Global South Cooperation on Human Rights: NHRC Concludes 5th ITEC Programme

Global South Cooperation on Human Rights: NHRC Concludes 5th ITEC Programme

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India, in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), successfully concluded the 6-day 5th Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Executive Capacity-Building Programme on Human Rights for National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) of the Global South in New Delhi.
• The program featured senior-level functionaries, delegates, and chairpersons representing 14 to 15 NHRIs from developing nations across the Global South (including Chile, South Africa, Algeria, Kenya, Indonesia, and Malaysia). The initiative highlights India's ongoing diplomatic and institutional commitment to South-South cooperation, peer learning, and collective capacity building in human rights advocacy.

Key Highlights & Themes Discussed

• Emerging Technological Challenges: Discussions focused on cutting-edge issues like the Right to life after death, the Right to be forgotten (or Right to erasure), and data privacy.
• Shifting Social Values: Changing global dynamics require NHRIs to upgrade their investigative and protective mechanisms against modern socio-economic transformations.
• The "Laboratory" of Human Rights: NHRC India Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian conceptualized NHRIs as working within a "laboratory" of human rights, emphasizing cross-national institutional learning tailored to distinct socio-cultural frameworks.
• Significance for India’s Foreign Policy: Utilizing ITEC (launched in 1964) as a soft power tool, India positions itself as a knowledge partner and moral leader of the Global South.
• Polity & Governance Perspective: NHRIs derive their autonomy from the UN-mandated Paris Principles, though many face enforcement and resource constraints across developing nations.

MCQ English

Q. Consider the following statements regarding the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India and the ITEC Programme:

1. The NHRC is a statutory body established under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.

2. The ITEC program is a bilateral developmental assistance initiative exclusively managed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

3. NHRIs globally derive their foundational autonomy and pluralism standards from the UN-mandated Paris Principles.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 1 and 3 only

C) 2 and 3 only

D) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (B) 

Explanation: Statement 2 is incorrect because the ITEC program is managed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), not the Ministry of Home Affairs.