NAMASKAR! A warm welcome to 'World News: an Indian perspective on All India Radio.I am ABHINEET SHUKLA and with me is nitya francobringing glimpses of the major developments of the day from across the globe. Over the next half an hour, we shall bring to you the latest from the world of politics, economy, sports, entertainment and more.

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THE HEADLINES:

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sends wishes to Bangladesh's President elect Mohammed Shahbuddin, says he will be a pillar to improved engagements between both the nations.

• Defence Industry cooperation is an important focus area between India and Bangladesh, says High commissioner Pranay Verma.

• India summons the Swiss Ambassador and raises concerns over anti-India posters in Geneva.

• United Nations signs the first High Seas Treaty to bring around 30% of the world's waters under increased protection.

• In Cricket, UP warriors won by 3 wickets against Gujarat giants on the second day of Womens' Premier League.

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PM-BANGLA-PRESIDENT

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated President Elect of Bangladesh Mohammed Shahabuddin on his election as President of Bangladesh. In a letter sent to President Elect Mohammed Shahabuddin, Prime Minister Modi recalled his contribution as a freedom fighter and experience as a jurist, saying, it will contribute a great value to this high office.

Calling the relationship between India and Bangladesh as firmly rooted in shared sacrifices, Prime Minister Modi said that this relationship has been nurtured by the vibrant culture and people to people ties between the two countries. He further said that as a close friend of Bangladesh, India remains steadfast in its commitment to further deepen the multifaceted partnership for the benefit of the people of both the countries.

Prime Minister Modi in his letter to President Elect Mohammed Shahabuddin expressed confidence that ‘under your leadership, our engagement will grow from strength to strength’.

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INDO-BANGLA

High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Pranay Verma has said that defence industry cooperation between India and Bangladesh is an emerging focus area of partnership between the two countries. Addressing a Seminar on Indian Defence Equipment (SIDE) in Dhaka on Sunday, High Commissioner Verma highlighted the accomplishments of the Indian defence industry over the last nearly a decade driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’.

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UN-HIGH SEA TREATY

The United Nations inked the first ‘High Seas Treaty’ in a bid to protect the oceans bodies of the world that lie outside the national boundaries and form almost two-third of the world's oceans. The treaty is an outcome of a decade of talks for this environmental concern.The agreement was reached on Saturday evening, after 38 hours of talks, at UN headquarters in New York. The previous negotiations failed to conclude due to the disagreements on funding and fishing rights.The last international agreement on ocean protection was signed 40 years ago in 1982 - the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The UN High Seas Treaty now brings 30% of the world's oceans into protected domain, puts more money into marine conservation and sets new rules for mining at sea.

Previously these water bodies were open for fishing, shipping and to conduct researches and only about 1% of these waters also known as high seas were under protection which left the marine lives in these waters at high risk of exploitation from threats including climate change, overfishing and shipping traffic.

As per the red data book of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), nearly 10% marine species, were found to be at risk of extinction. Further, the IUCN estimates that 41% of the threatened species are also affected by climate change.

The High Seas Treaty now places 30% of the world's international waters into protected areas (MPAs) by 2030.The treaty aims to protect against potential impacts like deep sea mining.

This is the process of collecting minerals from the ocean bed. The treaty amongst other things will put a restriction on how much fishing can be done int he high seas.

According to the International Seabed Authority that oversees licensing any future activity in the deep seabed will be subject to strict environmental regulations and oversight to ensure that they are carried out sustainably and responsibly.

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BHUPENDER- RAISINA

India's Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has said that India’s climate policy is directed towards sustainable development and poverty eradication, while striving continuously to decouple emissions from growth and achieve energy efficiency across sectors.

Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi on the issue of ‘The Next Step for Climate Smart Policies’, on Sunday he said as we enter the third year of the United Nation Critical Decade of Action, with just seven years remaining to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals. Mr. Yadav stressed that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drafting and ensuring execution of Climate Smart Policies has taken centre stage in India. He said Climate Smart Policies are a very Indian way of life, the term Sustainable Development may be new. However, the concept is knitted into Indian ethos.

The Minister said that India’s G20 Presidency intends to bring an integrated, comprehensive and consensus driven approach to address climate change and pursue sustainable growth.

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A BIRDS'EYE VIEW OF G20 EVENTS AND RECAP

The upcoming week offers a series of events in Hyderabad. Focus will be on the Second meeting on the global partnership for financial inclusion under the Finance track. Also in the limelight is the CIVIL20 inception meeting scheduled in Nagpur towards the end of this month.

G20-GLOBAL SOUTH CONFERENCE

Hyderabad is hosting a meeting on the theme of KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE EXCHANGE PROGRAMME FOR THE EMERGING ECONOMIES OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH from 4th - 6th March. It will provide a platform to discuss ways to accelerate development in the Global South. The  inaugural session of the event that opened on 4 March was themed on 'India & The Global South: A Vision for a Shared Future' . It was  addressed by  G20India Chief Coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

Addressing the the second meeting of the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) at HICC in Hyderabad on Sunday, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Union Ministry of Finance Ajay Seth said the theme  "One World, One Family, One Future” and that one future cannot be crafted without voicing the concerns of the emerging world. In recent years, the G20 has helped the world navigate through multiple shocks and continues to provide guidance on global economic coordination. India intends to further build upon it to make it even more relevant, especially for the Global South. He said India’s G-20 Presidency is thus an opportunity as well as a responsibility to encourage collective solutions and rebuild trust in multilateralism. India has always stood for a greater role of developing countries in determining our common future, he added.

CIVIL20

C20, an official engagement group of G20 is a platform for civil society organizations. The inception meeting of Civil20 will be held  in Nagpur from 20th to 22nd of March. About 60 representatives of  G-20 countries and 250 representatives of various civil society organizations in India and invited countries will participate in this conference.

The Chairman of Indian Cultural Council Relation-ICCR  and Patron of C-20 Secretariat  Dr. Vinay Sahastrabuddhe said that this will be an opportunity for various civil engagement groups to express their views on the global stage through C-20. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, India's Sherpa for G-20 Dr. Amitabh Kant, will be prominently present in the inaugural session, which will be held under the chairmanship of social and spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi. The tagline of C20 is #Youarethelight, the flame of hope, self-motivation and selfless service which is in perfect sync with India's G20 vision of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - One Earth One Family One Future.

As a prelude to its Inception meeting a few weeks later, the C20 is actively organising events and seminars to create awareness among the masses.

Celebrating International Women's Week, the CIVIL20 has planned a C20 Chaupal awareness program with young & adolescents cisgender women, and transwomen on 'Winning with HIV: Challenges and Lessons Learnt in HIV Care for Women' on March 6th. Also as a part of the CIVIL20 engagements,  Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture will hold a webinar on Diversity, Inclusion and Mutual Respect in association with C20 on 7th March.  

Youth Dreamers Foundation held a C20 Chaupal for women and adolescent girls on their rights and career opportunities in Mohali, Punjab on March 4.

Indian Social Responsibility Network organised a seminar in association with C20 on Contribution of Civil Societies in G20 at Arya Kanya Degree College, Prayagraj on March 3.

The chief guests of the event were Justice AR Masoodi & Justice Ajay Bhanot from Allahabad HC and Lucknow HC respectively alongwith DC, Prayagraj Vijay Vishwas Pant, Dean of DU Balram Padi and Dr Ashutosh Mishra, OSD, Delhi School of Public Policy.

These and many other events are being planned and held to bring up the social issues that are often left ignored or sidelined.

The C20 Summit will be held in Jaipur, Rajasthan on 30-31 July.

A Recap of the events and activities of the past week under  India's G-20 presidency. The past week was marked by a series of landmark events. However the spotlight was on the Foreign Ministers Meeting and the first meeting of the anti corruption working group. The G20 women's  inception meeting was another attraction.

W20- G20 MEETING

A 2 day long W20 inception meeting was organised in Chatrapati Sambhajinagar in Aurangabad in western Indian state of Maharashtra during 26 -27 February. The focus was on Women in Entrepreneurship, Women Leadership at Grassroots, Bridging the Gender Digital Divide, Education and Skill Development and Women and Girls as change makers in Climate Resilience Action.

Two more rounds of inception meetings will be held at Jaipur in Rajasthan during  13th-14th April and at the W-20 Summit in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu on 15th-16th June.

G20 ANTI-CORRUPTION WGM

Another major event this week was the first Anti-Corruption working group meeting of G20 nations in Gurugram, in the north-Indian state of Haryana during March 1-3. This is the first ACWG meeting which will be followed up at Rishikesh from 25th to 27th May for the second ACWG meeting and at Kolkata from 9th to 11th August for the third ACWG meeting.

A side event was also held on the theme of Leveraging Information and Communications Technology for combating corruption in Public Sector.

G20 FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEET

The big story this week was the meeting of G-20 Foreign Ministers in New Delhi during 1st-2nd March. The leaders discussed global challenges including climate change, food and energy insecurity, and global supply chain disruptions. The Chair's Summary and Outcome Document of the meeting was released at the end of the deliberations. Focus was on issues like strengthening multilateralism, ambitious climate and environmental action, deepening cooperation on sustainable development, counter-terrorism, and disaster risk reduction.The Foreign Ministers called for urgent action to  tackle climate change and implement the Paris Agreement.

External Affairs Minister of India, Dr S Jaishankar held a media briefing on 2nd march after the Foreign minister's Meet in New Delhi. He noted that for the first time, G20 Foreign Ministers discussed the topic of counter-narcotics and called for inclusive and strong international cooperation in this regard.

QUAD MINISTERS'  MEET

On the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meet, the Quad foreign ministers met in New Delhi on 3rd March. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong attended the meeting. They called for lasting peace in Ukraine and  underlined respect for territorial sovereignty and integrity.

The Quad Foreign Ministers said they will work closely to align and complement Quad’s agenda with Japan’s Presidency of the G7, India’s Presidency of the G20 and the United States’ APEC host year in 2023. 

G20 RANCHI

The G20 conference on Materials for Sustainable Energy was held in Ranchi during 2nd-3rd  March. The delegates urged the need to work together and solve the energy challenges to achieve carbon emission net-zero goals for environment protection and sustainability.

As a follow-up of this  Conference, three more RIIG events will be held in Dibrugarh in Assam, Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh and Diu . The themes will be ‘Circular-bio-economy’, ‘Eco-Innovations for Energy Transition’ and ‘Scientific Challenges and Opportunities towards Achieving a Sustainable Blue Economy’ respectively.

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NAVAL CONFERENCE

The first edition of the Naval Commanders' Conference of 2023  will commence on Monday.

The Conference serves as a platform for Naval Commanders to discuss important security issues at the military-strategic level as well as to interact with senior government functionaries through an institutionalised forum.The first phase of the Commanders' Conference is being held at sea, and for the first-time, onboard India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.

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L20-AMRITSAR

The first Labour 20 (L20) meeting  is scheduled to be held in Punjab's Amritsar from 19 th to 20th of this month. L20 comprises leaders and representatives of trade union centers of G20 countries. They provide analysis and policy recommendations aimed at addressing labor-related issues. Apart from the meeting, the participants of L20 meet would be taken to various excursion sites to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Amritsar.

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BRAHMOS

Indian Navy carried out a successful precision strike by ship launched BrahMos missile in the Arabian Sea on Sunday. It was done with indigenous seeker and booster designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In a tweet, the Indian Navy said that the successful test has reinforced its commitment towards Aatma Nirbharta. The missile test was carried out from a Kolkata-class guided missile destroyer warship.

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HOTSPOT

In today's Hotspot Section, we bring you a Discussion on Raisina Dialogue.

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INDIA-SWISS GOVT

India called in the Swiss ambassador and raised the issue of unfounded and malicious anti-India posters in front of the United Nations building in Switzerland’s Geneva on Sunday. Sources said that the Swiss Ambassador assured Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Sanjay Verma that he would convey India's concerns to Berne with all the seriousness it deserves. The Swiss Ambassador also clarified that the posters in Geneva are part of space provided to all, and it neither endorses the claims nor reflects the position of the Swiss Government.

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KUWAIT PM

Kuwait's crown prince re-appointed Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah as prime minister asking him to nominate a cabinet on Sunday, according to the state news agency KUNA. This comes more than a month after the government resigned due to increased tensions with the parliament.

This long-running standoff between the government and the elected parliament has derailed efforts of fiscal reforms, including a debt law allowing Kuwait to tap international markets.

Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who is also overseeing the ruling emir's duties, nominated Sheikh Ahmed thereby dissolving the parliament and called for early polls.

Although Kuwait bans political parties but has given its legislature more influence than similar bodies in other Gulf monarchies.

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NEW WPL

In the second match of Women's Premier League (WPL) Delhi Capitals (DC)  defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 60 runs at  Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.

In the other match, at Dr DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai. UP Warriorz won by 3 wicket against Gujarat giants.

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A QUICK LOOK AT THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sends wishes to Bangladesh's President elect Mohammed Shahbuddin, says he will be a pillar to improved engagements between both the nations.

• Defence Industry cooperation is an important focus area between India and Bangladesh, says High commissioner Pranay Verma.

• India summons the Swiss Ambassador and raises concerns over anti-India posters in Geneva.

• United Nations signs the first High Seas Treaty to bring around 30% of the world's waters under increased protection.

• In Cricket, UP warriors won by 3 wickets against Gujarat giants on the second day of Womens' Premier League.

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