Context:
Spain has become the 99th member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) following Panama, by handing over the Instrument of Ratification.
Relevance:
GS II: International Relations
About International Solar Alliance (ISA)
- The International Solar Alliance is an alliance of 121 countries initiated by India, most of them being sunshine countries, which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
- The primary objective of the alliance is to work for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
- The initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India Africa Summit, and a meeting of member countries ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015.
- The Headquarters of ISA is in Gurugram, Haryana, India.
- The Purpose of ISA is Bring together a group of nations to endorse clean energy, sustainable environment, public transport and climate
- The membership of ISA is applicable to all UN Members.
- The alliance is a treaty-based inter-governmental organization.
- Countries that do not fall within the Tropics can join the alliance and enjoy all benefits as other members, with the exception of voting rights.
- After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states world-wide.
Signatories:
- Currently, 119 countries have signed the ISA Framework Agreement.
- The 119th country to sign is Malta.
- Out of these, 98 countries have submitted the necessary instruments of ratification to become full members of the ISA.
-Source: Times of India
