Pakistan, Somalia, Denmark, Greece and Panama were elected as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for a two-year term beginning in 2025.

• The five members were elected by a secret ballot in the UN General Assembly for a two-year term starting on January 1, 2025, until December 31, 2026

UNSC Council Elections:

• The United Nations Security Council is a 15 member body consisting of five permanent members (China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America) and 10 non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for a term of two years.
• Rule 142 of the rules of procedure: The United Nations General Assembly has to elect each year five non-permanent members of the Security Council based on the following pattern,

1. Five from African and Asian States
2. One from Eastern European State
3. Two from Latin American States
4. Two from Western European and other States.

• Election: The members are elected by a secret ballot with 2/3 majority and there are no nominations.
• Re-election: The rule 144 of the rules of procedure states that, a retiring member is not eligible for immediate re-election
• India’s tenure as non-permanent member in UN
• India has been a non permanent member of the UN Security Council for eight terms (a total of 16 years), with the most recent being the 2021–22 term.

Significant achievements:

• Historical concerns: India was at the forefront in the fight against colonization, apartheid and racial discrimination.
• Drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: India was an active contributor in Drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with  Dr. Hansa Mehta, leading  the Indian delegation.
• She highlighted the need for reflecting gender equality by changing the language of the Declaration from ‘all men are created equal’  to ‘all human beings’.
• In 1953, the chief delegate of India at the time, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was elected the first woman President of the UN General Assembly
• India is the largest force contributor to the global peacekeeping missions

India’s achievements during its presidential term in 2021:

• Concept of Maritime Security: The 2021 UNSC presidency marked a comprehensive debate on the holistic concept of maritime security with a presidential statement on maritime security prepared.
• Peacekeeping: India also exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UN in support of the ‘Partnership for Technology in Peacekeeping’ initiative and to UN C4ISR Academy.
• Resolution in Peacekeeping: India drafted a resolution on peacekeeping focused on ensuring accountability for crimes against peacekeepers, sponsored by 80 member states, including all 15 members of the UNSC.
• UNITE aware platform: India launched the UNITE Aware technology platform to strengthen real-time protection of peacekeepers.

Recently, UNICEF released “Child Nutrition Report 2024”– titled as “Child Food Poverty: Nutrition deprivation in early childhood”.

Child Nutrition Report 2024:

• The report examines the status, trends, inequities and drivers of child food poverty in early childhood.
• The report also outlines an agenda for tackling the problem, including actions to transform food systems, leverage health systems, and activate social protection systems in ways that put children’s right to food and nutrition in early childhood at the centre.

Key Findings:

• High Food Poverty: Globally, one in four children are living in severe child food poverty in early childhood, amounting to 181 million children under 5 years of age.
• Over two-thirds of the 181 million young children living in severe food poverty live in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, with 20 countries accounting for 65% of the children living in severe food poverty.
• These countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, South Africa, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Yemen.
• Non-Uniform Progress: Progress towards ending severe child food poverty is slow, but some regions and countries are proving that progress is possible and is happening.

Major Drivers of Severe Child Food Poverty:

• Poor food environments for children
• Poor feeding practices in early childhood
• Household income poverty affecting children and their families
• The food, health and social protection systems are failing children’s right to good food and nutrition.
• Conflicts & Shocks: The global food and nutrition crisis and localized conflicts and climatic shocks are intensifying severe child food poverty, especially in fragile countries.

Child Food Poverty:

• UNICEF has introduced the concept of child food poverty to bring dietary deprivation and poor quality diets in early childhood to the forefront of global efforts to achieve the nutrition targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.
• UNICEF defines child food poverty as children’s inability to access and consume a nutritious and diverse diet in early childhood (i.e., the first five years of life).

Child Nutrition Report 2024:

• Recommendations by UNICEF to End Severe Child Poverty
• UNICEF calls on national governments, development and humanitarian partners, donors, civil society and media, academic and research organizations to:

       1.Elevate Child Food Poverty Reduction:

• To achieve global and national nutrition and development goals and a metric of success in meeting children’s right to food and nutrition.
• To commit resources to end child food poverty.

      2.Strengthen Data Systems:

• To assess the prevalence and severity of child food poverty.
• To detect increases in child food poverty early, including in fragile and humanitarian contexts.
• To track national and global progress in reducing severe child food poverty.
• Transform Food Systems: To ensure food environments make nutritious, diverse and healthy foods the most accessible, affordable and desirable option for feeding young children, and the food and beverage industry complies with policies to protect against unhealthy items.
• Leverage Health Systems: To deliver essential nutrition services, including counselling and support on child feeding, to prevent and treat child malnutrition, prioritizing the most vulnerable children.
• Activate Social Protection Systems: To address income poverty in ways that are responsive to the food and nutrition needs of the most vulnerable children and their families, including social transfers to protect children at highest risk of child food poverty.

Various Initiatives taken by India:

• Direct Targeted Interventions: Government implements several schemes and programs like Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) as direct targeted interventions.
• National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN ABHIYAAN): To prevent and reduce prevalence of stunting, underweight and anemia among children (0-6 years) and reduction in prevalence of low birth weight in the country by involving panchayati raj institutions/village organizations.
• Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Strategy: It was launched in 2018 with the objective of reducing anaemia prevalence among children, adolescents and women in the reproductive age group.
• Poshan Vatikas: To support development of Poshan Vatikas at Anganwadi centres to meet dietary diversity gap leveraging traditional knowledge in nutritional practices has also been taken up.
• Food Fortification: Encouraging the fortification of staple foods with essential nutrients.
• Example: In Karnataka, the government mandated the fortification of edible oils, wheat flour, and salt to improve the nutritional status of the population.
• Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): For example, the Akshaya Patra Foundation partners with the government in various states to provide nutritious mid-day meals to schoolchildren, addressing both hunger and malnutrition.

India and the US informed the World Trade Organization (WTO) that they have reached a mutually agreed solution on the outstanding dispute .

• To begin with, this dispute was filed more than a decade ago, relating to certain import restrictions taken by India against the imports of poultry products from the U.S. on grounds of avian influenza or bird flu.
• This dispute marked one of the earliest instances where animal, and human health and safety-related measures, broadly referred to as ‘sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures’ initiated by a developing WTO member was brought before a WTO panel.
• The U.S.’s primary contention was that India, in deviating from internationally recognised standards set by the World Organization for Animal Health (formerly the OIE), failed to provide scientific justifications for its poultry measures, as mandated by the WTO’s SPS Agreement.

SPS Agreement:

• The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) is a treaty of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that came into force with the establishment of the WTO on January 1, 1995.
• It sets out the basic rules for food safety and animal and plant health standards.

Key Provisions:

• Scientific basis: SPS measures must be based on scientific principles and sufficient evidence, except for provisional measures.
• Harmonization: Members are encouraged to align SPS measures with international standards set by bodies like Codex Alimentarius, OIE, and IPPC.
• Equivalence: SPS measures of other countries should be accepted as equivalent if they achieve the same level of protection.
• Risk assessment: Countries must conduct risk assessments to determine the appropriate level of protection, considering the impacts of pests or diseases.
• Regionalization: Members should recognize pest- or disease-free areas and areas of low prevalence, even if within a single country or group of countries.
• Transparency: Countries must notify changes in SPS measures and provide regulatory information through the WTO’s SPS notification system.
• Dispute Resolution: These disputes can be taken to the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) if consultations fail.

Bela block printing, a traditional craft from Bela village in Kutch, Gujarat, is in danger of disappearing.

Bela Printing:

• Bela block printing involves carving intricate designs onto wooden blocks, which are then stamped onto fabric to create decorative patterns. Similar to Bagru print, Bela print uses a mordant printing method and hand block printing technique.
• Printing Technique: This traditional technique uses hand-carved wooden blocks to apply dyes directly onto fabric.
• Bela Print is famous for its bold, graphic designs, typically showcasing vibrant red and black colors, known for their exceptional color fastness.
• Natural Colors: The colors used in Bela printing come entirely from natural and vegetable sources.
• Origins: Originating in Kutch Gujarat, this art form boasts a rich history. For generations, Kachchh has been linked with the creation of Bela-style fabric, showcasing the region’s lasting cultural heritage.
• Practicing Community: The Khatri community is renowned for its mastery of this craft.
• Distinctive Characteristics: In contrast to ajrakh, another celebrated block printing method from Kutch recognized for its delicate lines and geometric or floral designs, Bela printing employs broader lines and features motifs such as elephants and horses.
• Endangered craft: Bela recently received recognition as an endangered craft from the office of the Development Commissioner for Handicrafts.

Bagru Print:

• Bagru, located approximately 30km from Jaipur, is renowned for its handblock printing using natural dyes and traditional techniques.
• This method of hand block printing is said to have originated from Sant Siromani Shri Namdevji Maharaj, the revered figure of the Chippa community.

Mordant printing method

• Mordant printing, also known as resist printing or block printing, is a traditional textile printing technique that involves the use of mordants to create patterns or designs on fabric.
• It is a method commonly used with natural dyes to enhance color fastness and create intricate and vibrant designs.

Office of the Development Commissioner for Handicrafts:

• The Development Commissioner for Handicrafts is a national agency dedicated to the advancement, promotion, and export of Indian handicrafts.
• Nodal Ministry: This agency operates under the administrative jurisdiction of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.