EAM Jaishankar criticizes human rights rankings as political games, defends India's record in Geneva
Sep 13, 2024
Geneva [Switzerland], September 13 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar spoke about human rights issues on Friday, asserting that India will always be vocal on the topic. He criticised the practice of ranking and rating countries on human rights, calling them "mind games played out for political purposes."
Jaishankar made these remarks during an interaction with the Indian community in Geneva.
He said, "A lot of the conversations on human rights are post-predator... After you have dealt with the whole world for centuries, you come to Geneva and give lectures to others. But it is something that we need to look at. I think it is important to get our narrative out, to have our message out. If we are underconfident or start running down our country in public, then 192 other countries will join you in running down your country."
Meanwhile, Jaishankar shared a post on X about his interaction with the Indian diaspora in Geneva and said, "Delighted to witness a glimpse of Indian culture at India UN Geneva today. A nice interaction with the Indian community and friends at Geneva today. Spoke about India's advances in infrastructure, technology, innovation, skilling and greater role in the global economy."
https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1834603607095644242
The EAM further said that as a large and diverse nation, India will have its own flaws and shortcomings and emphasised that these flaws are an inherent part of the country's learning journey. He said, "Just look where our democracy is. We are 1.4 billion people. There will be flaws, there will be shortcomings, and there will be mistakes. That is part of our growth and learning. But it should not become a kind of a tactic..."
He added, "So when it comes to human rights, when there is an honest conversation, we will always be vocal about it but when it comes to rankings and ratings and so on, those are not honest conversations. Those are mind games that are actually played out for political purposes."
Notably, a day before, Jaishankar met United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Turk in Geneva and shared India's perspectives on the global human rights situation.
Sharing some pictures on X about his meeting, Jaishankar wrote, "Good to meet @volker_turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva today. Shared India's perspectives on the global human rights situation and how challenges are best addressed."
Jaishankar is on an official visit to Geneva in Switzerland from September 12-13. Notably, Geneva is home to many UN bodies and international organisations. During the visit, Jaishankar met with heads and representatives of international organisations with whom India is actively engaged.
