United Nations, October 14: India has called on United Nations human rights mechanisms to remain impartial, avoid politicisation and respect the cultural and historical contexts of different countries, asserting that human rights must be promoted without selectivity or double standards.
India’s position was presented by Anuj Swarup, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee under the agenda item concerning the report of the Human Rights Council.
Swarup said India would continue engaging with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) through trust, cooperation and constructive dialogue.
He emphasised that international human rights institutions should function as impartial and credible bodies rather than being influenced by political considerations.
“We hope that the UN human rights mechanisms will rise above politicisation and selectivity, respecting cultural and historical context, so that these bodies remain an impartial moral compass for the world,” Swarup said.
The statement followed India’s recent criticism of comments made by the OHCHR regarding demonstrations in New Delhi. The organisation had expressed concern over reports of mass detentions involving protesters, protest leaders, civil society representatives, lawyers and journalists before and during large-scale demonstrations in the national capital.
India had described the remarks as unwarranted and an unacceptable interference in its internal affairs.
During his address, Swarup said India’s human rights approach was shaped by its civilisational traditions of pluralism and peaceful coexistence. He added that the country had participated constructively in the Human Rights Council, emphasising dialogue and cooperation.
Highlighting India’s development initiatives, he said the country remained committed to protecting the dignity and rights of every citizen. According to the figures cited in his statement, more than 250 million people had moved out of multidimensional poverty over the past decade.
He also highlighted the scale of India’s social protection programmes, stating that more than one billion people were covered by its social security system. These initiatives include free food grains for approximately 800 million beneficiaries, free health coverage for 600 million people and 320 million bank accounts for women.
Swarup said India’s people-centred development model reflected its commitment to improving living standards and ensuring that vulnerable sections of society benefited from economic progress.
He reiterated that India would continue working with other countries to make the Human Rights Council an effective, objective and credible institution responsible for promoting and protecting human rights globally.
Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly elected 15 countries to the Human Rights Council for the 2027-2029 term. The newly elected members are Brazil, Burundi, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Nepal, Nigeria, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Uruguay and Zambia.
Separately, India raised objections to a report by Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Albert Barume concerning the demarcation, registration and titling of indigenous peoples’ lands, territories and resources.
The report referred to India’s implementation of the Forest Rights Act, noting that although millions of claims had been submitted, a substantial number remained unresolved, particularly those relating to community rights.
Delivering India’s statement under the Third Committee’s agenda item on the rights of indigenous peoples, Swarup strongly rejected the reference to India in paragraph 42 of the report.
He argued that the assertion regarding unresolved claims relied on a submission from an individual and was not supported by official data. According to him, the use of unverified information raised concerns about the report’s methodology, accuracy and objectivity.
Presenting figures from official records, Swarup said more than 5.4 million claims had been filed under the Forest Rights Act, with over 80 per cent having been decided and more than 2.5 million titles distributed.
India also offered to provide updated official information to the Special Rapporteur to address what it described as discrepancies arising from unverified submissions.
Swarup reiterated that India supported the protection and promotion of indigenous peoples’ rights and remained committed to sustainable and inclusive development that ensured no community was left behind.
India’s statements underscored its broader position that international human rights institutions should apply consistent standards, rely on verifiable information and engage with member states through constructive dialogue.