Contents — International Relations
USA's Protectionist Measures — Why in the News?
US 'America First' approach — exits/pressure on international institutions; tariff threats to reduce trade deficit.
More on the News
- Exited Paris Agreement (2017) then re-joined (2021); attempted WHO withdrawal (2020 → reversed 2021).
- Tariff war & threats: 2023 US trade deficit ≈ $1.05 trillion — China, Mexico, Canada & EU ~80% of deficit.
- Economic nationalism aims to protect domestic industries and jobs.
Protectionism — Types & Effects
- Tariffs, quotas, subsidies.
- Pros: Protects local MSMEs, employment, prevents dumping.
- Cons: Higher consumer costs, misallocation, less innovation, harms global supply chains.
Minilateralism & Multilateralism (UN Cybercrime Treaty)
UN Cybercrime Treaty adoption marks a revival of multilateral solutions despite rising minis and blocs.
Definitions
- Multilateralism: Broad, rule-based cooperation (UN, IMF, WTO).
- Minilateralism: Flexible, interest-driven small-group cooperation (QUAD, RCEP origins).
Why Minilaterals Rise
- Faster decisions; addresses specific threats or tech issues.
- Can act as building blocks for wider multilateral deals.
Role of Institutions in Climate Negotiations (CoP29)
CoP29 exposed rifts over climate finance — institutions crucial but face legitimacy and finance gaps.
Institutional Roles
- Provide legitimacy, build trust, support Global South implementation, and promote climate justice.
- IPCC and epistemic institutions integrate science into policy.
Challenges & Way Forward
- UNFCCC limitations, unresolved climate justice, inadequate finance mechanisms.
- Use minilateral + inclusive multilateral approaches; strengthen climate finance and accountability.
World Health Organization (WHO) — Why in the News?
US announced withdrawal & paused funds — significant because US is a major WHO contributor.
Key Points
- WHO founded 1948; 194 members; coordinates global health emergencies and UHC goals.
- Funding: assessed contributions < 20% of budget; voluntary contributions dominate.
- Problems: political pressure, slow response criticisms, complex structure & financing vulnerabilities.
Reform & Strengthening
- Transformation Agenda, Three-level operating model, sustainable financing initiatives (2024 investment round).
- WHO Results Framework & supply-chain hub improvements.
Indus Water Treaty (IWT) — Latest
World Bank Neutral Expert backed India's position in dispute over Kishenganga & Ratle hydro projects.
About IWT
- Signed 1960 with World Bank mediation. Eastern rivers → India; Western rivers → Pakistan with specific non-consumptive uses for India.
- Dispute mechanism: Permanent Indus Commission → Neutral Expert → Court of Arbitration.
Challenges & Way Forward
- Pakistan objections to Indian hydropower projects, environmental/climate change concerns, data transparency issues.
- Recommend joint data-sharing, integrated river-basin management, modernisation and possible renegotiation using ERU & No-harm rule.
AUKUS — Brief
Trilateral security pact: Australia, UK, USA — focuses on nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) & critical technologies.
Core Pillars
- Pillar 1: Australia to acquire conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines.
- Pillar 2: Tech cooperation — AI, cyber, quantum, undersea tech.
Significance & Concerns
- Strengthens Indo-Pacific security; complements QUAD but raises nuclear proliferation and regional unease.
- Potential friction with France (submarine deal fallout) and ASEAN responses.
QUAD Grouping — Update
Quad marks key anniversaries and shifts from military focus to broader economic & tech cooperation.
Members & Focus
- India, USA, Japan, Australia — security, climate, tech, health, infrastructure.
- Initiatives: Health Security Partnership, Ports of the Future, Open RAN, Quad Investors Network (QUIN).
Challenges
- Lack of formal structure, unequal burden-sharing, diverging China strategies among members.
Shift in India–Afghanistan Relations
Highest-level meetings since Taliban takeover — India recalibrates engagement for strategic reasons.
Why the Shift?
- To counter Pakistan influence, secure investments, prevent Afghan-based terrorism and maintain access to Central Asia.
- India has ~US$3bn invested across 500+ projects; humanitarian and connectivity considerations matter.
Risks
- Taliban's human-rights record, terrorism risks (ISKP, LeT, JeM), drug trade and increasing Chinese influence.
India–European Union (EU) Relations
High-level meeting produced a roadmap on trade, tech, climate & connectivity.
Significance
- EU: India’s major trading partner; focus on strategic cooperation (trade, climate, tech, reforming multilateral bodies).
- Opportunities: FDI, green cooperation, tech & defense industrial collaboration.
Challenges & Way Forward
- Trade barriers, CBAM concerns, delayed FTA; need for predictable rules, labour standards alignment and green transition cooperation.
India–Indonesia Relations — 75 Years
Recent President of Indonesia’s visit: MoUs on health, maritime security, digital dev, culture & CEPA talks.
Cooperation Areas
- Defence exercises (Garuda Shakti, Samudra Shakti), maritime security, infrastructure & trade (coal, palm oil).
- Connectivity: Sabang port, IMT-GT, cooperation under regional forums.
Challenges
- Slow project timelines, China’s influence, limited direct air connectivity & FTA utilization.
News in Shorts — Quick Bullets
- 60 years of India–Singapore relations — elevated to Comprehensive Partnership (2024).
- Trade: Singapore is India’s 6th largest trade partner (2023-24) with a share of 3.2 % of India’s overall trade. It is India’s largest trade partner in ASEAN (India is net importer). • Multilateral Cooperation: Both are members of forums like East Asia Summit, Commonwealth, IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association), and IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium). • Defence Cooperation: India and Singapore hosts’ military exercises i.e. Exercise Agni Warrior (Army) & SIMBEX (Navy). • Indian Diaspora: Indian origin people constitute 9% of Singapore’s population. o Tamil is one of the four official languages of Singapore.
- Nigeria admitted as BRICS partner country.
- Total members: 10 o Informal grouping formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009, with South Africa added in 2010. o Other Full Members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Indonesia. • Three pillars of Cooperation: Political and Security; Economic and financial; Cultural and people to people exchanges. • Represents ~40% of global population and an estimated 37.3% of global GDP. • India hosted 4th (2012), 8th (2016) and 13th (2021) BRICS Summit.
- US birthright citizenship executive order temporarily blocked — implications for Indian diaspora/H1B workers.
- Definition: Birthright citizenship is a provision under the 14th Amendment (1868) of the US constitution that grants automatic citizenship to anyone born on US soil.
- China approves world’s largest hydropower dam on Brahmaputra — downstream & environmental concerns.
- Location: Lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River (Tibetan name for Brahmaputra) at a huge gorge in the Himalayan reaches where river makes a huge U-turn to flow into Arunachal Pradesh. • Stated Purpose: To support China’s carbon neutrality goals, boost industries, and create jobs in Tibet.
- Pangsau Pass Festival concluded — border trade & cultural exchange in Arunachal.
- About Pangsau Pass • Location: Situated at 3,727 feet (1,136 m) on the Patkai Hills along the India-Myanmar border. • Origin of Name: Named after the nearest Burmese village, Pangsau. • Historical Significance: Believed to be the route of the 13th-century Ahom invasion of Assam by the Shan tribe. • Connectivity: The historic Stilwell Road (Ledo Road) passes through Nampong and the Pangsau Pass into Myanmar.
- Philadelphi Corridor, Gaza ceasefire terms include Israeli withdrawal.
- Corridor was originally established under the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. • It is a narrow strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border, ~14 km long and 100 meters wide. • It serves as a critical border area between the southern Gaza Strip and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. • It runs from the Mediterranean to Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel and was designated as a demilitarised border zone after the withdrawal of Israeli settlements and troops from Gaza in 2005.
- Proposal to rename Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” reported.
- Boundaries: United States (North), Mexico (West and South), Cuba (South-east). • It connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Florida and to the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatán Channel. • Draining Rivers: Mississippi River, Rio Grande • Control and Ownership: Shared by U.S., Mexico, and Cuba • Significance: Large continental shelf, oil and natural gas extraction, fisheries etc. • Vulnerability: Prone to hurricanes and twisters due to warm waters and atmospheric conditions
- Panama Canal geopolitical tensions — US/other actors commentary.
- It is an 82-km (51-mile) artificial waterway that connects Pacific & Atlantic Oceans through Panama. • The canal transports ships through Gatun Lake. • Significance: o It is one of the two most strategic artificial waterways in the world, the other being the Suez Canal. o It shortens the journey of ships between east and west coasts of U.S. by 8,000 miles (around 22 days).
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JANUARY 2025