UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

USTR Releases 2022 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG), or the Genocide Convention The International Court of Justice ( ICJ ) Israel - Hamas Conflict, International Criminal Court ( ICC ) & International Court of Justice ( ICJ )

  January 31, 2023 WASHINGTON - The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today released the findings of its 2022 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy (the Notorious Markets List).  The Notorious Markets List highlights online and physical markets that reportedly engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. The three Indian markets include  Heera Panna in Mumbai, Tank Road in Karol Bagh in New Delhi, and Sadar Patrappa Road Market in Bengaluru .  Online Indian markets that figure in the list are IndiaMart, Vegamovies, and WHMCS Smarters.   “The widespread trade in counterfeit and pirated goods harms the economic security of American workers and undermines our work to craft equitable and inclusive trade policy,”  said   Ambassador Katherine Tai .  “The Notorious Markets List is an important tool that urges the private sector and our trading partners to take action against t...

Relevance:   Outbreak of Western Equine Encephalitis Virus in Argentina - The Hindu Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) is a virus most commonly spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. People most at risk for infection are those who are outdoors when mosquitoes are active. Most people infected with WEEV do not feel sick or develop a mild febrile (fever) illness. However, the virus can cause some people to develop severe neurologic disease such as meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and surrounding membranes) and myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord). Symptoms of severe illness may include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, photophobia (sensitivity to light), confusion, somnolence (drowsiness), coma, or seizures. There are no vaccines to prevent WEEV infection. The best way to prevent infection is to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC )

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG), or the Genocide Convention, is an international treaty that criminalizes genocide and obligates state parties to pursue the enforcement of its prohibition. It was the first legal instrument to codify genocide as a crime, and the first human rights treaty unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, on 9 December 1948, during the third session of the United Nations General Assembly. The Convention entered into force on 12 January 1951 and has 152 state parties as of 2022. The Genocide Convention was conceived largely in response to World War II, which saw atrocities such as the Holocaust that lacked an adequate description or legal definition. Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin, who had coined the term genocide in 1944 to describe Nazi policies in occupied Europe and the Armenian genocide, campaigned for its recognition as a crime under international law. This culminated in 1946 in a landma...

The International Court of Justice (ICJ; French: Cour internationale de justice, CIJ), also called the World Court, is the only international court that adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues. It is one of the six organs of the United Nations (UN), and is located in The Hague, Netherlands. The ICJ is the successor of the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ), which was established in 1920 by the League of Nations. After the Second World War, the League and the PCIJ were replaced by the United Nations and ICJ, respectively. The Statute of the ICJ, which sets forth its purpose and structure, draws heavily from that of its predecessor, whose decisions remain valid. All member states of the UN are party to the ICJ Statute and may initiate contentious legal cases; however, advisory proceedings may only be submitted by certain UN organs and agencies. The ICJ consists of a panel of 15 judges elected by the UN General A...

The escalation since October 7, 2023, in the Israel-Hamas conflict has reportedly resulted in significant civilian casualties; destruction of civilian residential areas and infrastructure, including hospitals and schools; and the displacement of approximately 85% of Gaza’s population. Increased civilian deaths have also been reported in the West Bank.  Several countries have requested international courts to consider whether conflict parties have committed violations of international humanitarian law. In November 2023, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, Djibouti, and South Africa, as parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), referred the situation in the “State of Palestine” to the ICC Prosecutor. In December 2023, South Africa brought a case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (“Genocide Convention”) concerning “Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”  As i...

Ministry of Tourism participates in global travel exhibition FITUR at Madrid,Spain Empowerment of Denotified/Nomadic Tribes “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” will be India’s nomination for recognition as UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2024-25 INSAT-3DS Satellite Flagged off to SDSC-SHAR US vetoes proposal to restart dispute settlement mechanism at WTO

The Ministry  of Tourism, Government of India is participating in FITUR, one of the important global travel exhibitions being held from 24 th  – 28 th  January 2024 at Madrid , Spain. with a big delegation from the Union Government, State Governments and private travel stakeholders.  India’s participation at FITUR is a significant move  aimed at increase   of inbound tourism to pre-pandemic levels from the main identified source markets in  the world. The Incredible India pavilion at FITUR was inaugurated by HE Shri Dinesh K. Pattanaik, Ambassador of India to Spain in the presence of Minister of Tourism, Government of Punjab, Ms Anmol Gagan Mann and other officials from Ministry of Tourism and State Governments on 24 th  January. India has some aggressive promotional plans to promote India globally and major identified source markets of the world including the Latin American countries. Ministry of Tourism, Government of India is participating with...

Relevance:  "  Protection of nomadic tribes: NHRC stress on need for implementation of the Idate Commission report ". - The Hindu Denotified Tribes, Nomadic Tribes and Semi Nomadic Tribes are one of the most deprived and economically weaker communities in India. There are historical reasons for this. The misery of these communities began with the enactment of the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 during the British rule. This Act was the most draconian law passed by the British colonial state, under which millions of nomadic and semi-nomadic communities were declared criminals and put under continuous surveillance, making their lives impossible. These communities were subjugated, persecuted and neglected. The policies of the colonial government affected lives and livelihood adversely. Little did the colonial state realize the plight of these communities after they were branded as criminals under various colonial Acts. This led to the forcible alienation from their traditional occupat...

Maratha Military Landscapes of India,  developed between 17th and 19th centuries, represent an extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers Posted On: 29 JAN 2024 9:56PM by PIB Delhi The “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” will be India’s nomination for recognition as UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2024-25. The twelve component parts of this nomination are, Salher fort, Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Khanderi fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijay durg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu. These components, distributed across diverse geographical and physiographic regions, showcase the strategic military powers of the Maratha rule. The Maratha Military Landscapes of India, which developed between 17 th  and 19 th  centuries, represent an extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers. This extraordinary network of forts, varying in hierarchies, scales a...

INSAT-3DS, is an exclusive meteorological satellite realized by ISRO with the primary objective to provide continuity of services to the existing in-orbit INSAT-3D and 3DR satellites and significantly enhancing the capabilities of INSAT system is flagged off to SDSC-SHAR launch port on January 25, 2024 for the launch onboard GSLV F14. The Satellite had successfully completed Satellite Assembly, Integration & Testing activities at U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru. Pre-Shipment Review (PSR) was held with the participation of members from user community on January 25, 2024. The satellite is a user funded project with Ministry of Earth Science (MoES), configured around ISRO's well proven I-2k bus platform with a Lift-Off Mass of 2275 kg. Indian Industries have significantly contributed in the making of the Satellite. The satellite is designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning, with stat...

This proposal is moved by  Guatemala on behalf of 130 members. Appellate Body shall be established by the   Dispute Settlement Body ( DSB ). The General Council convenes as the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) to deal with disputes between WTO members.  DSB takes decission by  by consensus ( The DSB shall be deemed to have decided by consensus on a matter submitted for its consideration, if no Member, present at the meeting of the DSB when the decision is taken, formally objects to the proposed decision.).  The DSB is made up of all member governments, usually represented by ambassadors or equivalent. It means single member can block the decision taken by all other members taken by Majority. It is not a first instance where USA exercised its veto. USA is citing following reasons to block  proposal to restart dispute settlement mechanism at WTO. disregarding the deadline for issuing a decision;  allowing former Appellate Body members to decide ca...

The General Council convenes as the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) to deal with disputes between WTO members.  A standing Appellate Body shall be established by the DSB. The Appellate Body shall hear appeals from panel cases. It shall be composed of seven persons, three of whom shall serve on any one case. Persons serving on the Appellate Body shall serve in rotation. Such rotation shall be determined in the working procedures of the Appellate Body.  The DSB shall appoint persons to serve on the Appellate Body for a four-year term, and each person may be reappointed once. However, the terms of three of the seven persons appointed immediately after the entry into force of the WTO Agreement shall expire at the end of two years, to be determined by lot. Vacancies shall be filled as they arise. A person appointed to replace a person whose term of office has not expired shall hold office for the remainder of the predecessor's term. As a general rule, the proceedings shall not exceed...

The WTO shall continue the practice of decision-making by consensus followed under GATT 1947 ( The body concerned shall be deemed to have decided by consensus on a matter submitted for its consideration, if no Member, present at the meeting when the decision is taken, formally objects to the proposed decision. ). Except as otherwise provided, where a decision cannot be arrived at by consensus, the matter at issue shall be decided by voting. At meetings of the Ministerial Conference and the General Council, each Member of the WTO shall have one vote. Where the European Communities exercise their right to vote, they shall have a number of votes equal to the number of their member States2 which are Members of the WTO. Decisions of the Ministerial Conference and the General Council shall be taken by a majority of the votes cast, unless otherwise provided in this Agreement or in the relevant Multilateral Trade Agreement.3  The Ministerial Conference and the General Council shall have t...

There shall be a Secretariat of the WTO (hereinafter referred to as “the Secretariat”) headed by a Director-General.  The Ministerial Conference shall appoint the Director-General and adopt regulations setting out the powers, duties, conditions of service and term of office of the Director-General.  The Director-General shall appoint the members of the staff of the Secretariat and determine their duties and conditions of service in accordance with regulations adopted by the Ministerial Conference.  The responsibilities of the Director-General and of the staff of the Secretariat shall be exclusively international in character. In the discharge of their duties, the Director-General and the staff of the Secretariat shall not seek or accept instructions from any government or any other authority external to the WTO. They shall refrain from any action which might adversely reflect on their position as international officials. The Members of the WTO shall respect the internatio...

There shall be a Ministerial Conference composed of representatives of all the Members, which shall meet at least once every two years. The Ministerial Conference shall carry out the functions of the WTO and take actions necessary to this effect. The Ministerial Conference shall have the authority to take decisions on all matters under any of the Multilateral Trade Agreements, if so requested by a Member, in accordance with the specific requirements for decision-making in this Agreement and in the relevant Multilateral Trade Agreement.  There shall be a General Council composed of representatives of all the Members, which shall meet as appropriate. In the intervals between meetings of the Ministerial Conference, its functions shall be conducted by the General Council. The General Council shall also carry out the functions assigned to it by this Agreement. The General Council shall establish its rules of procedure and approve the rules of procedure for the Committees provided for in...

The WTO shall facilitate the implementation, administration and operation, and further the objectives, of this Agreement and of the Multilateral Trade Agreements, and shall also provide the framework for the implementation, administration and operation of the Plurilateral Trade Agreements.  The WTO shall provide the forum for negotiations among its Members concerning their multilateral trade relations in matters dealt with under the agreements in the Annexes to this Agreement. The WTO may also provide a forum for further negotiations among its Members concerning their multilateral trade relations, and a framework for the implementation of the results of such negotiations, as may be decided by the Ministerial Conference.  The WTO shall administer the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (hereinafter referred to as the "Dispute Settlement Understanding" or "DSU") in Annex 2 to this Agreement.  The WTO shall administer the Trade Po...

The WTO shall provide the common institutional framework for the conduct of trade relations among its Members in matters related to the agreements and associated legal instruments included in the Annexes to this Agreement.  The agreements and associated legal instruments included in Annexes 1, 2 and 3 (hereinafter referred to as "Multilateral Trade Agreements") are integral parts of this Agreement, binding on all Members.  The agreements and associated legal instruments included in Annex 4 (hereinafter referred to as "Plurilateral Trade Agreements") are also part of this Agreement for those Members that have accepted them, and are binding on those Members. The Plurilateral Trade Agreements do not create either obligations or rights for Members that have not accepted them.  The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 as specified in Annex 1A (hereinafter referred to as "GATT 1994") is legally distinct from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, dat...

Sapinda Ane Maersk - World’s Largest Methanol-Powered Container Ship Standards Machine Applicable Readable and Transferable (SMART) PSLV Orbital Experimental Module - 3 ( POEM - 3 ) Mission achieves all its Payload objectives After Three Years on Mars, NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends

Relevance: Recently  The Delhi High Court upheld the constitutionality of a provision of the Hindu Marriage Act that  prohibits marriages between people related to each other through ancestors on their parents' sides unless their custom allows it . -  Indian Express Sapinda is a term used in context of cousin marriages in Hinduism. The subject is to be counted as first generation, and the common ancestor defining sapinda limit is to be within sapinda limit. Legal explanation Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, section 3 on definitions defines Sapinda in sub-section (f); as mentioned below: (i) “Sapinda relationship” with reference to any person extends as far as the third generation (inclusive) in the line of ascent through the mother, and the fifth (inclusive) in the line of assent through the father, the line being traced upward in each case from the person concerned, who is to be counted as the first generation; (ii) two persons are said to be “sapindas” of each other if one is...

It will be the  first of  AP Moller-Maersk ’s 18 large methanol-enabled vessels that will be delivered between 2024 and 2025. Ship specifications: 350 meters long, 53.3 meters wide 16,592 TEU (twenty-foot-equivalent). The engine, provided by MAN Energy Solutions, is a Dual-fuel engine which can can run on methanol & marine fuels manufactured by MAN Energy Solutions. The same applies to the auxiliary engines. MAERSK Offshore-energy.biz