November 2020 International Affairs

Sakshi Education

When is the World Television Day observed?
Every year, the world celebrates World Television Day on November 21 to recognize the importance of visual media.

The first World Television Forum was celebrated on 21st November in 1996 and the day later came to be known as World Television Day.

Television is a symbol of communication and globalization.

It can educate, inform, entertain and influence our decisions and opinions.

Since its invention, TV has undergone several changes from colour TV to smart TV, and several upgrades over the years have impacted the consumers’ lives.

The television brought forth an opportunity for people to have access to entertainment.

It gives humans the opportunity to consume and feel information.

With the advent of television, people felt that they were part of the same universe and similar to each other.

Not only that, TV has also become a way of socializing.

In every family, people gather in front of the screen to watch their favorite shows.

When they watch shows and movies, a sense of representation surpasses them.
132 countries attend 4th Global meet on criminal finances
The 4th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies was held virtually. The Conference was organised by Interpol, Europol and the Basel Institute on Governance.

The annual Conference is an initiative of the Working Group on Cryptocurrencies and Money Laundering established in 2016 by the three organisations.

To strengthen knowledge, expertise and best practices for investigations into financial crimes and intelligence on virtual assets and cryptocurrencies.

Over 2,000 representatives from 132 countries attended the Conference. Representatives from Law enforcement agencies, Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), International organisations and the private sector etc. participated.

They met virtually to shape international cross-sector solutions against the criminal use of cryptocurrencies, exploring criminal flows and operations in the dark markets, ransomware and sextortion, money laundering involving virtual assets, and the transfer of drug proceeds using cryptocurrencies.

The conference served as an opportunity to underline the need for countries and jurisdictions to increase the exchange of tactical information and best practices.

A multi-agency and multidisciplinary approach involving both the private and public sectors is a key to tackling criminal finances and the misuse of cryptocurrencies.

By combining the expertise and data on financial crime held by the private sector with the investigative capabilities of law enforcement, collective capabilities can be enhanced.
US CDC releases first blueprint for initial vaccine allocation
America's top public health agency - the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released its first blueprint of a four-pronged ethical basis which will determine how the coronavirus vaccine could be released to reach more than 261 million people who fall into the category of essential workers.

A high-powered Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices responsible for making vaccine recommendations while supply is limited laid out four principles that will guide allocation: Maximise benefits and minimise harms; Promote justice; Mitigate health inequities; Promote transparency.

The current planning scenario estimates that in the first weeks spanning December and January, only about 20 million doses might be available.
US President-elect Joe Biden announces key figures for his cabinet
US President-elect Joe Biden has announced key figures for his cabinet, picking longtime foreign policy advisor Antony Blinken to be his secretary of state and former US chief diplomat John Kerry as his special climate envoy.

Mr Biden also nominated the Cuba-born lawyer Alejandro Mayorkas, to lead the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration.

He picked Avril Haines, the former deputy CIA director, as his director of national intelligence, the first woman to ever hold that position.

Mr Biden also said that long-time diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield will be nominated to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations, with status as a cabinet member.

Jake Sullivan, who was a security aide to Mr Biden when he was vice president, was appointed White House national security advisor.

All are veterans of the former 2009-2017 Obama-Biden administration and deeply experienced in their fields.
When is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women observed
International Day For The Elimination of Violence Against Women this year assumes great significance amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During the unprecedented lockdown, countries across the world have reported increased cases of domestic violence. Women's organizations and rights bodies are pushing governments to take measures to protect young girls and women caught in the cycle of violence. International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is a United Nations designated day observed every year on November 25.

The 2020 campaign theme is 'FUND, RESPOND, PREVENT, COLLECT'. Like every year, '16 Days of Activism' against Gender-Based Violence (GVB) campaign starts today and ends on December 10. The UN Women is working closely with violence survivors, activists, all the stakeholders and people from every walk of life to fund, reach-out and respond faster.

International Day For The Elimination of Violence Against Women: How You Can Help
"Listen to and believe survivors"

"Do say: We hear you. We believe you. We stand with you."

"Teach the next generation and learn from them"

"Learn the signs of abuse and how you can help"

"Take a stand by calling it out when you see it: catcalling, inappropriate sexual comments and sexist jokes are never okay"

"It's important to remember that when discussing cases of sexual violence, a victim's sobriety, clothes, and sexuality are irrelevant"

"Fund women's organizations"
Scotland first in the world to make sanitary products free
Scotland made sanitary products free to all women, becoming the first nation in the world to take such a step against “period poverty”.

“Period poverty” refers to the prevalent phenomena of being unable to afford products such as pads, tampons, or liners to manage menstrual bleeding.

With 1 in 5 girls missing school due to lack of menstrual products, period poverty is an important, yet often ignored, public health crisis.

The measure makes tampons and sanitary pads available at designated public places such as community centres, youth clubs and pharmacies, at an estimated annual cost to taxpayers of 24 million pounds ($32 million U.S.).

In 2018, Scotland became the first country to provide free sanitary products in schools, colleges and universities.
India to host summit of SCO council of heads of government on November 30
India will host the 19th Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 30th November. The first such high-level meeting of the eight-member grouping to be organized by New Delhi after its admission to the bloc in 2017.

The 18th meeting of SCO’s Heads of Government Council held at Tashkent in November 2020. India was represented by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the summit in Tashkent.

The leaders will hold in-depth discussion and exchange on deepening SCO cooperation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is expected that they will build more consensus on cooperation and measures to seek greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation and national development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives.

Measures to enhance trade, economic, investment, connectivity, production capacity, culture and people to people cooperation, push national economic recovery will also be discussed.
Dubai gets Arab Gulf's first, and perhaps last, coal power plant
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to become the first Arab Gulf country to generate electricity from coal with an aim to turn to cleaner fuels. Most of the electricity stations in Dubai run on gas.

Dubai is starting up the $3.4 billion Hassyan coal plant, with capacity being increased from an initial 600 megawatts (MW) to 2,400 by 2023.

Coal will be supplied by Japan’s Jera Co. under a long-term agreement with Acwa Power of Saudi Arabia, which is developing the plant.

The standards for pollution will be based on guidelines for natural-gas plants set by the European Union and the World Bank’s International Finance Corp.

In this region, Oman launched a tender for a coal project at Duqm in 2018, but it was later shelved.
When is International Day for Tolerance observed?
International Day for Tolerance is celebrated on November 16 by the UNESCO and several other international organizations.

The day is celebrated to increase awareness about importance of tolerance in the society. It also aims to increase awareness among people about the negative effects of intolerance.

According to UNESCO, tolerance is an attribute that helps people to live together peacefully. According to the 1995 Declaration of Principles of Tolerance by UNESCO, tolerance is acceptance, respect and appreciation of world cultures and ways of being Human. This is the basic theme of 2020 International Day for Tolerance as well.

The Madan Jeet Singh Prize is being awarded by UNESCO every year for the promotion of tolerance and nonviolence. The prize is awarded on International Day for Tolerance. The winner of the prize is presented with prize money of hundred thousand USD.

The year 1995 was celebrated by the UNESCO as the United Nation Year for Tolerance. This was in connection with the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi ji. The celebrations of the year 1995 were funded by MadanJeet Singh.
UAE to extend ‘golden’ visa’s eligibility criteria
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved the issuance of a 10-year golden card visa for more professionals, including PhD holders, physicians, engineers as well as graduates from certain universities.

Golden Visa is citizenship by investment or residency by investment program. It is directed to wealthy foreign nationals who want to acquire residency in a certain country by investing a substantial amount of money or by purchasing a property.

UAE grants 10-year residency to these visa holders and their families.

All holders of doctorate degrees, medical doctors and computer, electronics, programming, electrical and biotechnology engineers.

Those with specialised degrees in artificial intelligence (AI), big data and epidemiology, as well as high school students living in the UAE who rank top in the country and students from certain universities with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.8 or higher.

It would attract more Indian professionals and businessmen to the Gulf nation and strengthen the India-UAE Relations.

The Indian expatriate community is reportedly the largest ethnic community in the UAE, constituting roughly about 30% of the country's population, which has played a major role in the economic development of the UAE.

It will also facilitate the return of Indians who want to resume work after the relaxation of Covid-19-related restrictions, for which India had requested the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in early November 2020.
When is the World Toilet Day observed?
World Toilet Day is the United Nations Day of Remembrance, which aims to celebrate toilets and raise awareness of the 4.2 billion people who do not have safe sanitation facilities.

World Toilet Day involves taking action to respond to the global health crisis and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

The theme of World Toilet Day 2020: Sustainable Sanitation and Climate Change. 2013 is the first official World Toilet Day.

One-third of the people on this planet still cannot use clean and safe toilets; 1,000 children die every day due to poor sanitation; better sanitation can improve nutrition and health, especially for women and children In terms of.

In India, Jal Shakti (Jal Shakti) Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) led the "Swachi Bharat Mission-Glayen (SBMG)" commemorative event to improve people’s safety Awareness of sanitation and promotion of the major contributions of various regions to Swachhata.
UN launches new Food Coalition
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has formally launched the Food Coalition, an international coalition to address COVID-19 impact on food systems and agriculture worldwide.

Food Coalition was first proposed by Italy and its establishment was first announced by the United Nations in June. As of now, at least 30 countries have joined the international movement.

The UN's Food Coalition is a voluntary multi-stakeholder and multi-sector alliance that will support innovative initiatives to ensure global food access to prevent potential food crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Food Coalition means facing the COVID-19 pandemic together to avoid this health crisis becoming a food crisis.

As per FAO Director General QU Dongyu, the intent of Food Coalition is to help countries prevent the health crisis from becoming a food security crisis, through the mobilization of public opinion, technical skills, resources & promotion of innovation.
ASEAN, Australia to jointly combat illicit tobacco
Customs officials from ASEAN and Australia agreed to promote joint forces to tackle illicit tobacco issues in the region through strengthened collaboration.

The agreement took place during a virtual workshop on 3-5 November hosted by the Australian Border Force (ABF) and supported by the Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation..

This is the first ever joint Task Force operation conducted by ASEAN and a Dialogue Partner.

Illicit tobacco poses a major economic issue in the region. In the past more than 50% of cigarettes in the market are illicit, causing billions of dollars of loss in revenue.

Organised crime networks are known to use many different methods to smuggle illicit tobacco across borders.

The proceeds from illicit tobacco are known to fund other illegal activities, harming communities in the region.

Tobacco smuggling is detected through mail, air cargo and sea cargo, and even carried in large personal shipments by passengers. There are also examples of bulk movements of illicit tobacco in containerised cargo moving throughout the region. Strengthened cooperation between customs authorities across ASEAN and Australia aims to tackle the issue.

The Task Force will commence its works in 2021.
Bahrain Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa Died
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on the passing away of Bahrain Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

The world's longest serving prime minister, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain died at the age of 84. Prince Khalifa, who took office after Bahrain gained independence in 1971, had been receiving treatment at a hospital in the US, the state media said. He was an uncle to the Bahraini King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa.

A week-long official mourning has been declared, and flags will be flown at half-mast. Government ministries and departments will be closed for three days starting tomorrow morning.
Hong Kong disqualifies four pro-democracy lawmakers
Hong Kong disqualified four pro-democracy lawmakers of their seats immediately after China allowed the city’s executive to expel legislators, deemed a threat to national security.

The disqualification came after China’s top legislature decided earlier during the day, to allow for immediate disqualification of Hong Kong legislators who endanger national security, seek the city’s independence or seek foreign interference, as reported by China’s official News Agency. The decision also applies to those running for the Hong Kong legislature or serving as its members in the future, in case of the occurrence of the above-mentioned circumstances.

Following the decision of the Standing Committee of 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, the Hong Kong government announced the disqualification of four assembly members who had previously been barred from running for re-election as authorities deemed their pledge of allegiance to Hong Kong was not sincere.

The inability of Hong Kong to elect their leaders and lawmakers has been at the heart of swelling opposition to Beijing’s rule. Anti-government protests have grown since June 30, when Beijing imposed national security legislation on the city.

China denies curbing rights and freedoms in the global financial hub, but authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing moved swiftly to contain anti-government protests erupted in June last year.
Armenia, Azerbaijan sign Russia brokered peace deal
Armenia and Azerbaijan have signed an agreement to end military conflict over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The peace deal, which was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan came into effect last night.

Under the deal, Azerbaijan will hold on to areas of Nagorno-Karabakh that it has taken during the conflict. Armenia has also agreed to withdraw from several other adjacent areas over the next few weeks.

Armenian Prime Minister described the deal incredibly painful for him and the people of the country. The new ceasefire agreement prompted anger in Armenia, as protesters stormed the parliament, beating up the speaker and reportedly looting the prime minister's office.

During a televised online address, Russian President said that Russian peacekeepers will be deployed to patrol the front line. Russia's defence ministry confirmed that 1,960 personnel will be involved.

Part of their role will be to guard the "Lachin corridor", which links the Karabakh capital, Stepanakert, to Armenia.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s party confirmed winner in Myanmar election
The governing party of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has won enough parliamentary seats to form the next government, official results showed on Friday, in a poll disputed by the military-aligned opposition and criticised by rights groups.

According to the latest batch of results from Sunday’s vote, Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) has secured the 322 seats in the bicameral legislature needed to form a government.

The NLD has taken 346 seats of the 412 seats that have been declared, with results from 64 more yet to be announced. The governing party declared earlier this week that its own tallies showed it had won a landslide victory.

Myanmar suffered nearly 50 years of isolation and decay under strict military rule, and Aung San Suu Kyi herself spent many years under house arrest before the generals began to loosen their hold on power and the first elections were held in 2011.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Aung San SuuKyi and her party National League for Democracy (NLD) for Victory in election in Myanmar.

The successful conduct of polls is another step in the ongoing democratic transition in Myanmar.
India asks Pakistan to vacate from Gilgit Baltistan
India asks Pakistan to immediately vacate from the Indian territory of Gilgit Baltistan.

Pakistan government announced that it has decided to grant the “provisional-provincial status” to Gilgit-Baltistan, a part of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, illegally occupied by Pakistan in 1947.

The Government of India firmly rejects the attempt by Pakistan to bring material changes to a part of Indian Territory, under its illegal and forcible occupation.

Instead of seeking to alter the status of these Indian territories, Indian government calls upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation.

Indian government reiterated that the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including “Gilgit-Baltistan”, are an integral part of India by virtue of the legal, complete and irrevocable accession of Jammu and Kashmir to the Union of India in 1947.

India voiced that the Pakistan government has “no locus stand on territories illegally and forcibly occupied” by it.

Pakistan's move comes after India ended the special status granted to J&K under Article 370 and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.

Over the last year, Pakistan has knocked on many doors including the United Nations and several international groupings, but its complaints have not been heard. Barring China, most nations have agreed that it it is an internal matter of India.

Saudi Arabia, had removed Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan from the Pakistan map on its new banknote after India asked it to take urgent corrective steps.
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
The United Nations marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2.

This year, the day is celebrated under the theme: Protect Journalists, Protect the Truth.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2 November as the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’ in General Assembly.

The Resolution urged Member States to implement definite measures countering the present culture of impunity.

The date was chosen in commemoration of the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on 2 November 2013.

This landmark resolution condemns all attacks and violence against journalists and media workers.

It also urges Member States to do their utmost to prevent violence against journalists and media workers, to ensure accountability, bring to justice perpetrators of crimes against journalists and media workers, and ensure that victims have access to appropriate remedies.

It further calls upon States to promote a safe and enabling environment for journalists to perform their work independently and without undue interference.
Bangladesh, US launch joint naval exercise ‘CARAT Bangladesh 2020’
The Bangladesh and US navies launched the ‘Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Bangladesh 2020’ to expand relationships and broaden maritime awareness between the two countries.

CARAT 2020 underscores the shared vision of US and Bangladesh for a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and secure Indo-Pacific region.

The exercise demonstrates U.S.’s continuing commitment to work with the Bangladesh military to address shared maritime security concerns in the region and strengthen partnership to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

US navy stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Bangladesh in its commitment to a free and open maritime common.

The CARAT exercises involve people to people interactions and a variety of professional exchanges.

The sea-phase of the exercise will take place in the Bay of Bengal with ships from both countries.

The events are designed to enhance interoperability between the two navies. U.S.

U.S. and Bangladesh will work through coordinated deployment of surface ships, to include tactical maneuvers among other activities.