Important Intenational Institutions, Agencies and Fora
BRICS
| Founded | 2000’s |
| Headquarters | Shanghai ( New Development Bank ) |
| What is it? |
|
| Membership | Founding Members:Brazil, India, Russia, China
Latest Addition – South Africa – 2010 All five are G 20 Members |
| Summits |
Theme : ‘BRICS @ 15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus’ |
IBSA
IBSA- India, Brazil, South, Africa
| Founded | 2003 |
| What is it ? |
|
| Summits |
|
ASEAN
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
| Founded | 1967 |
| Headquarters | Jakarta , Indonesia |
| What is it ? |
|
| Membership | Founding Members(MIST-P):Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia
New Members(CMLV-B): Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia(latest member) |
| India |
|
| Summits |
|
BIMSTEC
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| What is it ? |
The first BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise-2017 (DMEx-2017) was held in New Delhi. |
| Membership | Founding Members(BIST-EC) :Bangaldesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Renamed BIMSTEC in 2004 Summit. |
| Chairman |
|
| Summits |
|
INDIA-MERCOSUR
What is it?
- MERCOSUR is a trading bloc in South America region comprising of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay
- This is modelled on the lines of European Union, and is the fourth largest integrated market after the European Union (EU), North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN)
India- CARICOM
What is CARICOM?
- The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) is a group of 20 developing countries in the Caribbean, that have come together to form an economic and political community that works together to shape policies for the region and encourages economic growth and trade
- Its major activities involve
- coordinating economic policies and development planning
- devising and instituting special projects for the less-developed countries within its jurisdiction
- operating as a regional single market for many of its members (Caricom Single Market); and
- handling regional trade disputes
- The secretariat headquarters is in Georgetown, Guyana.
- CARICOM is an official United Nations Observer beneficiary
- The 15 full-time countries are as follows:
- Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint Kits and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago
- The associate members are Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos
The timeline – CARICOM
UN
Introduction
- The UN Security Council is the premier global body for maintaining International peace and security
- The Security Council, the United Nations’ principal crisis-management body, is empowered to impose binding obligations on the 193 UN member states to maintain peace
- The Security Council, the United Nations’ principal crisis-management body, is empowered to impose binding obligations on the member states to maintain peace
- The council’s five permanent and ten elected members meet regularly to assess threats to international security, including civil wars, natural disasters, arms proliferation, and terrorism
- Structurally, the council remains largely unchanged since its founding in 1946, stirring debate among members about the need for reforms
- Composition of UN Security Council
- The UN Security Council is composed of 15 members, including five permanent member states – China, France, Russian Federation, the United States, and the United Kingdom – and 10 non-permanent member states, which are elected by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
- Ten non-permanent members are elected to the UNSC every year for a two-year term
- The 10 non-permanent seats are distributed among the regions of the world: five seats for African and Asian countries (three are for Africa and two for Asia), one for Eastern European countries, two for Latin American and Caribbean countries, and the remaining two for Western European and other countries.
- The Africa and Asia Pacific group takes turns every two years to put up an Arab candidate
- How does presidency of UNSC rotate?
- Each non-permanent member gets the opportunity to operate as president of the UN Security Council during the two years it is part of the grouping.
- The presidency of UNSC changes hands every month between its members in the English alphabetical order of the member states’ names
- Powers of the UNSC President
- According to the UNSC’s official website, the presidency derives responsibility from the Provisional Rules of Procedure of the United Nations Security Council as well as UNSC’s practice.
- The holder of the presidency is considered to be the ‘face’ and spokesperson of the UNSC.
- Responsibilities of the UNSC president include:
- Calling meetings of the UN Security Council
- Appealing to parties in a conflict to “exercise restraint”
- Reading statements of the UN Security Council to the press
- Approving provisional agenda (proposed by the secretary-general)
- Presiding at UNSC meetings and deciding questions relating to policy and overseeing any crisis
- Veto power of UNSC member states
- The UN defines ‘veto’ as a “special voting power“, which provides that “if any one of the five permanent members cast a negative vote in (UNSC), the resolution or decision would not be approved”.
- However, the “veto power” is restricted to P5 member states of the UN Security Council. Non-permanent members of the UNSC do not enjoy this privilege.
- Article 27 of the UN Charter says each member of the UNSC shall have one vote and that decisions on “procedural matters” shall require no more than the affirmative vote of nine out of the 15 members.
- It is important to note that decisions on any other matter need not only an affirmative vote of nine members but also the concurring votes of the permanent members.
- Composition of UN Security Council
- Roadblocks for India
- China factor
- China is one of the five permanent members of the UNSC and has been using its veto power to block India’s efforts to become a permanent member of the body
- The opposition by China, could be further complimented by India’s assertion with China on Border issues and India’s opposition to China’s Belt & Road Initiative
- India’s firmness to not mend
- Critics argue that India has still not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and also refused to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 1996
- This aspect doesn’t sit well with other Permanent members of UNSC
- Lack of resources for Multi-lateral Diplomacy
- Though India is on firm path of Economic growth, it has been performing poorly in socio-economic indicators like the Human Development Index, which might become a consideration factor
- Further, India still heavily relies on weaponry imports from US and Russia for its military requirements; which questions its abilities to operate beyond the Indo-pacific region
- Veto power contention
- Reforms to improve effectiveness and responsiveness of UN to international security challenges are meaningless without the reform of the UNSC veto power with P5, which enables any one of them to prevent the adoption of any “substantive” draft council resolution, regardless of its level of international support.
- China factor
- Way forward
- India should begin playing an active role, rather than pursuing a policy of silence on most of the issues in international security which UNSC permanent members are often concerned with, from nuclear proliferation in Iran and North Korea, to human rights violations in Syria
- India could also think of aligning its foreign policy on a more coherent note, to better impact its presence in the Geopolitics of the world
- On the whole, a permanent membership to India in UNSC will ensure representation of the developing and underdeveloped world
- Further, India can also significantly contribute to the misuse of veto power and represent the interest of not only India but also the underdeveloped countries and make United Nations a more democratic global governing institute
WHO
Introduction
- The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health
- Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it has six regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide
- The WHO was established on 7 April 1948
- The WHO Constitution states its main objective as “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health”
- The WHO fulfills this objective through its functions as defined in its Constitution:
- To act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work
- To establish and maintain effective collaboration with the United Nations, specialized agencies, governmental health administrations, professional groups and such other organizations as may be deemed appropriate
- To assist Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services
- To furnish appropriate technical assistance and, in emergencies, necessary aid upon the request or acceptance of Governments
- To provide or assist in providing, upon the request of the United Nations, health services and facilities to special groups, such as the peoples of trust territories
- To establish and maintain such administrative and technical services as may be required, including epidemiological and statistical services
- To stimulate and advance work to eradicate epidemic, endemic and other diseases
- To promote, in co-operation with other specialized agencies where necessary, the prevention of accidental injuries
- To promote, in co-operation with other specialized agencies where necessary, the improvement of nutrition, housing, sanitation, recreation, economic or working conditions and other aspects of environmental hygiene
- To promote co-operation among scientific and professional groups which contribute to the advancement of health
- To propose conventions, agreements and regulations, and make recommendations with respect to international health matters and to perform
WTO
Introduction
- The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade between nations.
- It officially commenced operations on 1 January 1995, pursuant to the 1994 Marrakesh Agreement, thus replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that had been established in 1948
- The WTO is the world’s largest international economic organization, with 164 member states representing over 98% of global trade and global GDP
- Also, WTO is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations
- Why WTO replaced GATT?
- There were certain limitations of GATT, like
- It lacked institutional structure. GATT by itself was only the set of rules and multilateral agreements.
- It didn’t cover trade in services, Intellectual Property Rights etc. Its main focus was on Textiles and agriculture sector.
- A strong Dispute Resolution Mechanism was absent.
- By developing countries it was seen as a body meant for promoting interests of wests. This was because Geneva Treaty of 1946, where GATT was signed had no representation from newly independent states and socialist states.
- Under GATT countries failed to curb quantitative restrictions on trade. (Non-Tariff barriers)
- There were certain limitations of GATT, like
G20
Introduction
- The G20 or Group of Twenty is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU)
- The G20 is composed of most of the world’s largest economies, including both industrialized and developing nations, and accounts for around 90% of gross world product (GWP), 75–80% of international trade, two-thirds of the global population, and roughly half the world’s land area
- The G20 was founded in 1999 in response to several world economic crises
- Since 2008, it has convened at least once a year, with summits involving each member’s head of government or state, finance minister, foreign minister, and other high-ranking officials; the EU is represented by the European Commission and the European Central Bank
G7
Introduction
- The Group of Seven (G7) is an inter-governmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- Its members are the world’s largest IMF advanced economies and wealthiest liberal democracies
- As of 2020, the collective group accounts for a little over 50% of global net wealth (which is $418 trillion), 32 to 46 percent of global gross domestic product, and about 770 million people or 10 percent of the world’s population
- Since the start of 2022, Germany has taken over the presidency of the G7
Activities and initiatives
- The G7 was founded primarily to facilitate shared macroeconomic initiatives in response to contemporary economic problems; the first gathering was centred around the 1970s energy crisis, and the ensuing global recession
- Beginning in the 1980s, the G7 broadened its areas of concern to include issues of international security, human rights, and global security
- For example, during this period, the G7 concerned itself with the ongoing Iran-Iraq War and Soviet occupation of Afghanistan
- In the 1990s, it launched a debt-relief program for the 42 heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC)
- At the turn of the 21st century, the G7 began emphasizing engagement with the developing world
- At the 1999 summit, the group helped launch the G20, a similar forum made up of the G7 and the next 13 largest economies (including the European Union), in order to “promote dialogue between major industrial and emerging market countries”
- Following the global financial crisis of 2007–2008, G7 finance ministers pledged to take “all necessary steps” to stem the crisis
- Presently, The G7 has continued to take a strong stance against Russia’s “destabilising behaviour and malign activities” in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
Introduction
- The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament
- Between 1965 and 1968, the treaty was negotiated by the Eighteen Nation Committee on Disarmament, a United Nations-sponsored organization based in Geneva, Switzerland
- But, the treaty entered into force in 1970.
- More countries are parties to the NPT than any other arms limitation and disarmament agreement, a testament to the treaty’s significance
- Four UN member states have never accepted the NPT, three of which possess or are thought to possess nuclear weapons: India, Israel, and Pakistan. In addition, South Sudan, founded in 2011, has not joined.
International Criminal Court
Introduction
- The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that sits in The Hague, Netherlands
- The ICC is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression
- However, the ICC lacks universal territorial jurisdiction and may only investigate and prosecute crimes committed within member states, crimes committed by nationals of member states, or crimes in situations referred to the Court by the United Nations Security Council
- The ICC began operations in 2002, upon the entry into force of the Rome Statute, a multilateral treaty that serves as the court’s foundational and governing document
- The official seat of the Court is in The Hague, Netherlands, but its proceedings may take place anywhere
Key features of ICC
-
- Fair trials
- ICC judges conduct judicial proceedings and ensure the fairness of proceedings
- Independent prosecution
- The Office of the Prosecutor is an independent organ of the Court. The Prosecutor conducts preliminary examinations, investigations and is the only one who can bring cases before the Court
- Defendants’ rights are upheld
- Defendants are entitled to public, fair proceedings that they can follow in a language they fully understand
- Victims’ voices are heard
- Victim’s voices are heard in the Courtroom, as the Rome Statute grants victims unprecedented rights to participate in ICC proceedings
- Participating victims and witnesses are protected
- The ICC has a victim and witness protection programme that uses both operational and procedural protective measures
- Fair trials
World Bank
Introduction
- The World Bank is an international organization dedicated to providing financing, advice, and research to developing nations to aid their economic advancement.
- The bank predominantly acts as an organization that attempts to fight poverty by offering developmental assistance to middle- and low-income countries.
- The World Bank was created in 1944 out of the Bretton Woods Agreement, which was secured under the auspices of the United Nations in the latter days of World War II
- The World Bank are headquartered in Washington, D.C
- Though titled as a bank, the World Bank, is not necessarily a bank in the traditional, chartered meanings of the word.
- The World Bank and its subsidiary groups operate within their own provisions and develop their own proprietary financial assistance products, all with the same goal of serving countries’ capital needs internationally
- Through the years, the World Bank has expanded from a single institution to a group of five unique and cooperative institutional organizations, known as the World Banks or collectively as the World Bank Group; the details of which are as follows:
| World Bank Group | Focus areas & Details |
| The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) | An institution that provides debt financing to governments that are considered middle income |
| International Development Association (IDA) | This is a group that gives interest-free loans to the governments of poor countries. |
| The International Finance Corporation (IFC) | This organization, focuses on the private sector and provides developing countries with investment financing and financial advisory services |
| Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) | This is an organization that promotes foreign direct investments in developing countries |
| International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) | This is an entity that provides arbitration on international investment disputes. |
IMF
Introduction
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C
- Its stated mission is “working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.”
- IMF was formed in 1944, at the Bretton Woods Conference and came into formal existence in 1945 with the goal of reconstructing the International Monetary system
Functions of IMF
- The fund pursues its mission in three fundamental ways:
- Surveillance
- The IMF collects massive amounts of data on national economies, international trade, and the global economy in aggregate.
- The organization also provides regularly updated economic forecasts at the national and international levels.
- These forecasts, published in the World Economic Outlook, are accompanied by lengthy discussions on the effect of fiscal, monetary, and trade policies on growth prospects and financial stability
- Capacity Building
- The IMF provides technical assistance, training, and policy advice to member countries through its capacity building programs
- These programs include training in data collection and analysis, which feed into the IMF’s project of monitoring national and global economies
- Lending
- The fund gives loans to member countries that are struggling to meet their international obligations
- But these loans are provided in return for implementing specific IMF conditions designed to put government finances on a sustainable footing and restore growth
- Known as “structural adjustment,” these policies have included balancing the budget, removing state subsidies, privatizing state enterprises, liberalizing trade and currency policy, and removing barriers to foreign investment and capital flows
- Surveillance
NAM and its relevance
Introduction
- The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
- After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide
- The movement originated in the 1950s as an effort by some countries to avoid the polarized world of the Cold War between the pro-Soviet communist countries belonging to the Warsaw Pact, and the pro-American capitalist countries belonging to NATO
- The principles were agreed at the Bandung Conference in 1955, and the Non-Aligned Movement was established in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia through an initiative of the Indian Prime Minister, Yugoslav President , Egyptian President , Ghanaian President and Indonesian President
- Purpose of the organisation is to ensure “the national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries” in their “struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and all forms of foreign aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony as well as against great power and bloc politics.”
- Principles of NAM
- Respect for fundamental human rights and for the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
- Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations.
- Recognition of the movements for national independence.
- Recognition of the equality of all races and of the equality of all nations, large and small.
- Abstention from intervention or interference in the internal affairs of another country.
- Respect for the right of each nation to defend itself singly or collectively, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations.
- Refraining from acts or threats of aggression or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country.
- Settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations.
- Promotion of mutual interests and co-operation.
- Respect for justice and international obligations
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