Geneva [Switzerland], October 9 (ANI): India on Thursday (local time) reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of all during the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), with Ambassador Arindam Bagchi stressing the need to avoid double standards in protecting human dignity and expressing regret over the lack of a clear focus on victims of terrorism.
In a post on X, the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva said the month-long 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council concluded on Wednesday (local time), adding that India, as a member of the Council, reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of all.
The month-long 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council (@UN_HRC) concluded on 7 October 2026. 🇮🇳 As a member of the Council, India reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of all. Here are the key highlights of what India stood for at #HRC63. @IndianDiplomacy @MEAIndia
— India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) October 8, 2026
The post said, "The month-long 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council (@UN_HRC) concluded on 7 October 2026. As a member of the Council, India reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of all. Here are the key highlights of what India stood for at #HRC63"
In a video attached to the post sharing the highlights during the 63rd session, Bagchi, India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva, said, "There must be no hierarchy of human life, no selectivity in protecting human dignity and no double standards. We regret the absence of a clear focus on the human rights of victims of terrorism."
Highlighting India's position on the right to development, First Secretary Anuj Swarup said, "We urge all the states for early conclusion of the draft International Covenant on the Right to Development."
Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva, Gaurav Kumar Thakur said, "Reform of global governance, development cooperation and a strong voice for developing countries remain central priorities."
On climate-related issues, the highlights showed that India backed farmers' access to climate-resilient seeds and pressed developed countries to deliver promised climate finance.
On artificial intelligence, the mission highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's MANAV vision, outlined at the New Delhi AI Impact Summit.
First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in Geneva, Anupama Singh said, "AI must be democratised and become a medium of inclusion and empowerment, especially across the Global South."
On the rights of Indians living abroad, the video highlighted that India backed safeguards against wage theft and passport confiscation, stressing that the welfare of the Indian diaspora was the firm responsibility of host countries.
India also highlighted its contributions to UN trust funds for technical cooperation and the Universal Periodic Review, the Council's process for reviewing the human rights records of every UN member state, as per the video.
The mission further highlighted India's interventions through its Rights of Reply, including its response on the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Counsellor Kshitij Tyagi, Permanent Mission of India to the UN in Geneva, said, "Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India. It happened in 1990 to the Kashmiri Pandits, driven from their homes by terrorists Pakistan armed, trained and sent across the border. Pakistan would better serve its people by focusing on development, rather than by coveting territory of others or exporting terror, because neither these nor its theatrics in this Council would help repay the loans its economy survives on."
On racial discrimination and equality, First Secretary and Legal Advisor at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva, Sudheer KJ said, "Mahatma Gandhi's historic struggle for equality and dignity began with his fight against racial discrimination, a legacy that anchors our steadfast commitment to the Durban Declaration."
Concluding the highlights, Bagchi was seen saying, "India has continued to engage constructively throughout this session, as indeed earlier sessions during this year." (ANI)
