General comments by India during consideration of the Resolution on Extension of Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination, during the 61st Session of the Human Rights Council (23 Feb-31 Mar 2026), delivered by Ms. Anupama Singh, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India, Geneva, 30 March 2026
Mr. President,
India thanks the core group for presenting the draft resolution L.21 on the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing. We take the floor to articulate our expectations from this mandate as we will have a new mandate holder.
It is important to recall that this mandate was established in the year 2000 within the framework of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR). The mandate was explicitly conceived to address housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living and within the ICESCR framework. Let me also re-emphasize that we do not have many dedicated ESCR mandates, and this is one of them.
While the interrelated nature of human rights means that thematic boundaries are increasingly being overstepped, there is a critical need to exercise restraint in this regard.
We note with concern that over the past six years, this mandate has progressively departed from its foundational ESCR and developmental priorities. The focus has shifted almost entirely, effectively transforming it into a civil and political mandate.
The mandate has increasingly waded into civil and political issues, for which we have many other mechanisms within the Special Procedures system. By overstepping its mandate and terms of reference, we have missed the opportunity to focus on the pressing housing challenges in modern urban and rural areas over last six years faced by the countries of the Global South.
As the council adopts the extension of this mandate, my delegation expresses its sincere hope that the incoming mandate holder will refocus on the ESCR nature of its mandate. We look forward to the mandate generating practical, development-oriented ideas and solutions that will actually assist Global South countries in their developmental journeys and address the housing needs of their populations.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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