1. 10th National Science Film Festival of India (NSFFI) will be organised in ________________ in January - February 2020, to raise awareness about science and environment through films.
2. 14th meeting of Conference of Parties to Basel Convention (BC COP-14), 9th meeting of Conference of Parties to Rotterdam Convention (RC COP-9) and 9th meeting of Conference of Parties to Stockholm Convention (SC COP-9) held in Geneva (_________________________________). Theme of meeting was Clean Planet, Healthy People: Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste.
- 187 Member Nations, except USA, amended 1989 Basel Convention to include plastic waste in Basel Convention, a decision that aims to protect environment and human health from the damaging effects of harmful chemicals and waste.
- The meeting also undertook to eliminate two toxic chemical groups namely Dicofol (organochlorine pesticide) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (or PFOA, also known as C8, is a man-made chemical), and other related compounds.
- Basel Convention
- Basel Convention on Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known as the Basel Convention, is an international treaty that was designed to reduce movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs). It was signed in 1989.
- Rotterdam Convention
- It is also known as Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.
- The aim is to promote shared responsibilities and cooperative efforts in international trade of certain hazardous chemicals. Till now, it has 161 member nations and 72 signatories to this treaty.
- Stockholm Convention
- It is also known as Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
- It is an international treaty and the objective of the treaty is to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Till now, 182 parties and 152 signatories to the treaty.
3. 2nd Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Mass Media Forum held at Bishkek (________________). It aims to strengthen exchange and cooperation in field of mass media amongst SCO countries.
4. 6th Session of biennial Global Platform for (DDR) Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2019) held in Geneva, ____________________. Theme was ‘Resilience Dividend: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Societies’. Indian delegation was headed by P.K. Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to PM.
- The agenda of the session is to represent next key opportunity for the international community to enhance the implementation of Sendai Framework, related Sustainable Development Goals of 2030 Agenda, and commitments of Paris Climate Agreement.
- For FY 2020, India is chosen as Co-chair of Consultative Group (CG) of Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). India had expressed its interest to co-chair the meet, at 5th session of GFDRR in October 2018.
- GFDRR is a global partnership that helps developing countries to better understand climate change, the natural calamities and decrease their effects.
5. ____________ session of World Health Organisation (WHO)'s World Health Assembly held in Geneva (Switzerland), with theme Universal Health Coverage: Leaving no one behind -
- WHO appointed four new goodwill ambassadors for promoting global health - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (former President of Liberia), Cynthia Germanotaa (President of “Born This Way Foundation”), Alisson Becker (Brazilian Footballer), Natalia Loewe Becker (doctor from Brazil).
- Member states seek to cut snakebite deaths and disability by 50% by 2030. World Health Assembly member states voted to officially establish April 14 as World Chagas Day.
- WHO declared excessive Digital gaming as a disorder, along with burn-out Condittion. These are placed in 11th revision of International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11).
6. ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus Maritime Security Field Training Exercise (MS FTX) held in South China Sea at RSS Singapura in ________________. ADMM-Plus comprises total 18 nation 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and others (US, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Russia, China, and India).
7. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) organised a meeting of Regional Heads of Customs Administration of Asia Pacific Region of World Customs Organisation (WCO) in Kochi (________________). India currently holds seat of Vice Chairperson of Asia Pacific region (assumed in July 2018) for 2 year period.
- WCO was established in 1952 as Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) and in 1994 it adopted its current name World Customs Organisation (WCO).It is headquartered in Brussels (in Belgium).
8. _____________________ hosted a Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC) in Beijing. As part of CDAC, Chinese Ministry of Education and UNESCO organized a parallel panel on “Safeguarding the Diversity of Asian Civilizations“. Theme: for CDAC is “exchanges and mutual learning among Asian civilizations and a community with a shared future”.
9. G7’s (Group of Seven) Environment Ministers Meet Held in Metz (_________________), to discuss on steps required to handle deforestation, plastic pollution, depletion of coral reefs.
- Along with G7 Nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US), meet was also attended by delegations from European Union, Chile, Egypt, Fiji Islands, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Niger, and Norway.
- Further, India will also attend G-7 nations meet to be organised by France in Biarritz in August 2019. India has been invited by France. Delegaions from Australia, Chile, and South Africa will also join.
10. IBSA (India, Brazil & South Africa) Sherpas’ Meeting and 9th IBSA Trilateral Ministerial Meeting held in Cochin (____________).
11. India hosted a World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial meeting of developing countries in ________________.
- Participants Also included 6 Least Developed Countries - Benin, Bangladesh, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Uganda, Malawi. Sixteen developing countries also attended the Meet.
- Its an effort to bring developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on one platform and to share common concerns on various issues.
- WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference will be held in Kazakhstan in June 2020.
12. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Meet of Council of Foreign Ministers held in __________________ capital Bishkek. It was Attended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on India's Behalf.
13. UN General Assembly will hold its 2020 high-level Ocean conference in June in _______________, to support sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. It aims at UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
