Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC):

-- Est. 1989, HQ: Singapore
-- 21 member economies
(Pacific Rim members)
-- Objective: Promotes free trade, sustainable economic growth.
-- Initiatives include Bogor Goals, APEC Business Travel Card, Golden Gate Declaration.
-- Note: APEC decided to stop accepting new members in 1997. India is not a member

APEC Summits:

1989 -- First -- Canberra, Australia
2023 -- San Francisco, USA

2024 -- Lima, Peru
(Empower, Include, Grow)

2025 -- Gyeongju, South Korea
(Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, and Prosper)

2026 -- China
#IR #CA #Prelims

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):

-- Est.1967 in Bangkok, Thailand
-- HQ. Jakarta, Indonesia
-- Originally, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand
-- 10 South-East Asian members
-- Objective -- Fosters economic, political, social, cultural cooperation
-- ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)
-- ASEAN has FTAs with six dialogue partners - China, Japan, South Korea, India, and Australia-New Zealand.

ASEAN Summits:
1976 -- (First) -- Bali, Indonesia

2024 -- Vientiane, Lao PDR
(ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience)

2025 -- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
(Inclusivity and Sustainability)
-- Timor Leste to join ASEAN as 11th member in 2025

21st ASEAN-India Summit 2024:
Vientiane, Lao PDR
#IR #CA #Prelims

VImp***
Global Human Development Index by UNDP since 1990

Human Development Report 2025
-- Title: A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI
-- Data year considered: 2023
-- India Rank: 130th/193 countries (Score: 0.685)
-- First 3 countries: Iceland, Norway = Switzerland (2nd)
-- Last country: South Sudan
-- Ranked above India: China, Sri Lanka, Bhutan
-- Ranked equal to India: Bangladesh
-- Ranked below India: Nepal,
Myanmar, Pakistan
-- HDI Category: Medium human development
-- Countries Not Ranked in Index: North Korea & Monaco
-- Srilanka, China (75), Bhutan, Bangladesh are ahead in the ranking; Nepal and Pakistan are below India's rank

(Read Carefully)

GS-3 science and technology #Prelims

GS2 elections and rules to use AI in campaign #Interview

Next CJI #prelims

GS2 ECI’s SIR #psir

GS3 Economy - Crude oil imports

GS3 Economy - India’s growth

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea
#IR

Read.

Mission Shakti #mains #interview

GS-2 Role of civil services

GS2 & GS3 - AI governance norms in India #mains #interview

Mains result 2025 out