International Relations: April 2022 Current Affairs | UPSC Mains: International Relations PDF Download

1. Bucha Killings

• India joined the international community in expressing outrage over civilian killings in Ukraine’s Bucha.

Bucha Killings

• Bucha is a town located about 25 km to the northwest of the capital Kyiv.
• Over the past few days, gruesome images have emerged of mass graves and dozens of bodies of civilians in the town of Bucha.
• So far, more than 300 bodies have been found in the town. These bodies were discovered after the town was reclaimed from Russian forces. 

India’s Stand on Bucha Killings

• India has condemned the killing of civilians at Bucha in Ukraine and backed the call for an independent investigation into the incident.
• This is the first time New Delhi has publicly censured actions blamed on Russian forces.
• India’s condemnation of the civilian killings stopped short of blaming Russia. However, the support for independent probe is significant.
• India had earlier abstained from a vote on a resolution in the UN Human Rights Council. This resolution was seeking a commission of inquiry to look into violations committed during Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.

A Genocide Or War Crimes?

• Both expressions have been used freely in outraged Ukrainian and Western descriptions of the atrocities in Bucha.
• Since international community has an obligation to respond to these incidents, it is necessary to analyse whether these incidents fit those definitions.

War Crime

• War crimes are defined as grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, agreements signed after World War II. These conventions laid down international humanitarian laws during war time.
• Deliberately targeting civilians amounts to a war crime.
• The International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague has already opened an investigation into possible war crimes by Russia. However, it will be difficult to bring Russian defendants to trial because Russia does not recognise the ICC and will likely not cooperate with the investigation.

The Crime of Genocide

• The crime of genocide is defined by the United Nations Genocide Convention of December 1948.
• It includes acts “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.
• Genocide is seen as the gravest and most serious of all crimes against humanity.
• Examples of genocides, generally recognised as fitting the 1948 UN definition, are:
• Holocaust in which more than 6 million Jews were exterminated 
• 1915-20 mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks,
• Killings of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda in 1994
• Srebrenica massacre of 1995.
• Hence, international security analysts believe that the current findings amount to Russia being guilty of war crimes.

China, Solomon Islands Sign Landmark Security Agreement
China has announced the signing of a security pact with the Solomon Islands. It is a first-of-its-kind arrangement that could pave the way for further Chinese security deals overseas.

Key Highlights Of The Framework Agreement

Under the agreement, the two sides will conduct cooperation in various areas such as:

• These two countries will cooperate in an effort to help Solomon Islands strengthen capacity building in safeguarding its own security.
• The Solomon Islands explained that there was no agreement for a Chinese military base.

Concerns

A. Concerns Raised By Western Countries

• Officials from the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand expressed concerns about a proposed security framework.
• They fear that the agreement could open the door to a Chinese naval base in the country and hence pose serious risks to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
• Experts believe that signing such an agreement could actually increase de-stabilisation within the Solomon Islands.
• Also, it could set a concerning precedent for the wider Pacific Island region.

B. Vagueness In The Agreement

• Much remains unclear about the new agreement, including how China plans to support the Solomon Islands in maintaining social order.
• Security analysts feel that there has been a lack of transparency with which this agreement has been developed.

C. Great Geo-Strategic Significance

• The Solomon Islands has great strategic significance as was evident during the World War II (WW II). During the WW II, it served as a bulwark for Australia against the advancing Japanese.
• The Solomon Islands also sits on critical shipping routes, meaning China could potentially control maritime traffic in and around the region.

D. Role Of Taiwan: Competition For Diplomatic Recognition

Any country which has to officially establish relations with China will have to break diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

• The Solomon Islands was one among the six Pacific island states which had official bilateral relations with Taiwan.
• However, in 2019, the Solomon Islands, along with Kiribati, switched allegiance to China. Now, only four regional countries backing Taiwan, mostly belonging to the Micronesian group of islands which are under the control of the US

Impact on India

• The China-Solomon Islands pact does not directly affect India.
• The islands are a significant distance from mainland India and even the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• China's advances in the region, however, will be a cause for concern even in Delhi.

Solomon Islands

• Solomon Islands is a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
• Once a British protectorate, Solomon Islands achieved independence as a republic in 1978.
• Honiara, on the north coast of Guadalcanal Island, is Solomon Islands’ capital and largest city.
• There are six big islands - the largest is Guadalcanal.
  • The others are New Georgia, Santa Isabel, Choiseul, Malaita, and San Cristobal.
• Solomon Island in particular has significant reserves of timber and mineral resources, along with fisheries.
• These Pacific island states have disproportionately large maritime Exclusive Economic Zones when compared to their small sizes

2. Sri Lanka's Opposition Proposes Constitutional Amendment

Sri Lanka’s foremost Opposition party has presented the draft 21st constitution amendment bill. The bill has several proposals including the abolition of the current executive presidential system.

Key Highlights Of The Bill

A. Abolish The Presidential System Of Governance

• The amendment bill seeks to abolish the presidential system of governance. The presidential system of governance is in existence in Sri Lanka since 1978.
• The bill proposes to replace the current system of governance with a system that reinforces constitutional democracy.

B. No Personal Discretion Of President

• According to the proposal, the President has no personal discretion in appointing or dismissing the Prime Minister.
• Although, the President will remain the Head of State and the Commander in Chief.

C. Role of PM Strengthened

• The Prime Minister shall be the head of the Cabinet of ministers and the ministers are to be appointed by the President on the prime minister’s advice.

D. Seeks to Annul 20th Amendment

• The amendment, while seeking to annul the 20th Amendment adopted in 2020, aims to restore the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
• By doing so, it wants to curb the powers of the President and empower Parliament.
• Recent Constitutional Amendments In Sri Lanka
• It was introduced in 2015 which curtailed the powers of the President and strengthened the role of Parliament. It was passed during the former President Maithripala Sirisena-Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s term (2015-19).
• Changes made by 19th Amendment
  (i) Reduced the terms of President and Parliament from six years to five years.
  (ii) Re-introduced a two-term limit for a person as President.
  (iii) Ensured revival of Constitutional Council and the establishment of independent commissions.
  (iv) Power of President to dissolve Parliament only after four and a half years
  (v) Prevented dual citizens from contesting elections
  • At the time, two of the Rajapaksa family members including the current president were dual citizens of the USA and Sri Lanka
• In October 2020, the Sri Lankan Parliament abolished the 19th amendment with a two-thirds majority.
• The 20th amendment (20A), which replaced the 19th Amendment (19A) had again enhanced the executive powers of the President in an unprecedented way.
• The 20th amendment:
  (i) Abolished the independent constitutional council for a Parliamentary Council.
  (ii) Gave electoral rights to dual citizens.
  (iii) Reduced the Prime Minister’s role to a ceremonial one.
  (iv) Abolishes the binding limitations on presidential powers in relation to key appointments to independent institutions through the Constitutional Council.
  (v) It gave sweeping powers to the President to appoint individuals to key institutions.

Extra mile: Abolishment of 19th Amendment

• In his 2019 presidential bid, the current president Gotabaya Rajapaksa had expressed his intention to abolish the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
• The Rajapaksa family had alleged that the amendment was brought specifically to target the family.
  (i) Due to the 19th amendment, Mahinda Rajapaksa could not contest the November 2019 Presidential elections because of term limit.
  (ii) His younger brother Gotabaya became the Presidential candidate.
• Finally, in October 2020, the Sri Lankan Parliament abolished the 19th amendment with a two-thirds majority.
• This was done by passing the 20th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution.

3. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Annual Report 2022

• The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released its 2022 Annual Report. 
• The report recommended to designate India, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and 11 other nations as "Country of Particular Concern" in the context of status of religious freedom.
  (i) The recommendation was made to the US government.
  (ii) The recommendations of the USCIRF are not binding on the US Government.
• This was for the 3rd consecutive year that the USCIRF has recommended to the US State Department to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern”.
• USCRIF is a U.S. federal government commission created by International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
• The commission has 9 commissioners out of which three are appointed by US president, four by the opposition and two by the ruling party.
• Its principal responsibilities are
  (i) To review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally
  (ii) To make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

4. Visit of Indian President to Turkmenistan

• President of India, Ramnath Kovind, paid an official visit to Turkmenistan. This was the first-ever visit of the President of India to independent Turkmenistan.
• This visit comes at a time when:
  (i) India is celebrating 75 years of Indian independence,
  (ii) Turkmenistan is celebrating 30 years of its independence, and
  (iii) Together both India and Turkmenistan marked 30 years of establishment of diplomatic relations.

TAPI Pipeline Development: Timeline

• The project was originally conceived in the 1990s and an inter-governmental agreement was signed in 2010 by the heads of four member nations.
• A Gas Pipeline Framework Agreement was signed in December 2010 and bilateral gas sale agreement was signed in May 2013.
• In February 2018, ground-breaking ceremony for Afghanistan's section of TAPI gas pipeline was held in the western Afghan city of Herat.

Reasons For The Delay

1. Tensions Between India and Pakistan
   • Many analysts believe that the $10 billion project failed to make any progress mainly due to tensions between India and Pakistan.
   • One of India’s primary concerns is that once the project becomes operational, a lot of Indian industries will become dependent on it.
   • Pakistan can take advantage of this and can shut off supplies during periods of tension.
2. Concern Over Safety And Security
   • It have grown manifold with the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
   • New Delhi doesn’t officially recognise the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, which is one of the stakeholders of the project.
   • This will make it difficult for India to move ahead with this project.
3. Role of ADB
   • The main impediment in the TAPI project is the ADB pausing the due diligence and processing activities until the Taliban regime is recognised by the UN. 

Future

• Turkmenistan will continue to push for the project as it has to monetise its energy assets.
• Taliban is also badly short of money so they see this project as a money-spinner.
• Pakistan’s economy is also in dire condition and a project like this will help Pakistan’s economy.
• India is now moving closer to Central Asia, but it has no relations with Taliban and dialogue with Pakistan stands disrupted.
• Hence, India would be interested in the project only when it is adequately assured of its political stability and security.
• Also, India will only buy TAPI gas if the landed price beats the price India pays for liquefied natural gas.

5. India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement

• India and Australia signed an Economic Co-operation and Trade Agreement (ECTA).
• The aim of this agreement is to double the bilateral trade to $50 billion in 5 years and ease movement of people, goods and services across borders. 

Significance

• This is the first trade agreement signed by India with a developed economy after more than a decade.
• The pact is expected to give a big push to bilateral trade. It will eliminate or lower tariffs on a large number of goods.
• It will also address the non-tariff barriers such as technical barriers to trade, apart from sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions.
• Since India is not part of any significant regional trading bloc, this agreement will ensure that it does not lose out on preferential market share and weaken its export competitiveness.
• The FTA with Australia will give a positive signal to other developed countries such as the UK, Canada and the EU, who are already on the negotiating table for similar pacts with India.
• On the basis of this agreement, both the countries will be able to increase the resilience of supply chains, and also contribute to the stability of the Indo-Pacific region.
• The deal is also significant for Australia who is in the midst of a protracted trade battle with China.

6. WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM)

• PM Modi laid the foundation stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM).
• GCTM is a knowledge centre for traditional medicine which is being termed as the first and only global outpost centre for traditional medicine across the world.
• The Centre is located at Jamnagar, Gujarat.
• India is a lead investor in the WHO GCTM. It has committed an estimated US$ 250 million to support the Centre’s establishment, infrastructure and operations.

Five Goals Of GCTM

1. It aims to create a database of traditional knowledge system using technology.
2. It will create international standards for testing and certification of traditional medicines so that confidence in these medicines improves.
3. It should evolve as a platform where global experts of traditional medicines come together and share experiences.
4. Mobilize funding for research in the field of traditional medicines.
5. Develop protocols for holistic treatment of specific diseases 

India Gets Elected To Four UN ECOSOC Bodies

• India has been elected to four key bodies of the UN Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC).
• These four bodies are: Committee on NGOs; Commission for Social Development; Commission on Science and Technology for Development and Committee for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
• Ambassador Preeti Saran has been re-elected to the Committee for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  

7. Russia Suspended From UN Human Rights Council

• Russia has been suspended from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) after the 193-member General Assembly voted to adopt a resolution moved by the United States.

Key Highlights

1. The resolution was titled as ‘Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council’.
2. It was moved over allegations that Russian troops killed civilians while pulling back from towns around the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
3. 58 countries including India abstained from the voting.
4. Russia became the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the rights council.
   • In 2011, Libya was suspended by the assembly when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Muammar Gadhafi.
   • Earlier, in June 2018, US had withdrawn from the council. It called the council a "hypocritical and selfserving organisation".
   • It regained the membership in October 2021

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