Statement by India under Agenda Item 2 Interactive Dialogue on the Annual Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights during the 56th Session of the Human Rights Council (18 June – 12 July 2024), delivered by Ambassador Arindam Bagchi, Permanent Representative, Geneva, 19 June 2024
Thank you, Mr. President,
- We thank the High Commissioner for his Annual Report, a rather gloomy assessment of human rights across the world.
- 2. Allow me, therefore, to share our pride about our general elections. As we had stressed in March, concerns about this process were unwarranted. The largest electoral exercise in the history of mankind, with 650 million voters, with full faith in the electoral mandate. And all this backed by a pluralistic and open society, with robust institutional mechanisms and safeguards. We do believe that human rights of all can be best promoted and protected in such environments.
3. Allow me also to humbly disagree with High Commissioner’s brief reference to India. Democratic nations across the world, including India, have regulations since many decades to guard against legitimate concerns about misuse of foreign funds. Principles of transparency and accountability cannot be applied selectively. Portraying a dependence on the crutches of opaque or illegal foreign funding is also a disservice to India’s vibrant civil society.
Mr. President,
- 4. Ongoing global conflicts have, unfortunately, divided the Council further. It is more important than ever for the Office of the High Commissioner to focus on its core mandates given by UNGA resolution 48/141 and by this Council.
- 5. India assures its continued support to the Council, all its mechanisms, and to the High Commissioner and his Office.
Thank you.
