India on Wednesday rejected what it termed “politically motivated” and “malicious” references in a recent press release issued by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD), following the country’s periodic review under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
Responding to media queries, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had taken part in the 11th periodic review, held in Geneva on August 11 and 12, 2026, in a spirit of constructive engagement.
“This was a routine treaty-body review,” Jaiswal said, adding that India, which played a leading role in negotiating and drafting the ICERD in the 1960s, remained firmly committed to combating racial discrimination.
During the review, the Indian delegation highlighted the country’s constitutional safeguards, legal framework, pluralistic traditions and efforts to protect disadvantaged communities, he said.
Jaiswal said India would respond to the committee’s observations through the established procedure. However, he noted that the inter-Ministerial delegation led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had already rejected what it described as “sweeping generalizations” and “unsubstantiated allegations” during the review meeting.
The spokesperson also accused the committee of displaying a tendency to go beyond the mandate of the Convention.
“India rejects any politically motivated highly malicious references in the report with all the contempt that it deserves,” Jaiswal said.
He added that India’s Mission in Geneva had already issued a detailed statement following the CERD review.
The UNCERD is the UN treaty body responsible for monitoring implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by its member states.
