Statement by India under Agenda Item 3 : Interactive Dialogue with
Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers at the 44th Session of the Human Rights Council (30 June – 21 July 2020) delivered by Mr. S. Senthil Kumar,
First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India (Geneva, 13 July 2020)
Madam Vice-President,
1. India thank the SR for presentation of the report and taken note of the recommendations. We welcome the report which highlighted the role of public prosecution services in the fight against corruption and emphasized the importance of effective ‘international cooperation’ in achieving the set objectives.
2. We believe that the rule of law and the proper administration of justice play a central role in the promotion and protection of human rights and that the administration of justice, including law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies and, especially, an independent judiciary and legal profession, are essential to the full realization of human rights and indispensable to democratization processes, and sustainable development.
3. India, being party to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) and its Protocols, consider that corruption undermines human rights and good governance and therefore, its provisions, especially related to “international cooperation” should be fully and effectively implemented. A common platform may be set up for sharing experiences and best practices including successful cases of extradition, gaps in existing systems of extradition and legal assistance, etc.
Thank you Madam Vice-President.
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