BackIndia, EU reiterate commitment on human rights
Both the EU and India expressed the need to foster greater engagement on human rights issues
PremiumNEW DELHI : India and the European Union on Monday underlined their commitment to human rights and the interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights during their ninth dialogue on the subject.
Strengthening cooperation at international fora, particularly the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) was also a subject of discussion. In this context, India proposed regular exchanges between the missions of India and the EU at New York and Geneva to explore cooperation at the UN Human Rights Council, an Indian statement said.
The dialogue was in “pursuance of the decision taken at the 15th India-European Union Summit in July 2020," the Indian foreign ministry statement said.
The Indian delegation was led by Sandeep Chakravorty, joint secretary in charge of Europe West division in the Indian foreign ministry. The EU side was led by the Ambassador of the European Union to India, Ugo Astuto.
“As the world's two largest democracies, India and the EU reiterated their commitment to human rights. In this context, they emphasised the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights," the statement said.
The two sides exchanged views on strengthening human rights, including in the social, economic and cultural spheres, it said. This covered civil and political rights, freedom of religion or belief, women’s empowerment, children's rights, rights of minorities and vulnerable groups.
“Both the EU and India expressed the need to foster greater engagement on human rights issues, based on internationally recognised human rights laws and standards. The two sides recognized the importance of strengthening the Human Rights mechanisms for the promotion of human rights and the role of national human rights institutions, civil society actors and journalists in this regard," the Indian statement said.
“The European Union reiterated its opposition to capital punishment in all cases and without exception," it said.
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