ASEAN Future Forum

Recently External Affairs Minister of India participated in the First ASEAN Future Forum virtually.

• ASEAN Future Forum acts as a platform for ASEAN and its partners to share new ideas and policy recommendations.
• The ASEAN Future Forum aims to become an annual multi-stakeholder, track 1.5 dialogue platform for open and constructive dialogues on the future of ASEAN.
• The objectives of ASEAN Future Forum includes:
  • Foster meaningful discussions among diverse stakeholders about ASEAN's future.
  • Create practical policy recommendations for ASEAN leaders.
  • Support ASEAN's long-term goals while upholding its values.
  • Build trust and cooperation among ASEAN members and external partners.
  • Enhance ASEAN's ability to handle complex regional and global challenges.
• The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 is a one-day conference organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam under the patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam.
• High-ranking officials from ASEAN Member States, including government leaders, policymakers, experts, and ASEAN's external partners, can participate in the event.
• Theme of the first forum is ‘Toward fast and sustainable growth of a people-centered ASEAN Community’.

Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)

PM recently addressed the 6th edition of International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

• The CDRI is a global partnership that aims to promote the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks, thereby ensuring sustainable development.
• The global partnership includes national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, academic and knowledge institutions.
• The Mission of the CDRI shall be to support countries to upgrade their systems to ensure disaster and climate resilience of existing and future infrastructure.
• The CDRI supports the achievement of goals and targets enshrined in the:
  • Sustainable Development Goals,
  • The Paris Climate Agreement,
  • The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and
  • The UN Agenda 2030 principles.
• The Secretariat of the CDRI is located in New Delhi, India.
• The governance arrangements for the Secretariat shall comprise three principal bodies, namely:
  1. The Governing Council
  2. The Executive Committee
  3. The Secretariat
• The Governing Council shall be the highest policy-making body of the CDRI.
• It shall comprise all members of the Coalition.
• The members of the Governing Council shall be nominated by the governments of member countries, multilateral organizations, and other stakeholders.
• They are elected in a manner such that at least two-thirds of the members of the Governing Council represent national governments.
• The Governing Council shall be co-chaired by representatives of two national governments.
• India is the permanent co-chair of the Governing Council.
• The other co-chair shall be nominated by rotation by the members of the Governing Council, every two years.
• The Executive Committee shall be the managerial body of the CDRI that oversees the implementation of the decisions of the Governing Council.
• The Executive Committee members shall provide multi-disciplinary operational guidance to the work of the CDRI.
• The Executive committee shall be co-chaired by two members on a rotational basis for up to two years.
• The Secretariat of the CDRI shall be headed by a Director-General appointed by the Governing Council.
• The CDRI Secretariat shall maintain two funds, in which the members can make financial contributions to either or both funds. The two funds are:
  1. Secretariat Fund
  2. Trust Fund
• The Secretariat Fund shall cover the core operating costs of the Secretariat. The CDRI Secretariat shall develop a Financial Sustainability Plan for the Secretariat Fund.
• The Trust Fund shall be an international and multi-donor trust fund used to fund the CDRI programmes.
• It shall be governed by the Secretariat on behalf of the Executive Committee and be managed by a Trust Fund manager to be selected through an open call from among appropriate UN and multi-lateral agencies.
• The CDRI may establish a Partnership Framework to enable multi-stakeholder engagement.
• This shall be financed by members and other stakeholders with external funds, which may be leveraged by the funds of the Secretariat as appropriate.
• The members nations are:

Article 39(b)

Recently a nine-judge panel of the Supreme Court initiated proceeding to interpret Article 39(b) of the Constitution.

• Article 39(b) – It states that the state shall direct its policies to secure that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are distributed as best to sub serve the common good.
• Article 39(b) of the Indian Constitution is a Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP).
• This provision embodies the principle of distributive justice, emphasizing the equitable distribution of wealth, resources, and opportunities among all sections of society.
• The interpretation of Article 39(b) has been subject to judicial scrutiny and debate over the years.
• Various landmark cases, such as the Ranganatha Reddy case (1977), Sanjeev Coke case (1983) and Mafatlal Industries case (1997), have contributed to shaping the understanding of this provision.
• In Ranganatha Reddy case (1977), the Supreme Court clarified that private property doesn't fall under this category.
• However, a dissenting view by Justice Krishna Iyer and a subsequent 1983 judgement muddied the waters by suggesting otherwise.

Earth Day

• Every year, April 22 is observed as Earth Day, an international event celebrated around the world to pledge support for environmental protection.
• Earth Day was first observed in 1970 when 20 million took to the streets to protest against environmental degradation.
• The event was triggered by the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill and other issues such as smog and polluted rivers.
• Earth Day aims to build the world’s largest environmental movement to drive transformative change for people and the planet.
• The movement’s mission is “to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.”
• The landmark Paris Agreement, which brings almost 200 countries together to set a common target to reduce global greenhouse emissions, was signed on Earth Day 2016.
• In 2009, the United Nations designated Earth Day as International Mother Earth Day.
• The theme of Earth Day 2024 is ‘Planet vs. Plastics’.
• The theme highlights the threat plastics pose to the planet and human health. It calls for an end to all plastic waste by demanding a 60% reduction in the production of plastics by the year 2040.
• This day also recognises a collective responsibility, as called for in the 1992 Rio Declaration.
• It also provides an opportunity to raise public awareness around the world of the challenges regarding the well-being of the planet and all the life it supports.

Artemis Accords

Recently Sweden became the 38th country to sign the Artemis Accords.

• The Artemis Accords are a series of non-binding arrangements aimed at setting down norms to be followed in outer space.
• The Artemis Accords were initially announced by NASA and the US Department of State in 2020 and it now has 38 signatories, including India and Japan.
• China is not a signatory to this accords.
• It provides for the implementation of key obligations from the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and reinforces commitment to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement.
• Currently, the United States, India and Japan are the only leading spacefaring nations to sign the accords.
• To know more about the Artemis Accords click here .