UNGA Establishes International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has officially proclaimed December 4 as the International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures, to be observed annually starting in 2025. This move comes after the Assembly adopted a resolution with 116 votes in favor, 51 against, and 6 abstentions. Countries from the Global North—including the European Union, Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, and the United States—voted against the resolution.

What’s New?
By a 116–51–6 vote, the UN General Assembly has proclaimed 4 December each year as the International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures, commencing in 2025 .

Why It Matters:

• Aims to spotlight the adverse effects of unilateral economic, financial, and trade sanctions that are imposed outside the framework of international law and UN Charter .
• Highlights humanitarian impacts—blocking access to food, medicines, technology, development, and disrupting global supply chains .

Global Reaction:

• Supported by 116 countries, particularly from the Global South, viewing such measures as coercive and inequitable .
• Opposed by 51 (including US, EU, Japan, Australia, Canada, UK), arguing that sanctions are legitimate tools under international peace and security frameworks.

UPSC Relevance (GS 2 & 3):

• Ties into International Relations: use of sanctions, multilateralism vs unilateralism.
• Highlights International Law: basis in UN Charter, rule of law norms.
• About Global Governance: normative restraint on economic coercion and reinforcing multilateral dispute resolution.

2. Election of Members to UNCITRAL

What’s UNCITRAL?
The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, established in 1966, is the UN’s core body for harmonizing and modernizing international trade law. It drafts conventions, model laws, and standards to facilitate global commerce .

Recent Elections:
The UN General Assembly has elected 34 member states to UNCITRAL for six-year terms, replacing half of its membership every three years .

Notable Newly-Elected States (Asia-Pacific Example):

• Vietnam (re-elected)
• Philippines (elected; term starts 7 July 2025)
• Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea were also elected .

UPSC Relevance (GS 2 & 3):

• Shows India’s indirect influence in shaping international trade law.
• Relevant to international economic law: treaties on e-commerce, dispute resolution, insolvency—key for GS3.
• Highlights the role of Global Legal Norms and multilateral rule-making mechanisms.

Summary for UPSC