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UNHRC to consider call for halt to arm sales to Israel

If the text is adopted, it would mark the first time that the UN’s top rights body has taken a position on the bloodiest-ever Gaza war…reports Asian Lite News

The UN Human Rights Council on Friday is set to consider a draft resolution calling for a cessation of arms sales to Israel, nearly six months into the war in Gaza. If the text is adopted, it would mark the first time that the UN’s top rights body has taken a position on the bloodiest-ever Gaza war.

The draft resolution circulated on Wednesday condemns the “use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Gaza” and demands Israel “uphold its legal responsibility to prevent genocide.”

The draft resolution was brought forward by Pakistan on behalf of 55 of the 56 UN member states in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation — the exception being Albania.

The text is co-sponsored by Bolivia, Cuba and the Palestinian mission in Geneva. The draft demands Israel end its occupation of Palestinian territory and “immediately lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip and all other forms of collective punishment”.

It “calls upon all states to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel … in order to prevent further violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights.”

Meanwhile, the US has warned Iran not to retaliate against it for an attack on Iran’s mission compound in Syria, telling the UN Security Council it had no prior warning of the strike that Tehran has blamed on Washington’s ally Israel.

US representative to the UN Robert Wood reiterated that Washington has communicated to Iran that it “had no involvement” in the strike on the consulate, nor did it have any knowledge of it ahead of time.

Wood said that since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, the US has repeatedly warned Iran not to take advantage of the situation by escalating its “longstanding proxy war against Israel and other actors,” but Iran has ignored that warning.

He warned that US authorities “will not hesitate to defend our personnel, and repeat our prior warnings to Iran and its proxies not to take advantage of this situation to resume their attacks on US personnel.”

Tehran’s deputy representative to the UN, Zahra Ershadi, said: “Iran has exercised considerable restraint but there are limits to our forbearance.”

Celebrity chef Jose Andres said that an Israeli attack that killed seven of his food aid workers in Gaza had targeted them “systematically, car by car.” Andres said the World Central Kitchen charity group he founded had clear communication with the Israeli military, which he said knew his aid workers’ movements.

Separately, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said her country would consider recognizing Palestine as a sovereign state “when the moment comes.”

Palestinians eye UN membership vote  

The Palestinians want the Security Council to vote later this month on their revived request for full membership in the United Nations, despite the United States reiterating Wednesday that Israel and the Palestinians must first negotiate a peace agreement.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, said 140 countries recognise the state of Palestine, and we believe it is high time now for our state to become a full member at the United Nations.

The Palestinians are making a fresh bid for UN membership as the war between Israel and Hamas that began Oct 7 nears its sixth month, putting the unresolved decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the spotlight after years on the back burner.

During the Cold War between the former Soviet Union and the United States, Mansour said, countries were blocked from joining the UN, but they all eventually became members, including North Korea. The US doesn’t recognise North Korea but didn’t block its admission, he said, and asked why conditions should be placed on Palestinian membership.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered the Palestinian Authority’s application to become the 194th member of the United Nations to then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sept 23, 2011, before addressing world leaders at the General Assembly.

That bid failed because the Palestinians failed to get the required support of nine of the Security Council’s 15 members. Even if they did, the United States, Israel’s closest ally, had promised at that time to veto any council resolution endorsing Palestinian membership, saying this should follow a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Palestinians then went to the 193-member General Assembly, where there are no vetoes, and by more than a two-thirds majority succeeded in having their status raised from a UN observer to a non-member observer state in November 2012.

Mansour asked the Security Council on Tuesday to consider during April the Palestinians’ renewed application for membership, which was supported by the 22-nation Arab Group at the United Nations, the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the 120-member Nonaligned Movement.

He told several journalists Wednesday that he expects the council’s Standing Committee on New Members, which includes all 15 council nations, to meet behind closed doors to consider the application before the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on April 9.

ALSO READ-Biden ‘outraged’ by death of Gaza aid workers in Israeli strike

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UNHRC chief condemns Israeli ‘siege’ of Gaza

Volker Turk says Israel’s imposition of sieges endanger the lives of civilians by depriving them of goods essential for their survival…reports Asian Lite News

Israeli retaliatory air strikes against the Hamas militant group struck residential buildings and schools across the Gaza Strip, UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk said on Tuesday, adding that “sieges” were illegal under international law.

Turk also condemned “horrifying mass killings by members of Palestinian armed groups” and said the militants’ abduction of hostages was also forbidden under international law.

The Israeli military said on Monday it had called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists and was imposing a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, in a sign it may be planning a ground assault in response to the devastating weekend attacks by Hamas gunmen.

Israel’s air attacks — the worst in the 75-year history of its conflict with the Palestinians — also hit “premises of the UN relief and works agency, UNRWA (UN Palestinian refugee agency),” a UN rights office statement said, adding that civilians were among the dead and injured.

Israel vowed to take “mighty revenge” after the Hamas attack left its streets strewn with bodies. Israeli media said 900 people were killed in the attacks and most were civilians, while nearly 700 Gazans were killed in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza officials, with entire districts in Gaza flattened.

Israel’s defense forces said on social media platform X that aircraft had hit military targets, including weapons storage and manufacturing sites.

Turk said Israel’s “imposition of sieges that endanger the lives of civilians by depriving them of goods essential for their survival is prohibited under international humanitarian law.”

“This risks seriously compounding the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the capacity of medical facilities to operate, especially in light of increasing numbers of injured,” he said, adding that a siege may amount to “collective punishment.”

Such acts may amount to a war crime, UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani later clarified. The UN rights office’s findings were based on a review of available material, including from its own monitors on the ground, she said.

Separately, a UN -appointed Commission of Inquiry said in a statement there was already “clear evidence that war crimes may have been committed” by all sides to the conflict. It said it was collecting evidence to ensure future legal accountability.

Some 187,500 people have fled their homes in Gaza, a UN humanitarian office offices spokesperson said at the same briefing, warning of shortages of water and electricity.

“UNICEF is extremely alarmed about measures to cut electricity, to cut food, to cut water to cut fuel from entering Gaza. This will add another layer of suffering to the existing catastrophe faced by families in Gaza,” said UN children’s agency spokesperson James Elder. He added that “hundreds” of Israeli and Palestinian children had been killed since the weekend, without giving details.

World Health Organization’s Tarik Jasarevic said that 13 attacks on health facilities in Gaza had been confirmed by its monitoring service since hostilities began.

It was working on a humanitarian corridor for the Gaza strip, but stores of medical supplies had already run out, he said.

Blinken arrives in Tel Aviv

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv along with a team of officials, Israel-based i24 News English reported. His visit to Tel Aviv comes amid the ongoing conflict.

The US officials accompanying Blinken include his counsellor Derek Chollet, his Deputy Chief of Staff Tom Sullivan, US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller, Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, Special Representative for Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr, and Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Steve Gillen.

During his visit, Blinken will hold a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Brigadier General Gal Hirsch and other Israeli officials. After concluding his visit to Israel, Blinken will meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Abbas in Amman.

Speaking to reporters ahead of his departure from the US, Blinken said, “We are heading, as you know, to Israel, and I’m going with a very simple and clear message on behalf of the President of the United States and on behalf of the American people, and that is that the United States has Israel’s back. We have the back of the Israeli people. We have their back today. We’ll have it tomorrow. We will have it every day.”

Blinken said that he would meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Issac Herzog and other senior officials in Israel. He stated that he is looking forward to meeting the US embassy team in Israel. He said that the US is determined to provide everything that Israel needs to defend itself.

He further said, “We’re determined to make sure that Israel gets everything it needs to defend itself, and provide for the security of its people. Already, significant military assistance requested by Israel is on the way. That’s on top of everything that we’ve been doing for years, including with the memorandum of understanding that was negotiated by President Obama, to make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself.” (ANI)

ALSO READ: Gaza Supplies Conditional On Hostages, Says Israel

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UNHRC Adopts UAE’s Report

The UAE statement noted that the country continues to enhance and develop its legislative, institutional, and national policies related to the promotion and protection of human rights…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has adopted the UAE’s fourth report for the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights during the 54th session of the Council held in Geneva.

The UAE delegation participating in the session was headed by His Excellency Ahmed Al-Jarman, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva.

Al-Jarman delivered a speech on behalf of the UAE during the meeting, emphasizing the importance of the role played by the Universal Periodic Review mechanism for human rights in facilitating the exchange of experience and knowledge from international best practices in the field of human rights.

The UAE statement noted that the country continues to enhance and develop its legislative, institutional, and national policies related to the promotion and protection of human rights.

The UAE informed the Human Rights Council that the country had accepted 198 recommendations during the review session, underscoring that a significant number of these recommendations are already implemented, with the remaining recommendations planned to be implemented over the next four and a half years.

The UAE is also currently developing the National Human Rights Plan, which primarily focuses on implementing the recommendations accepted within the framework of the fourth periodic review. Moreover, the country will continue to enhance technical cooperation with the National Human Rights Institution established in accordance with the Paris Principles and will work towards strengthening and developing the work of the Permanent Committee for Human Rights as a national mechanism for implementation, reporting and follow-up.

The session for the adoption of the UAE’s report received favourable responses from the delegation of participating countries and many non-governmental organizations, commendeding the UAE’s receptiveness to the recommendations received and its commitment to implementing the recommendations accepted which contributes to the promotion and protection of human rights.

Furthermore, the UAE continues to enhance its promotion of the human rights agenda by developing its legislative and regulatory frameworks to align with the comprehensive advances taking place in the country at all levels. The country’s ongoing success reinforces its firm commitment to continue building a society founded on the principles of justice, tolerance, and openness within the framework of the values that underpin its society.

ALSO READ: NPCI Set to Enhance Cross-Border Transactions With UAE Deal

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India highlights Myanmar situation at UNHRC session

Switzerland, Aug 24 (ANI): Permanent Representative of India to UN, Indra Mani Pandey speaks at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session on Afghanistan on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

Highlighting India’s contribution, the Indian representative stressed that India has provided humanitarian assistance and continued without people-centric developmental projects in Myanmar despite facing challenges…reports Asian Lite News

Permanent Representative of India to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey on Tuesday highlighted the ongoing situation in Myanmar and said that the displacement of people has led to an influx of Myanmar nationals into India.

“As a neighbour of Myanmar, India has direct stakes in peace, stability and development in Myanmar.  The ongoing situation in Myanmar has led to an influx of Myanmar nationals into India.  We have also seen a rise in transnational crimes.  There is a need to take into consideration the impact of the ongoing developments in Myanmar on its neighbours,” he said.

Delivering a Statement at the 54th Session of the Human Rights Council on behalf of India, he pointed out that India has repeatedly called for the immediate cessation of all violence, release of political detainees, resolution of the crisis through constructive dialogue and transition of Myanmar towards an inclusive and federal democratic system.

Indra added in a statement, “We remain steadfast in our support of the ASEAN-led efforts in Myanmar and strongly believe in the centrality and unity of ASEAN.  We continue to support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General in political resolution of the current situation in Myanmar.”

Highlighting India’s contribution, the Indian representative stressed that India has provided humanitarian assistance and continued without people-centric developmental projects in Myanmar despite facing challenges.

He added, “We have continued to work with various stakeholders to build the capacities in democratic systems and practices, including in the areas of constitutionalism and federalism.” (ANI)

ALSO READ-UNHRC Hails India’s Women’s Reservation Bill

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UNHRC Hails India’s Women’s Reservation Bill

This historic measure would constitutionally enshrine women’s representation in parliament…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has welcomed the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in India, which will reserve one-third of seats in the country’s Parliament and state assemblies for women.

This historic measure would constitutionally enshrine women’s representation in parliament and will be a game-changing step in defending women’s right to participation and gender equality in India.

It was passed by both Houses of Parliament.

According to the Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, the UN High Commissioner called on parliamentarians around the world to adopt legislative measures – including, where necessary, gender quotas – in order to ensure women’s voices at the centre of their nations’ political discourse, in full parity with others.

The Bill requires ratification by at least 50 per cent of the states, and we call for their swift support.

The High Commissioner calls on the Government to implement the new system as soon as possible, alongside the existing reservation for ‘scheduled castes’ and ‘scheduled Tribes’.

“We stress the importance of fostering an enabling environment for the participation of women from all backgrounds in public life – which can have profound, positive implications for society as a whole,” the official release read.

This is an important step towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals as well as India’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. (ANI)

ALSO READ: UNHRC Urged to Protect Rights of Pak Minorities

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Activist from Gilgit Baltistan raises human rights issues at UNHRC

UNHRC draws world-wide flak over election of China & Pak as members

The activist from Gilgit Baltistan also narrated the sufferings of locals who are forced to pay huge electricity bills…reports Asian Lite News

A human rights activist from Gilgit Baltistan has highlighted coercive measures employed by Pakistan to commit human rights violations in the occupied region.

Danish Ali, who belongs to the Balti community had an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive measures on Friday during the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

He highlighted how coercive measures were adopted in Gilgit Baltistan by the state-owned telecom company Special Communications Organisation and has curtailed and curbed rights to freedom of expression in urban and rural areas of Gilgit Baltistan, which has affected the locals.

Ali said, “People of Gilgit Baltistan are deprived of basic human rights and amenities under Pakistan’s occupation and we want the honourable Council’s attention towards it”.

“People of Gilgit Baltistan are being deprived of basic amenities including medical and educational facilities which are essentially connected to the internet. Internet service restrictions and denial of basic facilities and human rights violations on a daily basis are now an everyday phenomenon in Gilgit Baltistan,” he said.

The activist from Gilgit Baltistan also narrated the sufferings of locals who are forced to pay huge electricity bills.

“The administration has hiked electricity charges and laid excessive taxes in Gilgit Baltistan. These anti-people measures have accelerated the suffering of people into the civil disobedience movement in Gilgit Baltistan,” he said.

He also showed his concern over the deteriorating situation of minorities in Pakistan and how they are being targeted by misusing the draconian blasphemy law.

“Minorities in Pakistan especially Shias, Ahmadiyas, Christians and Hindus are living under constant threat which is cleansing of minorities coercively. A report by Amnesty International exposed Pakistan for not protecting minority people. They are prone to threats based on blasphemy charges in Pakistan”, said Ali. (ANI)     

ALSO READ-Gilgit Baltistan hit by acute food & energy crisis

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Afghan refugees stage protest in front of UNHRC office in Pakistan

Expressing concern over his uncertain future, Faizullah Turk, another Afghan refugee in Pakistan, said that they have been waiting for their cases to proceed for the past two to three years…reports Asian Lite News

Afghan refugees held a protest in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) office in Pakistan’s federal capital Islamabad, claiming that no practical action has been taken to address their problems, ToloNews reported.

Afghan refugees also sent a letter to the UN and called for their problems to be addressed. “The main problem of the Afghans is unemployment. The Afghans who are coming from Afghanistan to Pakistan are without work,” said Hedayatullah Ahadi, a Afghan refugee in Pakistan.

Expressing concern over his uncertain future, Faizullah Turk, another Afghan refugee in Pakistan, said that they have been waiting for their cases to proceed for the past two to three years.

The Taliban called for the Afghan refugees to return to the country.

“The Afghan refugees should return to their country and the Afghans who have recently gone and lack documents, they should return to their country,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.

Based on official statistics, more than 1.6 million Afghans have migrated to neighbouring countries within the past nearly two years.

Pakistan is one of the primary destinations where Afghan refugees have travelled to after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. After the Taliban’s return to power, new waves of Afghan refugees shifted to Iran and Pakistan due to various reasons, including fearing death threats and persecution by the Taliban.

In spite of the refugees having the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) certificate, Pakistani police and other relevant agencies continue detaining and incarcerating Afghan refugees in various parts of the country, including Islamabad, Khaama Press reported.

Earlier in the month, 26 Afghan detainees were released from Pakistan’s jail in Quetta and returned to Afghanistan.

The Department of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan said that these Afghan nationals were detained after failing to provide legal residence permits. The detainees were returned to the country through the Spin Boldak crossing point after being released, reported Khaama Press. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Iran sends back at least 4,000 Afghan refugees in one day

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UNHRC concludes session with a clutch of resolutions

The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. (File Photo: UN/IANS)

Its next session will be held from June 19 to July 14 this year…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has concluded its 52nd session, after adopting 43 resolutions on issues including the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, and mental health.

Other resolutions addressed the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment, promotion and protection of human rights, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Council also adopted resolutions on the right to food, the promotion of the enjoyment of cultural rights and respect for cultural diversity, the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action.

Vaclav Balek, President of the UN Human Rights Council, said in his concluding remarks on Tuesday that the body’s longest ever session “had done enormous work”.

Its next session will be held from June 19 to July 14 this year, he announced.

Ukraine war probe

The UNHRC has adopted a resolution for an extension of the mandate of the investigation into alleged war crimes by a year.

28 countries supported the draft Resolution, while 17 countries abstained including India and only 2 countries were against this. It is pertinent to mention that China is one of the countries that were against the resolution. After the voting, the Ukrainian permanent representative to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya tweeted, “We salute delegations @UN_HRC that supported draft Res Situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression – Extension of the mandate of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. We note just 2 del’s were against. War crimes accountability now!”

Earlier also, India abstained from any resolution on the Russia-Ukraine war. Last time, when India abstained in February, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj said that India remains committed to multilateralism while reiterating calls for dialogue and diplomacy.

She made the statement after India abstained from voting on a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the need to reach a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. (IANS/ANI)

ALSO READ: US to provide Ukraine with $2.6 bn military aid

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Global concerns on Afghan women expressed at UNHRC

The UN special rapporteur for Afghan human rights, Richard Bennett, in a report expressed concerns over the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan….reports Asian Lite News

At the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva meeting, representatives of several countries expressed concerns over the existing restrictions on Afghan women and girls, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported on Wednesday.

President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, Hala Mazyad Al-Tuwaijri, at the UN Human Rights Council, said Saudi Arabia calls on Kabul to rescind its decisions so women can “fully enjoy their rights without discrimination”. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Germany will make sure to continue to help all Afghans who “need water, who need food, who need medicine”.

“We know that our efforts will not change the brutal violation of Afghan women’s rights … But it matters. It matters to every single woman who is not allowed to go outside. It matters to every single child who wants to go to school,” she said, TOLO News reported.

The UN special rapporteur for Afghan human rights, Richard Bennett, in a report expressed concerns over the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan.

Bennett said that the recent decrees of the Taliban have affected the country’s economy and humanitarian delivery. He said that the economy experienced a further dramatic decline of around 30-35 per cent in 2021-2022.

The deputy foreign minister of Turkey, Mehmet Kemal Bozay, said that the international community must not allow the situation in Afghanistan to deteriorate “even further”, according to TOLO News.

“We remind the interim government that recent limitations on women such as those on the right to education are not human,” he said.

Recently, ten women foreign ministers, who attended the 59th Munich Security Conference, in a statement condemned the restrictions imposed on women and girls in Afghanistan, Tolo News reported.

According to Tolo News, the statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Slovenia, Germany, Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Andorra, Albania, Mongolia and Libya.

“We strongly condemn the Taliban’s push to exclude women from all public life: women are kept from strolling in parks, are not seen on TV screens anymore, are deprived of their right to attend schools and universities, and are now also kept from working in humanitarian assistance,” the statement read.

However, according to Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, Afghan women have all the rights within an Islamic framework.

“The rights of women have not been violated in the Islamic community. Their rights have been addressed. The life of women is secured and protected. Their problems are solved by the court. Regarding their activities, there is a need for an environment within Sharia laws and work on it is underway,” Tolo News quoted Mujahid as saying.

The statement added that the restrictions on women will “restore the basis to deliver the help that the women, children and men of Afghanistan so urgently need.” (ANI)

ALSO READ: Islamabad firm on claims of TTP hideouts in Afghanistan

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India’s rights report to be reviewed by UNHRC panel

The session is being held at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva from November 7–18…reports Asian Lite News

India’s National Report for the Fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Cycle will be reviewed on Thursday (November 10) during the 41st Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.

The session is being held at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva from November 7–18.

“The National Report of India, submitted on 5 August 2022, outlines our steps towards the promotion and protection of human rights, including the implementation of recommendations accepted by us in India’s 3rd UPR cycle in 2017,” the MEA said.

India’s report was prepared in collaboration with the National Law University, Delhi, after a series of consultations with diverse stakeholders, drawing representatives from the judiciary, national human rights institution, academia, civil society organizations, and the general public.

The UPR is a unique peer review of the Human Rights Council under which UN member States review the human rights performance of fellow member States.

The MEA described it as an important mechanism that India “fully supports”.

The Indian delegation for the session is being led by Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta and includes senior representatives from the Ministries of External Affairs, Home Affairs, Women’s and Children’s Affairs, Social Justice and Empowerment, Minority Affairs, Rural Development, and the United Nations Development Programme.

India’s Permanent Representative Indra Mani Pandey and Additional Solicitor General of India KM Nataraj are also part of the delegation.

The MEA noted that India is actively involved in the promotion and defense of human rights throughout the world and emphasized India’s strong commitment to everyone’s welfare.

“India plays an active role in global promotion and protection of human rights. Our strong commitment for the welfare of entire humanity, inspired by our civilizational ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam’ or “the World is one family”, provides a foundation on which our constitutional and legal framework for human rights has been built,” the MEA release said.

India has been engaged constructively with the members of the UNHRC and other fellow UN member States to promote and protect human rights globally, the MEA pointed out.

“We have laid emphasis on dialogue, engagement and cooperation among various stakeholders. We have underlined the primacy of States in fulfilling their human rights obligations. We have endeavored to build consensus in the council on various issues on its Agenda and we have participated in deliberations in the council in a constructive manner,” the MEA said.

Emphasizing that the UPR is an important mechanism that India “fully supports,” the MEA described it as a unique peer review process of Human Rights Council under which UN member States review the human rights performance of fellow member States.

“It has emerged as one of the successful human rights mechanisms, due to its universal character, constructive and consultative approach, and the importance it places on dialogue and cooperation amongst member States,” the MEA noted.

The ministry went on to say that the UPR mechanism also reinforces the centrality of States in assuming and fulfilling their human rights obligations. “India has actively participated in the review of other States and we in turn welcome the 131 member States who have registered to engage in our peer review,” the MEA added.

States under Review have to take position on all UPR recommendations received, by either supporting or noting them. India’s UPR outcome report will be adopted at the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council in March 2023.

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