Current Issues in International Relations

• Terrorism
• Defined as the illegal use of force or violence against people to create a wave of terror with the intention of achieving certain political or sectarian objectives- 2nd ARC
• Terrorism can be of two types
• Terrorism from above (state sponsored)
• Terrorism from below (by non state actors)
• Features of terrorism
• War of attrition
• Protracted struggle
• Propaganda
• Highly publicised atrocities
• To intimidate enemy
• To mobilise popular support
• Analysis-
• In recent years, terrorist groups and lone wolf attackers have significantly enhanced their capabilities by gaining access to new and emerging technologies, including drones, virtual currencies and encrypted communications. Social media networks have contributed to the radicalization and recruitment of youth. The COVID-19 pandemic has only aggravated the situation further. The relative isolation and extended disruption due to the lock-downs and the associated distress and economic uncertainty has made the world more susceptible to radicalizing narratives and extremist propaganda.
• Preventing terrorists from accessing financial resources is crucial to successfully countering the threat of terrorism. Over the years, terrorist groups have developed a diversified funding portfolio through a range of criminal activities, including extortion, kidnapping, money laundering, drug smuggling, and trafficking of natural resources, humans, and antiquities. Terrorist organizations have also begun to exploit the anonymity afforded by block chain technology for fundraising and finances.
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• As well as energy interests.
• Any strategy to fight terrorism has to be grounded in
• Rule of law
• Victim centric
• Reduce the appeal of terrorist
• Civil society participation against propaganda war
• Deal with root causes like poverty
• Cooperation among the nations
• S Jaishankar in his speech to UNSC laid out action plan to combat terrorism which includes-
• Removing distinction between good and bad terrorists
• Enhanced coordination between FATF and UNSC
• Adequate funding to UN counter terrorism bodies
• Preventing access to financial resources
• He also said that terrorism is a crime against humanity.
• Realizing that the negotiations on the Draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) are moving at snail’s pace, India has plans to build a "Comity of Nations Against International Terrorism” as a voluntary multilateral forum based on the principles of CCIT to combat international terrorism.
• CCIT:
• Proposed by India in 1996
• India supports UN Resolutions
• 1267 against ISIS and Al-Qaeda
• 1373- related to counter terrorism committee after 9/11
• 1988- related to sanctions against Taliban
• 1540- Pertaining to non-proliferation of WMDs
• Intends to criminalize all forms of intl terrorism and deny terrorists their finances ,arms and safe havens
• Intergovernmental convention to enhance prosecution and extradition of terrorists
• Binding on all signatories
• to develop universal definition of terrorists
• to prosecute  all terror groups and shut down their camps
• to make cross border terrorism an extraditable offence worldwide.
• concerns:
• US opposes the provision “military attacks during peace time.” This is because of the apprehension that with these words its long-standing armed forces in the Afghan region could also fall under the purview of terrorist forces
• OIC opposes it , exclusion of national liberation movement especially in context of Israel Palestine conflict 
• Latin american countries want terror inflicted by state on citizens also be included in the definition.
• Make notes👇
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• https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/20-years-since-911-transnational-jihadist-threat-remains-constant/
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• Neo Conservatism holds the domestic and international sphere to a clear moral and ideological standard and champions the use of militarism to further that standard globally. This ideology led to the view after 9/11 that America should use The Uni-polar Moment (Krauthammer 1990) to create a uni-polar era of unrivaled American power projected globally (Kagan 2002: 136-138).
• John Ikenberry- the ideology of the War on Terror was unsustainable politically and financially
• C Rajamohan 👇
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• conclusion: terrorism continues to be the gravest threat to mankind. Through international cooperation, countries must adopt zero tolerance towards terrorism.

• Climate change :
• Start with 1972 Stockholm conference, 1992 and 2012 Rio conference
• Chronology - 1972 Stockholm—>1992 Rio—>1997 Kyoto—>2009 Copenhagen—>2012 Rio+20–>2015 Paris—>2021 Glasgow
• The issue of climate change can be seen as the classic example of “tragedy of commons”(Garrett Hardin). The “free riders” get the benefit without having to pay the price. It can also be seen as the classic example of “prisoner’s dilemma” where the benefits of defection outweigh the benefits of cooperation
• IPCC 1.5 degree report on how disastrous it would be if temperatures cross 1.5 degree. The same report says countries INDC are not enough to prevent rise in temperatures above 1.5 degrees
• Developed vs developing-
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• Pushing developing countries recommit to net zero targets has been termed as carbon colonialism
• LMDCs a group of 25 developing countries is pushing for developed countries to recognise their responsibility of climate finance and climate mitigation
• Deve­loping countries have a right to their fair share of the glo­bal carbon budget and are entitled to the responsible use of fossil fuels within this scope.- environment minister
• Demand of developing countries-developing countries getting compensated to the tune of $100 billion annually, the carbon credit markets be reinvigorated and the countries historically affected by the climate crisis be compensated by way of “Loss and Damages,” and clean de­velopment technologies be made available in ways that its industries can painlessly adapt to.
• India and climate change-
• our per capita CO2 emissions is less than 60% of the global avg.The principle of equity has to be remembered
• According to Climate Action Tracker, India is the only G20 country with "2°C compatible” targets. The Climate Change Performance Index 2021, that tracks climate protection performance, ranks India as a high performing country.
•  India’s efforts-
• India at COP26, has also launched the Infrastructure for Resilient Island states (IRIS) as part of the CDRI to help the small island states fight the vagaries of climate change
• India at COP26 said climate finance cannot continue at levels decided in 2009 and must be raised to $1 T to meet the goals of addressing climate change, mitigation and adaptation
• Mr. Modi’s net zero plan, which he described as “panchamrit”, or the five nectar elements
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• Glasgow accord-
• Rules of Paris accord finalized
• Development of emissions trading market-Developing countries like India, Brazil could carry forward carbon credits earned after 2012 under Kyoto protocol
• Countries can even link domestic trading markets with international trading markets
• The developed world has already defaulted on the $100 B promise annually by 2020. The accord Only asks the developed countries to urgently and significantly scale up their climate finance.
• The word phasing out wrt coal has been replaced with “phased down” on the behest of India
• The Glasgow Climate Pact has rightly targeted global warming not to exceed +1.5°C and also got about 140 countries to announce target dates for bringing emissions down to net zero.
• Shyam saran on Cop 26- it is a mixed bag of modest achievements and disappointed expectations.
• Conclusion-The world must choose hope over surrender in the fight against climate change- UN chief

• Ukraine crisis:
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• Unresolved conflict in Ukraine b/w Russia and USA in Donbas region represent by far the greatest danger of a new war in Europe and by far the greatest risk of new crisis b/w USA and Russia
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• The background to Russia’s recent escalation vis­à­vis Ukraine is its discomfort with the steady eastward expansion of the U.S.­led North Atlantic Organisation (NATO). With even former constituents of the erstwhile Soviet Union such as Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia becoming NATO members, Russia is determined to protect its domain of influence in the case of larger neighbours such as Belarus and Ukraine. While Belarus has a pro­ Russia regime, Ukraine has been courting – and courted by ­­ NATO. Russia is alarmed by the gradual expansion of military aid pouring into Ukraine from NATO member countries, which is allegedly being used in its war against Russia­ backed separatists in the Donbas region. In this context, the troop build ­up could be interpreted as a stern warning against any plans to escalate NATO activities or presence in Ukraine.
• Putin has warned NATO and Ukraine to not cross its “red lines” in Europe, referring to a strict NO for Ukraine to become a member of NATO
• Russia annexed Crimea to protect its naval base in the Crimean capital of Sevastopol, which was necessary to retain its dominance of the strategically critical Black Sea, which is otherwise surrounded by NATO states (Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania, with Georgia and Ukraine being aspiring members whose induction has been stalled only by Russian opposition).
• The Minsk Protocol was an agreement signed by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, OSCE, and the then heads of the two separatist groups, Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, to end the war in the Donbas region. It enjoins Ukraine to devolve more powers to the local governments – likely controlled by the separatist groups ­­ in the Donbas region. Ukraine, which has made no move to implement the agreement, believes that doing so would give Russia too much say in its internal matters. Russia, on the other hand, believes the Minsk Protocol to be the basis for lasting peace.
• With the end of the Cold War, the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, and the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO’s original objective – to thwart an invasion of Western Europe from the east – had been achieved. But NATO, rather than disbanding, reinvented itself as a vehicle of American strategic dominance.
• It began to expand, acquiring new members at a fast clip. Recently, with the U.S. viewing China rather than Russia as its primary security threat, American strategic focus has been shifting to the Asia ­Pacific theatre. Some analysts believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin might have decided that it was a good time to test NATO’s (and the U.S.’s) strategic will to get involved in case things escalate in Ukraine.
• In the event of Russia actually invading Ukraine, it is doubtful if NATO would intervene militarily to protect Ukraine, which is not currently a member. At the same time, it would not want to be seen as ineffective.
• At the very least, Russia, which already faces an array of economic sanctions sparked by the Crimea invasion, might end up with more painful ones, including possibly against the Nord Steam­2 pipeline, which delivers Russian gas directly to Germany.
• Russia moves in ukraine- Special military operation aimed at ‘demilitarisation and denazification' of Ukraine: Russian President Vladimir Putin

• Belarus issue:
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• New Atlantic charter-
• Signed between US and UK
• Original Atlantic charter was signed between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in 1941
• It provided the basis for construction of a new global order after the second world war
• The new Atlantic charter is based on the conviction that the West needs to reboot itself to cope with the rise of authoritarian powers like China, the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, and the expansive threat of climate change
• The charter promises to work closely with all democratic partners in resolving contemporary global problems.
• The new charter also differs from the old in the sense that the old charter paved way for Washington consensus based on Neo liberalism while the new charter talks of taxing the MNCs with a global minimum tax of 15% (Cornwall consensus)
• Also seen as efforts by Biden administration to reaffirm US led alliances particularly after the sour years Donald trump and by Boris Johnson to reaffirm UK’s role in a lost Brexit Europe
• Concerns regarding Germany’s trade ties with China and Russia and France’s assertion of strategic autonomy from US remain
• New Atlantic charter must be democratic in nature with the appetite for accommodating rising democracies like India,South Africa,South Korea and Australia
• There needs to be convergence between the Atlantic charter and the Indo Pacific charter if the threat of China is to be countered.
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• Cyber security -
• The increasing use of cyber and information-communication technologies has accelerated economic development, improved service delivery to citizens, generated greater social awareness and placed information and knowledge in the hands of individuals.  The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated and expanded the digitization of these activities. 
• The border-less nature of cyberspace, and more importantly anonymity of actors involved, has challenged the traditionally accepted concepts of sovereignty, jurisdiction and privacy. These unique attributes of cyberspace present their own set of challenges
• First, some States are leveraging their expertise in cyberspace to achieve their political and security-related objectives and indulge in contemporary forms of cross-border terrorism. The world is already witnessing the use of cyber tools to compromise State security through, inter alia, attacking critical national infrastructure, including health and energy facilities; sometime disrupt social harmony through radicalization. Open societies have been particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns.
• Second, we are witnessing a sophisticated use of cyberspace by terrorists around the world to broaden their appeal, spread virulent propaganda, incite hatred and violence, recruit youth and raise funds. Terrorists have also used social media for planning and executing their terror attacks and wreaking havoc.
• Third, the integrity and security of ICT products, which form the building blocks of cyber space, are being compromised. There are widespread concerns that State and Non-State Actors are introducing vulnerabilities and harmful hidden functions, including through backdoor channels, into ICT networks and products. Such nefarious acts undermine trust and confidence in global ICT supply chains, compromise security and create potential flash-points between States. 
• we need to adopt a collaborative rules based approach in cyberspace and work towards ensuring its openness, stability and security. 
• The widening "Digital gaps” and "Digital knowledge gaps” amongst countries create an unsustainable environment in the cyber domain. Growing digital dependency in the post-COVID era has exacerbated risks and exposed these fissures of digital inequalities. These must be bridged through capacity building. The pervasive and boundary less nature of cyberspace implies that we are only as strong as the weakest link in the global network. ‘Only together’ we can achieve the goal of a globally secure resilient cyberspace and we must ensure that no country is left behind in this collective endeavor.
• India is committed to an open, secure, free, accessible and stable cyberspace environment, which will become an engine for innovation, economic growth, sustainable development, ensure free flow of information and respect cultural and linguistic diversity. 

• Global summit on democracy
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• Democracy’ has long become a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ used by the U.S. to interfere in other coun­tries- China
• Key-terms- democracy slump, democratic backsliding
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• On December 9, Biden launched the “Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal” and other initiatives to bolster democratic resilience and human rights globally. He seeks to promote transparent and accountable governance, media freedom and independence, fight international corruption, defend fair elections,
• PM Narendra Modi observed that the democratic spirit was integral to India’s civilization ethos and that nations were following “different paths of democratic development”. Thus, it is necessary to constantly improve democratic systems and jointly shape global norms for emerging technologies like social media and crypto currencies, so that they empower democracy, not undermine it.
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• China claims to have contributed a “New Model of Democracy … to the international political spectrum” which has fueled “the development of the country and driven the revitalization of the nation”. As if that was not enough, the paper admonishes the world for “excessive democracy, democracy implemented in a haste, democratic deficit and fading democracy”.
• Building a coalition of like-minded countries is a delicate, serious and laborious task that requires consistency and a long-term commitment. Even the QUAD comprising just four countries is struggling to finalize its agenda
• Every democracy is a work in progress and responding to democratic aspirations in a society riven with multiple socio-economic fault-lines is a huge challenge, but India has repeatedly proven naysayers wrong on the country’s democratic consolidation. And India’s economic rise within a democratic set-up is itself a challenge to Chinese propaganda on an authoritarian model’s efficacy.
• Conclusion- PM Modi- The India story has one clear message to the world- that democracy can deliver, it has delivered and it will continue to deliver.