Statement by India at the First Intersessional Seminar on the Contribution of the Human Rights Council to the Prevention of Human Rights Violations(9-10 April 2019) under Panel 5: ‘The preventive role of investigative mechanisms and how this role could be enhanced’ delivered by Mr. Animesh Choudhury, First Secretary.[Geneva,10 April 2019]

Thank You Chair,

At the outset, India would like to thank the panellists for their presentations.

2. Democracy, good governance, rule of law and access to justice and civil society engagement are essential for safeguarding fundamental freedoms and promoting and protecting human rights for all. It is our firm belief that human rights issues cannot be approached in isolation, ignoring the complex and intricate relationship between human rights, development, democracy and international cooperation. A more constructive and non-confrontational approach that is sensitive to the genuine concerns and capacity constraints of countries should be adopted. An aggressive ‘naming and shaming’ exercise has its limits, is often counter-productive and tends to divide member states into opposing camps.

3. For a variety of reasons, the human rights agenda appears to be turning increasingly contentious. There is still lack of unanimity over issues such as individual rights and common good; the role of state sovereignty; the relative merits of pursuing civil and political rights against more expansive rights; emphasis on thematic against country-specific efforts; and the politicization and select targeting of countries. The primacy of national efforts in the realisation of human rights along with due consideration for the values and other specific challenges of individual countries must guide our efforts. India remains convinced of the importance of UPR as an effective and visible vehicle for advancement of human rights.

4. India strongly believes that all HRC mechanisms of fact-finding and investigation should strictly follow their mandates and must be guided by the principles of impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, in the spirit of constructive dialogue and cooperation.

5. India remains strongly committed to the promotion and protection of all human rights for all through dialogue and cooperation.

Thank You.