India's Secretary (West) Sibi George held separate meetings with senior international officials in Geneva, discussing issues related to human rights, labour cooperation and India's recent technological initiatives, according to a post by the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Add Asianet Newsable as a Preferred Source

Meeting with UN Human Rights Chief

According to the post on X, George on Thursday met Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, where the two sides exchanged views on global human rights issues as well as India's digital transformation journey.

The discussions also touched upon outcomes of the recent AI summit hosted in New Delhi. Secretary (West) @AmbSibiGeorge met @volker_turk High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva. They exchanged views on human rights, India’s digital journey, and the recent AI Summit in New Delhi. 🇮🇳🤝🇺🇳 #HumanRights #DigitalIndia pic.twitter.com/meAPqeiAfG — Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 12, 2026

Talks with ILO Director-General

In a separate meeting, George also met Gilbert F Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), reaffirming India's commitment to the global labour body. Secretary(West) @AmbSibiGeorge met with Director General ILO @GilbertFHoungbo, reaffirmed India's commitment to @ILO. Discussions covered @ILO- 🇮🇳 cooperation and ongoing ILO restructuring efforts. Secretary updated him on the recent reforms in the Indian Labour Codes and use… pic.twitter.com/vE2STBqyxV — Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 12, 2026

The talks focused on cooperation between India and the ILO as well as ongoing restructuring efforts within the organisation. According to the post on X, during the meeting, George briefed Houngbo on recent reforms under India's labour codes and the use of technology to empower workers in the country's unorganised sector.

India's Statement at Human Rights Council

Earlier, Sibi George delivered India's national statement at the Human Rights Council Item 3 General Debate. George highlighted how digital tools and AI empower 1.4 billion Indians.

"Mr. President, as External Affairs Minister of India, Dr S Jaishankar, in his address to this August Council a few days ago underlined, our deliberations in this Council must move beyond statements and resolutions to tangible improvements in the daily lives of the most vulnerable. We firmly believe that a holistic and balanced approach to all human rights anchored in an integrated development paradigm is the most effective pathway to achieving this," he said.

"In India, we have harnessed digital tools to expand access to rights for all at scale. It has also facilitated access to justice, civil and political rights, democratic participation of 1.4 billion Indians, and empowerment of our women. I am happy to share that the recently concluded AI Impact Summit in New Delhi acknowledged that the power of AI is best realised only when its benefits are shared equitably by humanity, including participation of the global South," he added. (ANI)