India's pledge during the High Level Event of the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, delivered by H.E. Mr. Sanjay Verma, Vice Minister, Ministry of External Affairs on 11 December 2023, Geneva

About 75 years ago, India that is Bharat, the most diverse and biggest democratic society pledged to peacefully deliver political and socio-economic rights to its people emerging from colonialism. We continue to add to that commitment. This year India passed a historic legislation to reserve one-third of all seats in our Parliament and State Legislatures for women.

India is committed to the global promotion and protection of all human rights, including by supporting the UN’s human rights work through voluntary contributions, especially towards technical assistance and capacity-building. We are committed to implementation and followup of all human rights reporting obligations, including recommendations supported by us in the fourth cycle of India’s Universal Periodic Review.

India is also committed to reforming multilateralism, democratizing all international organisations, including UN bodies, to bring them into the 21st century, and by doing so reflecting the rights, interests and aspirations of the billions in the developing and least developed countries. The inclusion of the African Union in G20 during our recently concluded G20 Presidency is a testament to our commitment.

India is also dedicated to the accelerated implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda with an overarching emphasis on social development, economic growth and environmental protection. Thank you. ****