Statement by India under Agenda Item 3 : Biennial Panel discussion on the Right to Development at the 45th Session of the Human Rights Council (14 September – 06 October 2020) delivered by Mr. Pawankumar Badhe, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India (Geneva, 17 September 2020)
Thank You Madam Vice-President,
At the outset, India thanks all the panellists for their insightful presentations.
Madam Vice-President,
2. We believe that the theme of this panel is quite pertinent and timely. These are challenging times. The disruptive effect of the pandemic is still playing out. We are by no means over it. The implications are going to be profound. The significance of the Right to Development is now more evident than ever, in particular international cooperation and solidarity to fight the pandemic. India has been at the forefront of providing development assistance even in these difficult times.
Madam Vice-President,
3. In this context, India’s role as a "pharmacy of the world” has become evident during this crisis. We have a world-class pharmaceutical industry that is the producer of choice for critical medications with brand recognition in all geographies and markets. In this hour of need, India was able to supply humanitarian and medical supplies to destinations in more than 100 countries all over the world.
4. Development partnership occupies a paramount place in India’s foreign policy. The assistance is based on two main pillars; first, development cooperation is rooted in the idea of partnership that is working for mutual benefit and mutual prosperity. Second pillar of India’s development cooperation is that our partners determine and decide the priorities and contours of their development projects. This fundamentally differentiates our “partnership model” from the traditional “donor-recipient model”. India's external development assistance programmes in developing countries have increased significantly in their scope and coverage in the past few years. These include Lines of Credit, grant assistance, technical consultancy, disaster relief, humanitarian aid, educational scholarships and a wide range of capacity building programmes.
5. Our approach to development-aid is one based on solidarity and is voluntary in nature. In this spirit; we have established the India-UN Development Fund to take our South-South development cooperation engagement even further.
Madam Vice-President,
6. We believe that the Right to Development is the primary enabling right that provides a basis for the realization of all other rights. In this context, the Constitution of India guarantees its citizens fundamental political and civil rights and provides for the progressive realization and enforcement of economic, social and cultural rights. India’s engagement with the global discourse on human rights has always favoured an inclusive and constructive approach based on dialogue, consultation and cooperation.
7. At the domestic level, India has taken several initiatives for the implementation of the Right to Development. The various social welfare initiatives of the Government of India like Jan Dhan Yojana , Jal Jeevan Mission, Ayushman Bharat, Beti bachao, Swachh Bharat Mission or Skill India, Digital India or Start Up India are also aimed to ensure implementation of the Right to Development. The recently launched Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign is aimed towards strengthening our skill sets and a larger national capacity. We have also set an ambitious goal of achieving a 40% level of reliance on non-fossil fuel power by 2030. India’s forest cover continues to increase, standing currently at 24.3%. India is also implementing an ambitious plan to ensuring piped water supply for every rural household by 2024.
Madam Vice-President,
8. India remains committed to the implementation of the Right to Development.
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