During the 10th India-European Union (EU) Human Rights Dialogue in New Delhi on Friday, India and the EU reaffirmed their “commitment to protect and promote all human rights.”
According to their joint press release, they began the event by “outlining their respective approaches, efforts and achievements” since their last meeting in April 2021. Both sides said that “as open and democratic societies, they emphasised the universality, indivisibility, interdependence, and interrelatedness of all human rights.”
The statement added that they “exchanged views and concerns” on civil and political rights, the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups, freedom of religion, freedom of online and offline expression, women empowerment, children’s rights, LGBTQI+ and migrant rights, issues of security and human rights, cooperation in public health, and humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.
Both sides also agreed on the need to uphold “freedom, independence and diversity of civil society actors, including human rights defenders and journalists.” In addition, the EU reiterated its opposition to capital punishment in all cases. Together, they decided to “foster greater engagement on human rights issues, based on internationally recognised human rights laws and standards.”
India, EU hold human rights dialogue; Issue joint release. pic.twitter.com/uWnhLn05xb
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) July 15, 2022
The statement further added that each side “updated” the other on their implementation of the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. In this regard, the EU briefed India about its new initiatives on corporate sustainability due diligence, while New Delhi provided an update on the status of its first National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. They both also reiterated the importance of enhancing cooperation at the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
The event was co-chaired by Sandeep Chakravorty, the Joint Secretary for Europe West in the Ministry of External Affairs of India, and the Ambassador of the European Union to India, Ugo Astuto.
The event came on the heels of the EU raising concerns regarding India’s human rights situation. In March, 21 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) wrote to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern about the mistreatment of human rights defenders, who have been “jailed for their peaceful work, targeted under anti-terror laws, labelled as terrorists, and [are] facing increasing restrictions”.
They further called on the Indian government to “repeal or amend legislations documented as having been widely misused to silence human rights defenders” and “immediately stop using such legislation to persecute and jail human rights defenders and quash peaceful dissent.”
The latest round of dialogue also comes shortly after Twitter filed a lawsuit against the Indian government for abusing its power via several takedown notices.