Why in news?

The United Nations Secretary General  welcomed an agreement by all parties to extend the Black Sea grain deal to facilitate Ukraine’s agricultural exports from its southern Black Sea ports.

Highlights:

About Black Sea Grain Initiative

• It is an agreement between Russia and Ukraine with Turkey and the United Nations (UN) made during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• The agreement created procedures to safely export grain from certain ports to attempt to address the 2022 food crisis
• Russia suspended its participation in the agreement after drone attack on Russian naval ships in the port of Sevastopol.
• It resumed its participation on 2 November after Turkish and UN mediation.

Joint Coordination Centre

• It is tasked with registering and monitoring the departure of commercial ships via satellite, internet, and other communication means.
• Its primary responsibility is to check for the absence of unauthorized cargo and personnel on board of the vessels