India’s Preeti Saran Gets Seat At UN's Committee On Economic, Social And Cultural Rights

Former senior Indian diplomat Preeti Saran (60) has been elected as unanimously to an Asia Pacific seat on the United Nation’s Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) on Wednesday (5).

Preeti’s four-year term starts on January 1, 2019, and expires on December 31, 2022. The former Indian diplomat has been elected by acclamation the 18-member committee of experts that monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESR).

"Thanks to all our friends for electing by acclamation India's candidate Amb. Preeti Saran to @UN Committee on Economic Social & Cultural Rights for a four-year term starting on 1 January 2019," Indian Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.

“It is a privilege & honour to serve India @UN. Am humbled. Thank U for all the good wishes. Will strive to do my best,” Akbaruddin added in another tweet.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council voted to fill regular and outstanding vacancies in 11 of its subsidiary bodies, including the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights.

According to the rules, the members of the CESCR work in the own personal knowledge, capabilities as experts and are unable to represent their respective nations even though they may have been nominated by their own country.

All the state are compelled to files their reports regularly to the UN committee on how the rights are being implemented. The committee analyses each and every report and addresses its concerns and recommendations to the state party in the form of "concluding observations".

The committee holds the meeting in Geneva and generally holds two sessions per year, including a three-week plenary and a seven day long pre-sessional working group.

Saran has joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1982 and retired from the state service September 2018. As a diplomat, she worked in Indian missions at Moscow, Dhaka, and Geneva. Saran was also the Consulate General of India at Canada and the Indian Ambassador to Vietnam.