Statement by Dr. S. Jaishankar, Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs, Government of India, at the High-Level Segment of the 52^nd Session of the Human Rights Council (27^th February – 4^th April 2023)

(Geneva, 28^th February 2023)

Mr. President,

1. I congratulate you on your election as the President of the Council and assure you of my delegation’s full cooperation.

2. Let me reiterate that India remains steadfast in its commitment to take all possible steps to ensure fullest enjoyment of basic human rights of our people, including good governance and inclusive and sustainable development.

3. As a member of the Council, India works with other members of the Council as well as Observers towards building consensus with a view to ensure that the Council is able to fulfil its basic mandate. We give equal priority to all basic human rights, whether civil and political or economic, social and cultural, as they are indivisible and inter-dependent. Further, we will continue to extend our cooperation, as in the past, to the Office of the High Commissioner and various other mechanisms of the Council, including Special Rapporteurs and Universal Periodic Review.

4. As we mark 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and 30 years of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, I would like to underline the universality of all basic human rights. They embody India’s civilizational ethos and democratic values, the edifice on which contemporary India is being built.

5. It is a happy coincidence that India has also been celebrating 75 years of our own independence. The strong framework of our secular and democratic polity has served us well in this journey. Our Constitution guarantees civil and political rights as Fundamental Rights; it also has the provisions for progressive realization of economic, social and cultural rights. Our independent judiciary has been playing its expected role in that regard, as indeed have our media and civil society.

6. Our approach to Human Rights, reflects our experience as a developing country with a strong sense of global solidarity. Our civilisational ethos, which envisages a strong commitment to the welfare of entire humanity, ensures harmony between our domestic and international policies.

Mr. President,

7. The last three years have been difficult for the world; and developing countries have been hit the hardest. Challenges of the Covid pandemic, rising prices of fuel, fertilizers and foodgrains, and growing debt burdens have adversely affected the enjoyment of human rights by people globally. Our collective efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals have been seriously set back.

8. We believe that sustainable and inclusive development is the key to enjoyment of various basic human rights. During the past 75 years, we have made tremendous progress in our own development journey. India’s model of SDG localisation has successfully integrated the 2030 Agenda from national to local governance, all the way to individual households.

9. Under Prime Minister Modi’s vision of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas”, that is inclusive governance and development with everyone’s participation, trust and contribution, India is steadfastly committed to ensuring a life of dignity for our people. During the Covid, hundreds of millions accessed free food and received money in their bank accounts. All this was done through digital delivery, without discrimination of any kind. The same objectivity and fairness characterises our social welfare programmes, our health access and ensuring basic facilities.

10. We have accorded a high priority to gender inclusion and empowerment of women. In fact, we endeavour to promote a women-led development. India has also been at the forefront of recognising and protecting the equal rights of transgender persons. We have taken several steps with the objective that business enterprises respect human rights.

11. With our abiding commitment to ensuring food and nutrition security, we have decided to continue the supply of free food grains to the poorest households for the next year. To ensure universal health coverage, we are now implementing one of the world’s largest programmes to provide accessible and affordable healthcare to over 500 million beneficiaries. Nearly 96 million connections to clean cooking fuel have been provided to poor households to specially safeguard the health of women and children. And over 78 million households have been provided tap water connections since the launch of the “Water is Life” Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019. All these steps have enabled people to enjoy their basic human rights.

Mr. President,

12. India has always played an active role in global promotion and protection of human rights, including through our developmental partnerships. Our partnerships have focused on building capacity and development of human resources as well as infrastructure in accordance with the priorities of our partners while abiding by principles of fiscal responsibility, transparency and viability. Our international developmental assistance to 78 nations that includes grants and soft lines of credit speak of this approach. Our commitment was also evident in our response to the Covid pandemic. We have supplied vaccines to 99 countries and two UN entities as well as medicines to over 150 countries.

Mr. President,

13. We have been at the forefront of dealing with other global challenges which impact adversely on human rights, especially terrorism. India believes that the world must resolutely display zero tolerance in this regard. After all terrorism is the most indefensible violation of human rights and has no justification in any circumstances. Its perpetrators must, therefore, always be held accountable.

Mr. President,

14. We have taken a lead in bringing together the international coalition such as the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure as well as in helping other countries address the challenge of climate. Mission LiFE launched recently by Prime Minister Modi, alongside Secretary-General Guterres, promotes a sustainable way of living based on values of conservation and moderation, through a mass movement. During our G-20 Presidency, it will be our endeavour to find viable solutions for the various crises confronting the international community.

15. So, let me conclude by reiterating that India will continue to take all the requisite steps to ensure that we meet all our human rights obligations and ensure that our people enjoy all their basic human rights. We will also continue to contribute to global promotion and protection of human rights, including through our developmental partnerships.

I thank you Mr. President.

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