Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
It consists of the 21 coastal states (including India) bordering the Indian Ocean and 7 Dialogue Partners.The IORA is a regional forum, tripartite in nature, bringing together representatives of Government, Business and Academia, for promoting co-operation and closer interaction among them. It is based on the principles of Open Regionalism for strengthening Economic Cooperation particularly on Trade Facilitation and Investment, Promotion as well as Social Development of the region. It was established in 1997.
Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM)
The Bangladesh-India-China-Myanmar Corridor envisages a network of modern road, railway, port and communication and trade connectivities in a region stretching from Kolkata to Kunming in South China.
Mekong-Ganga Cooperation
It consists of the six countries India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to promote cultural, tourism, educational and transport linkages for future trade and investment. It was established in 2000.
Bay of Bengal Initiative of Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
It consists of seven countries - India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Formed in 1997, the BIMSTEC was the first Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) of India involving diverse stake-holders like academia, business-men apart from Government executives.
South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC)
It was formed in 1985. It consists of eight countries in South Asia - India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan. The South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) was formed in the 12th SAARC Summit in 2004.
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
It is a geo-political and economic organisation consisting of ten countries in South East Asia. It has the motto of "One Vision, One Identity, One Community". It was formed in 1967. It has been further integrated into ASEAN Plus Three by adding China, Japan and South Korea. The East Asia Summit (EAS) was a further expansion including India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and US into the ASEAN Plus Three thus comprising of a total of 18 nations. The ASEAN Economic Community generally referred to as "AEC 2015" was established in Kuala Lumpur in 2015.
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
This includes ASEAN plus 6 observer nations i.e. Australia, New Zealand, India, China, South Korea and Japan. Unlike the East Asia Summit, the U.S is absent in this grouping which promotes free trade in East Asia.
Shanghai Co-operation Organisation
It is a Eurasian political, economic, and military organisation which founded in Shanghai in 2001. There are six members - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan. The 2015 Summit decided to include India and Pakistan as full-time members of the organisation.
BRICS
It is an association of five major emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The grouping was originally known as "BRIC" before the controversial inclusion of South Africa in 2010. India is going to host the BRICS conference in Goa in 2016.The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a multilateral development bank operated by the BRICS states. The bank's primary focus of lending will be infrastructure projects. Apart from this, the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is a framework for providing protection against global liquidity pressures.
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
It is an international financial institution that aims to support the building of infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region. The bank was proposed as an initiative by the government of China and has 57 Prospective Founding Member (PFM) States including India. It was brought as an alternative to the Japan dominated Asian Development Bank (ADB). The capital of the bank is $100 billion and China is the largest share-holder.
Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC)
It was founded in 1989 and comprises of 21 nations that borders the Pacific Ocean. The aim is to promote free trade in the Asia-Pacific region. The APEC is dominated by countries like US, Australia and Canada while ASEAN countries dominates the other major group East Asia Summit.
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
It is a trade agreement among 12 countries bordering the Pacific.It was created as part of the initiative of U.S. Apart from U.S the major member-countries are Canada, Mexico, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and most recently, Japan. Significantly China is not a member of TPP.
Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)
It is a trade and investment partnership between the Atlantic rim countries. It include the U.S and the European Union and accounts for half of the world's GDP and 30% of global trade in goods and services.
European Union (EU)
It is a politico-economic union of 28 member states (Britain is still a member) that are located primarily in Europe. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital within the internal market. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is considered to be the de facto capital of the EU. A monetary union called Eurozone was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002, and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency. The EU traces its origins from the European Economic Community (EEC) formed by the Inner Six countries (Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) in 1958 as part of the Treaty of Rome. The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union in 1993 and introduced European citizenship. The latest major amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU, the Treaty of Lisbon, came into force in 2009.
Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC)
It is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf, except for Iraq. It was formed in 1981. Its member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. All member states are monarchies, including three constitutional monarchies (Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain),two absolute monarchies (Saudi Arabia and Oman), and one federal monarchy (the United Arab Emirates, composed of seven member states, each with its own emir). Collectively, GCC countries possess almost half of the world's oil reserves.
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
It is a permanent, intergovernmental Organization, created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960. There are 14 member countries that account for 43 percent of global oil production and 73 percent of the world's "proven" oil reserves, giving OPEC a major influence on global oil prices. Saudi Arabia is the de-facto head of the group. It is head-quartered in Vienna, Austria. Gabon that had terminated its membership has rejoined the organisation in 2016.
Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
It is an economic union of states located primarily in North Eurasia. It was established in 2015 and consists of members like Russia, Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Belarus. It is a Russian headed initiative to contain the impact of the European Union.
African Union (AU)
The AU comprises of 54 countries in the African continent. Morocco is the only UN member nation that is not a member of AU. The main aim is the economic integration of Africa. It was formed in 2001, from the earlier Organisation of African Unity (OAU) that was founded in 1963 in Ethiopia with the major aim of ending the colonial and white-minority rule in Angola, Mozambique, South Africa and other nations.
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
It is an intergovernmental organization of low-lying coastal and small island countries established in 1990. The main purpose of the alliance is to consolidate the voices of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to address global warming. AOSIS has a membership of 44 states.
These are autonomous organizations working with the United Nations. The United Nations Economic and Social Council acts as the coordinating machinery. The important among them are:
1. World Bank Group
It was formed in 1945 with a mission to achieve the twin goals of ending extreme poverty and building shared prosperity. It is the largest and most famous development bank in the world and is an observer at the United Nations Development Group. It comprises of the following organisations.
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) - It is one among the Brettonwood Twins (the other being IMF). It gives low interest loans to middle-income and credit-worthy low income countries.
International Development Association (IDA) - It gives interest free loans to poor countries
International Finance Corporation (IFC) - It is the source of loan and equity financing for private sector projects in the developing world.
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) - It encourages foreign investment in developing countries by offering insurance to private investors against loss caused by non-commercial risks like war, political turmoil etc.
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) - It is the invsetment dispute settlement body.
India is a member to all groups except the ICSID.
2. International Monetary Fund
It was founded in 1945 at Brettonwoods with the IBRD and is head-quartered in Washington DC. The objectives are to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability and provide assistance for BoP problems. It provides short-term loans to member countries. The voting power in the IMF is based on a quota system. Each member has a number of basic votes plus one additional vote for each Special Drawing Right (SDR) of 100,000 of a member country's quota.The Special Drawing Right is the unit of account of the IMF and represents a claim to currency. It is based on a basket of key international currencies - US Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen and Pound Sterling.
3. World Health Organisation
It is concerned with international public health. It was established in 1948, headquartered in Geneva. Its current priorities include combating communicable diseases, in particular HIV/AIDS, Ebola, malaria and tuberculosis
4. UN Economic Scientific and Cultural Organisation
It was formed in 1945 and is head-quartered in Paris. UNESCO pursues its objectives through five major programs: education, natural sciences, social/human sciences, culture and communication/information. The concept of World Heritage Sites was popularised by it.
5. International Labour Organisation
It is the tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 that brings together governments, employers and workers representatives of 187 member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. It is head-quartered at Geneva.
6. Food & Agricultural Organisation
It is an agency that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information, and helps developing countries and countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices, ensuring good nutrition and food security for all. It was created in 1945 and is head-quartered in Rome.
7. World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
It was created in 1967 and is head-quartered in Geneva. Its mission is to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world.
8. International Telecom Union (ITU)
It is the international agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs. They allocate global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develop the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strive to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities. It was formed in 1865 and is head-quartered in Geneva.
1. UN Development Programme (UNDP)
The status of UNDP is that of an executive board within the United Nations General Assembly. It was formed in 1965 and is head-quartered in New York city. UNDP advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. It publishes the Human Development Report annually. It is also behind the system of Millennium Development Goals and Post-2015 Development Agenda.
2. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
It is also known as the UN Refugee Agency. It is mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country. It was formed in 1950 and is head-quartered in Geneva.
3. UN Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
It is a United Nations program headquartered in New York City that provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. It was formed in 1946
4. UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
It was formerly known as the UN Fund for Population Activities. It is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. It was formed in 1969 and is head-quartered in New York city.
5. UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
UNCTAD was formed in 1964 and is head-quartered in Geneva. Its mandate is to maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis. The UNCTAD was developed as an alternative to West dominated trade organisations like the IMF, World Bank and WTO. It is associated with the idea of New International Economic Order (NIEO). Its efforts have been significant in realising the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) that allows duty free entry of goods from the developing world to the developed nations.
6. UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
It was formed during the Stockholm Conference in 1972. It has been working as the nodal agency for environment related issues. It is head-quartered in Nairobi, Kenya
7. UN-Women
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, is a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women. It was formed in 2010 and is head-quartered in New York city.
Multilateral Export Control Regimes
It is an international body that control the export of weapons or dual use goods to other countries
1. Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
NSG is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. It was formed in the aftermath of India's nuclear test in 1974. It currently has 48 members. India is not a member to NSG.
2. Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)
It is an informal and 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. India became a member of MTCR in 2016.
3. Wassenaar Arrangement
It is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies. There are 41 participating states including many former COMECON (Warsaw Pact) countries. The agreement promoted transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing destabilizing accumulations.It was formed in 1996.
4. Australia Group
It was formed in 1985 for control of chemical and biological technology that could be weaponized. Chemical weapons were used by Iraq in 1984.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, 1968
It 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. It divides the countries into Nuclear Weapon States (US, UK, China, France and Russia) and Nuclear Non Weapon States. The latter should allow inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure that the nuclear sources are not used for military purposes. India, Pakistan, Israel and South Sudan have not signed the treaty while North Korea has withdrawn from it.
Nuclear Weapon Free Zones (NWFZ)
It was formed as an alternative to NPT, under UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). Under this system, group of nations agree among themselves from refraining the use, development or deployment of nuclear weapons in a given area. There are five such zones across the world. Another term Nuclear Free Zone are areas that have banned both nuclear power and nuclear weapons.
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, 1996
It aims to prohibit all tests and explosions, but not all 44 countries that have nuclear reactors (Annex II nations) has ratified this treaty. This includes China and United States. On the other hand India, Pakistan and North Korea have not signed it. This treaty is yet to enter into force.
It consists of the 21 coastal states (including India) bordering the Indian Ocean and 7 Dialogue Partners.The IORA is a regional forum, tripartite in nature, bringing together representatives of Government, Business and Academia, for promoting co-operation and closer interaction among them. It is based on the principles of Open Regionalism for strengthening Economic Cooperation particularly on Trade Facilitation and Investment, Promotion as well as Social Development of the region. It was established in 1997.
Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM)
The Bangladesh-India-China-Myanmar Corridor envisages a network of modern road, railway, port and communication and trade connectivities in a region stretching from Kolkata to Kunming in South China.
Mekong-Ganga Cooperation
It consists of the six countries India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to promote cultural, tourism, educational and transport linkages for future trade and investment. It was established in 2000.
Bay of Bengal Initiative of Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
It consists of seven countries - India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Formed in 1997, the BIMSTEC was the first Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) of India involving diverse stake-holders like academia, business-men apart from Government executives.
South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC)
It was formed in 1985. It consists of eight countries in South Asia - India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan. The South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) was formed in the 12th SAARC Summit in 2004.
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
It is a geo-political and economic organisation consisting of ten countries in South East Asia. It has the motto of "One Vision, One Identity, One Community". It was formed in 1967. It has been further integrated into ASEAN Plus Three by adding China, Japan and South Korea. The East Asia Summit (EAS) was a further expansion including India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and US into the ASEAN Plus Three thus comprising of a total of 18 nations. The ASEAN Economic Community generally referred to as "AEC 2015" was established in Kuala Lumpur in 2015.
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
This includes ASEAN plus 6 observer nations i.e. Australia, New Zealand, India, China, South Korea and Japan. Unlike the East Asia Summit, the U.S is absent in this grouping which promotes free trade in East Asia.
Shanghai Co-operation Organisation
It is a Eurasian political, economic, and military organisation which founded in Shanghai in 2001. There are six members - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan. The 2015 Summit decided to include India and Pakistan as full-time members of the organisation.
It is an association of five major emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The grouping was originally known as "BRIC" before the controversial inclusion of South Africa in 2010. India is going to host the BRICS conference in Goa in 2016.The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a multilateral development bank operated by the BRICS states. The bank's primary focus of lending will be infrastructure projects. Apart from this, the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is a framework for providing protection against global liquidity pressures.
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
It is an international financial institution that aims to support the building of infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region. The bank was proposed as an initiative by the government of China and has 57 Prospective Founding Member (PFM) States including India. It was brought as an alternative to the Japan dominated Asian Development Bank (ADB). The capital of the bank is $100 billion and China is the largest share-holder.
Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC)
It was founded in 1989 and comprises of 21 nations that borders the Pacific Ocean. The aim is to promote free trade in the Asia-Pacific region. The APEC is dominated by countries like US, Australia and Canada while ASEAN countries dominates the other major group East Asia Summit.
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
It is a trade agreement among 12 countries bordering the Pacific.It was created as part of the initiative of U.S. Apart from U.S the major member-countries are Canada, Mexico, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and most recently, Japan. Significantly China is not a member of TPP.
Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)
It is a trade and investment partnership between the Atlantic rim countries. It include the U.S and the European Union and accounts for half of the world's GDP and 30% of global trade in goods and services.
European Union (EU)
It is a politico-economic union of 28 member states (Britain is still a member) that are located primarily in Europe. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital within the internal market. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is considered to be the de facto capital of the EU. A monetary union called Eurozone was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002, and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency. The EU traces its origins from the European Economic Community (EEC) formed by the Inner Six countries (Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) in 1958 as part of the Treaty of Rome. The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union in 1993 and introduced European citizenship. The latest major amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU, the Treaty of Lisbon, came into force in 2009.
Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC)
It is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf, except for Iraq. It was formed in 1981. Its member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. All member states are monarchies, including three constitutional monarchies (Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain),two absolute monarchies (Saudi Arabia and Oman), and one federal monarchy (the United Arab Emirates, composed of seven member states, each with its own emir). Collectively, GCC countries possess almost half of the world's oil reserves.
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
It is a permanent, intergovernmental Organization, created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960. There are 14 member countries that account for 43 percent of global oil production and 73 percent of the world's "proven" oil reserves, giving OPEC a major influence on global oil prices. Saudi Arabia is the de-facto head of the group. It is head-quartered in Vienna, Austria. Gabon that had terminated its membership has rejoined the organisation in 2016.
Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
It is an economic union of states located primarily in North Eurasia. It was established in 2015 and consists of members like Russia, Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Belarus. It is a Russian headed initiative to contain the impact of the European Union.
African Union (AU)
The AU comprises of 54 countries in the African continent. Morocco is the only UN member nation that is not a member of AU. The main aim is the economic integration of Africa. It was formed in 2001, from the earlier Organisation of African Unity (OAU) that was founded in 1963 in Ethiopia with the major aim of ending the colonial and white-minority rule in Angola, Mozambique, South Africa and other nations.
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
It is an intergovernmental organization of low-lying coastal and small island countries established in 1990. The main purpose of the alliance is to consolidate the voices of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to address global warming. AOSIS has a membership of 44 states.
International UN agencies
1. World Bank Group
It was formed in 1945 with a mission to achieve the twin goals of ending extreme poverty and building shared prosperity. It is the largest and most famous development bank in the world and is an observer at the United Nations Development Group. It comprises of the following organisations.
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) - It is one among the Brettonwood Twins (the other being IMF). It gives low interest loans to middle-income and credit-worthy low income countries.
International Development Association (IDA) - It gives interest free loans to poor countries
International Finance Corporation (IFC) - It is the source of loan and equity financing for private sector projects in the developing world.
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) - It encourages foreign investment in developing countries by offering insurance to private investors against loss caused by non-commercial risks like war, political turmoil etc.
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) - It is the invsetment dispute settlement body.
India is a member to all groups except the ICSID.
2. International Monetary Fund
It was founded in 1945 at Brettonwoods with the IBRD and is head-quartered in Washington DC. The objectives are to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability and provide assistance for BoP problems. It provides short-term loans to member countries. The voting power in the IMF is based on a quota system. Each member has a number of basic votes plus one additional vote for each Special Drawing Right (SDR) of 100,000 of a member country's quota.The Special Drawing Right is the unit of account of the IMF and represents a claim to currency. It is based on a basket of key international currencies - US Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen and Pound Sterling.
It is concerned with international public health. It was established in 1948, headquartered in Geneva. Its current priorities include combating communicable diseases, in particular HIV/AIDS, Ebola, malaria and tuberculosis
4. UN Economic Scientific and Cultural Organisation
It was formed in 1945 and is head-quartered in Paris. UNESCO pursues its objectives through five major programs: education, natural sciences, social/human sciences, culture and communication/information. The concept of World Heritage Sites was popularised by it.
5. International Labour Organisation
It is the tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 that brings together governments, employers and workers representatives of 187 member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. It is head-quartered at Geneva.
6. Food & Agricultural Organisation
It is an agency that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information, and helps developing countries and countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices, ensuring good nutrition and food security for all. It was created in 1945 and is head-quartered in Rome.
7. World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
It was created in 1967 and is head-quartered in Geneva. Its mission is to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world.
8. International Telecom Union (ITU)
It is the international agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs. They allocate global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develop the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strive to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities. It was formed in 1865 and is head-quartered in Geneva.
Important UN Programmes and Funds
The status of UNDP is that of an executive board within the United Nations General Assembly. It was formed in 1965 and is head-quartered in New York city. UNDP advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. It publishes the Human Development Report annually. It is also behind the system of Millennium Development Goals and Post-2015 Development Agenda.
2. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
It is also known as the UN Refugee Agency. It is mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country. It was formed in 1950 and is head-quartered in Geneva.
3. UN Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
It is a United Nations program headquartered in New York City that provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. It was formed in 1946
4. UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
It was formerly known as the UN Fund for Population Activities. It is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. It was formed in 1969 and is head-quartered in New York city.
5. UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
UNCTAD was formed in 1964 and is head-quartered in Geneva. Its mandate is to maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis. The UNCTAD was developed as an alternative to West dominated trade organisations like the IMF, World Bank and WTO. It is associated with the idea of New International Economic Order (NIEO). Its efforts have been significant in realising the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) that allows duty free entry of goods from the developing world to the developed nations.
6. UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
It was formed during the Stockholm Conference in 1972. It has been working as the nodal agency for environment related issues. It is head-quartered in Nairobi, Kenya
7. UN-Women
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, is a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women. It was formed in 2010 and is head-quartered in New York city.
Agreements/treaties related to arms control
It is an international body that control the export of weapons or dual use goods to other countries
1. Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
NSG is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. It was formed in the aftermath of India's nuclear test in 1974. It currently has 48 members. India is not a member to NSG.
2. Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)
It is an informal and 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. India became a member of MTCR in 2016.
3. Wassenaar Arrangement
It is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies. There are 41 participating states including many former COMECON (Warsaw Pact) countries. The agreement promoted transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing destabilizing accumulations.It was formed in 1996.
4. Australia Group
It was formed in 1985 for control of chemical and biological technology that could be weaponized. Chemical weapons were used by Iraq in 1984.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, 1968
It 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. It divides the countries into Nuclear Weapon States (US, UK, China, France and Russia) and Nuclear Non Weapon States. The latter should allow inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure that the nuclear sources are not used for military purposes. India, Pakistan, Israel and South Sudan have not signed the treaty while North Korea has withdrawn from it.
Nuclear Weapon Free Zones (NWFZ)
It was formed as an alternative to NPT, under UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). Under this system, group of nations agree among themselves from refraining the use, development or deployment of nuclear weapons in a given area. There are five such zones across the world. Another term Nuclear Free Zone are areas that have banned both nuclear power and nuclear weapons.
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, 1996
It aims to prohibit all tests and explosions, but not all 44 countries that have nuclear reactors (Annex II nations) has ratified this treaty. This includes China and United States. On the other hand India, Pakistan and North Korea have not signed it. This treaty is yet to enter into force.
Excellent sir. Really helpfull
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