Statement at the General Debate on Agenda Item 10 - Technical assistance and capacity‑building, 25 June 2014 Statement at the General Debate on Agenda Item 10 - Technical assistance and capacity‑building..

Statement at the General Debate on Agenda Item 10 - Technical assistance and capacity‑building, 25 June 2014

PERMANENT MISSION OF INDIA TO THE UN, GENEVA

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

26TH SESSION (10-27 June 2014)

Agenda Item 10: General Debate

25 June 2014

Statement by India

 

Mr. President,

1. We thank the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights for her presentation today. We appreciate the efforts of the Office in providing capacity building and technical assistance in various areas relating to human rights.

 

Mr. President,

2.States are primarily responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights. This is a principle that is undisputedly acknowledged and it should lie at the centre of all efforts of the international community to protect, respect and promote human rights. The various resolutions and decisions of this council and the recommendations of its various human rights mechanisms have greatly advanced the international normative framework for the protection and promotion of human rights. However, while doing so, they have, with all the right intentions, increased the workload of member States. It is, therefore, important to acknowledge the challenges faced by individual member states and understand the technical capacities at their disposal to implement their human rights commitments. It is also essential to realize that States should be well equipped in terms of financial resources and institutional capacities to fully realize the fundamental rights and freedoms to its people.

 

3. Technical cooperation and assistance to member states should therefore be aimed at reinforcing capacities of States inline with the priorities set by the concerned state. In no way should they complicate or undermine the States’ own efforts to promote fundamental rights of its people. This can be ensured only when international cooperation and technical assistance are provided in the spirit of international solidarity and with the unequivocal support and consent of the concerned country. This will also ensure that the results are sustainable.

 

4. These principles need to be reemphasized while implementing the Voluntary trust fund for Financial and Technical assistance and Voluntary trust fund for UPR implementation.  While there is need for the OHCHR technical assistance activities to be proactive, systematic, results oriented and based on good practices, if they have to be sustainable, they should be carried out in a transparent, timely and tangible manner in consonance with the priorities identified by member States and with their full consent.

 

Thank you Mr. President.

 

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