General Statement on Agenda Item 2: Update by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, September 08, 2014 General Statement on Agenda Item 2: Update by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, September 08, ..

General Statement on Agenda Item 2: Update by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, September 08, 2014

PERMANENT MISSION OF INDIA TO THE UN, GENEVA

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

27TH SESSION (8-26 September 2014)

Agenda Item 2:  General Statement

Update by the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Statement by India

 

Mr. President,

1. It is with great pleasure that we welcome the new High Commissioner for Human Rights Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. We thank him for his Opening Statement. He brings to this high office his long experience in the UN system.

 

2. We appreciate the enthusiasm with which the High Commissioner has outlined his goals and his realism in acknowledging the challenges before him.  I can assure him that he will find a very dedicated team in the OHCHR to work with him, a committed set of activists in the Special Procedures and a very demanding Human Rights Council.

 

3. In this context, greater synergy, dialogue and cooperation between the HRC and OHCHR particularly in the Secretary General’s Strategic Framework (program 20), OHCHR strategic management plan and thematic strategies will enhance the trust of member states in the OHCHR and advance our common endeavor. We hope he will hold regular consultations with the Council while formulating these.

 

4. We value OHCHR’s expertise in assisting States in capacity building. In this regard, one cannot over emphasize the value of staff in the OHCHR that is representative not only in terms of gender but also geography and culture. This will enhance OHCHR’s understanding of the complexities of the world we live in.

 

5. We reiterate our support for increase in OHCHR’s financial resources from the regular budget and emphasize the importance of greater transparency in the management of the extra-budgetary resources.

 

Mr. President,

6. It is our firm belief that promotion and protection of human rights can be best pursued through dialogue and cooperation. The Council may not always be able to rise above political considerations but the High Commissioner should always endeavor to ensure that his Office and various mechanisms function in strict compliance with relevant resolutions of the UNGA and this Council. We must work together to strengthen national institutions and widen the space for national mechanisms for building sustainable, resilient and secure societies that respect and promote human rights.

 

7. We note with interest and appreciation the importance attached by the High Commissioner to the rights of migrants. Their growing numbers and vulnerability to exploitation makes this attention very timely.

 

8. Human rights violations in armed conflicts are a matter of concern and the High Commissioner has rightly given high priority to them. These have engaged the Council’s and the OHCHR’s attention and will continue to do so. It is important, though, not to dilute the attention and resources necessary for national capacity building through technical cooperation.

 

9. The High Commissioner referred to implementation of recommendations by the UPR, Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures. UPR recommendations become binding only when accepted by the country concerned and recommendations of Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures must be within their mandate and the country’s treaty obligations.

 

Mr. President,

10. The High Commissioner has underscored the breadth of his mandate. It is very wide, varied and complex. His work will not be easy. There will be moments of frustration, sometimes caused by this Council itself. But he must remember that we have the same goal and we have to work together. I assure him my country’s full cooperation. My delegation wishes him success and a very productive tenure.

 

I thank you.

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