External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has expressed India’s willingness to support and lead efforts for addressing the urgent need of reforming existing multilateral system.
Addressing the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in Switzerland, Jaishankar said, “The past few years have exposed the stark inadequacies of existing multilateral structures. When the world needed them the most, they were found wanting. If we truly seek to protect and promote human rights for all, we cannot afford to ignore the need for urgent reform.”
He said that India firmly believes that in these times, the world needs “all of us, together.”
“Multilateralism is more essential than ever – but not in its current form. There is a clear and urgent need for a multilateral system that reflects contemporary global realities, one that is better equipped to respond to modern challenges, and, in essence, one that is fit for purpose,” he said.
Jaishankar who is also a career diplomat, reaffirmed India’s steadfast commitment to the global promotion and protection of human rights and to ensuring their full realization for all people.
The Human Rights Council is the main intergovernmental body within the United Nations responsible for human rights.
Established in 2006 by the General Assembly, the Council is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe.
The Council comprises 47 Member States. It provides a multilateral forum to address human rights violations and country situations.
Jürg Lauber, newly elected President of the United Nations Human Rights Council for 2025, declared the fifty-eighth session of the Human Rights Council open.
The fifty-eighth session of the Council is being held from February 24 to April 4.
The session began with statements from the President of the General Assembly, the United Nations Secretary-General, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland.
The President of the Council called for a minute of silence for victims of human rights violations around the world.
He said that the gathering is taking place at a time of profound global challenges and an alarming backlash against human rights around the world.
Lauber said that the Council’s responsibility was to make a tangible impact on people’s lives.
Jaishnankar congratulated Jürg Lauber on his election as the President of the Council and assure him the delegation’s full support and cooperation.
“As an Observer in the Council this year, India remains firmly committed to working alongside all Council members and observers toward our shared objective of protecting and promoting human rights for all. We will continue to extend our cooperation, as we have done in the past, to the Office of the High Commissioner and various mechanisms of the Council, including Special Procedures and the Universal Periodic Review,” the External Affairs Minister said.
He said that India’s unwavering commitment to human rights is deeply rooted in its enduring philosophy of global unity, openness, and mutual respect.
“Last year, our general elections stood as yet another testament to these ideals and to the strength and vibrancy of our democracy. As the world’s largest democracy, representing one-sixth of humanity, India’s general elections was an opportunity for one-eighth of the global population to cast its vote. We are a rich tapestry of cultures, languages, and faith, bound together by a millennia-old tradition of coexistence, diversity, and respect for human dignity.”
Jaishankar further said that it is this pluralistic and progressive ethos that India brings to its engagements within the Council, fostering dialogue, mutual understanding, and collective progress.
“Rooted in this inclusive vision, India has made remarkable strides in economic growth, lifting millions out of poverty while ensuring that inclusion remains the cornerstone of progress. Through ambitious initiatives in housing and clean drinking water, we have significantly improved the lives of marginalized and vulnerable communities. Unprecedented infrastructure development, coupled with advancements in technology and digital public infrastructure, has veritably transformed India,” he said.
The minister said that legal reforms and good governance have laid the foundation for sustainable development, while a strong emphasis on education continues to empower future generations.
India has always played an active role in the global promotion and protection of human rights. “Our development partnerships with countries across the world reflects this commitment. At the same time, we have been firm and uncompromising in combating terrorism. India will always advocate zero tolerance for terrorism and call out any effort to normalize it.”
Jaishankar said, “We do not merely speak of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam -the world as one family; we live by it. And today, more than ever, this perspective is urgently needed. The world continues to grapple with conflicts and crises, growing more fractured, uncertain, and unstable in the face of emerging challenges, even as it struggles to recover from the recent ones.”
Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, said the session was beginning under the weight of a grim milestone: the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in violation of the United Nations Charter.
More than 12,600 civilians had been killed, with many more injured. Entire communities had been reduced to rubble, hospitals and schools destroyed.
Guterres said that conflicts like the war in Ukraine exacted a heavy toll on people; on fundamental principles like territorial integrity, sovereignty and the rule of law; and on the vital business of this Council.
He said that without respect for human rights — civil, cultural, economic, political and social — sustainable peace was a pipe dream.
