India’s Pledge Of Good Behaviour

Context: India’s endorsement of the G7’s Open Societies Statement will give the world a larger say in human rights violations in the country.

Eight foundation values portrayed by the Open Societies Statement:

1. Human rights: Both online and offline.
2. Democracy: Including “everyone’s right to assemble, organise and associate peacefully, within a system of accountable and transparent governance.”
3. Social inclusion and “full enjoyment of civil and political rights in both physical and digital spheres.
4. Gender equality.
5. Freedom of expression, “both online and offline.”
6. The rule of law and independent and impartial judicial system.
7. A multilateral system with free and fair trade and global collaboration.
8. The “importance of civic space and partnership with diverse, independent and pluralistic civil societies, including human rights defenders, in promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

Steps to promote the above foundational values: They would be promoted by the G7 and guest nations through the following eight steps:

1. By “protecting civic space and media freedom, promoting freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, and freedom of religion or belief, and by tackling all forms of discrimination.”
2. Exchanging information and coordinate effective responses to shared threats to human rights, democracy and the rule of law, such as disinformation and arbitrary detention.”
3. Promoting economic openness “reasserting our shared economic model, which is founded on open markets”.
4. Preventing and tackling corruption.
5. Protecting the digital civic space, respecting human rights.
6. Prioritising gender equality and inclusion.
7. Collaborating on science.
8. Promoting sustainable development goals, specifically to “promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies.”

Concern in India regarding the values:

• Democracy in question: India has slid precipitously since 2014, as global indices show.
  • Protesters have been jailed under anti-terror legislation.
  • India has been described by a study this year as an elected autocracy;
  • More than 50 %of all annual global internet shutdowns happen in India.

Conclusion: The Open Societies charter will give the outside world a larger say on the human rights situation in India, and that is a good thing.