U.N. DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES: AUGUST 9.

THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE WORLD'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OBSERVED EVERY YEAR ON 9 AUGUST

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly during its 62nd session at UN Headquarters in New York City on 13 September 2007.

While as a General Assembly Declaration it is not a legally binding instrument under international law, according to a UN press release, it does "represent the dynamic development of international legal norms and it reflects the commitment of the UN's member states to move in certain directions"; the UN describes it as setting "an important standard for the treatment of indigenous peoples that will undoubtedly be a significant tool towards eliminating human rights violations against the planet's 370 million indigenous people and assisting them in combating discrimination and marginalisation."

On December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World's Indigenous People shall be observed on 9 August every year during the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People. The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

The UN General Assembly had proclaimed 1993 the International Year of the World's Indigenous People, and the same year, the Assembly proclaimed the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, starting on 10 December 1994 (resolution 48/163). The goal of the First International Decade was to strengthen international cooperation for solving problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as human rights, the environment, development, education and health.The Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People began in 2005.
INDIA, CHINA TO SET UP HOTLINE


 India and China have decided to set up a hotline between Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Wen Jiabao as a confidence building measure. The decision was taken during the 13th Round of India-China Special Representatives talks on the boundary question which concluded in a “cordial and friendly atmosphere.”

 At the ministerial level, India now has a hotline only with Russia, while China has a functional hotline with the United States.

WHAT IS HOTLINE?

Hotline is a system that allows direct communication between the leaders of two countries. It was originally designed by Harris Corporation for communication between the United States and the Soviet Union. Also known as the "red telephone", it linked the White House via the National Military Command Center with the Kremlin during the Cold War.
“TRACK 2” AND BACKCHANNEL DIPLOMACY


 Track II diplomacy is a specific kind of informal diplomacy, in which non-officials (academic scholars, retired civil and military officials, public figures, and social activists) engage in dialogue, with the aim of conflict resolution, or confidence-building. This sort of diplomacy is especially useful after events which can be interpreted in a number of different ways, both parties recognize this fact, and neither side wants to escalate or involve third parties for fear of the situation spiraling out of control.

 A back channel in the language of diplomacy is an unofficial channel of communication between states or other political entities, used to supplement official channels, often for the purposes of discussing highly sensitive policy issues

MI6 & MI5

The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), colloquially known as MI6 is the United Kingdom's external intelligence agency, part of the country's intelligence community. Under the direction of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), it works alongside the Security Service (MI5),Headquarters Vauxhall Cross, London, United Kingdom

The Security Service commonly known as MI5 .MI5 (Military Intelligence, Section 5),is the United Kingdom's counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of the intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6). Headquarters Thames House, London, United Kingdom

INDIA, ASEAN SIGN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

 The accord will take effect from January 1, 2010

 The regional bloc is the fourth largest trading partner

 Bulk trade includes textiles, steel and plantation crops
 BOOSTING TRADE: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Thailand Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai signed the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (TIG) in Bangkok.


 India and the Association of South East Asian Nations signed a Free Trade Agreement, which took nearly six years to negotiate. The FTA, relating only to goods, was signed by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and his ASEAN counterparts at a ceremony in Bangkok after the two sides held annual consultations.

 The accord, India’s first with a trade bloc, will cover 11 countries with a combined Gross Domestic Product of over $2 trillion. The combined population is of the order of 1.6 billion.

 Under the trade pact, India has included 489 items from agriculture, textiles and chemicals in the negative list, meaning these products will be kept out of the duty reduction.