Politics and Governance

Elections for Legislative Assembly in Gilgit-Baltistan to Take Place on November 15

As notified by the President of Pakistan in September 2020, legislative assembly elections in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) have been rescheduled to take place on November 15. The elections will be held for 24 general seats for GB’s legislative assembly. The rescheduling of the elections comes amid the reports of an agreement between the government and the opposition parties to hold consultations on the proposal of granting “provisional provincial status” to GB. However, the said status has already been provided on November 1. Originally, the elections were to be held in August 2020; however, were postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

US Presidential Election to Take Place on November 3, 2020

On November 3, the American citizens will be deciding the fate of the United States. Joe Biden, the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, is challenging the Republican president Donald Trump. Biden has been a part of the US political structure since the 1970s and served as the Vice President of the United States during President Obama’s term. So far, the trend of national polls shown by BBC News displays the democratic nominee to be ahead of Donald Trump and has a 10-point lead on occasions.

G20 Leaders’ Summit for the Year 2020 to be held from November 21 – 22, 2020

The 15^th meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20) will convene on November 21 – 22, 2020. Originally the meeting was scheduled to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. However, as per the recent announcement, the summit is to be held virtually. Under the Saudi presidency, the three objectives that the agenda will deal with are as follows: “Empowering People, by creating the conditions in which all people – especially women and youth – can live, work and thrive”; “Safeguarding the Planet, by fostering collective efforts to protect our global commons”, and “Shaping New Frontiers, by adopting long-term and bold strategies to share benefits of innovation and technological advancement”.

The 2020 Afghanistan Conference to be held in November-end

The Afghanistan Conference – 2020, co-organised by the Government of Afghanistan, the Government of Finland, and the United Nations will be held in Geneva on November 23 – 24, 2020. The aim of the conference is to present an opportunity to both the Afghan government and the international community to pursue common objectives for promoting and establishing sustainable development, prosperity and peace in Afghanistan. It will provide a framework for adhering to the shared development objectives for the year 2021-2024, for better coordination of development cooperation, and for the financial support that the administration requires in holding the objectives.

Trade and Economics

Middle East Investment Summit shall be held virtually in November 2020

The Middle East Investment Summit shall be held on November 9 – 10, 2020 virtually, extending a special focus on Saudi markets. Saudi Arabia, having the largest economy in the Arab world, is seeking to expand the avenues for its oil-dependent economy. The kingdom is pitching itself as a leading global investment hub and is devising strategies to provide opportunities to international investors.  In this respect, the summit shall provide a platform to professionals from all sectors of the industry to network, strategize and learn from global leaders, alongside their peers and colleagues.

XII BRICS Summit shall be held on November 17 via Videoconference

The 12^th BRICS Summit shall be held virtually on November 17 under the chairmanship of Russia. The theme of the meeting shall be “BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth”. The main aim of the Russian BRICS Chairmanship this year is to ensure rising living standards and quality of life. The priorities of the  Russian Chairmanship in 2020 are; a) Strengthening multilateral principles in global politics and promoting the BRICS countries’ common interests at international platforms; b) Developing cooperation in trade, economy and finance; and c) Cooperation in cultural and humanitarian spheres and stepping up contacts between people.

The SCO Summit to Take Place Virtually on November 10

Under the chairmanship of Russia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit has been scheduled to take place via video conferencing on November 10. During the summit, the SCO leaders are expected to discuss the strengthening and further development of cooperation within the framework of the SCO, including the context of the global political and socioeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants shall be focusing on ways to promote the SCO member states’ practical interaction in politics, security, trade and the economy, cultural and humanitarian ties, as well as political dialogue.

Energy and Environment

Joint Meeting of the Parties to the Vienna Convention and to the Montreal Protocol

The Joint Meeting of the parties to the Vienna Convention and parties to the Montreal Protocol is scheduled to take place on November 23 – 27, virtually. The Vienna Convention was established in response to the growing depletion of the ozone layer and its effects on the environment and human health. It took effect in 1988 and was universally ratified in 2009. The convention, however, only provided the principles of preventing ozone depletion, but the control actions required from the countries were devised later in the Montreal Protocol.  Progress is being made with regards to both the agreements.

Paris Peace Forum to be held virtually from November 11 to November 13

The third edition of the Paris Peace Forum will be held in a digital format due to the resurgence of Covid-19. All actors of global governance will be invited to participate in the event on November 11 – 13. Whereas, the physical session will only remain limited to several heads of states and the French President Emmanuel Macron, to work on collective response strategies to the pandemic that the globe is currently facing.

Race to Zero Dialogues for Zero Carbon Recovery to be held in November

The Race to Zero Dialogues shall be taking place on November 10 – 12, 2020. It is a global campaign with the aim of rallying leadership and support from cities, regions, businesses and investors for a “zero-carbon recovery” that can act as a prevention methodology against the future climatic threat. The initiative has been led by the High-Level Climate Champions for Climate Action – Nigel Topping and Gonzalo Muñoz. It mobilises actors that are outside of national governments to become a part of the Climate Ambition Alliance, which was launched at the United Nations Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit in 2019 by the President of Chile, Sebastian Piñera.

Social Issues

73^rd World Health Assembly Organised by the World Health Organisation to be held in November

Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the seventy-third World Health Assembly will be held on November 9 – 14, virtually. The previous virtual session held in May was attended by several heads of states who vowed to be united in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. The President of China, Xi Jinping said that “China will provide US$ 2 billion over 2 years to help with COVID-19 response and with economic and social development in affected countries, especially developing countries”.

Defence and Security

Malabar Naval Exercise for the Year 2020 to be held in Coming Month, Australia to Join the Exercise

The India-led Malabar Naval Exercise shall be held in November 2020 and will be joined by Australia as well. It will be the first time when all the major players of the Pacific cooperation will come together. To Australia, it is a strategy for enhancing its maritime capabilities. The cooperation will further lead towards building interoperability with the countries involved. The exercises aim to demonstrate the collective resolve that exists to support an open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.