United Nations
Universal Periodic Review Working Group – 41st Session
Universal Periodic Review of India
Statement by Australia
10 November 2022
Thank you, [President/Vice President]
Australia welcome’s India’s efforts since 2017, including progress on LGBTI rights by de-criminalising section 377 of the Indian Penal Code; advancements on gender equality through legislative reforms guaranteeing paid maternity leave; and the development of policies that reduce inequalities for people with disabilities.
Australia encourages India to continue to take steps to promote and protect human rights, by strengthening accountability measures, increasing transparency and ratifying relevant international instruments.
Australia recommends India:
- Ensure civil society is able to operate without interference by establishing a grievance redressal and appellate processes to increase transparency and support the application of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.
- Establish a formal moratorium on the death penalty, with a view to ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
- Strengthen accountability measures by collecting and publishing data in a timely manner to enable objective monitoring and evaluation of human rights indicators, including disaggregating data by caste, class, disability, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and finalise the draft National Policy for Persons with Disabilities.
[188 words]