ITEC training helps nations tackle climate and security threats
Newz Daddy Educational Updates
MEA ITEC Course: Foundations of International Law and Security “International law is more than just world governance. It has to do with international justice. H.E. Dr. Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol once said, “The Global South cannot afford to just watch international law-making processes unfold.”
The flagship ITEC Course on “Fundamentals of International Law and Security,” hosted by the School of Integrated Coastal and Maritime Security Studies (SICMSS), Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), a trailblazing National Security and Police University under the Ministry of Home Affairs, was inaugurated on Monday, July 28, 2025, at the Lavad, Gandhinagar Campus, with thirty participants from twenty-one Asian-African countries joining the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India (GoI).
In addition to Prof. (Dr.) Bimal N. Patel, Vice Chancellor of Rashtriya Raksha University, and other higher-ranking university officials, H.E. Dr. Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol, Secretary-General, Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO), was the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony of this two-week Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program.
Dr. Pinitpuvadol addressed the question that set the tone for the two-week training program by outlining the reasons why the Global South should care about international law. Dr. Pinitpuvadol cited a number of arguments from the RRU’s ITEC platform, pointing out that international law would remain a vital tool for resolving conflicts between states and protecting territorial integrity and sovereignty. He also emphasised the importance of the North-South cooperation framework in addressing the threat posed by climate change.
The Secretary General struck a chord with the young students seated in the audience when he said he was hopeful that the Global South would be crucial to the future of international law. Dr. Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol praised Prof. Patel for furthering the cause of international law in the region and worldwide, pointing out the ongoing research being conducted at the RRU Centre for International Law.
In his introductory remarks, Prof. Patel greeted the attendees and emphasised India’s dedication to international collaboration, multilateralism, and capacity building via the ITEC framework. Professor Patel blamed the numerous crises consuming the global order for the weakening of resolutions made by the UN Security Council in 2024.
He discussed the importance of a legal framework in tackling current security challenges, geopolitical rivalry, transnational crimes, climate change, and humanitarian concerns, while highlighting the changing role of international law amid complex global transformations. In explaining the hosting school’s objectives, Prof. Patel focused on the Maritime India objectives 2030 and MAHASAGAR 2025, as well as how the school is advancing the goals set forth by the Hon. P.M. Shri Narendra Modi. Under Prof. Patel’s direction, the School launched MAHASAGAR, a quarterly report on maritime affairs, which was given to the AALCO secretary general. He took great delight in revealing the figures of 2737 beneficiaries from more than 25 different nations, demonstrating the SICMSS’s increasing training capabilities. Prof. Patel went on to say that RRU’s ITEC program will further solidify its position as a global centre for security research, education, and international cooperation.
Mr. Ankur Sharma, the Director I/C, praised his whole staff and said he hoped to live up to the trainees’ expectations.
