Current Affairs July 2020 - Reports

1 - Sustainable Development Index 2020 released

Sustainable Development Index (SDG) for the year 2020 was unveiled. Sweden topped the index with an overall score of 84.7. Among 166 countries, Bangladesh scored 109^th position as it was good in achieving goals relating to poverty alleviation, quality education, decent work and economic growth and climate action.

The SDG index frames the implementation of 17 SDG goals among UN member states in terms of six broad transformations - education and skills, health and wellbeing, clean energy and industry, sustainable land use, sustainable cities, and digital technologies.

2 - India ranked 34^th in JLL and LaSalle’s biennial GRETI

Jones Lang LaSalle's (JLL) released LaSalle’s biennial Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI). India was placed at 34^th position in GRETI 2020 due to higher levels of transparency observed in India. Indian government launched various regulatory reforms, promising developments, enhanced market data and sustainability initiatives. India has also has also edged itself into the top 20 for Sustainability Transparency.

JLL and LaSalle have been tracking real estate transparency and championing higher standards, since 1999. This 11^th edition of GRETI covers 99 countries and territories and 163 city regions.

3 - UN’s State of Food Security and Nutrition Report, 2020 released

State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 (SOFI 2020) report was released based on transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets. The report unveiled the estimates of the extent of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition around the world.

Highlights of the report are as follows:

Nearly 690 million people of the world population are hungry.
An estimated 2 billion people in the world did not have regular access to sufficient food in 2019.
COVID-19 pandemic may add between 83 and 132 million people to the total number of undernourished in the world in 2020.
Diet-related social cost of greenhouse gas emissions to be more than USD 1.7 trillion per year by 2030.

4 - India records world's largest reduction in poverty from 2005-16

According to a report published by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, India has recorded the largest reduction in poverty from 2005 to 2016. More than 270 million people in India were lifted out of poverty during this period.

The study was based on a global multidimensional poverty index (MPI). India, Bangladesh and Nepal — were among the 16 fastest countries to reduce their MPI value.

5 - India ranks third in global manufacturing locations

According to the Global Manufacturing Risk Index (MRI) report by property consultant Cushman & Wakefield, India ranks third in the list of most-suitable locations for global manufacturing among 48 countries in terms of cost competitiveness. China retains the top spot, followed by the US at second.

However, India ranks 30^th in risk scenario. Countries that present lower levels of political and economic risks are ranked higher. Each of the countries has been assessed in four key areas: Bounce back ability, Conditions, Costs and Risks.

6 - International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Global Rights Index released

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Global Rights Index was unveiled that ranked 144 countries on the degree of respect for workers’ rights.

Highlights are as follows:

85% of countries have violated the right to strike.
The ten worst countries for workers in 2020 were India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Honduras, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Turkey and Zimbabwe.
The Middle East and North Africa continued to be the world’s worst region for workers’ rights.
Workers had no or restricted access to justice in 72% of countries.

7 - India among top 10 countries gaining forest area in the world

According to the latest Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, India has ranked third among the top 10 countries that have gained in forest areas in the last decade. The top ten countries in the report are China, Australia, India, Chile, Vietnam, Turkey, the United States, France, Italy and Romania.

India reported 0.38% annual gain in forest, or 266,000 hectar of forest increase every year at an average. The FRA 2020 has credited the government’s Joint Forest Management programme for the significant increase in community-managed forest areas.

8 - Hyderabad is 16^th most surveilled city in world

According to an annual report published by the UK-based Comparitech, Hyderabad with over three lakh surveillance cameras has been ranked 16^th among the top 20 most surveilled cities in the world. London and Hyderabad were the only cities outside of China to make the top 20.

London took the third place. The city of Taiyuan in China was ranked first with 4,65,255 CCTV cameras. Hyderabad had 3 lakh CCTV cameras.

9 - United Nations World Wildlife Crime Report released

United Nations World Wildlife Crime Report 2020 was unveiled.

Highlights of the report are as follows:

India and Thailand are topmost suppliers of the illegal tiger products in the world.
Millions of species that are not listed by CITES may be illegally harvested and traded internationally.
Nearly 6,000 species have been seized between 1999-2018, including not only mammals but reptiles, corals, birds, and fish.
Out of the 155 cases, where the nationality of the trafficker could be identified, 18 percent belonged to India, followed by 14 percent Vietnamese and 8 percent Indonesian traffickers.