The Realization of Human Rights in India: A Public Talk by Miloon Kothari

In May 2012 the United Nation’s Human Rights Council, the UN’s highest policy making inter-governmental body, conducted a comprehensive peer-review (called the Universal Periodic Review) of India’s human rights record. The preparation for this review by civil society groups and independent human rights institutions, including the national human rights commission, has clearly demonstrated that India faces an adverse and deepening human rights crisis. The lecture outlined progressive policies and laws in existence in the country. An attempt was made to identify the solutions to the human rights crisis including how to overcome the many obstacles that prevail, including reasons for the lack of adequate implementation of laws and policies that are human rights based. Miloon Kothari is the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing and is the Convener of the Working Group on Human Rights on India and the UN where he recently worked with civil society organizations to present their findings for India's 2nd Periodic Review on human rights at the UN Human Rights Council.