Statement by India at the First Intersessional Seminar on the Contribution of the Human Rights Council to the Prevention of Human Rights Violations(9-10 April 2019) under Panel 1: ‘The potential preventive role of the Advisory Committee, the Complaint Procedure and other subsidiary mechanisms of the Human Rights Council’ delivered by Sh. Animesh Choudhury, First Secretary.[Geneva,9 April 2019]

Thank You Chair,

At the outset, India would like to thank the panellists for their presentations.

2. India believes that achieving human rights goals calls for constant dialogue, engagement and coordination amongst member states and other stakeholders. The enhancement of State’s capacity through technical assistance and capacity building measures in consultation with, and with the consent of, the State concerned would contribute in the improvement of the human rights situation on the ground.

3. Hence, it is our strong belief that all subsidiary mechanisms of the HRC including the Complaints Procedure should adopt a more constructive and non-confrontational approach that is sensitive to the genuine concerns and capacity constraints of countries. An aggressive ‘naming and shaming’ exercise has its limits, is often counter-productive and tends to divide member states into opposing camps.

4. The Complaint Procedure as mandated in resolution 5/1 should be followed in letter and spirit based on impartiality, objectivity and dependable facts. The primacy of national efforts in the realization of human rights along with due consideration for the values and other specific challenges of individual countries must guide our efforts.

Thank You.