1. 2012- A year of elections and power transitions
Russia witnessed a Presidential power transition between Vladimir Putin and Dimitry Medvedev: Putin became Russian President after the Presidential election on March 4, 2012. In France, power shifted from the right to the left for the first time in 17 years with a victory by Socialsit Party candidate Francois Hollande. In the US, President Barak Obama won a major victory against Republican candidate Mitt Romney to take another 4 year term. In China, the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China marked a power transition with Vice President Xin Jingping being elected Party General Secretary and President of the Central Military Commission. In Japan, a lower house election ended with President of the Liberal Democratic Party Shinzo Abe winning to become Prime Minister.
Russian President Vladimir Putin |
2. Territorial sovereignty disputes in Asia Pacific region
Disputes between Japan and China over the sovereignty of Senkaku/Diaoyu island, between South Korea and Japan over the Dokdo/Takashema island and in the East Sea between China and several Southeast Asian countries have become a burning topic at international forums in 2012. ASEAN Foreign Ministers issued a Statement on ASEAN’s Six-point Principle in the East Sea, which affirms member countries’ commitment to fully comply with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, complete the Code of Conduct in the East Sea and peacefully settle disputes in line with international laws including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands
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3. Asia Pacific- a strategic focus of several countries
The US administration has shifted its strategic focus to the Asia Pacific region after moving most of the US naval forces, air forces and ground forces to this region and strengthening military relations with allies Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Philippines. After being re-elected, President Barak Obama visited Thailand and Myanmar as his first overseas trips, and attended the ASEAN-US summit and the 7th East Asia Summit in Cambodia. Europe is also shifting towards an Asia-pillar policy. Several top European leaders attended the 9th Asia Europe Meeting in Laos. Despite the current public debt crisis, the European Union is expanding its FTA network to Asia. After signing a FTA with South Korea last year, Europe is accelerating trade negotiations with India, certain ASEAN members and Japan.
ASEM 9 in Laos |
4. Syria’s civil war threatens regional security
Syria has bogged down into a civil war between opposition parties and the forces of President Bashar Al Assad. By late 2012, more than 37,000 had been killed. Syria’s civil war has led to a confrontation between Syria and Turkey and spread to Lebanon. The crisis in Syria reflects the dispute between world powers. Russia and China, as permanent members of the UN Security Council used their vetoes twice last year to oppose draft resolutions sanctioning Damascus. Meanwhile, the situations in the Middle East, Egypt and Libya remind the world how important it is to find the right way forward Syria.
Conflicts in Syria |
5. EU experiences internal splits, declining influence and recession with the euro zone
The EU has witnessed splits over the budget issue and measures to rescue member countries being crushed by serious public debt. Euro zone economies have not found a way to past the crisis and have fallen into a second recession with the GDP of 17 member countries steadily declining in the late months of the year and this gloomy picture is likely to continue for the near future. The crisis is affecting the main pillars of the Eurozone- France and Germany. Policies to reduce budget overspending through austerity measures have resulted in reduced social welfares, increasing taxes and increasing unemployment. In many countries, people have demonstrated to protest the austerity measures and registered their anger in Presidential elections in France, and Greece and local elections in Germany and Italy.
6. Palestine becomes a UN Observer State
By a vote of 138 for, 9 against and 41 abstentions, the UN General Assembly on November 30 approved a resolution to upgrade Palestine’s status to non-member observer state, marking a victory for Palestinian diplomacy. The status upgrade enables Palestine to participate in several major international institutions like the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the International Criminal Court making it easier for Palestinians to defend and promote their legitimate interests. The US and Israel voted against the resolution and Tel Aviv announced it will build 3,000 new houses in Jerusalem. This decision has been strongly criticized by the international community.
UN General Assembly upgrades Palestine’s status to non-member observer state.
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7. Korean peninsula heats up around the North’s satellite launches
In 2012, North Korea twice launched rockets to put a satellite into orbit. After the first launch failed in April, on December 12, North Korea successfully launched the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite using an Unha 3 rocket. The UN Security Council called an emergency meeting and issued a statement condemning the launch, saying North Korea violated resolutions 1718 and 1874 of the UN Security Council. North Korea insisted that the rocket carried an earth observation satellite while the US, South Korea and Japan said it was an inter-continental ballistic missile test.
North Korea rocket launch
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8. Massacre shootings and gun possession debated in the US
A brutal shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, the US on December 14, that killed 26 people including 20 children aged 5 to 7 shocked the world. On December 21, another shooting took place near Geesey, Pennsylvania killing 4 people. In July a gunman shot dead 12 people and injured several others at a cinema in Colorado. On August 5, 7 people died in a gun attack at the Sikh mosque in Winscosin. These tragedies have led to hot debates over gun sales and possession and caused psychological trauma to some youths in the US.
Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut,
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9. Climate change causes extreme weather
The deadly typhoon Bopha hit the southern Philippines on December 4, bringing along with it torrential rains and strong winds that killed more than 1,000 people. 300 people are missing and more than 6 million people in 30 provinces suffer from a shortage of power and water. It was the deadliest storm to hit the Philippines in 2012. Earlier, typhoon Sandy swept through the Caribbean and the US destroying property and human lives. Sandy was the worst storm to hit the Eastern US in the past 100 years. It inflicted the most serious losses in the country’s history. Thousands of houses were damaged, 95 people died, millions of people suffered power outrages and thousands of flights were cancelled. Losses caused by Sandy storm cost 80 billion USD, more than the destruction caused by Katrina in 2005. Before hitting the US, Sandy killed 69 people in Caribbean island countries.
Typhoon Bopha hit the southern Philippines |
10. Science scores major achievements
A US spaceship safely landed on Mars. On August 6, after an 8-month journey, a rover, called Curiosity landed on Mars and began transmitting camera images. Curiosity’s mission is to search for organic compounds on Mars and determine whether conditions there were ever conducive to microbial life. On July 4, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research ( CERN ) discovered a new particle consistent with the Higgs boson. This important research achievement paves the way for more detailed research into the characteristics of the new particle and opens up the possibility of discovering other mysteries in space.
Curiosity rover safely lands on Mars |