15-Oct-2018: Visit of Vice President to Belgium to attend 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit (October 18-19, 2018)
Vice President of India, Shri Venkaiah Naidu will lead the Indian delegation to attend the 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, scheduled to be held on 18-19 October 2018 in Brussels, Belgium. The bi-annual event is considered the highest platform for dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe in the areas of trade, investment, security and tourism. This will also be the first multilateral summit that Vice President will be attending after taking office in August 2017.
The theme of this years’ ASEM Summit is "Global Partners for Global Challenges”. The 2018 Summit, hosted by the European Union will be chaired by the President of the European Council. A number of Heads of States / Heads of Government are expected to participate in the Summit.
ASEM Agenda for 2018 will prioritize issues related to connectivity, trade and investment, sustainable development, climate change terrorism, migration, maritime security and cyberspace.
Apart from the Opening Ceremony, Vice President will participate in the Plenary Session and have interactions with the various stakeholders. In addition, Vice President will call on His Majesty, the King of the Belgians. He will also have bilateral meetings with the Heads of State / Government from Austria, Portugal, Switzerland and other countries on the sidelines of the Summit.
On 20 October 2018, Vice President will address the Indian Diaspora at the Jain Culture Centre in Wilrijk, Antwerp. Vice President will also pay respects and offer floral tribute at a sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi located in the Governorate of Antwerp.
Background: ASEM is a platform for the countries in Asia and Europe to exchange views on regional and global issues and strengthen cooperation on a wide range of areas emanating from its three pillars – political and security, economic and financial and socio-cultural. The ASEM grouping comprises of 51 member-countries and 2 regional organizations – European Union and ASEAN. Countries in the grouping represent 55% of global trade, 60% global population, 65% of global GDP and 75% of global tourism.
Many side events have also been organized over the course of one month in Brussels in connection with ASEM. At the ASEM cultural festival, India’s rich heritage in the performing arts will be showcased in a Kathakali presentation of the Spanish masterpiece, 'Don Quixote' in collaboration with the Spanish Cultural Institute, Cervantes.
5-Sep-2018: 3rd ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Conference on ‘Global Ageing and Human Rights of Older Persons’
Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment left for Seoul (Korea). He's heading a 3-member Indian Delegation to attend the 3rd ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Conference on ‘Global Ageing and Human Rights of Older Persons’ jointly organised in Seoul during 5th to 7th September, 2018 by the Republic of Korea and the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.
The 3-day Conference will reaffirm the universal value of the human rights of older persons, share information on discrimination against the elderly and exemplary cases of long-term and palliative care in Asia and Europe, and also discuss operation and tasks of the ASEM Global Ageing Centre as an implementing institution for mutual cooperation among ASEM members for the protection and promotion of the human rights of older persons.
The Conference will be attended by International Institutions including the United Nations, Regional Institutions such as UNESCAP, UNECE, European Union, ASEAN, GANHRI and also International NGOs, Experts etc. The experience gained from the Conference will be beneficial for Policy formulation and implementation for welfare of senior citizens.
29-Sep-2018: President of India Inaugurates Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention in New Delhi.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that achieving universal access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene by 2030 is a major challenge in many parts of the world. Drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene are central to Sustainable Development Goal 6, especially targets 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3. Target 6.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals calls for countries to end open defecation, ensure everyone has access to a basic toilet and put in place systems for safe management of excreta.
The President said that improving access to sanitation and eradicating open defecation have enormous implications. They are critical social and economic investments. The absence of a suitable toilet and appropriate hygiene and sanitation practices can lead to malnutrition and life-long disadvantages. Therefore, for us in India – as elsewhere – a mission such as Swachh Bharat is critical to securing our human capital and our demographic dividend – and to giving our children a better future. No young girl should have to give up school only because a girls’ toilet is not available. Such an occurrence would be a scar on our collective conscience.
The President said that Swachh Bharat is a revolution playing out in real time. As an instrument of mass mobilisation, as a people’s movement, and as a national goal towards which there is near total commitment, Swachh Bharat represents the spirit of our Independence movement. India is striving to eliminate open defecation in its entirety by October 2, 2019. This is the best 150th birthday gift we can give Gandhiji.
The President said that the Swachh Bharat Mission has been shaped by among the world’s leading specialists on sanitation. It has been scripted by common Indians of uncommon quality – men and women of rare courage, of foresight, social empathy and civic pride. Individually and collectively, they have worked to free their neighbourhoods, their villages and their towns and cities from open defecation. Inch by inch, day by day, person by person, family by family, they have persuaded fellow citizens to adopt behaviour change. Our sanitation champions come from all regions of the country, all sections of society, all communities and all social and economic groups.
Addressing Ministers and delegates from 68 participating countries, the President said that our successes with Swachh Bharat, our attainments in the sphere of sanitation, our methods and our mechanisms, are available to all of them to use as they deem necessary. Access to improved sanitation is not a target and a goal for one country or the other – it is the interlinked destiny of humankind.
The President suggested five important themes that countries may choose to adopt while meeting the problem of insufficient sanitation. These are - ensure people lead the planning, implementation and management of sanitation programmes; use smart and affordable technologies for effective and efficient service delivery; eliminate all forms of inequalities in service delivery; create innovative financing instruments to fund and sustain the sanitation movement; and develop capacities within the government to plan, implement and monitor sanitation programmes.
The Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention is being organised by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to mark the beginning of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi, also coinciding with the fourth anniversary of the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission.
15-Sep-2018: 7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism
The 7th UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Global Summit on Urban Tourism is expected to set out a vision towards 2030 for urban tourism and its potential for advancing more sustainable and inclusive cities.
Themed, ‘A 2030 Vision for Urban Tourism,’ the Summit will seek to encourage new strategic approaches to the challenge of a growing tourism sector and its impact on urban destinations through the sharing of innovative ideas and experiences. Among the topics to be featured are innovative approaches to: competitiveness in urban destinations; impacts of technology on urban tourism; rejuvenation of cities; and increasing inclusion in city development.
The Summit is organized by the UNWTO and the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG), with support from the Government of the Republic of Korea from 16-19 September 2018 at Seoul.