Ambassador Preeti Saran re-elected to key UN body for new 3-year term

Veteran diplomat Preeti Saran has been re-elected to the prestigious UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) for a fresh three-year tenure starting in 2027, in recognition of her expertise in steering the body through complex global socio-economic challenges.

Ambassador Saran is currently serving as the chair of the CESCR, the UN body responsible for monitoring how member nations implement international covenants on economic and social rights.

The CESCR operates under the administrative control of the UN Human Rights Commission. During her distinguished 36-year career in the Indian Foreign Service, Ambassador Saran served in various high-level positions in India and in Indian Missions in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. 

“I feel honoured to be a re-elected member of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which administers the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,” she said.

She noted that the committee comprises 18 independent international experts who monitor the implementation of the covenant by state parties.

“As the largest democracy in the world, the Indian growth story, particularly in the last 15 years, is exemplary in fulfillment of these basic human rights for its people to have a full, free, safe, secure and healthy life,” Saran said.

“In fact, my election as Chair of this Committee last year, the first Indian to hold this position, was a recognition of India’s contribution and leadership in promoting and protecting these human rights globally,” she said.

In February last year, Ambassador Saran was elected as chair of CESCR for a two-year term.

Ambassador Saran superannuated from service after serving as the secretary (east) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) from March 2016 to September 2018.

As the secretary (east), she was responsible for policy formulation and implementation of India’s relations with countries in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean region.

Ambassador Saran was the Indian Sherpa and leader of the senior official meetings (SOM) at several multilateral events and summits, including the BRICS, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), ASEAN-India annual summits and the East Asia summit.

She was also India’s Ambassador to Vietnam and Consul General in Toronto. Her other notable overseas assignments include her stints at the Indian missions in Moscow, Dhaka, Cairo and Geneva.