Statement by India during the consultations on OHCHR’s Management Plan 2024-27 delivered by Ms. Seema Pujani, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India, Geneva, 28 April 2023

Mr. Chair,

At the outset, we thank you for organising today’s consultations on OHCHR’s next Management Plan and briefing Member States. We support and appreciate Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in supplementing States’ efforts for the promotion and protection of human rights. We commend the work done by the Office over the past few years under unprecedented and challenging circumstances following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

2. Our broad inputs towards the formulation of the upcoming Management Plan are guided by our approach to the Human Rights Council.

3. Firstly, we must ensure that all human rights are treated on an equal footing in OHCHR’s initiatives. The imbalance between civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights needs to be addressed. The right to development and issues related to human rights violations due to terrorism merit equal attention.

4. There must be greater focus on technical assistance and capacity building, in consultation with and with the consent of the concerned States, across OHCHR’s work for improving the human rights situation on the ground.

5. We believe that it is important that due emphasis is placed on constructive dialogue and cooperation between OHCHR and Member States. This is useful for sharing information and achieving better outcomes.

6. The strong interlinkage between the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and enjoyment of human rights must continue to be foundational for OHCHR’s work. This is significant given that the world is struggling with serious challenges posed by the pandemic, climate change, ongoing conflicts and socio-economic issues, including the increasing cost of living, tightening financial conditions and the unsustainable debt burdens in many countries from the Global South.

7. OHCHR’s activities, especially at the National and regional levels, should focus on the recommendations accepted by Member States during their Universal Periodic Review.

8. Lastly, in addressing topical thematic issues from the human rights lens, the mandate and expertise of relevant platforms within the UN system must be taken into account.

I thank you.