Politics and Governance

Saudi Arabia to invite Syrian President to the Arab League summit on 19 May 2023

As of May 19th, 2023, Saudi Arabia is hosting an Arab League summit and has reportedly extended an invitation to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to attend the summit. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan would travel to Damascus to deliver the invitation to President Assad. Assad’s potential attendance at an Arab League summit would be a significant step towards his rehabilitation within the Arab world after Syria’s suspension from the organisation in 2011 due to a brutal crackdown on protests. While mostly symbolic, Syria’s return would reflect a change in regional approach towards the Syrian conflict, which drew in foreign powers and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and the splintering of the country.

Japan will be hosting G-7 Summit from 19 to 21 May 2023

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced that the 2023 Group of Seven (G-7) summit will be hosted by Japan in Hiroshima on May 19-21, during its presidency of the major powers. Kishida himself is a lawmaker representing a constituency in Hiroshima, which was hit by a US atomic bomb in 1945 towards the end of World War II. The upcoming summit will focus on realistic measures towards achieving a world without nuclear weapons, as stated by Kishida during a news conference in Munich after attending a three-day G-7 summit in Schloss Elmau, Germany. He emphasized the importance of demonstrating a strong commitment to prevent the horror of nuclear weapons from ever happening again.

Defence and Security

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister will attend the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting in India on 4 May 2023

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting in India on 4 May 2023, according to the Pakistani ministry. The SCO is a regional bloc comprising Russia, China, India, and Pakistan. Bhutto-Zardari has been invited by his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, to the two-day meeting in Goa. Mumtaz Zahrah Baloch, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign office, stated that Pakistan’s participation demonstrates its commitment to the SCO Charter and processes, as well as its emphasis on the region in its foreign policy priorities. Pakistan has regularly participated in SCO meetings, and this event is in line with its longstanding commitment to the organization.

NATO military chief of defence meeting will be held on 10 May 2023

The Military Committee, NATO’s top military authority, is scheduled to hold an in-person meeting on May 10, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. Admiral Rob Bauer, the committee’s chair, will lead the meeting, attended by the Allied Chiefs of Defence, as well as Sweden’s Invitee counterpart. The meeting will be assisted by General Christopher Cavoli, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), and General Philippe Lavigne, the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT). The upcoming NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session (MCCS) will provide an opportunity for the 32 Chiefs of Defence to gather and deliberate on issues of strategic significance for the Alliance.

Trade and Economics

WTO will be holding a training course on Trade and Gender from 2 to 5 May 2023

The WTO will organize a four-day in-person training course on trade and gender for government officials starting from May 2, 2023, at its headquarters in Geneva. The course aims to enhance participants’ knowledge of the interplay between trade and gender and help them integrate gender considerations in their policymaking process. It aligns with the objectives of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender in promoting women’s participation in global trade. The course will be conducted in English and equip participants with essential tools and concepts to analyse and develop trade policies that promote gender equality.

Third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting will be held in Srinagar from 22 to 24 May 2023

India will be hosting its third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar from May 22 to 24, 2023. This event will be Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) first significant international gathering since its split into J&K and Ladakh in August 2019. Over 100 non-ministerial members representing G20 nations are expected to attend the meeting, which aims to boost J&K’s tourism prospects. The Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) will be the primary venue for the three-day event, with sightseeing tours planned for Baramulla, Dachigam National Park, and the ski resort of Gulmarg. The event will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss issues of strategic importance and address the Alliance’s key priorities and challenges.

Social Issues

World Press Freedom Day will be celebrated on 3 May 2023

UNESCO will host a special event on World Press Freedom Day 2023 at the UN headquarters in New York to commemorate 30 years since the UN General Assembly declared an international day for press freedom. The theme for the day, celebrated on May 3rd, will be “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights”. The day will include a full program of activities on May 2nd, with partners from media, academia, and civil society invited to organize events around the world based on this year’s theme. The event will emphasize the essential role of freedom of expression in protecting and promoting human rights.

17^th Organization for the Study of Sex Difference annual meeting will be held on 7 May 2023

The 17th Annual Meeting of the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD) will take place from May 07 – 11, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The OSSD is a scientific organization dedicated to advancing knowledge of sex/gender differences by promoting interdisciplinary communication and collaboration among scientists and clinicians. In order to facilitate the exchange of information about sex differences among researchers, OSSD holds a multidisciplinary annual meeting. The conference will focus on recent developments in sex differences research, covering topics such as behaviour, disorders of sex development (DSD), brain function and growth, and gender development, among others.

Energy and Environment

ALTA’s 27^th annual metallurgical conference will be held from 1 to 5 May 2023

ALTA is organizing its 27th annual metallurgical conference, a world-class event and leading platform for innovation, to be held at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth from 1 to 5 May 2023. Established by metallurgical consultant Alan Taylor in 1985, ALTA serves the worldwide mining, minerals, and metallurgical industries. The carefully crafted conference program is well-known for its practical orientation and focus on key technology trends, offering exceptional opportunities to share ideas and develop new connections. The International Atomic Energy Agency will also participate by contributing to the Uranium-Rare Earth Elements Session. The conference will focus on various topics, including Nickel-Cobalt-Copper, Uranium-Rare Earths, Gold-PM, In-Situ Recovery (ISR), and Lithium & Battery Technology.

Global Space Conference on Climate Change will be held from 23 to 25 May 2023

The Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA) and the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) are pleased to announce the 2023 Global Space Conference on Climate Change (GLOC 2023) in Oslo, Norway on 23 – 25 May 2023. GLOC 2023 will be the first conference of its kind to address the contribution of space-based services and applications to the global fight against climate change. The conference will focus on the theme “Fire and Ice – Space for Climate Action” and cover various topics, including the impacts of climate change on the environment, applications and services driven by climate change, policy and law, commercial opportunities, international collaboration, and socio-economic dimensions of environmental change.