resource poor producers (or poor farmers) in developing countries.
3. Measures for diversification of narcotics crop in order to rehabilitate the farmers

Question 30

EXIM Bank

Answer 30

 It finances, facilitates and promotes India’s international trade. It provides competitive finance at
various stages of the business cycle.
 Exim Bank raises resources in the off-shore market in
diverse currencies and swaps to mitigate the risk.

Question 31

New Nuclear Weapon Prohibition Treaty

Answer 31

Over 120 countries in the United Nations voted to adopt the first-ever global treaty to legally ban nuclear weapons.
 The new treaty outlaws the entire range of activity relating to the production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons.
 The most central provision is Article 1(d) which categorically prohibits the use of nuclear weapons or a threat to that effect, under all circumstances.
It will enter into force 90 days after it has been ratified by at least 50 countries.
For nuclear-armed states joining the treaty, it provides for a time-bound framework for negotiations leading to the verified and irreversible elimination of its nuclear weapons programme.
India and other nuclear-armed nations: the United States, Russia, Britain, China, France, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel had not participated in the negotiations.

In the vote on the treaty text, 122 were in favour, 1 voted against (Netherlands), and 1 abstained (Singapore). 69 nations did not vote, among them all of the nuclear weapon states and all NATO members except the Netherlands

Cuba, Mexico, Guyana, Holy See, Palestine, Thailand, and Venezuela have ratified it.

Question 32

Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament (CD)

Answer 32

India maintained that the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament (CD) is the single multilateral disarmament negotiation forum.
 It had further said that it supports the commencement of negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on a Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention, which in addition to prohibition and elimination also includes verification which current process lacks.

Question 33

SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program:

Answer 33

The SASEC program focuses on road infrastructure to improve regional connectivity between Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India (BBIN).

The seven-member SASEC formed in 2001 comprises India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, and aims to increase economic growth by building cross-border connectivity.

The project is being developed with ADB’s loan assistance under the South Asian Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Road Connectivity Investment Program.
 The project corridor is also a part of the Asian Highway No. 01 (AH01)

Question 34

Asian highway (01)

Answer 34

Asian Highway 1 (AH1) is the longest route of the Asian Highway Network, running 20,557 km (12,774 mi) from Tokyo, Japan via Korea, China, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran to the border between Turkey and Bulgaria west of Istanbul where it joins end-on with European route E80.

Question 35

Asian Highway Network

Answer 35

The Asian Highway Network (AH), also known as the Great Asian Highway, is a cooperative project among countries in Asia and Europe and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), to improve the highway systems in Asia. It is one of the three pillars of the Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development (ALTID) project, endorsed by the ESCAP commission at its 48th session in 1992, comprising Asian Highway, Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) and facilitation of land transport projects.

Agreements have been signed by 32 countries to allow the highway to cross the continent and also reach to Europe. Some of the countries taking part in the highway project are India (Look-East connectivity projects), Sri Lanka, Pakistan, China, Iran, Japan, South Korea and Bangladesh. Most of the funding comes from the larger, more advanced Asian nations like Japan, India, Taiwan, South Korea and China as well as international agencies such as the Asian Development Bank.

Question 36

G-20 summit 2017

Answer 36

The G-20 summit 2017 was held in Hamburg, Germany. The theme of this year’s summit was ‘shaping an interconnected world’.
The G20 brings together 19 countries plus the EU.
The G20 summit was established in 2008 amidst the global financial crisis to increase international economic cooperation. Since then, G20 members have been meeting annually to discuss a wide range of issues related to economic and financial cooperation.
 The members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union.

Question 37

Beijing Declaration on Education

Answer 37

The ‘Beijing Declaration on Education’ reaffirms the commitment of BRICS countries to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 (quality education).

Question 38

joint interpretative notes (JIN) agreement

Answer 38

The union cabinet approved signing of the joint interpretative notes (JIN) agreement with Bangladesh to ensure smooth implementation of the investment promotion and protection pact.
The JIN would impart clarity to the interpretation of the existing agreement between India and Bangladesh for the Promotion and Protection of Investments.
 Joint Interpretative Statements play an important supplementary role in strengthening the investment treaty regime.

Question 39

Investment Facilitation Mechanism

Answer 39

The European Union (EU) and India announced the establishment of an Investment Facilitation Mechanism
(IFM) for EU investments in India.
The mechanism will allow for a close coordination between the European Union and the Government of India with an aim to promote and facilitate EU investment in India.
 This agreement builds on the Joint Statement of the 13th EU-India Summit held in Brussels in March 2016, where the EU had welcomed India’s readiness to establish such a mechanism.
Invest India, the Indian government’s official Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, will also be part of the IFM.

Question 40

Which countries severed ties with Qatar?

Answer 40

Saudi Arabia, Yemen, UAE, Libya, Egypt, Bahrain, and Maldives

Question 41

BIMSTEC

Answer 41

The BIMSTEC comprises India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
 The permanent secretariat of BIMSTEC was established in Dhaka in 2014.
 It was originally called BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand - Economic Cooperation) and was formed at a meeting in June 1997 in Bangkok.
BIMSTEC has no written charter and thus more flexible.
 BIMSTEC is a sector-driven cooperative organization, starting with six sectors—including trade, technology,
energy, transport, tourism and fisheries.
 It expanded to embrace eight more sectors— including agriculture, public health, poverty alleviation,
counter-terrorism, environment, culture, people to people contact and climate change—in 2008.

Question 42

St Petersburg Declaration

Answer 42

 Marking 70 years of diplomatic ties, India and Russia signed the St Petersburg Declaration.
Imp points of declaration:
1. “strive to build an ‘Energy Bridge’
2. Joint projects on exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Arctic shelf of Russia.
3. establishment of the multi-polar global order in international relations
4. Russia reaffirmed its support for India’s bid for permanent membership in the UN Security Council and the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
5. Condemned terrorism
6. development of high speed railways, dedicated freight corridors, and application of newer technologies for efficient rail transport.
7. Build International North South Transport Corridor and implementation of the Green Corridor

Question 43

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

Answer 43

Established in 1946. Official court of the U.N., commonly referred to as the “World Court.”
Located in Hague
Jurisdiction on UN Member states i.e. national governments.
Types of cases- (1) Contentious between parties, (2) Advisory opinions
Deals with subjects like- Sovereignty, boundary disputes, maritime disputes, trade, natural resources, human rights, treaty violations, treaty interpretation, and more.
States that ratify the U.N. Charter become parties to the ICJ Statute under Article 93. Non-UN member states can also become parties to the ICJ by ratifying the ICJ Statute. Each state must provide consent to any contentious case by explicit agreement, declaration, or treaty clause.
The ICJ decision in a contentious case is binding upon the parties. If a State fails to comply with the judgment, the issue may be taken to the UN Security Council, which has the authority to review, recommend, and decide upon enforcement.

Question 44

International Criminal Court (ICC)

Answer 44

Established in 2002. It is Independent. May receive case referrals from the UN Security Council. Can initiate prosecutions without UN action or referral.
Located in The Hague.
Its jurisdiction is on Individuals.
Types of cases- Criminal prosecution of individuals
Subject matter- Genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes
Authorizing Legal Mechanism- Rome Statute (India has not signed the Rome Statute)
One can appeal to Appeals chamber
Four signatory states—Israel, Sudan, the United States and Russia—have informed the UN Secretary General that they no longer intend to become states parties and, ss such, have no legal obligations arising from their signature of the Statute
Burundi left ICC.

Question 45

Vesak

Answer 45

Vesak (Sinhalese), Vesākha (Pāli), Vaisākha (Sanskrit) is the name used for the 2nd month in Sri Lankan traditional Moon calendar (Lunar calendar) which corresponds with the month of May in the Gregorian calendar (Solar calendar).
 It was on the full moon day in the month of Vesak, Prince Siddharta was born, became enlightened and
attained Mahaparinibbāna.
 Vesak is associated with three important locations of Buddhist history – Lumbini in Nepal, the birth place of Prince Siddharta, Bodh Gaya (Buddha Gaya) Bihar State in India where The Buddha attained the most exalted Enlightenment under a Bodhi Tree and Kushinagar (Kusinara) in Uttar Pradesh, India where The Buddha attained Mahaparinibbāna.

Question 46

(LOTUS HR)

Answer 46

The project Local Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUS HR) is an Indo-Netherlands joint project funded by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of india and The Govt of Netherlands.
 The project has stakeholders from both Academia and Industry from India and Netherlands.
 Special attention will be paid to pathogen removal and removing conventional and emerging pollutants.

Recently the foundation stone to mark the beginning of work on cleaning the Barapullah drain in New Delhi through Dutch collaboration was laid.

Question 47

African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

Answer 47

 The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or Banque Africaine de Developpment (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution.
 It was founded in 1964 and comprises three entities: The African Development Bank, the African Development Fund and the Nigeria Trust Fund.
 Its mission is to fight poverty and improve living conditions on the continent through promoting the investment of public and private capital in projects and programs that are likely to contribute to the economic and social development of the region.
 The meeting in Gandhinagar is the fourth time that the Annual Meetings of AfDB are being held outside Africa. The next meeting of AfDB is scheduled to be held in Busan, South Korea in 2018.
 India joined the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 1983. It is a non-regional member of the Bank.

Question 48

Asia-Africa Growth Corridor

Answer 48

 The vision document was prepared jointly by Indian and Japanese think tanks
 The main objective of the corridor is to enhance growth and connectivity between Asia and Africa.
 The corridor will focus on four areas: Development Cooperation Projects, Quality Infrastructure and Institutional Connectivity, Enhancing Skills, and People-to-People Partnership.
 Agriculture, health, technology, and disaster management have been identified as the main areas of
development cooperation.

Question 49

South Asian satellite (GSAT-9)

Answer 49

First South Asian satellite (GSAT-9), funded entirely by India, has been launched recently by ISRO.
 It is 2,230kg geosynchronous communications and meteorology satellite, launched as a gift for South Asian countries.
 Its benefits include mapping natural resources, telemedicine, IT connectivity, DTH connectivity, more predictable weather forecasting and quick response to natural disasters.
 All the SAARC countries excluding Pakistan are part of this project. Thus it is named as South Asia Satellite and not “SAARC Satellite”
 Other important points:
first Indian satellite to use an electric propulsion
- 4th consecutive success of GSLV cryogenic upper stage indicating better future capability.

Question 50

UN-Habitat

Answer 50

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–Habitat) is the United Nations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development.
 It was established in 1978 as an outcome of the First UN Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat I) held in Vancouver, Canada in 1976.
 UN-Habitat maintains its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya.
 The mandate of UN-Habitat derives from the Habitat Agenda, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996.
India has been unanimously elected as the president of the UN-Habitat.
 On behalf of India, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister will preside over the deliberations of the 58-member Governing Council (GC) of the UN-Habitat for the next two years.
 Since the UN-Habitat came into being in 1978, it is the third time that India has been elected to lead this organisation after 2007 and 1988.

Question 51

Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR)

Answer 51

The 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) summit was held in Cancun, Mexico
The Global Platform is the most important international forum dedicated to the disaster risk reduction agenda.
 The summit marked the first opportunity since 2015 to review global progress in the implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030 which was adopted at the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in March, 2015 in Sendai, Japan.
 The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction is a biennial forum for information exchange, discussion of latest developments, knowledge and partnership-building across sectors, with the goal of improving implementation of disaster risk reduction through better communication and coordination amongst stakeholders.
 Its core function is to enable governments, NGOs, scientists, practitioners, and UN organizations to share experience and formulate strategic guidance for the implementation of global disaster risk reduction agreements

Question 52

Arctic Council

Answer 52

 The Arctic Council is an advisory body that promotes cooperation among member nations and indigenous groups.
 Its focus is on sustainable development and environmental protection of the Arctic.
 It does not make policy or allocate resources, and its decisions must be unanimous.
 It consists of the eight Arctic States: Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.

Question 53

Forum for India Pacific Islands Co-operation (FIPIC)

Answer 53

Recently a conference on sustainable development between India and Pacific islands was hosted by Ministry of External Affairs.
The conference is being held under the framework of the FIPIC, with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) as its key knowledge partner.
 It will focus on issues such as the blue economy, adaptation-mitigation practices for climate change, disaster preparedness, health, the International Solar Alliance as well as finding practical solutions to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) implementation.
 FIPIC was formed in November 2014, to strengthen India’s relationship with the Pacific Island Countries.
 The first FIPIC summit was held at the level of Heads of Government in November 2014 in Suva, Fiji, followed
by the FIPIC-II summit held in August 2015, in Jaipur, India. FIPIC 2017- Suva, Fiji

Question 54

The Northern Sea Route

Answer 54

is a shipping route officially defined by Russian legislation as lying east of Novaya Zemlya and specifically running along the Russian Arctic coast from the Kara Sea, along Siberia, to the Bering Strait. The entire route lies in Arctic waters and within Russia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Parts are free of ice for only two months per year.

Question 55

North East Passage

Answer 55

The overall route on Russia’s side of the Arctic between North Cape and the Bering Strait has been called the Northeast Passage, analogous to the Northwest Passage on the Canada side.
While the Northeast Passage includes all the East Arctic seas and connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Northern Sea Route does not include the Barents Sea, and it therefore does not reach the Atlantic.

Question 56

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPATPP).

Answer 56

TPP-11
australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, brunei, Vietnam, Japan, Canada, mexico, Chile, Peru
 The ratification process has also removed 85% cumulative GDP threshold, and now the deal will come into force if 6 out of 11 countries ratify it.
 This deal is yet to be ratified.

Question 57

Financial Action Task Force

Answer 57

 It is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 and housed in OECD headquarters in Paris.
 It has 37 members currently and India is also a member.
 Its objectives are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.

Financial Action Task Force is likely to put Pakistan on its terrorist financing watch list or the “grey list” from June.

 Putting a country in “grey list” does not involve a direct legal or penal action but involve increased scrutiny from watchdogs, regulators and financial institutions.

 Pakistan had earlier been on the FATF ‘grey list’ from
2012 to 2015

 Now Pakistan is required to submit an action plan to FATF to curb terror financing and money laundering by May.
 If the FATF approves the action plan in June, it will make a formal announcement about placing Pakistan on the grey list. Should Islamabad fail to submit an action plan, or if the FATF does not accept it, the group can place Pakistan on its blacklist or “Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories” (NCCTs), along with North Korea and Iran.

Question 58

Ras Markaz

Answer 58

Oman’s strategic oil reserves near Duqm port

Question 59

World Government Summit

Answer 59

 It is an annual event held in Dubai that brings together leaders in government for a global dialogue about governmental process and policies with a focus on the issues of futurism, technology and innovation, as well as other topics.
 It was formed in 2013 by a team of experts with the goal of improving the lives of the seven billion people.

Question 60

Ashgabat Agreement

Answer 60

 The agreement, aiming to establish international transport and transit corridor linking central Asia with the Persian Gulf, came into force in 2016.
 It is an agreement between the Governments of Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan agreed upon in 2011 in Ashgabat. Qatar was also part of agreement initially but subsequently withdrew in 2013.
 Kazakhstan and Pakistan joined the grouping in 2016. India had deposited the Instrument of Accession in April 2016. India recently joined Ashgabat Agreement.
 The Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan (ITK) railway line will be the major route under the Ashgabat Agreement. It had become operational in December 2014 and has also been included as part of INSTC.