76th Session of the UN General Assembly

Third Committee General Debate

INDIA STATEMENT

By

Mr. Ashish Sharma, First Secretary

1 October 2021

Mr. President

We join other delegations in congratulating you on your election and extend our full support to the work of the Committee under your able leadership.

My delegation associates with the statements made on behalf of the G77 and on behalf of the NAM.

Mr. President

Mahatma Gandhi's ideology of uplifting of the weakest person in the society for development of all, guides us in every aspect of our planning. Whenever India takes initiatives whether in the digital, health, economic, financial, banking or in socio-economic front, we have always used this touch stone to give it focus.

We have taken this citizen-friendly and citizen-focused approach forward, not just to those vulnerable and most affected but also regionally through our Aspirational Districts Programme which include some of most challenged regions of India. The United Nations Development Programme has lauded this initiative as a very successful model, worth replicating.

We are conscious of the fact that India’s progress in Sustainable Development Goals is progress for 1/6^th of the humanity. The COVID-19 pandemic has only helped to redouble our efforts in these directions.

Mr. President

Our social development agenda inter alia focuses on deployment of digital technologies to alleviate poverty, provide better health services, promote agricultural reforms, enhance cooperative federalism and provide time-bound delivery of government services.

Through the use of technology, more than 434 million people, over 50% of whom are women, today have bank accounts opened through the government’s Financial Inclusion Initiative, one of the world's biggest financial inclusion programmes.

India’s biometric-based unique identification system - ‘Aadhaar’, now covers more than 95% of the country’s population, facilitating access to a range of social protection services.

As a step towards Universal Health Coverage, India is implementing the world’s largest government-sponsored healthcare programme - “National Health Protection Scheme” (Ayushman Bharat) - covering more than 500 million people.

Gender equality and empowerment of women is an integral part of India’s inclusive development strategy. We have moved from a paradigm of women’s development to women-led development. More than 1.3 million elected women representatives lead in formulation and implementation of public policies at grassroots level.

Mr. President

Respect for human rights is deep rooted in Indian civilization. Our democratic and pluralistic framework rests on our ancient ethos of ‘Sarva Dharma Sambhav’ which means ‘equal respect for all faiths’.  Every religion is represented in India and enjoy equal protection. For millennia, India has provided shelter to waves of those persecuted in foreign lands, and this ethos continues till this day.

The principles of Universal Declaration of Human Rights have been enshrined in the Constitution of India.

The Universal Periodic Review is a platform for dialogue and cooperation on human rights situations in all countries. We must avoid turning the Human Rights Council into a platform for politicization of human rights issues.

The Special Procedures are important mechanisms for fostering genuine dialogue for strengthening the capacity of member states. It is important that the mandate holders remain independent, impartial and carry out their tasks with responsibility and sensitivity in accordance with their mandates.

Mr. President

Today, terrorism is the major threat to the full enjoyment of all human rights. It is essential for all member states to not only safeguard the gains of what we have achieved so far but also ensure that we do not give the slightest opportunity to provide excuses or justification for terrorism. Justifying terrorism in any way, whether on grounds of religion, ideology, ethnicity or race, will only provide the necessary fodder for terrorists to enhance their activities even more.

The new and contemporary forms of phobias like anti-Buddhism, anti-Hinduism and anti-Sikhism needs to be urgently checked and handled with firmness.

Mr. President

Before I conclude, we have witnessed yet another attempt in this debate by the delegation of Pakistan to exploit a UN platform to utter falsehood against India, even as it continues to foment a ‘culture of violence’ at home and across its borders. We dismiss and condemn all such efforts. These falsehoods deserve, as in the past, nothing but our collective contempt and sympathy for the mindset of the country which utters them repeatedly.   

Mr. President

We firmly believe that the most definitive guarantee to protect human rights, promote development and strengthen cooperation is nurturing of democracy and pluralism with the inculcation of values of tolerance, understanding and respect for diversity.

I thank you