Statement by India in the Agenda Item 3 Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights, during the 61st Session of the Human Rights Council (23 February – 31 March 2026), delivered by Mr. Gaurav Kumar Thakur, Counsellor, Geneva, 4 March 2026
Mr. Vice President,
My delegation underscores the intrinsic linkage between cultural rights and nature conservation. In India’s civilizational ethos, there is a deeply rooted understanding that human well-being and ecological balance are interdependent. Our cultural traditions do not see nature as a resource to exploit, but as a sacred trust to preserve.
India’s constitutional and legislative framework embodies this approach. The National Biodiversity Act, 2002 and Biodiversity Rules 2022 mandate prior Informed Consent (PIC) from local communities and Fair and Equitable Benefit Sharing (ABS) for commercializing biological resources.
The Forest Rights Act, 2006 recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling communities, empowering over two million titleholders and strengthening community-led conservation across millions of hectares. Initiatives such as the Green India Mission and the Plant4Mother campaign further integrate cultural reverence with participatory afforestation.
India’s UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as Kaziranga and Sundarbans, exemplify inclusive management, incorporating Indigenous practices.
These efforts demonstrate that conservation and the rights of forest dwellers must go hand in hand with sustainable development.
India stands committed to harmonizing cultural rights, conservation, and development for present and future generations.
We would like to ask Special rapporteur as to how can we ensure that the precepts of FPIC and benefit sharing do not merely become a tick-boxing exercise but a concrete reality in the various ongoing multilateral agreements negotiations?
***
