International Organizations (Part – IV)

41. Which of the following is not associated with NAFTA? [B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2018]

Correct Answer: (a) Great Britain

Solution:The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. NAFTA came into force on 1 January, 1994. In September 2018, the United States, Mexico and Canada reached an agreement to replace NAFTA with the United States-Mexico- Canada Agreement (USMCA), and after the signing and ratification by all three countries, the USMCA took effect on 1 July, 2020, replacing NAFTA with a modernized agreement.

42. The latest regional economic bloc to be formed is: [I.A.S. (Pre) 1994]

(a) ASEAN
(b) COMECON
(c) APEC
(d) NAFTA

Correct Answer: (d) NAFTA

Solution:

Regional Economic Bloc	Year of Formation
The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON)	1949
Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN)	1967
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)	1989
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)	1994

43. In which year was the SAPTA (South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement) constituted? [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2016]

(a) 1977
(b) 1993
(c) 1985
(d) 1996

Correct Answer: (b) 1993

Solution:The SAARC Agreement for Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) was signed on 11th April, 1993, at the Seventh SAARC Summit held in Dhaka. Further, the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement reached on January 6, 2004, at the 12th SAARC summit in Islamabad, Pakistan, which created a free-trade area of 1.6 billion people in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to reduce customs duties of all traded goods to zero by the year 2016. The SAFTA agreement came into force on January 1, 2006.

44. Consider the following agreements: [B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2015]

I. ISLFTA (India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement)

II. SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area)

III. CECA (Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between India and Singapore)

IV. SAPTA (South Asian Preferential Trade Arrangement)

Which of the following is the correct chronological order of the above agreements?

(a) I-III-II-IV
(b) IV-I-II-III
(c) II-I-IV-III
(d) I-II-III-IV

Correct Answer: (b) IV-I-II-III

Solution:SAFTA is the free trade arrangement of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). It was signed on 6th January, 2004 at the 12th SAARC Summit held in Islamabad. The arrangement came into force in 2006.

ISLFTA was signed on 28th December, 1998 and entered into force with effect from 1 March, 2000.

CECA is a free trade agreement between Singapore and India. It was signed on 29th June, 2005.

SAPTA was signed on 11th April, 1993 and came into force from 7th December, 1995.

45. Consider the following pairs: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2009]

Organization	Location of Headquarters
1. Asian Development Bank	Tokyo
2. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation	Singapore
3. Association of South-East Asian Nations	Bangkok

Which of the above pairs (s) is/are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 3 only

Correct Answer: (b) 2 only

Solution:

Organization	Location of Headquarters
Asian Development Bank	Manila, Philippines
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation	Singapore
Association of South-East Asian Nations	Jakarta, Indonesia

46. G-15 is: [B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2008]

(a) An organization of developed countries of the World
(b) An organization of developed countries of Europe
(c) An organization of developing countries of Asia
(d) An organization of developing countries of the World

Correct Answer: (d) An organization of developing countries of the World

Solution:The Group of fifteen (G-15) is an informal forum of developing countries. It was set up in September, 1989 at the 9th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. The aim was to strengthen cooperation among the World's leading developing nations and serve as a bridge to then (G-7) industrialized nations. The headquarters of G-15 is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

47. Which one of the following countries is not a member of the G-8 Group? ATAL [B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2008]

(a) France
(b) Italy
(c) Spain/22
(d) Germany

Correct Answer: (c) Spain/22

Solution:The group of seven (G-7) is an informal bloc of industrialized democracies i.e. France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States and Canada. G-7 was formed as G-6 in 1975. The G-7 was known as the 'G-8' for several years after the original seven were joined by Russia in 1997. The group returned to being called G-7 after Russia was suspended as a member in 2014 following the latter's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine. In 2017, Russia announced its permanent withdrawal from the G-8. The 50th G-7 summit was held from 13-15 June, 2024 in Fasano, Apulia, Italy. The 51st G-7 summit is scheduled to be held in June, 2025 in Canada.

48. A present group of nations known as G-8 started first as G-7. Which one among the following was not one of them? [LA.S. (Pre) 2009]

(a) Canada
(b) Italy
(c) Japan
(d) Russia

Correct Answer: (d) Russia

Solution:The group of seven (G-7) is an informal bloc of industrialized democracies i.e. France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States and Canada. G-7 was formed as G-6 in 1975. The G-7 was known as the 'G-8' for several years after the original seven were joined by Russia in 1997. The group returned to being called G-7 after Russia was suspended as a member in 2014 following the latter's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine. In 2017, Russia announced its permanent withdrawal from the G-8. The 50th G-7 summit was held from 13-15 June, 2024 in Fasano, Apulia, Italy. The 51st G-7 summit is scheduled to be held in June, 2025 in Canada.

49. Which country is not the member of G-8? [B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2008]

(a) India
(b) Germany
(c) Japan
(d) Canada

Correct Answer: (a) India

Solution:The group of seven (G-7) is an informal bloc of industrialized democracies i.e. France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States and Canada. G-7 was formed as G-6 in 1975. The G-7 was known as the 'G-8' for several years after the original seven were joined by Russia in 1997. The group returned to being called G-7 after Russia was suspended as a member in 2014 following the latter's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine. In 2017, Russia announced its permanent withdrawal from the G-8. The 50th G-7 summit was held from 13-15 June, 2024 in Fasano, Apulia, Italy. The 51st G-7 summit is scheduled to be held in June, 2025 in Canada.

50. The 37th Summit of G-8 was held in France on 26-27 May 2011 at: [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2010]

(a) Bordeaux
(b) Deauville
(c) Toulouse
(d) Versailles

Correct Answer: (b) Deauville

Solution:The 37th summit of G-8 was held in France on 26-27 May, 2011 at Deauville. The 50th G-7 summit was held from 13-15 June, 2024 in Fasano, Apulia, Italy. The 51st G-7 summit is scheduled to be held in June, 2025 in Canada.

The Group of Eight (G8) was an inter-governmental political forum from 1997 until 2014. The Group brought together eight major industrial economies of the world for consultation and policy coordination at the highest level. The G-8 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK, and the USA. It had formed by incorporating the country of Russia into the Group of Seven, or G7, and returned to its previous name after Russia was expelled in 2014. It is known as the Group of Seven (G7) now.