Permanent Mission of India
Geneva
Inaugural statement by India
at the 36th session of Human Rights Council under Agenda Item 6-adoption of UPR Report delivered by Ambassador Rajiv K Chander, Permanent Representative of India, on 21 September 2017
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to deliver this inaugural statement at the UPR segment of the 36nd session of the Human Rights Council today, adopting the final report of our 3rd cycle Review under the UPR process. On behalf of my delegation, I would like to thank the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Secretariat for their able assistance in finalizing the report. I would also like to thank the Troika of India`s Review – Latvia, Philippines and South Arica - for their dedication and contribution to our UPR process.
Mr. President,
India is a firm supporter of the Universal Periodic Review since its inception in 2006. We value the distinctly universal and peer review nature of this mechanism, which is supported by all. The review platform is conducive for open engagement among Member States and other stakeholders to address issues relating to Human Rights. UPR is a mechanism that encourages Member States to strengthen their Human Rights record and learn from the best practices of others. As a responsible member of the United Nations, India remains committed towards meaningful engagement with international organizations as well as individual States in a constructive spirit.
Mr. President,
India is a vibrant pluralistic society founded on strong democratic principles. The Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens.
We are convinced that inclusive and equitable development is the key to securing a life of dignity, security, empowerment and freedom for all. My government has put in place a set of robust socio-economic policies to address various basic needs of people, including health, education, housing, poverty alleviation, women empowerment, food security, social security and so on.
It is in this background that we submitted our 3>rd cycle Review report. It reflects the current state of play in the implementation of previous recommendations and the progress made in other related areas. We have not hesitated to acknowledge the challenges that we confront in the implementation of some of the recommendations. Most of these challenges stem from the complexity and diversity of the Indian society. However, our endeavour remains to make progress in the fullest implementation of our commitments under various human rights instruments.
During the 3rd cycle Review held in May this year, India received 250 recommendations. We are pleased to report that after extensive consultations and deliberations, 152 recommendations have been accepted and the remaining 98 have been taken note of. We thank all States for their active participation in India’s review and their valuable recommendations.
Mr. President,
We give utmost importance to consistently build upon and further improve the standards of human rights achieved so far in India. We are working towards ensuring that our policies and schemes are aimed at progressively giving the people of India a life with dignity and respect.
Thank you.
