Need to guard against intrusive monitoring: India tells UNHRC

Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN Ambassador Bhagwant Bishnoi, said that the universality of rights should not be construed as uniformity of values and systems

Cautioning the UN's top human rights body to guard against "selective country spotlighting" and "intrusive monitoring", India has said it should respect the right of each state to organise and manage its affairs.

"This Council (UN Human Rights Council) should respect the right of each state to organise and manage its affairs including in the field of human rights and guard against falling in the trap of selective country spotlighting and intrusive monitoring, which has time and again proved to be counterproductive," Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN Ambassador Bhagwant Bishnoi said.

The need of the hour is to consciously ensure that the Council continues to function in a "non-selective, non-politicised, non-confrontational and transparent manner," he said in the General Assembly yesterday on the Human Rights Council report.

Bishnoi, who began his statement by expressing condolences for the victims of the terror attacks in Beirut and Paris,also called for ensuring full respect for sovereign equality, territorial integrity, and political independence of all UN member states.

Bishnoi said, in the current times, the Human Rights Council has the even more important role to play of continuing to strengthen its adherence to the fundamental principles of universality, transparency, impartiality, objectivity, non-selectivity and constructive international dialogue while seeking to realise human rights for all.

"The Council must ensure that the indivisibility, interrelatedness and interdependence of all human rights including the right to development is treated in a fair and equal manner," he said.

He cautioned that the universality of rights should not be construed as uniformity of values and systems.

"The Council must bear in mind the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds in its dialogue with the member states," he said.

Bishnoi said it is India's long-held belief that human rights issues cannot be approached in isolation, ignoring the complex and intricate relationship between human rights, development, democracy and international cooperation.