20/01/2012

Civil Society consultations in India: a "forced marriage"?

In preparation for its second review at the UPR next May, India is calling for comments upon its provisional National Report. Responding to the request, the Asian Center of Human Rights (ACHR) submitted on 19 January 2012 a document criticizing the draft and the non-implementation of recommendations from the first review.
 
ACHR sees the interest of the Government in the NGOs' participation as a way of avoiding national consultations with civil society, and claims that the national report does not reflect the reality of human rights breaches.
 
The ACHR report reveals numerous violations of the right to life, and states that "more than four persons per day died in police and judicial custody in India from 2001-2002 to 2010". Furthermore, the NGO denounces the absence of legislation prohibiting torture, and the unwillingness of the Government to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Torture.

Further observations can be sent by civil society organizations to the Ministry of External Affairs before 27 January 2012.

Countries: India