Recent 6 months news in International

Dr Neena Malhotra, Secretary (South) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has chaired the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys for the Middle East and North Africa (BRICS MENA) meeting in New Delhi.

The deliberations focused on the post-conflict reconstruction in Syria, achieving a political settlement in Yemen, and promoting stability and development in Iraq. The representatives also discussed the progress of the political process in Libya and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. It is to be noted that the participating members have agreed to meet again in 2027 under the chairship of China.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated 12 new Global Geoparks, bringing the total number of sites to 241 across 51 countries. The new additions are located in China, France, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Portugal, Russia, Uruguay, and Tunisia, with the Dahar site being the first-ever for Tunisia. The total area covered by these geoparks exceeds 8.82 lakh sq km.

The label of UNESCO was established in 2015 and uses a “bottom up” approach involving local stakeholders. The status is valid for 4 years, after which the sites must undergo a revalidation process to retain the title.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) to strengthen strategic cooperation with India in clean energy, climate resilience, and sustainable fuels.

The integration of Jordan into the ISA is intended to support the national goal of the country to achieve 50% electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2030.

Union Minister S Jaishankar has launched the logo, theme, and website for the 4th India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV). The summit, which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi, is being organised in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC).

The theme of the summit is “IA SPIRIT: India-Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience, and Inclusive Transformation.”

The WHO has granted prequalification to “Coartem Baby” (artemether-lumefantrine), which is the first malaria medication specifically developed for newborns and young infants. The treatment is designed for infants weighing between 2 kg and 5 kg to address the specific medical requirements of this age group.

India has submitted its third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the 2031-2035 period to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is to be noted that the previous NDCs were submitted in 2015 (pertaining to 2025) and 2022 (pertaining to 2030).

The revised climate targets commit to a minimum 47% reduction in the emission intensity of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the 2005 baseline by 2035. India also aims to achieve 60% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2035.

Additionally, the government has pledged to create an additional carbon sink of 3.5 to 4 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through expanded forest and tree cover by 2035, compared to the 2005 baseline levels.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially withdrawn from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the OPEC+ alliance. This move has caused significant disruption to global oil production groups and weakened the geopolitical influence of Saudi Arabia.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker has visited India at the invitation of PM Narendra Modi to strengthen bilateral relations. He held discussions with PM Modi in New Delhi on regional, global, and multilateral issues. He also met President Droupadi Murmu and Union Minister S Jaishankar.

The 17th session of the India–Austria Joint Economic Commission (IAJEC) was held in New Delhi to discuss economic cooperation. During the India–Austria Business Forum held in New Delhi, a bilateral Fast-Track Mechanism (FTM) was signed and operationalized to facilitate investments between the two nations. The visit concluded with the signing of multiple agreements to strengthen ties across various sectors.

The Observer Research Foundation (ORF), in partnership with the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), has hosted the inaugural ‘BRICS Academic Forum’ in New Delhi. The event is a key Track II initiative under the Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) Chairship of India for 2026. The forum serves as an advisory platform for diplomacy and summit preparation to generate policy recommendations for the 18th BRICS Summit. The summit is themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

Discussions are based on 4 core pillars—Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability—aligning with the priorities of the chairship. The initiative involves 13 international speakers and a series of meetings held in India and abroad to develop recommendations for the leaders.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced the Young Global Leaders (YGL) Class of 2026, featuring 118 individuals from 55 countries.

The list includes several prominent Indians such as Jay Shah, Isha Ambani, Sumit Gupta, Abhishek Bansal, Ameve Sharma, Suhani Jalota, Aniket Doegar, Supriya Paul, Dr. Edmond Clint Fernandes, and Natsuki Sugai. The YGL initiative was established by the WEF in 2004 to identify influential leaders under 40 years of age for a five-year leadership programme based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The World Bank Group (WBG) has launched a global platform named ‘Water Forward’ in collaboration with multilateral development banks and development finance institutions. The initiative aims to enhance water security for 1 billion people by 2030.

It is to be noted that the WBG aims to provide water security to 400 million individuals, while the commitments from the other partners will cover the remaining 600 million people to reach the collective target.

India and Germany have officially launched a commemorative logo to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The logo was unveiled during the India-Germany Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in Berlin, Germany.

It is to be noted that the logo was selected through a joint competition hosted on the MyGov platform, featuring participants from both countries to symbolise the long-standing bilateral friendship.

Nizar Mohammed Saeed Amedi, belonging to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has been elected as the 9th President of Iraq. He succeeds Abdul Latif Rashid.

India has officially withdrawn its candidacy to host the 33rd Conference of the Parties (COP33) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2028. The decision has been formally communicated to the Asia-Pacific group and the UNFCCC.

This represents a reversal of the proposal made by PM Narendra Modi during COP28 in Dubai in 2023. Following the withdrawal of India, South Korea remains the only contender from the Asia-Pacific region currently in the race to host the 2028 climate summit.

Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has been re-elected as the President of

Djibouti for a 6th consecutive term. It is to be noted that

Djibouti is a nation located in the Horn of Africa.