International relation Flashcards
GENEVA CONVENTION 1949
The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols form the basis of modern international humanitarian law, setting out how soldiers and civilians should be treated during the war.
Although they were adopted in 1949, to take account of the experiences of the Second World War, the four Geneva Conventions continue to apply to armed conflicts today.
Three additional protocols were also adopted later on which expanded the rules.
The Conventions have been ratified by all States and are universally applicable.
Any nation that has ratified the Geneva Conventions but not the protocols is still bound by all provisions of the conventions.
The provisions of the conventions apply in peacetime situations, in declared wars, and in conflicts that are not recognised as war by one or more of the parties.
They contain stringent rules to deal with what are known as “grave breaches”.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been mandated under the Geneva Conventions to ensure the application of international humanitarian law.
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
It is the principle judicial organ of the UN established in 1945 succeeding the Permanent Court of Justice (established under League of Nations).
The Court may entertain two types of cases:
o Contentious cases - Legal disputes between States submitted to it by them. Only States (States Members of the United Nations and other States which have become parties to the Statute of the Court or which have accepted its jurisdiction under certain conditions) may be parties to contentious cases.
o Advisory proceedings - Requests for advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by United Nations organs and specialized agencies. Contrary to judgments, the Court’s advisory opinions are not binding.
It has no jurisdiction to deal with applications from individuals, NGOs or private groups and it rules only on the rights and obligations of States.
It comprises 15 Judges, elected by United Nations General Assembly and Security Council for 9 year term. Five Judges are elected every 3 years to ensure continuity.
It is headquartered in Peace Palace, Hague, Netherlands and India is a founding member of the ICJ.
INTERMEDIATE-RANGE NUCLEAR FORCES TREATY
Recently, U.S.A (and then Russia) suspended its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
The erstwhile President of USSR Mikhail Gorbachev and American President Ronald Reagan signed a Comprehensive intermediate-range missile elimination agreement which culminated in the INF treaty in 1987.
Since 2013, however, both Russia and America have accused each other of violating terms of the treaty.
It is an arms control treaty between the United States and Russia under which both agreed not to develop, produce, possess or deploy any ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles that have a range between 500 and 5,500 km. It however exempted the air-launched and sea-based missile systems in the same range.
It mandated agreeing parties to destroy all such existing weapons within three years of the signing of the treaty and also clarified that each of the parties could withdraw from the treaty with a six-month notice.
It laid out a comprehensive inspection protocol, whereby each of the parties could inspect and monitor each other’s’ elimination process.
In 1991 the treaty was expanded to include Russia and the successor states of the former USSR.
However, it was a bilateral agreement between US and USSR which left the other nuclear weapon powers free to develop ground based intermediate range forces. Among various countries that have expanded their weapon power, since then, is China which is a major concern for the US.
1st India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
- It was established by the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, concluded at The Hague in 1899 during the first Hague Peace Conference.
- It facilitates arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution between states.
- The PCA is not a court in the traditional sense, but a permanent framework for arbitral tribunals constituted to resolve specific disputes.
- The PCA was the first permanent intergovernmental organization to provide a forum for the resolution of international disputes through arbitration and other peaceful means.
- It has a three-part organizational structure consisting of an Administrative Council that oversees its policies and budgets, a panel of independent potential arbitrators known as the Members of the Court, and its Secretariat, known as the International Bureau, headed by the Secretary-General
Exceptions to MFN Principle
o Right to enter Free Trade Agreements
o Special Access to developing Countries to their markets.
o Raise barriers against unfair trade practices
o General exceptions – The nation has right to take measures which may restrict trade in goods but are necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health.
o Security exceptions – A nation has right to take measures to protect essential national security interests, which may restrict trade in goods. India could
consider making use of this clause to deny the MFN status to Pakistan or bring in certain trade restrictions.
o Balance-of-payments (BOP) – A nation has right to take measures to safeguard its external financial position and its BOPs.
o Exception in Services: Countries are allowed to discriminate in limited circumstances.
Track-II diplomacy
Track II Diplomacy is also known as Backchannel Diplomacy, in which private individuals (such as former diplomats, military veterans, academicians etc.), meeting unofficially, can find their way to common ground that official negotiators can’t and the talks under it are not codified as official statements.
Track-I diplomacy
• Track I Diplomacy is official government diplomacy whereby communication and interaction is between governments.
India-Nepal friendship Treaty
- Allows Nepali citizens to work in india, and apply for civil services
- Nepali can open bank account and buy property in india
- nepali can import arms and ammunitions via territory of india
India has waived its rights under reciprocity as a sign of goodwill.
Pancheshwar Dam project
India-Nepal
on river Mahakali, called Shardha in India
Shardha forms international boundary between Nepal and Uttarakhand
A Treaty known as “Mahakali Treaty” concerning the integrated development of the Mahakali River, which included Sharda barrage, Tanakpur barrage and Pancheshwar Dam Project, was signed between the Nepal and India in 1996.
Other Important Projects between India and Nepal
• Kamla and Bagmati Multipurpose Projects
• Sapta-Kosi High Dam Project and SUN Kosi storage
cum diversion scheme
• Karnali Multipurpose Project
2+1 DIALOGUE MECHANISM
• Two Plus One format for dialogue as proposed is different from a trilateral mechanism. Under the Chinese proposal, China and India can jointly conduct a dialogue with a third regional country i.e. it is not
Nepal specific and can be applied to any other country in South Asia.
• This was announced after the Wuhan Summit, which was an informal summit between India and China.
India-Bangladesh Friendship
Pipeline
Project for transportation of oil,
connecting Siliguri in India and Parbatipur in
Bangladesh.
Rooppur project
first initiative under
Indo-Russian deal to undertake atomic energy
projects in Bangladesh. India will provide
personnel training, consultation support and
participate in the construction and erection
activity and non-critical materials supply to
the site in Bangladesh.
Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT
India is assisting
Bangladesh to capture the potential of waterways for both inter and intra border
connectivity of Bangladesh.
Integrated Check Posts
• It helps put in place a system to secure the
country’s borders against hostile elements. It also
facilitates trade and commerce and boosts revenue.
• ICPs which are already functional include: Attari in
Punjab (Pakistan border), Petrapole in West Bengal
(Bangladesh border), Akhaura in Tripura
(Bangladesh), Dawki in Meghalaya (Bangladesh),
Raxaul in Bihar (Nepal) and Jogbani in Bihar (Nepal).
Land Border Crossing
Between india and Myanmar.
• The agreement facilitates regulation and
harmonization of already existing free
movement rights for people ordinarily
residing in the border areas of both countries.
• It also facilitates movement of people on the
basis of valid passports and visas
• Recently, two crossing points at Moreh in
Manipur and Zokhawthar in Mizoram were
opened.
• It marked the abolishing of special land entry
permission which was previously required for
visitors entering the country via land routes
IMT Trilateral Highway:
It will
connect Moreh in India with Mae Sot, Thailand via
Myanmar. The highway is expected to boost trade
and commerce in ASEAN–India Free Trade Area, as
well as with rest of Southeast Asia.
India, Myanmar and
Thailand has been negotiating for finalising and
implementing a Motor Vehicle Agreement
Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project
project that will connect the eastern Indian
seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Rakhine
State, Myanmar by sea. In Myanmar, it will then
link Sittwe seaport to Paletwa, Chin State via the
Kaladan river boat route, and then from Paletwa
by road to Mizoram state in Northeast India.
Operation Insaniyat
• In response to the humanitarian crisis being
faced on account of the large influx of Rohingya
refugees into Bangladesh, Government of
India has decided to extend assistance to
Bangladesh under Operation Insaniyat.
Operation Cactus
Indian Army’s ‘Operation Cactus’ foiled a coup in
Maldives that was attempted by a pro-Eelam group
in 1988.
Tala Hydropower, Chukha hydropower, Kuricchu Hydropower with which country?
India-Bhutan
coastal surveillance radar systems
India plans to renew its offer to extend the coastal surveillance radar systems (CSRS) project (to Maldives). The CSRS project was initially established in 2015 with the coastal nations of Mauritius, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka.
Commonwealth
It is a unique political association of 53-member states (31 are island nations), nearly all of them former territories of the British Empire.
• The chief institutions of the organisation are the Commonwealth Secretariat, which focuses on intergovernmental aspects, and the Commonwealth Foundation, which focuses on non-governmental relations between member states.
• It was originally created as the British Commonwealth through the Balfour Declaration at the 1926 Imperial Conference, and formalised by the United Kingdom through the Statute of Westminster in 1931.
• The current Commonwealth of Nations was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949, which modernised the community, and established the member states as “free and equal”.
• Member states have no legal obligations to one another. Instead, they are united by English language, history, culture and their shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
• It is an inter-governmental organisation aimed at
strengthening regional cooperation and
sustainable development within the Indian Ocean
region through its 22 Member States and 9
Dialogue Partners.
• The major priorities & focus areas include:
Fisheries Management, Blue Economy, Women’s
Economic Empowerment, Maritime Safety &
Security etc.
• The members include Australia, Bangladesh,
Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya,
Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique,
Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South
Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab
Emirates, Maldives and Yemen
Indian Ocean Commission (COI):
The COI is an
intergovernmental organisation created in 1984. It
consists of five African Indian Ocean nations:
Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion and
Seychelles.
Hajigak mines
Central Afghanistan- iron ore
ASIA REASSURANCE INITIATIVE ACT (ARIA)
US President has signed ARIA act to counter the threat from China and to reinvigorate US leadership in the Indo-Pacific region.
It aims to establish a multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase U.S. security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The new law mandates actions countering China’s illegal construction and militarization of artificial features in the South China Sea and coercive economic practices.
• ARIA recognizes the vital role of the strategic partnership between the U.S. and India in promoting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and it calls for strengthening diplomatic, economic, and security ties between both the countries.
• It allocates a budget of $1.5 billion over a fiveyear period to enhance cooperation with America’s strategic regional allies in the region.
Rim Of Pacific Multinational Naval Exercise
- The 26th edition of RIMPAC, hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), RIMPAC is the world’s largest set of international maritime war games.
- Theme of RIMPAC 2018 was “Capable, Adaptive, Partners.”
- This is the first time Brazil, Israel, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are participating in RIMPAC.
- Indigenously built stealth frigate, INS Sahyadri, participated in RIMPAC.
- China was absent this year as it was dis-invited from participating by the U.S., citing China’s military actions in the South China Sea.
- The Indian Navy was an observer for the 2006, 2010 and 2012 editions of the exercise
Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR)
Indian Navy recently inaugurated the Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR).
• The Information Fusion Centre (IFC) is a 24/7 regional information sharing centre.
• The IFC has been established at the Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram.
• The IFC-IOR is established with the vision of strengthening maritime security in the region.
• Through this Centre, information on “white shipping”, or commercial non-military shipping, will be exchanged with countries in the region to improve maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean. India has
bilateral white shipping agreements with 36 countries.
Trans Regional Maritime Network
- India has recently signed the ascension agreement to the Trans Regional Maritime Network (T-RMN).
- It facilitates information exchange on the movement of commercial traffic on the high seas.
- The multilateral construct comprises of 30 countries and is steered by Italy.
- It will give the country access to information about ships passing through the Indian Ocean Region, thereby helping to check suspicious and criminal activities and illegal trade across the ocean.
Indian Ocean Conference
The third edition of Indian Ocean Conference was held at Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
The Indian Ocean Conference is initiated by India Foundation along with its partners from Singapore, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
• It is an annual effort to bring together Heads of States/Governments, Ministers, thought Leaders, scholars, diplomats, bureaucrats and practitioners from across the region.
• Two successful editions of the Conference
have been hosted so far in 2016 and 2017 in
Singapore and Sri Lanka respectively
DELHI DIALOGUE X
Recently, India hosted the 10th edition of the Delhi Dialogue with a theme “Strengthening India-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation”.
• It is a premier annual track 1.5 event to discuss politico-security, economic and sociocultural engagement between India & ASEAN.
• It has been held annually since 2009 in partnership with Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS).
New Southern Policy
The new S. Korean government is seeking to
elevate strategic ties with the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on par with
Korea’s four traditional, major diplomatic partners
of the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
• It is a new policy orientation being pursued under
the government’s broader strategy of promoting a
“Northeast Asia Plus Community for Responsibility sharing (NEAPC)”.
• New Southern Policy is one of the 3 parts of NEAPC
which would involve deepening relations with
India as well as the countries of Southeast Asia,
including in the economic realm.
India-Korea
3P Plus- Moon coined a new acronym ‘3P Plus’ for
boosting bilateral ties through cooperation
for people, prosperity and peace.
South Korea would be the second country
after China with whom India would undertake
a joint project in Afghanistan.
• Also, India and South Korea launched an
initiative ‘Korea Plus’, as proposed by Indian
Prime Minister in June 2016 to promote and
facilitate Korean Investments in India
Acquisition and Cross-servicing Agreement
between india and japan.
This agreement, as and when it comes into
effect, would enable Japanese ships to get
fuel and servicing at Indian naval bases
