India Urges UN Rights Bodies to Avoid Politicisation, Selectivity

Swarup said India will continue to work with the UN Human Rights High Commissioner and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in a "spirit of trust and partnership, as we remain committed to advancing human rights for all without selectivity and double standards".

"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," he said.

India's remarks came days after it termed the Office of the High Commissioner's remarks on protests in the national capital "unwarranted" and "unacceptable interference" in the country's internal affairs.

Last week, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights had expressed concern over "reports of mass detentions of demonstrators, protest leaders, members of civil society organisations, lawyers and journalists, before and during today's large-scale demonstrations in Delhi."

Swarup said India's approach to human rights is rooted in its civilizational ethos of pluralism and peaceful coexistence.

"As a member of the Human Rights Council, India has engaged constructively in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation," he said, adding that as the world's largest democracy, India is committed to ensuring dignity for every citizen.

He highlighted that over 250 million people have been lifted out of multidimensional poverty in the last decade, with the country's social protection system reaching over one billion people, with free food grains for 800 million citizens, free health cover for 600 million citizens, and 320 million bank accounts for women, reflecting India's people-centric development model.

"India remains committed to promotion and protection of human rights for all, and working with all members to make the Council an effective, objective, and credible body," he said.

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday elected Brazil, Burundi, Dominican Republic, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Nepal, Nigeria, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Uruguay and Zambia to the Human Rights Council (HRC) for the 2027-2029 term.

India also expressed its strong objection to a reference made to it in a UN report on the rights of indigenous peoples focused on demarcation, registration and titling of lands, territories and resources.

The report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert Barume, on demarcation, registration and titling of indigenous peoples' lands, territories and resources notes that "in India, although millions of claims have been submitted under the Forest Rights Act, a substantial number remain unresolved, particularly community claims."

Swarup, delivering India's statement at the 81st Session of the UNGA Third Committee on Agenda Item 'Rights of Indigenous Peoples', strongly rejected the reference in the Special Rapporteur's report.

"While the report acknowledges that the Forest Rights Act recognises individual and collective rights, my delegation takes strong exception to the unsubstantiated reference to India in paragraph 42 of the report. The assertion that a substantial number of claims under the Forest Rights Act remain unresolved rests on a single submission by an individual. It is not supported by any official data. Such selective reliance on unverified input calls into question the rigour and objectivity of the report," he said.

Outlining facts from official data, Swarup said that over 5.4 million claims have been filed under the Forest Rights Act, of which more than 80 per cent have been decided, and over 2.5 million titles have been distributed.

India offered to provide updated data to the Special Rapporteur "so that such anomalies based on unverified submissions can be rectified."

He stressed that India remains committed to the sustainable and holistic development that leaves no community behind, adding that India has consistently supported the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples.