PIB ANALYSIS FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAM 2019
Topics Covered
- Nine Point Agenda Suggested By India to G-20 for Action Against Fugitive Economic Offences And Asset Recovery- FATF, UNCAC, UNTOC
- Russia-India-China Trilateral
- Kimberley process
- International Admiral’s cup Regatta
- Facts for Prelims
1 . Nine Point Agenda Suggested By India to G-20 for Action Against Fugitive Economic Offences And Asset Recovery, FATF, UNTAC, UNTOC
Nine Point Agenda Suggested By India to G-20 for Action Against Fugitive Economic Offences And Asset Recovery
Syllabus
Prelims – About G 20, FATF, UNCAC, UNTOC
General Studies 2 Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate
9 point Agenda Suggested by India
- Strong and active cooperation across G-20 countries to deal comprehensively and efficiently with the menace fugitive economic offenders.
- Cooperation in the legal processes such as effective freezing of the proceeds of crime; early return of the offenders and efficient repatriation of the proceeds of crime should be enhanced and streamlined.
- Joint effort by G-20 countries to form a mechanism that denies entry and safe havens to all fugitive economic offenders.
- Principles of United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), especially related to “International Cooperation” should be fully and effectively implemented.
- FATF should be called upon to assign priority and focus to establishing international co-operation that leads to timely and comprehensive exchange of information between the competent authorities and FIUs.
- FATF should be tasked to formulate a standard definition of fugitive economic offenders.
- FATF should also develop a set of commonly agreed and standardized procedures related to identification, extradition and judicial proceedings for dealing with fugitive economic offenders to provide guidance and assistance to G-20 countries, subject to their domestic law.
- Common platform should be set up for sharing experiences and best practices including successful cases of extradition, gaps in existing systems of extradition and legal assistance, etc.
- G-20 Forum should consider initiating work on locating properties of economic offenders who have a tax debt in the country of their residence for its recovery.
About FATF
- The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 by the Ministers of its Member jurisdictions.
- The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
- The FATF is therefore a “policy-making body” which works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas.
- The FATF has developed a series of Recommendations that are recognised as the international standard for combating of money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
- They form the basis for a co-ordinated response to these threats to the integrity of the financial system and help ensure a level playing field.
- The FATF’s decision making body, the FATF Plenary, meets three times per year.
- India is a member of FATF
About United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) & United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC)
- The United Nations Convention against Corruption is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument. The Convention’s far-reaching approach and the mandatory character of many of its provisions make it a unique tool for developing a comprehensive response to a global problem. The vast majority of United Nations Member States are parties to the Convention. The Convention covers five main areas: preventive measures, criminalization and law enforcement, international cooperation, asset recovery, and technical assistance and information exchange. The Convention covers many different forms of corruption, such as bribery, trading in influence, abuse of functions, and various acts of corruption in the private sector.
- The UNTOC Convention is the first comprehensive and global legally binding instrument to fight transnational organized crime. States that have ratified UNTOC commit themselves to taking a series of measures to prevent and control transnational organized crime, including (i) the criminalising of the participation in an organized criminal group, of money laundering, related corruption and obstruction of justice and (ii) the adoption of frameworks for extradition, mutual legal assistance and international cooperation.
- UNTOC has 3 protocols – 1) The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children 2) The Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air 3) The Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition
- In 2011 the Indian Government ratified both the UN Conventions
2 . Russia-India-China Trilateral
Russia-India-China Trilateral
Syllabus
General Studies 2 – Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
Prelims – About SCO, BRICS, East Asia Summit
About the Release
- Prime Minister Modi, President Vladimir V Putin of Russian Federation and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China, held a Trilateral Meeting in Buenos Aires.
- The three leaders exchanged views on expanding mutual cooperation in international forums, and to encourage greater interaction among the three countries.
- They agreed on the importance of reform and strengthening of multilateral institutions which have benefitted the world, including the United Nations, WTO and well-established as well as new global financial institutions.
- They underscored the benefits of a multilateral trading system and an open world economy for global growth and prosperity.
- The three leaders also agreed to have regular consultations at all levels to jointly promote international and regional peace and stability, to strengthen cooperation through BRICS, SCO and EAS mechanisms, to address global challenges such as terrorism and climate change, and to encourage peaceful resolution of all differences.
- The three leaders acknowledged the importance of cooperation in RIC format and have agreed to hold further such trilateral meetings on multilateral occasions.
3 . Kimberley Process
India to Chair Kimberley Process from 1st January 2019
Syllabus
Prelims
About the Release
- EU handed over the Chairmanship of KPCS to India from 1st January, 2019.
What is Kimberley Process
- The Kimberley Process is an international certification scheme that regulates trade in rough diamonds. It aims to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds, while helping to protect legitimate trade in rough diamonds.
- The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) outlines the rules that govern the trade in rough diamonds.
- The KPCS has developed a set of minimum requirements that each participant must meet.
- The KP is not, strictly speaking, an international organisation: it has no permanent offices or permanent staff. It relies on the contributions – under the principle of ‘burden-sharing’ – of participants, supported by industry and civil society observers.
- Neither can the KP be considered as an international agreement from a legal perspective, as it is implemented through the national legislations of its participants.
- India is the founding member of KPCS and is actively involved in KP activities to ensure that almost 99% of the diamond trade in the world is conflict free
4 . International Admiral’s Cup Regatta
Ninth edition of International Admiral’s Cup Regatta 2018 scheduled at Indian Naval Academy
Syllabus
Prelims
About Admiral’s cup Regatta
- The Indian Navy instituted the ‘Admiral’s Cup Regatta’ as a ‘Fleet Race’ in a single crew Olympic class ‘Laser Radial’ sail boat in 2010 with eight foreign Naval Academies participating.
- The ninth edition of the Admiral’s Cup Regatta, the prestigious international military sailing event hosted annually by Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala will be conducted at Ettikulum Bay from 02 December to 06 December 2018. The Regatta will witness participation by teams from 31 foreign Naval Academies competing in the Laser (Radial) class of sail boats.
5 . Facts for Prelims
- Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)