UPSC CSE Prelims
Global Governance and Global Issues Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Showing solved Previous Year Questions for Chapter: Global Governance and Global Issues
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Consider the following statements about platforms for multilateral co-operation :
- The 'Colombo Process' is a regional consultative process in which member states take binding decisions by consensus.
- The 'Abu Dhabi Dialogue' is a voluntary non-binding consultative process among Asian countries of labour origin and destination to facilitate regional cooperation on contractual labour mobility.
- The 'Global Forum for Migration and Development', created upon the proposal of a former UN Secretary General, is a voluntary forum whose decisions are non-binding in nature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Detailed Explanation:
Statement 1 — Incorrect. The Colombo Process is a Regional Consultative Process comprising 12 Asian member states (primarily labour-origin countries). It operates as a voluntary forum where decisions are made by consensus — but they are strictly non-binding, not binding as claimed.
Statement 2 — Correct. The Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) is a voluntary, non-binding inter-governmental consultative process (est. 2008) bringing together Asian labour origin and destination countries to facilitate regional cooperation on temporary contractual labour mobility for safe and orderly migration.
Statement 3 — Correct. The Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD) was established following a proposal by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the 2006 UN General Assembly High-Level Dialogue on Migration and Development. It is:
- State-led, voluntary, informal
- Non-binding in nature
- Operates outside the formal UN system
Key Trick: Statement 1 replaces "non-binding" with "binding" — a single-word trap that completely reverses the nature of the Colombo Process.
Which of the following international conventions have not been ratified by India?
- Employment Policy Convention
- Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
- International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
- Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War
- Convention on Reduction of Statelessness
Select the answer using the code given below:
Detailed Explanation:
Model Answer: Option 4 (3, 4 and 5)
(Note: Option D is correct by elimination as it is the only option containing both conventions 3 & 5 which are factually unratified)
Convention-wise Analysis:
| # | Convention | India's Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (ILO No. 122) | ✅ Ratified — 17 Nov 1998 |
| 2 | Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (ILO No. 105) | ✅ Ratified — 18 May 2000 |
| 3 | Convention on Rights of All Migrant Workers (1990) | ❌ Neither signed nor ratified |
| 4 | Geneva Convention IV — Protection of Civilians (1949) | ✅ Ratified — 9 Nov 1950; enacted via Geneva Conventions Act, 1960 |
| 5 | Convention on Reduction of Statelessness (1961) | ❌ Neither signed nor ratified |
Important Note on Statement 4: The question likely confused Geneva Convention IV (ratified by India) with the 1951 Refugee Convention (adopted in Geneva) — which India has NOT ratified. This is a classic question-setter error.
India's Key Non-Ratifications to Remember:
- 1951 Refugee Convention & its 1967 Protocol
- 1954 Convention on Statelessness
- 1961 Convention on Reduction of Statelessness
- 1990 Migrant Workers Convention
Consider the following statement :
- Recently, all the countries of the United Nations have adopted the first-ever compact for international migration, the 'Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM)'.
- The objectives and commitments stated in the GCM are binding on the UN member countries.
- The GCM addresses internal migration or internally displaced people also in its objectives and commitments.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 4 — None
All three statements about the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) are incorrect. The GCM was not adopted by all UN countries, is not legally binding, and does not address internal displacement.
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Not all UN countries adopted the GCM; 163 countries adopted it in 2018, while countries like the USA, Hungary, Israel, Czech Republic, and Poland voted against or abstained from the compact.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: The GCM is a non-legally binding framework for cooperation on international migration; it does not impose legal obligations on UN member countries.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: The GCM focuses exclusively on international migration and does not address internal migration or internally displaced persons (IDPs), which fall under separate frameworks like the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.
📝 Short Notes: Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM)
- Adoption: Adopted at the Intergovernmental Conference in Marrakech, Morocco, in December 2018.
- Nature: Non-legally binding, cooperative framework covering all dimensions of international migration.
- Signatories: 163 countries adopted it; notable non-signatories include the USA, Hungary, Israel, Czech Republic, and Poland.
- Objectives: 23 objectives covering aspects like facilitating safe migration, combating human trafficking, reducing vulnerabilities, and improving border management.
- Scope: Applies only to international migration; does not cover internal displacement or refugees (covered separately by the 1951 Refugee Convention and the Global Compact on Refugees).
- Principles: Based on state sovereignty, responsibility-sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights.
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Which one of the following countries has been suffering from decades of civil strife and food shortages and was in news in the recent past for its very severe famine?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 4 — Somalia
Somalia has been suffering from prolonged civil strife since the early 1990s following the collapse of its central government. The combination of ongoing conflict, recurrent droughts, locust infestations, and economic instability has made Somalia one of the world's most food-insecure nations, facing severe famines including the devastating one in 2011 and the near-famine situation in 2020-2021. The country remains highly vulnerable to humanitarian crises, with millions requiring food assistance.
📝 Short Notes: Somalia Crisis
- Civil War: Somalia has been in a state of civil war and political instability since 1991 when the central government collapsed.
- Humanitarian Crisis: Decades of conflict have destroyed infrastructure, disrupted agriculture, and displaced millions of people.
- 2011 Famine: Declared famine killed an estimated 260,000 people, half of them children under five.
- 2020-2021 Crisis: UN warned of imminent famine due to severe drought, desert locust infestations, COVID-19 economic impact, and ongoing conflict.
- Vulnerability Factors: Climate change, weak governance, Al-Shabaab insurgency, and extreme poverty make Somalia chronically food insecure.
- Other Options: Angola (post-civil war recovery), Costa Rica (stable democracy), and Ecuador (relatively stable) do not match the description of ongoing civil strife and severe recent famine.
Consider the following statements:
- Bidibidi is a large refugee settlement in north -western Kenya.
- Some people who fled from South Sudan civil war live in Bidibidi.
- Some people who fled from civil war in Somalia live in Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 4 — 2 and 3
This question tests knowledge about major refugee settlements in East Africa. Statement 1 incorrectly locates Bidibidi in Kenya, while statements 2 and 3 correctly identify the refugee populations in Bidibidi (Uganda) and Dadaab (Kenya).
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Bidibidi is a large refugee settlement located in northwestern Uganda, not Kenya.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Bidibidi refugee settlement in Uganda hosts people who fled the South Sudan civil war that intensified from 2013 onwards.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya is one of the world's largest refugee camps and primarily houses refugees who fled the civil war and instability in Somalia.
📝 Short Notes: Major Refugee Settlements in East Africa
- Bidibidi, Uganda: One of the world's largest refugee settlements, located in northwestern Uganda near the South Sudan border; hosts primarily South Sudanese refugees fleeing civil war.
- Dadaab, Kenya: Located in northeastern Kenya near the Somalia border; established in 1991-92; hosts mainly Somali refugees; at its peak housed over 400,000 refugees.
- Kakuma, Kenya: Another major refugee camp in northwestern Kenya; hosts refugees from South Sudan, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and other countries.
- South Sudan Civil War: Conflict began in December 2013, causing massive displacement with over 2 million refugees fleeing to neighboring countries including Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Sudan.
- Somalia Civil War: Ongoing conflict since 1991; has created one of the world's longest-running refugee crises with millions displaced internally and externally.
The term "two-state solution" is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of -
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — Israel
The term "two-state solution" is specifically used in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It refers to the proposal for the establishment of two separate sovereign states: an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River. This has been the internationally accepted framework for resolving the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, aiming to ensure peace and security for both peoples.
📝 Short Notes: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and Two-State Solution
- Two-State Solution: A proposed framework for peace involving the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, based on pre-1967 borders with mutually agreed land swaps.
- Key Issues: The final status negotiations include borders, security arrangements, status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees' right of return, and Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
- Oslo Accords (1993): Historic agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) that established the Palestinian Authority and laid the groundwork for the two-state solution.
- International Support: The United Nations, United States, European Union, and the Arab League have historically supported the two-state solution as the viable path to peace.
- Major Obstacles: Continued Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, lack of Palestinian unity (Hamas vs. Fatah), security concerns, and competing claims over Jerusalem.
- Current Status: The peace process has been stalled for years, with growing skepticism about the feasibility of the two-state solution due to expanding settlements and political changes.