- Preeti Saran re-elected to CESCR for a three-year term starting 2027
- Currently serving as Chair of the CESCR
- First Indian to hold the chair position of the committee
- 36-year career in the Indian Foreign Service with global postings
- Played key roles in multilateral forums including BRICS, BIMSTEC, and ASEAN-India summits
Veteran diplomat Preeti Saran has been re-elected to the prestigious UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for a fresh three-year term starting in 2027, in recognition of her expertise in guiding the body through complex global socio-economic challenges.
Ambassador Saran is currently serving as chair of CESCR, the UN body responsible for monitoring how member states implement international covenants on economic and social rights. The CESCR operates under the administrative authority of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
During her distinguished 36-year career in the Indian Foreign Service, Ambassador Saran held several senior positions in India and across Indian missions in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
"I feel honoured to be 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 consists of 18 independent international experts who monitor how state parties implement the covenant.
"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 chair of CESCR for a two-year term.
She retired from service after serving as Secretary (East) in India’s Ministry of External Affairs from March 2016 to September 2018. In that role, she oversaw policy formulation and implementation of India’s relations with East Asia, Southeast Asia, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Ambassador Saran also served as India’s Sherpa and led senior officials’ meetings at several multilateral forums, including BRICS, BIMSTEC, ASEAN-India annual summits, and the East Asia Summit.
She was India’s Ambassador to Vietnam and Consul General in Toronto, and also held assignments in Indian missions in Moscow, Dhaka, Cairo, and Geneva.
