International Organizations, Defence, Books & Authors, World History

Notes:
International Biodiversity Day is celebrated on 22nd May every year to raise awareness about biodiversity issues. This day commemorates the adoption of the text of the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992. 192 countries are party to this convention to promote sustainable development.

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:
11 November every year is observed as National Education Day in India

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World Wetlands Day is celebrated annually on February 2nd. The day marks the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The day is celebrated to raise awareness of the importance of wetlands for people and the planet.

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Saint Surdas, revered for his intense devotion to Lord Krishna, is the author of Sahitya Ratna. Blind from birth, he belonged to the Saguna School of the Bhakti Kal. Apart from Sahitya Ratna, Surdas has also composed Sur Sagar (Ocean of Melody), and Sur Saravali. His works, primarily centered around his spiritual affection for Lord Krishna, are celebrated for their melodious and devotional undertone.

Notes:
The eminent Telugu poet Allasani Peddana, revered as one of the Ashtadiggajas (the group of eight Telugu poets) in the royal court of Krishnadevaraya, a distinguished ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, is the author of “Manucharitam”. This work is crucial for its expansion of an episode in the Markandeya Purana that recounts the birth of Svarochishamanu, who is recognized as one of the fourteen Manus, shaping human generations.

Notes:
Palermo Protocol is a United Nations (UN) protocol that defines human trafficking and aims to prevent, suppress, and punish it. The protocol was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2000 and came into effect on December 25, 2003. The protocol’s purposes are to:

• Prevent and combat trafficking in persons, especially women and children
• Protect and assist victims of trafficking
• The protocol defines human trafficking as exploitation that includes:
• Prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation
• Forced labor or services
• Slavery or practices similar to slavery
• Servitude
• The removal of organs

The Palermo Protocol is one of three supplementary protocols to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). The other two protocols are: (1) Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air (2) Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms.

Notes:
The Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare is an annual event held November 30 as a “tribute to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the elimination of the threat of chemical weapons, thereby promoting the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism.” It is officially recognised by the United Nations (UN) and has been celebrated since 2005.

Notes:
From the mid-17th century to the mid-19th century Portuguese Empire had a colonial presence in Benin. The Portuguese empire was engaged in the massive slave trade with Benin. This continued till the abolition of slavery through the Slave Trade Act, 1807 which weakened Benin’s (previously Dahomey) status. This lead to the emergence of French power in Benin’s soil during the mid-19th century. And finally, due to the anti-colonial stand of Beninese during the later years, France was forced to independence to Benin in 1960.

Notes:
1 December is celebrated as World AIDS Day.