New Delhi: India’s report outlining its steps towards the promotion and protection of human rights will be taken up for review as part of a mechanism under which UN member states review the human rights performance of fellow states, on Thursday in Geneva, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The 41st Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group is being held from November 07-18, 2022 at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, the MEA said in a statement.
During this session, India’s National Report for the 4th UPR Cycle will be reviewed on November 10, it said.
Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General of India, is leading the Indian delegation that comprises Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), Indra Mani Pandey, Permanent Representative of India, K M Nataraj, Additional Solicitor General of India and senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Ministry of Rural Development, and the NITI Aayog, and the Vice Chancellor of the National Law University, Delhi.
“India plays an active role in global promotion and protection of human rights,” the MEA said.
“Our strong commitment for the welfare of the entire humanity, inspired by our civilisational ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘the world is one family’, provides a foundation on which our constitutional and legal framework for human rights has been built,” the statement said.
India has been engaged constructively with the members of the UNHRC and other fellow UN member states to promote and protect human rights globally, the MEA said.
“We have laid emphasis on dialogue, engagement and cooperation among various stakeholders. We have underlined the primacy of states in fulfilling their human rights obligations,” it said.
“We have endeavoured to build consensus in the council on various issues on its agenda and we have participated in deliberations in the council in a constructive manner,” it pointed out.
The MEA said the UPR is an important mechanism that India fully supports, and noted that it is a unique peer review process of Human Rights Council under which UN member states review the human rights performance of fellow states.
It has emerged as one of the successful human rights mechanisms, due to its universal character, constructive and consultative approach, and the importance it places on dialogue and cooperation amongst member states, the MEA said.
The UPR mechanism also reinforces the centrality of states in assuming and fulfilling their human rights obligations, it said.
India has actively participated in the review of other states and in turn welcomes the 131 member states who have registered to engage in the peer review, the MEA said.
States under review have to take position on all UPR recommendations received, by either supporting or noting them, it said.
“Our UPR outcome report will be adopted at the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council in March 2023,” the statement said.
The National Report of India, submitted on August 05, 2022, outlines the country’s steps towards the promotion and protection of human rights, including the implementation of recommendations accepted by it in India’s 3rd UPR cycle in 2017.
India’s report was prepared in collaboration with the National Law University, Delhi, after a series of consultations with diverse stakeholders, drawing representatives from the judiciary, national human rights institution, academia, civil society organisations, and the general public.
India has been engaged constructively with the members of the UNHRC and other fellow UN member states to promote and protect human rights globally.
“We have laid emphasis on dialogue, engagement and cooperation among various stakeholders. We have underlined the primacy of states in fulfilling their human rights obligations,” the MEA said.
