Statement by India under Agenda Item 2: General debate during the 61st Session of the Human Rights C..
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61st Session of the Human Rights Council (23 February - 31 March 2026)> Statement by India under Agenda Item 2: General debate during the 61st Session of the Human Rights Council (23 February – 31 March 2026), delivered by Ambassador Arindam Bagchi, Permanent Representative of India, Permanent Mission of India, Geneva, 2 March 2026
Statement by India under Agenda Item 2: General debate during the 61st Session of the Human Rights Council (23 February – 31 March 2026), delivered by Ambassador Arindam Bagchi, Permanent Representative of India, Permanent Mission of India, Geneva, 2 March 2026
Statement by India under Agenda Item 2: General debate during the 61st Session of the Human Rights Council (23 February – 31 March 2026), delivered by Ambassador Arindam Bagchi, Permanent Representative of India, Permanent Mission of India, Geneva, 2 March 2026
Thank you Mr. President,
We take note of the High Commissioner’s global update. While such global overviews tend to paint all human rights situations with the same brush, the bleak overall assessment is hard to miss. It is a reminder that we need to collectively do more to promote and protect human rights. And our approach must be guided by universality, indivisibility, non-selectivity and consistency, which regrettably is often not the case.
2. The global update is, however, conspicuous by a lack of acknowledgement of violation of human rights due to terrorism. Conflating individuals involved in terrorist activities with genuine civil society activists only serves to embolden the former while delegitimizing the latter. Terrorism synthesizes bigotry, violence and intolerance, and its perpetrators, sponsors and apologists must be condemned unequivocally, without ambiguity.
3. We note the High Commissioner’s comments on Artificial Intelligence and thank him for his recent visit to India to attend the AI Impact Summit. Guided by the principle of “Welfare for all, Happiness for all” and endorsed by over 90 countries and international organizations, the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact underscores that the benefits of AI must be equitably shared across humanity.
4. We also appreciate the High Commissioner’s acknowledgement of our vibrant civil society, which is an integral pillar of our thriving democracy.
