Amnesty International strongly urges all UN Member States to (offer) concrete recommendations to improve respect for human rights in the country

Ahead of India’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council on 10 November, Aakar Patel, chair of board of Amnesty International India, said:

“India’s fourth UPR arrives at a time when human rights and critical institutions, independent media houses and civil society are facing systematic attacks in the country. This assessment presents a crucial opportunity for UN Member States to peer review India’s human rights records and to hold the country accountable for its abuses and violations.

India’s fourth UPR arrives at a time when human rights and critical institutions, independent media houses and civil society are facing systematic attacks in the country.

Aakar Patel, chair of board of Amnesty International India

“The UPR also offers a chance to assess India’s implementation of recommendations from previous reviews which remains to be actioned upon such as the ratification of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the UN Convention relating to the Status of the Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, as well as other international instruments. Also, India has received visits requests from 25 UN special procedures but is yet to respond positively to most of them.

“Amnesty International strongly urges all UN Member States to engage in meaningful discussions with India, including by following up on their past recommendations and offering concrete recommendations to improve respect for human rights in the country.”

Amnesty International strongly urges all UN Member States to (offer) concrete recommendations to improve respect for human rights in the country.

Aakar Patel

Background

The UPR review will begin at 19:00 IST. A live thread on the review can be found on Amnesty International India’s twitter account and spokesperson will be available for interviews.

A copy of Amnesty International’s submission of information for India’s UPR can be found here where it evaluates the implementation of recommendations made to India in its previous UPR and raises concerns about the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, human rights defenders, caste-based discrimination, right to health, right to privacy, religious violence, arbitrary deprivation of nationality, indigenous peoples’ rights and women’s rights

The United Nations Human Rights Council’s UPR offers an opportunity to review the human rights record of all UN Member States once every four years. The reviews include an interactive discussion between the State under review and other UN Member States. During this discussion, any UN Member State can ask questions or make recommendations to the State under review.