Summits & Meetings - Current Affairs for October, 2015

3rd India-Africa Forum Summit kicked off in New Delhi on 26th October 2015 with a meeting among the senior officials of the host nation and 54 countries from the African continent.This marks the first time all 54 African nations will be meeting outside the content with 40 heads of state expected to attend. Two previous summits were held in 2008 and 2011.

This meeting focused on acceleration of progress towards sustainable and effective coverage of maternal and newborn interventions at a massive scale. This is the forum for meeting the healthcare needs of mothers and newborns. This meeting was attended by policymakers, researchers and policymakers from 50 nations including India. This conference was convened by USAID in collaboration with UNFPA and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Standing in solidarity with Indian authors protesting against rising intolerance in the nation, PEN International has urged the government to provide better protection to persons and safeguard free speech. A statement to this effect was issued by delegates of 73 nations participating in the 81st Congress of Pen International in Quebec City, Canada. PEN International president John Ralston Saul has also composed a letter to the Indian PM, President and Sahitya Akademi to protect the rights of everyone including artists and authors.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Sh. P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated the International Civil Helicopters Conclave 2015 in New Delhi on 16th October 2015.

The establishment of heli-hubs in NE and hilly regions was stressed during the conclave. Regional connectivity and religious tourism through helicopter rides was also focused on. Conclave marks 30th anniversary of Pawan Hans Limited and a corporate logo and coffee table book of this company was released on this day, apart from the launch of an exhibition on Safety Management System, Multi Mission Utility and Regional Air Connectivity.

India-Maldives Joint Commission was co-chaired by MEA minister Sushma Swaraj and Maldivian foreign minister Dunya Maumoon. It assessed the entire range of bilateral relations including economic security and cultural aspects apart from focusing on the growing policy alignment between two countries as seen in India’s Neighbours First and Maldives India First policies.

It was under the 1986 Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation that India-Maldives Joint Commission first met in Male in 1990. The Framework Agreement for Cooperation was signed in November 2011.

Annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the IMF were held between 9th and 11th October 2015 in Lima, the capital of Peru. Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley led as India’s Governor on Board of Governors of IMF and World Bank leading the Indian delegation including RBI governor and Chief Economic Advisor. Key issues of discussion included shareholding review of WB and the role of both WB and IMF to support SDGs.

Summit was organised by the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) from 5 October to 7 October 2015 in New Delhi. The summit aims to create collaborations and capacity building in the healthcare sector.

The meeting was attended by Union Ministers from Ministries of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation; Railways; Rural Development; Civil Aviation; Petroleum & Natural Gas, Environment, Forests & Climate Change; and Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog, besides Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Goa, and State Ministers/ Port Ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha and Tamil Nadu and chaired by Union Minister for transport, road and shipping.The National Sagarmala Apex Committee provides overall policy guidance and high level coordination, approves and reviews various aspects of planning and implementation of the National Perspective Plan. The project itself aims for port led development through focus on port modernisation and industrial development.

Leaders’s Summit on Peacekeeping was held at New York in the US at the UN HQ on the margins of the high level debate of UNGA. It was attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and leaders of more than 50 nations including India. Leaders of these countries reviewed current operations of 125,000 strong UN peacekeeping force UN Peacekeeping has an annual average budget of USD 8.2 billion and is involved in 12 missions across 4 continents. India is the largest contributor to the mission.

17th All-India Government Whips Conference was held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh from 29 to 30 September 2015 presided by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs M. Venkaiah Naidu. This conference was attended by close to 179 whips from numerous state assemblies, legislative councils and houses of the Parliament. The conference discussed aspects like MPLAD scheme fund utilisation and releasing of more funds to MPs. At the time of the conference, it was decided MP salaries and allowances will be reviewed after 5 years and a 3 member Independent Emoluments Commission has been appointed for the same in consultation with LS Speaker and RS chairman. The commission will consist of a Chief Commissioner who shall be a person of eminence in the field of public affairs with knowledge of functioning of Parliament and two more commissioners. The Whips Conference provides a suitable forum for periodical meetings and view exchange amongst all the Whips in Parliament and the State Legislatures on united concerns apart from promoting parliamentary democracy in India.