Welcome Remarks by Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, Permanent Representative of India at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group 41st Session (7-18 November 2022): 4th UPR of India,
[Geneva, 10th November, 2022]
Mr. President,
Members of the Troika,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
On behalf of the Government of India, it gives me immense pleasure to welcome you to the fourth review of India under the Universal Periodic Review mechanism of the Human Rights Council.
2. As you are aware, India as a member of the Council, has endeavoured to engage in constructive dialogue with other member States and Observers as well as various other mechanisms of the Council. We have contributed in building consensus on various divergent issues on the Agenda of the Council. We have worked with member States in collaborative spirit with a view to realise the shared goal of global promotion and protection of human rights.
3. As a member of the Human Rights Council, India’s commitment to the UPR process has been steadfast and we strongly support it as an effective mechanism of the Council, conducted in a constructive and non-politicised manner. We have been keenly participating in the UPR of various member States. We are, therefore, pleased that 133 member States have registered to participate in our UPR and we welcome their participation. We appreciate that a number of member States have shared in advance their observations and questions.
4. We believe that our 4th UPR provides us a unique opportunity to present to the member States the various steps and initiatives taken by us for the promotion and protection of human rights for our people. We have outlined them in detail in our National Report and we will present them briefly today. We welcome the valuable opportunity that we have today to listen to observations of Member States with a view to understand their assessments and concerns about India’s successes and failures in fulfilling its human rights obligations.
5. I would now like to briefly introduce India’s delegation. Headed by the Learned Solicitor General of India, Mr. Tushar Mehta, it comprises of Vice Minister in Ministry of External Affairs, Mr. Sanjay Verma, and senior representatives from not only Ministry of External Affairs but also other Ministries such as Ministry of Home Affairs; Ministry of Women and Child Development; Ministry of Minority Affairs; Department of Social Justice and Empowerment; Department of Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities; Ministry of Rural Development, as well as Niti Aayog, the National Commission for Policy and Planning.
6. I now hand over the floor to the head of our delegation, Learned Solicitor General of India, Mr. Tushar Mehta, for his opening remarks.
I thank you.
