Current Affair 1:

State Level Energy Transition Committees

 

News:

How it was set up?

Current Affair 2:

Tax Inspectors Without Borders

 

News:

Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB), a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), launched a programme in Saint Lucia on 14th December, 2023. India has been chosen as the Partner Administration and will provide Tax Experts for this programme.

TIWB Programmes complement the broader efforts of the international community to strengthen co-operation on tax matters and contribute to the domestic resource mobilization efforts of developing countries.

What are the benefits of TIWB to Partner Administrations?

In an era of rapidly accelerating international tax co-operation, tax administrations are engaging in more active partnerships with one another. Initiatives such as TIWB that promote a common understanding of shared problems serve everybody's interests. At an individual level, TIWB provides tax officials with a unique development opportunity, to share their knowledge in a different environment.

Host Administrations which have developed capacities through TIWB programme(s) may be able to participate as a Partner Administration, sharing knowledge and skills with another developing country in the same region.

Partner Administrations with capacity to share their expertise can deploy their tax officials and encourage retired audit experts to make themselves available to implement a TIWB programme.

Also see map:

Current Affair 3:

SCO’S Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure

 

News:

The Agreement on establishment of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure designated as a permanent body of the SCO was signed during a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States on June 7, 2002, in St. Petersburg.   Since its establishment, the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO RATS) has made a significant contribution to the development of the Organization and has become its supporting pillar and coordinating center in combating terrorism, separatism and extremism at the regional and global levels.

 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation.

History of the SCO

Creation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was proclaimed on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai (China) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

 

 

International Co-operations:

Cooperation with the United Nations

On 2 December 2004, the 59th plenary session of the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution А/RES/59/48 (agenda item 151) entitled "Observer status for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the General Assembly." The resolution provided the SCO with the right to participate in the sessions and work of the General Assembly as an observer.

Cooperation with ASEAN

A Memorandum of Understanding between the secretariats of the SCO and ASEAN was signed in Jakarta on 21 April 2005.

Cooperation with ICRC

On 9 June 2017, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Secretariat and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) signed a memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of State Council Meeting in Astana.

Current Affair 4:

Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

 

News:

CBAM is the EU's landmark tool to fight carbon leakage and one of the central pillars of the EU's ambitious Fit for 55 Agenda (reducing EU emissions by at least 55% by 2030). This will ensure that the EU's climate policies are not undermined by production relocating to countries with less ambitious green standards or by the replacement of EU products by more carbon-intensive imports.

As stated by India:

CBAM would apply carbon emission costs on imported products equivalent to those borne under the EU system. CBAM would not only affect exports to the European Union but would also lead to realignment of value chains.

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