Explained: Who are UN special rapporteurs, and why does India respond to their reports?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the protests in India a domestic political matter on October 21 and said Washington would not get involved, after UN human rights officials questioned the Delhi Police crackdown on Cockroach Janta Party leaders.
A UN special rapporteur is an independent expert appointed to report on a human rights theme.
They are not UN staff and do not speak for the whole UN.
Special Rapporteur Gina Romero’s report said young people in India face retaliation and stigmatisation.
India rejected the report, saying it relied on unnamed submissions.
The US Secretary of State called the protests a domestic political matter.
Rubio praised India’s democracy and noted that elections are held there, according to India TV.
Rubio said protests happen daily in the United States and distinguished them from riots, which Rubio said were seen in Europe, according to India TV.
The Wire adds that Rubio described such public expression as a sign of political discourse and differences of opinion, and contrasted it with Cuba. This detail is from a single report.
The remarks came after the United Nations human rights office questioned the Delhi Police crackdown on Cockroach Janta Party leaders and urged India to respect the right to peaceful assembly, according to India TV.
Special Rapporteur Gina Romero’s report said young people in India face retaliation and stigmatisation for discussing issues such as mental health or gender justice, according to the same report.
India called the United Nations remarks misplaced and said reasonable restrictions remain in place even though people can protest freely, according to India TV.
India rejected the Special Rapporteur’s report, saying it relied on unnamed submissions cited in a footnote, according to the same report.
The Statesman’s headline says Rubio called the term UN experts an oxymoron. The full exchange behind that remark was not available in the reports reviewed.
Rubio’s visit aims to strengthen ties in energy, trade and investment, defence and critical technologies, according to India TV.
Rubio arrived in Mumbai on October 20, met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and then travelled to Jamnagar in Gujarat on October 21, according to Business Today.
Gateway of India, Mumbai (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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