Statement at the General Debate on Agenda Item 10 was made on 1 July 2015 Statement at the General Debate on Agenda Item 10 was made on 1 July 2015

Statement at the General Debate on Agenda Item 10 was made on 1 July 2015

PERMANENT MISSION OF INDIA TO THE UN, GENEVA

Human Rights Council

29thSession (15 June-03 July 2015)

Agenda Item 10 (Technical Assistance and Capacity Building):

General Debate, 01 July 2015

Statement by India

Mr. President,

1. We thank the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Board of Trustees of Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation for their presentations today. We appreciate and support the efforts of OHCHR in providing capacity building and technical assistance in various areas relating to human rights.

 

 Mr. President,

2. It is our firm belief that all attempts at coordination by the international community must fully acknowledges the primacy of States’ role in promotion and protection of human rights. While the Human Rights Council and other UN human rights mechanisms have played a significant role in enhancing the safeguards against abuse and violations of human rights, there has also been a remarkable increase in the responsibility and workload of member States. Under these circumstances, a thorough assessment and analysis of the technical capacities that States have at their disposalneeds to be factored in. The results of these assessments should inform our collective efforts towards making appropriate institutional capacities and adequate financial resources available to the States in pursuit of their human rights commitments.

 

3.All efforts towards technical cooperation and assistance to member states should understand that States themselves are best judge of their requirements and priorities. To undermine this basic fact would be to invite complicationsin States’ own efforts at promotinghuman rights and fundamental freedoms of its people. International solidarity should be the foundation ofall international cooperation and technical assistance.As we have said in this Council before, the success and sustainability of all global efforts in this regard remain heavily dependent on participation and ownership of the concerned State.

 

4.The implementation of the Voluntary trust fund for Financial and Technical assistance and Voluntary trust fund for UPR implementation should also pay adequate attention to the objectives and priorities of the concerned member states.We see great merit in the argument that all OHCHR technical assistance activities should be in conformity with the priorities outlined by member States.This kind of an inclusive approach will enjoy the trust and confidence of the member states and would result in optimal utilization of all available resources.

 

Thank you Mr. President.

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