India abstains at UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)

India abstains at UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)

News: India chose to abstain from voting on a resolution at the Human Rights Council that urged Israel to implement an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and called for states to enforce an arms embargo. The resolution was passed by the 47-member Human Rights Council.

About UNHRC:

About: The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system, headquartered in Geneva. It was established in 2006 by the UNGA.
Members : Consists of 47 member states responsible for promoting and protecting human rights globally. Members are elected directly by secret ballot in geographical groups.
Tenure :Council members serve for three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.
Primary Functions : Promoting human rights globally.
- Monitoring and reporting on human rights situations, conducting investigations into abuses.
- Conducting Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of member states human rights records.
- Appointing special rapporteurs, independent experts, and working groups to address specific human rights issues.

Aspect Details
Universal Periodic Review : Each member states human rights record is periodically reviewed by other member states through the UPR mechanism.
Special Procedures : The Council appoints special rapporteurs, independent experts, and working groups to investigate and report on human rights issues, conduct fact-finding missions, and make recommendations to address violations.

India’s voting behavior at UNHRC on the issue of Israel:
Indias Vote Details

Voted in Favor : India supported three resolutions criticizing Israel for human rights violations against Palestinians, Israels occupation of Syrian Golan, and Palestinian self-determination. 

Abstained : India abstained from a UNHRC resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and seeking an arms embargo on Israel. Indias abstention was due to concerns about the resolutions failure to condemn Hamas while condemning Israel.

Recent Context: The recent vote followed significant events, including the killing of international aid workers in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes and a military strike by Israel on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, which India expressed concerns about. India believes that both parties, Hamas and Israel, should be condemned and held accountable according to their actions.