India to seek re-election to UN Human Rights Council

United Nations: India has said it will seek re-election to the UN’s human rights body this year and would continue to strongly push for early reform of the powerful Security Council. On the occasion of India’s 65th Republic Day on Sunday, India’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Asoke Kumar Mukerji said that India would actively participate in the work of the United Nations during the coming year based on its national objectives and priorities. [caption id=“attachment_1360775” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] He said early reform of the UN Security Council will continue to be a “priority” for India, adding that maintenance of international peace and security is also a necessary external environment for India’s developmental objectives. India is currently a member of the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council and its term will end on December 31, 2014. It would seek re-election this year when elections are held in October. India will compete in the Asia-Pacific category in which four seats will be up for election and so far seven nations have announced their candidature, sources said. The Council members are elected for a period of three years by the world body’s General Assembly, and have the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention throughout the year. Last year, the General Assembly had elected 14 countries, including China, Saudi Arabia and Russia to serve on the Council. India would also give priority to the implementation of the mandate agreed to by the international community in the Rio+20 Summit on Sustainable Developmental Goals, and “make this work an integral part of the post-2015 development agenda, which will be adopted at the 2015 summit marking the 70th anniversary of the United Nations next year,” a statement issued by the Permanent Mission of India said. Mukerji underscored that as a founding member of the UN, India has a direct stake in its sustained success. He said India has contributed significant resources to maintaining international peace and security, including providing thousands of Indian peacekeepers, especially in the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Mukerji said the Indian peacekeepers have upheld the “glorious traditions of the Indian Army while fulfilling their mandate in the face of unprecedented challenges, especially protection civilians at the risk of their own lives.” India has also contributed significantly in financial and intellectual resources to the specialised agencies and funds of the United Nations engaged in socio-economic developmental work. The Indian mission hosted a reception on the occasion of Republic Day, attended by President of the 68th UN General Assembly Ambassador John Ashe. PTI