International Organizations, Defence, Books & Authors, World History

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SAARC is regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South Asia. It promotes development of economical and regional integration. 
Member Countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan (joined in 2007
The first SAARC summit was held in Dhaka (Bangladesh) in December 1985.

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The general secretariat of Amnesty International is located in London, United Kingdom. The non-governmental organization was founded in July 1961 by Peter Benenson and Philip James. Amnesty International is a human rights organization that campaigns for compliance with international laws and standards. They use media attention, direct-appeal campaigns, research, and lobbying to protect human rights. Amnesty International has opened regional offices in cities across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

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Oslo Accords or Oslo Process refers to two agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. First is the Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington in 1993 and second is Oslo II Accord, signed in Taba, Egypt in 1995. It resulted in recognition of Israel by the PLO and the recognition by Israel of the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and as a partner in bilateral negotiations.

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Veto power is held with five permanent members, which are also called as P5 or Big 5. They are China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States.

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Memory of the World Programme is an initiative of UNESCO. It is an international initiative launched to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity against collective amnesia, neglect, the ravages of time and climatic conditions, and willful and deliberate destruction.

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Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) is an organization under United Nations. It is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It is located in Thailand.

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The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) is a joint venture between India and Russia. The plant is located in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. It is the largest nuclear power station in India.
The plant was built as a result of an inter-governmental agreement signed in 1988 by then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The agreement called for the construction of two reactors of 2 GW. The first concrete for unit 1 was poured in March 2002, and for unit 2 four months later.
The reactors are pressurised water reactors of Russian design. The thermal capacity is 3,000 MW, the gross electrical capacity is 1,000 MW, and the net capacity is 917 MW.

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Around 44 African countries are entering into an agreement to set up AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) to remove barriers to trade, like tariffs and import quotas, allowing the free flow of goods and services between its members. The agreement will still have to be ratified at a national level, and is only due to come into force in 180 days. This is touted to be biggest free trade agreement since establishment of WTO.

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The 16-member bloc RCEP comprises 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six FTA partners – India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

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French is the official reference language of International Olympic Committee. English and the language of the host country are considered as the official language.