WTO Agreement on Safeguards
- India and other members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) criticised European Union’s decision to extend its existing safeguard measure on steel products.
- Under WTO Agreement on Safeguards, members can temporarily restrict imports of a product if it threatens to cause serious injury to their domestic industry.
- About WTO Agreement on Safeguards
- Agreement prohibits grey-area measures – using bilateral negotiations to pursue exporting countries to restrain exports voluntarily.
- It sets time limits on all safeguard actions, which should not last more than four years, although this can be extended up to eight years.
- Tags :
- WTO
- Import
ASEAN Future Forum
- External Affairs Minister for India participated virtually in the first ‘ASEAN Future Forum’, held in Hanoi, Vietnam.
- ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is an intergovernmental organization aimed primarily at promoting economic growth and regional stability among its 10 members.
- About ASEAN Future Forum
- It was proposed by Vietnam at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in 2023.
- It is a common platform for ASEAN member states as well as partner countries to share new ideas and policy recommendations.
- It aims to contribute to promoting and shaping ASEAN’s development path.
- Tags :
- ASEAN
- Regional Stability
Schengen Area
- European Union (EU) has adopted new visa rules for Indian travellers to allow multiple-entry Schengen Visa with longer validity.
- About Schengen area
- It is world’s largest free travel area comprising 27 countries.
- 27 countries include 23 of the 27 EU members and all members of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).
- Started in 1985 as an intergovernmental project between 5 EU countries– France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg
- Tags :
- Schengen Area
Miyawaki Method
- Embassy of Israel in India joined ‘Million Miyawaki’ project, a community-led initiative aimed at improving air quality in Indian cities through mass afforestation urban spaces.
- About Miyawaki Method
- Based on work of Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, it enhances green cover within a limited area.
- It involves cultivating multi-layered forests that exhibit rapid growth and replicate natural biodiversity found in native forests.
- Such forests lack some qualities of natural forests, like medicinal properties and ability to bring rain.
- Benefits: Mitigate ecological impact of mining activities, creating carbon sinks, etc.