India Hosted Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction
- The Union government hosted the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) that will be held in New Delhi on November 3-5, 2016 in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
- The conference aims at transforming the commitments of governments and stakeholders during the Sendai Conference into national and local action.
- It will focus on partnership with governments and stakeholders to imbibe the practices in the region’s development narrative.
- This is the first AMCDRR after the advent of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRRR), adopted at the third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan in March, 2015. It will set the direction of Sendai Framework implementation in the region.
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India and Singapore Signed Three Agreements
- India and Singapore on signed three agreements, on October 3, 2016. A Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) was signed in the field of industrial property cooperation.
- Another Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) was signed between Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Education Services (ITEES) and India’s National Skill Development Corporation on collaboration in technical and vocational education and training.
- Another MoU was signed between the Assam government and ITEES Singapore also on collaboration in technical and vocational education and training.
Three Agreements Signed between India and Switzerland
- India and Switzerland signed three agreements including Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement for Holders of Diplomatic Passports, Technical Arrangements on Identification and Return of Illegal Migrants and Arrangement for Dependent Pierson of Diplomatic, Consular, Technical and Administrative Staff of Diplomatic and Consular Mission to Perform Gainful Employment on October 7, 2016.
- A more liberal visa regime for Indian business people, contending that India has been offering multi-year, multiple entry visas to Swiss businesses in a bid to enhance bilateral trade and investment.
- Among the other subjects discussed in the meeting were cooperation in transfer of convicted, sentenced persons and mutual legal assistance treaty in criminal matters that would help in combating terrorism, transnational organised crimes and corruption, including money laundering.
India Ratified Paris Climate Deal at United Nations
- India, the world’s third-largest carbon emitter, ratified the landmark Paris climate deal, giving a major boost to the deal on October 3, 2016.
- The ratification formalises pledges made by each country, including India, to take actions to curb or lower greenhouse gas emissions from 2020 onwards and try to keep the rise in average global temperature below 2° Celsius and to strive for 1.5° Celsius.
- India, the world’s third biggest carbon emitter after China and the USA which are responsible for around 40% of the global carbon emissions, accounts for 4.1% of global emissions.
- The pact will come into force after it has been ratified by at least 55 countries which account for 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With India’s move, a total of 62 countries accounting for almost 52% of emissions have now ratified the accord.
