The Hindu Editorial (Tactical abstention) – Mar 25, 2021

By abstaining from the vote on the U.N. Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka, India has signalled its unwillingness to upset its neighbour. At the same time, it does not want to be seen as ignoring Sri Lanka’s reluctance… For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (Tactical abstention) – Mar 25, 2021.

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The Hindu Editorial (Tactical abstention) – Mar 25, 2021:

tactical (adjective) – calculated, strategic, diplomatic.
abstention (noun) – refusal to vote, abstaining, non-voting.
UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) (noun) – The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. The Council is created on 15 March 2006 and it is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly. The Human Rights Council replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
resolution (noun) – motion, proposal.
keen (adjective) – discerning, sensitive, perceptive, clear, observant, insightful.
diplomatic (adjective) – (delicate & sensitive) consular, foreign-policy, political.
persuade (verb) – convince, influence, motivate.
devolution (noun) – decentralization, delegation, distribution.
abstain from (verb) – not vote, decline to vote, refuse to vote.
signal (verb) – indicate, communicate, express, signify.
unwillingness (noun) – disinclination, reluctance, hesitation.
neighbour (noun) – a country that is next to another country; (bordering) country.
reluctance (noun) – unwillingness, disinclination, hesitation.
meet (verb) – fulfil, satisfy, fill, match up to.
aspiration (noun) – aim, ambition, goal, target, objective.
endorse (verb) – uphold, support, ratify, approve, justify.
stubborn (adjective) – inflexible, uncooperative, difficult, resolute.
sort of (phrase) – to some extent, somewhat, somehow, slightly.
accountability (noun) – responsibility, liability, answerability.
past (noun) – history, background, experience.
dismiss (verb) – reject, deny, repudiate; banish, disregard, brush off, shrug off, forget.
intent (adjective) – purpose, intention, objective.
shield (verb) – protect, save, guard.
credible (adjective) – acceptable, trustworthy, reliable, dependable; believable, plausible, reasonable.
allegation (noun) – charge, accusation, indictment.
war crimes (noun) – War crimes are those violations of international humanitarian law (treaty or customary law) that incur individual criminal responsibility under international law. As a result, and in contrast to the crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity, war crimes must always take place in the context of an armed conflict, either international or non-international.
assessment (noun) – evaluation, judgement, analysis.
preserve (verb) – protect, conserve, continue, maintain, perpetuate, safeguard, uphold.
contain (verb) – control, curb, keep under control, restrain, limit.
pervasive (adjective) – penetrating, pervading, extensive, widespread, prevalent, ubiquitous, omnipresent.
influence (noun) – power, authority, sway, leverage, weight.
equality (noun) – fairness, justness, impartiality.
dignity (noun) – self-esteem, self-worth, self-respect, pride/morale.
mandated (adjective) – authorized, empowered, designated.
mechanism (noun) – structure, system, procedure/method.
in favour of (phrase) – in support of, to the advantage of, approve of.
concurrence (noun) – agreement, acceptance, approval.
stress (verb) – emphasize, draw attention to, highlight, underline, underscore.
integrity (noun) – unity, wholeness, cohesion, togetherness, solidarity.
‘either-or’ choice (noun) – an unavoidable choice (between two options).
amidst (preposition) – amid, in the middle of; during.
regress (verb) – go backwards, revert, relapse slip back (to a less developed state).
deficit (noun) – slippage, shortfall, deficiency, shortage.
regime (noun) – government.
predecessor (noun) – previous holder of the post; forerunner, precursor, antecedent.
constructive (adjective) – useful/helpful, productive, practical/effective/beneficial.
engagement (noun) – participation, taking part, involvement.
consensual (adjective) – relating to consensus/consent; in agreement with those who involved.
militarisation (noun) – the act of making something similar to armed forces. the process of equipping something (an organisation/etc) with military forces/resources.
heightened (adjective) – intensified, increased, aggravated, exacerbated.
surveillance (noun) – monitoring, observation, scrutiny, inspection.
interference (noun) – intervention, meddling, unwarranted involvement.
prosecution (noun) – legal action, legal proceeding, legal case.
emblematic (adjective) – symbolic, indicative, representative, demonstrative.
emblematic case (noun) – an emblematic case seeks to create or influence case law in the countries in question. It aims to produce a social impact through law by testing existing legal structures, but also to encourage changes in social, institutional and cultural attitudes towards respect for human rights.
rhetoric (noun) – the art of speaking or writing effectively & persuasively or impressively (but, often lacking substance); bombast, loftiness, hyperbole/extravagant language.
inform (verb) – characterize.
sense of (noun) – understanding, comprehension, discernment, acknowledgement.
well-being (noun) – a healthy state/condition.
foster (verb) – encourage, promote, develop.
emphasis (noun) – importance, significance; priority, insistence.
rather than (phrase) – instead of.
move away from (phrasal verb) – change/alter one’s ideas/beliefs/views and so.
reconciliation (noun) – reunion, resolution, compromise.
weigh down (phrasal verb) – burden, impede, depress, oppress, make difficult.
in accord with (phrase) – in accordance with, in agreement with, consistent with.
sentiment (noun) – general feeling, thought, view, opinion.
in the midst of (phrase) – in the middle of.
neutrality (noun) – non-alignment, non-participation, non-involvement, non-intervention; impartiality, detachment.
pragmatism (noun) – common sense, realism, matter-of-factness.
measure (noun) – amount, degree, quantity.
way out (noun) – answer, solution.