International Organizations, Defence, Books & Authors, World History

Notes:
The book “Lincoln in the Bardo” has been authored by George Saunders, the Folio prize-winning author. The novel is a tale of death and beyond that captures the grief of Abraham Lincoln over the death of his 11-year-old son Willie while the Civil War raged on in the United States of America (USA). The book draws a parallel line between the lives of Willie’s ghost and a similar uncertain state of Lincoln, after the boy’s death. In simple words, the novel is a confrontation with the mysterious beyond the inevitable death, a question that has haunted humankind, and the way death can bring even the head of a nation to his knees.

Notes:
The General Secretariat of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) is located in Madrid, Spain. The address is Oquendo 12, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
The General Secretariat is responsible for the administrative management of IOSCO. IOSCO was established in 1983 and has over 180 members from more than 100 states. The organization’s activities include research, risk identification, and standard-setting.

Notes:
The North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) was signed by 12 countries on April 4, 1949 at the Departmental Auditorium in Washington, D.C.. The countries that signed the treaty were:  Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, The United Kingdom, The United States.  The treaty established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a mutual defense treaty between the 12 nations. The purpose of NATO was to deter the Soviet Union from invading Western Europe. The treaty committed each member to share the risks, responsibilities, and benefits of collective defense.  NATO is now an alliance of 31 nations from Europe and North America. The main purpose of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members by political and military means.

Notes:
The correct answer is “Single Euro Payment Area” (SEPA). SEPA is an initiative by the European Union aimed at simplifying bank transfers denominated in euros. It allows for seamless electronic payments across member states, treating them as domestic transactions. Established in 2008, SEPA enhances efficiency and reduces costs for consumers and businesses, promoting financial integration within the Eurozone.

Notes:
The World Investment Report focuses is an official publication of the UNCTAD (United National Conference in Trade and Development). It reports the trends in foreign direct investment (FDI) worldwide, at the regional and country levels.

Notes:
Southern Command – Chennai does not correctly denote the headquarters of the Indian Army’s Operational Command. The headquarters of the Southern Command of the Indian Army is actually located in Pune, not Chennai.

Notes:
The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property was signed on March 20, 1883 in Paris, France.   It was one of the first intellectual property treaties. The convention established a Union for the protection of industrial property.   It still applies today, and has 177 member countries.  The convention’s provisions fall into three main categories:

1. National treatment
2. Right of priority
3. Common rules

The convention applies to:  Patents, Trademarks, Industrial designs, Utility models, Service marks, Trade names, Geographical indications, Repression of unfair competition.  The convention’s provisions include a 12-month priority period. This period begins on the date of filing the first application to the first country.

Notes:
The proposal to celebrate Gandhi’s birth anniversary as International Day of Non-Violence was taken to UN by Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. United Nations General Assembly voted to establish 2 October as the International Day of Non-Violence in 2007.

Notes:
February 2nd is World Wetlands Day. This day is celebrated annually to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands and how to restore them. It also commemorates the Ramsar Convention, which was signed on February 2nd, 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.

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