Master10
Current Affairs Module

International Summits & Conferences

Multilateral summits serve as primary forums where sovereign states negotiate binding declarations, trade corridors, and geopolitical strategies. Key international platforms include the G20 Leaders' Summit, the BRICS expansion framework, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council, and the United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP). Notable diplomatic breakthroughs include the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration during the 2023 G20 Presidency, the induction of the African Union into the G20, and the establishment of the Global Biofuels Alliance. Analyzing these multilateral sessions clarifies diplomatic alignments, global economic agreements, and transnational policy coordination.

Key Concepts & Examination Highlights

  • The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi (September 2023) achieved unanimous adoption of the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration and formally inducted the African Union as a permanent member.
  • The Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) was launched on the sidelines of the G20 New Delhi Summit by India, Brazil, and the United States to accelerate sustainable fuel adoption.
  • The 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg (August 2023) approved the historic expansion of the bloc, inviting Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
  • COP28 held in Dubai in December 2023 finalized the UAE Consensus, which included the first explicit call to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems.
  • The 50th G7 Summit was hosted in Borgo Egnazia, Apulia, Italy, in June 2024 under the Italian Presidency, addressing AI governance, energy security, and migration.
  • The 24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State was held in Astana, Kazakhstan, in July 2024, formally inducting Belarus as the 10th full member state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
  • The 2024 NATO Summit was held in Washington, D.C., in July 2024, marking the 75th anniversary of the alliance and welcoming Sweden as its 32nd member.
  • The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) partnership was signed on the margins of the 2023 G20 Summit by India, the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, France, Germany, Italy, and the EU.
  • The 19th G20 Leaders' Summit was scheduled to be hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November 2024 under the theme 'Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet'.
  • The 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits were hosted in Vientiane, Laos, in October 2024 under the theme 'ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience'.
  • COP29 of the UNFCCC was designated to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024, focusing on mobilizing climate finance and finalizing the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG).
  • The 16th BRICS Summit was held in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024 under the theme 'Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security'.
  • The 3rd Voice of Global South Summit was hosted virtually by India in August 2024 under the overarching theme 'An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future'.
  • The International Solar Alliance (ISA) held its 6th Assembly in New Delhi in October 2023, deciding to increase the Viability Gap Funding for solar projects from 10% to up to 35%.
  • The 2024 Quad Leaders' Summit was hosted by US President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, in September 2024, announcing the Quad Cancer Moonshot initiative.
  • The 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79) convened in New York in September 2024, adopting the landmark 'Pact for the Future'.
  • The Summit of the Future was held at the UN Headquarters in September 2024, adopting the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.
  • The 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2024) was hosted in Apia, Samoa, in October 2024, marking the first time CHOGM was held in a Pacific Small Island Developing State.
  • The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2024 was held in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2024 under the theme 'Rebuilding Trust'.
  • The 28th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting was held in London in March 2024 to coordinate multilateral diplomatic priorities.
  • The AI Seoul Summit was co-hosted by South Korea and the United Kingdom in May 2024, adopting the Seoul Declaration on safe, innovative, and inclusive artificial intelligence.
  • The Paris 2024 Olympic Summit convened international sports leaders in Paris during the XXXIII Olympiad to discuss digital broadcasting and anti-doping integrity.
  • The 23rd SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting was held in Islamabad, Pakistan, in October 2024, attended by India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
  • The 6th Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEA-6) met in Nairobi, Kenya, in February 2024, passing 15 resolutions on climate change and biodiversity loss.
  • The 2024 Global Peace Summit on Ukraine was hosted at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland in June 2024, focusing on nuclear safety, food security, and prisoner exchanges.
  • The 18th G20 Leaders' Summit was successfully held in New Delhi on September 9-10, 2023, under India's presidency with the theme 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (One Earth, One Family, One Future).
  • The New Delhi G20 Leaders' Declaration achieved 100% consensus across all 83 paragraphs, including the historic permanent admission of the 55-nation African Union into the G20.
  • The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) was announced on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi by leaders of India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy, and the EU.
  • The Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) was officially launched at the G20 Summit in New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside leaders of the US, Brazil, and other partner nations.
  • The 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) was held in Dubai, UAE, in December 2023, resulting in the UAE Consensus that called for transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems.
  • COP28 in Dubai operationalized the Loss and Damage Fund to assist vulnerable developing nations facing severe economic losses from climate change impacts.
  • The 15th BRICS Summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2023, where BRICS announced an historic expansion by inviting six new members: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
  • The 16th BRICS Summit was hosted by Russia in Kazan in October 2024, focusing on strengthening multilateralism and integrating new member states.
  • The 23rd Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was hosted virtually by India in July 2023, adopting the New Delhi Declaration and inducting Iran as a full member.
  • The 50th G7 Summit was hosted by Italy in Borgo Egnazia (Apulia) in June 2024, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated as an outreach guest invitee.
  • The 49th G7 Summit was held in Hiroshima, Japan, in May 2023 under the presidency of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
  • The 2024 NATO Summit took place in Washington, D.C., in July 2024, marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization with 32 member nations (including Sweden and Finland).
  • The 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and East Asia Summit were hosted by Laos in Vientiane in October 2024 under the theme 'ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience'.
  • The 2024 Quad Leaders' Summit was hosted by US President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, in September 2024, bringing together leaders of India, Australia, Japan, and the United States.
  • The 3rd Summit of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) assembly and regional meetings continued expanding solar technology deployment across 118 member countries.
  • The Global AI Safety Summit was held at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, UK, in November 2023, resulting in the Bletchley Declaration signed by 28 nations, including India, the US, and China.
  • The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2024 was held in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, in January 2024 under the theme 'Rebuilding Trust'.
  • The 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2024) was hosted by Samoa in Apia in October 2024, the first CHOGM held in a Pacific Small Island Developing State.
  • The UN Summit of the Future was held at UN Headquarters in New York in September 2024, adopting the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations.
  • The 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was hosted by Uganda in Kampala in January 2024 under the theme 'Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence'.
  • The 3rd South Summit of the G77 plus China was held in Kampala, Uganda, in January 2024, emphasizing South-South economic and technological cooperation.
  • The 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in February-March 2024.
  • The 6th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) was hosted at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, in February-March 2024.
  • India hosted the Voice of Global South Summit virtually in January 2023 (first edition), November 2023 (second edition), and August 2024 (third edition) to amplify developing nations' priorities.
  • The 2024 Nuclear Security Summit and IAEA Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science and Applications were held in Vienna, Austria.
Curriculum & Reference Sources: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), G20 Secretariat, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and BRICS Information Portal.

Sample Solved Questions & Concept Explanations

8 Verified Concept Questions
Q1.EASY

Which country hosted the 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in September 2023 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi?

Q2.EASY

Which new continental bloc was inducted as a permanent member of the G20 during the 2023 New Delhi Summit?

Q3.EASY

Which country hosted the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in November–December 2023 at Expo City Dubai?

Q4.EASY

Which country joined NATO as its 31st and 32nd member states in 2023 and 2024 following the conflict in Ukraine?

Q5.EASY

Which international grouping expanded in January 2024 by admitting Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Egypt, and Ethiopia?

Q6.MEDIUM

What is the 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor' (IMEC) announced during the 2023 New Delhi G20 Summit?

Q7.MEDIUM

What was the venue of the 16th BRICS Summit held in October 2024, the first summit following the group's major expansion?

Q8.HARD

Under the 'Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee' (INC) on Plastic Pollution established by UNEP Resolution 5/14, the global legally binding treaty on plastic pollution aims to address what full lifecycle scope?