Ajai Malhotra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Former Indian Ambassador to the Russian Federation | |
| In office 16 May 2011 –30 November 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Prabhat Prakash Shukla |
| Succeeded by | P. S. Raghavan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 November 1953 India |
| Spouse | Ira Malhotra |
| Occupation | Diplomat |
| Awards | Doctor of Letters |
Ajai Malhotra is a former Indian career diplomat who served as Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation. [1] He is the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee to the United Nations Human Rights Council,Geneva.
He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977. From 1979 to 1982 he served at the High Commission in Nairobi,handling political work relating to Kenya and India's relations with Seychelles. From 1982 to 1985 he was Second Secretary (Pol.)/First Secretary (Pol.) at the Indian Embassy in Moscow.[ citation needed ]
From 1985,he served as First Secretary (Pol.) at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in Geneva,where he handled work related to the WHO,WIPO,ILO and other UN agencies,represented India on the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association and also participated in annual meetings of the UN Human Rights Commission. He returned to the Ministry of External Affairs,New Delhi in 1989,as a Deputy Secretary handling human rights and international environmental issues,and later Director handling all multilateral issues except disarmament. As regards human rights,this included guiding processes leading to the ratification by India of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992,UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1993,and the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission of India. [2]
His association with global environmental issues has included participation in the UNEP Session of a Special Character:Ten Years after Stockholm (Nairobi;1982);contribution to the drafting of the 1990 London Amendments to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer,Convention on Biological Diversity,UN Framework Convention on Climate Change,Rio Declaration on Environment and Development,Statement of Principles on Forests,and Agenda 21;and participation in the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro;1992). [3] [4] He was a member of the UNEP group of legal experts to examine the concept of "Common Concern of Mankind" in relation to global environmental issues. [5]
He was Counsellor (Information) at the Indian Embassy,Moscow,from 1993 to 1996,returning to the Ministry of External Affairs,New Delhi,as Director/Joint Secretary and guided India's foreign relations with 22 Central and Eastern European countries,including Russia. In 1999,he was assigned as Minister (Commerce) at the Embassy of India,Washington,D.C.,where he served till 2003. He was also Vice Chairman (2000–2001),First Vice Chairman (2001–2002) and then Chairman (2002–2003) of the International Cotton Advisory Committee. [6]
Ajai Malhotra's served as Ambassador of India to Romania (with concurrent accreditation to Moldova and Albania) from 2003 to 2005. [7] [8] [9]
From 2005 to 2009,he was Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN,New York. Based on leaked American diplomatic cables,it was reported that Ajai Malhotra was posted to the UN Mission,New York to balance the anti-US decisions taken by Nirupam Sen,then Permanent Representative of India,to the UN. [10] He participated in the negotiations leading to the setting up of the UN Democracy Fund,the UN Peacebuilding Commission and the UN Human Rights Council. [11] [2] His pivotal role in the development of the United Nations Democracy Fund was cited by the awards committee of the Palmer Prize for Advancing Democracy,awarded by the Council for a Community of Democracies. [12]
He was Ambassador of India to Kuwait from 2009 to 2011. [13] [14] He was responsible for expanding the protection of Indian workers in Kuwai and set up a safe house,especially for domestic workers in distress. [15] His tenure was also highlighted by high level visits from India to Kuwait,including by the vice-president of India,Hamid Ansari [14] and S. M. Krishna, [16] former External Affairs Minister.
He was the Ambassador of India to Russia from 16 May 2011 –30 November 2013. [17] His tenure saw the visit of Indian Prime Minister,Manmohan Singh in mid-December 2011 to Russia,and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to India in March 2012 for the BRICS summit in New Delhi. It also saw visits to India in December 2012 by Russian President Vladimir Putin and to Russia by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September 2013 for the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg and in November 2013 to Moscow for the annual India-Russia Bilateral Summit. The 65th anniversary of bilateral Indo-Russian diplomatic relations was marked with year-long celebrations during his tenure. [18] It also saw the induction of three Talwar-class frigates into the Indian Navy fleet,INS Teg,INS Tarkash,and INS Trikand, [19] as well as India's nuclear powered submarine INS Chakra (2011) [20] and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. [21] [22] INS Trikand was launched by his wife,Mrs. Ira Malhotra. [23] He retired on 30 November 2013. [24]
Since February 2014,Malhotra is the chairman and Managing Trustee of Chikitsa [25] which provides free primary health care in underserved communities and Shiksha [26] which provides free education and vocational training to underprivileged children and youth.
Since April 2014 he is a Distinguished Fellow &Senior Adviser (Climate Change) at The Energy and Resources Institute,New Delhi. [27] Since 2015 he is Chairman of the Managing Committee of the NAB Centre for Blind Women &Disability Studies [28] and a member of the editorial board of the World Economy and International Relations Journal at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations,Moscow. [29]
In 2015,he was elected Chairman of the Nehru Trust for the Indian Collections at the Victoria &Albert Museum. [30]
On 20 November 2015,he was appointed an Independent Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). [31]
On 16 January 2017,he was appointed an Independent Director of ONGC Videsh Limited. [32]
On 29 September 2017,he was elected by secret ballot to the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council,Geneva. [33]
On 7 October 2020,he was re-elected by acclamation to the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council,Geneva. [34]
On 15 February 2021,he was elected the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council,Geneva,the first Indian to hold this position. [35]
In 2004,he was awarded a Doctorate (Honoris Causa) by the Vasile GoldișWestern University of Arad,Romania,in recognition of his work in support of environmental causes and sustainable development. [36]
In 2011,he was cited by the awards committee of the Palmer Prize for Advancing Democracy,awarded by the Council for a Community of Democracies for his pivotal role in supporting democratic development and development of the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF),and for being a forceful advocate of channelling UNDEF funds to civil society. [37]
In 2015,he was conferred a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by Hindu College,University of Delhi at its 13th Distinguished Alumni Awards in New Delhi. [38]
Ajai Malhotra is married to Ira Malhotra, [39] who is a teacher and was the founding editor of 'Parenting' magazine in India. [40] She launched the warship,the INS Trikand,which was delivered to India from Russia during his tenure. [23]
Historically strained, Myanmar's foreign relations, particularly with Western nations, have improved since 2012. Relations became strained once more in 2017 with the Rohingya genocide and due to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. Myanmar has generally maintained warmer relations with near states and is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The Maldives has remained an independent nation throughout its recorded history, save for a brief spell of Portuguese occupation in the mid-16th century. From 1900 to 1965, the country was a British protectorate while retaining full internal sovereignty. At its independence in 1965, the Maldives joined the United Nations on 20 September.
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. The headquarters of the Council are at the United Nations Office at Geneva in Switzerland.
The Kolkata-class destroyers, also known Project 15A or Project 15 Alpha, are a class of stealth guided-missile destroyers constructed for the Indian Navy. The class comprises three ships – Kolkata, Kochi and Chennai, all of which were built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in India, and are the largest destroyers to be operated by the Indian Navy. Due to delays in construction and sea trials, the initial commissioning date of the first ship of the class was pushed back from 2010 to 2014.
Salim Ahmed Salim is a Tanzanian politician and diplomat who has worked in the international diplomatic arena since the early 1960s. He served as prime minister for one year, from 1984 to 1985.
UN Watch is a Geneva-based non-governmental organization (NGO) whose stated mission is "to monitor the performance of the United Nations by the yardstick of its own Charter". It is an accredited NGO in Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council and an Associate NGO to the UN Department of Public Information.
Ismat Jahan is a Bangladeshi diplomat who is currently serving as the permanent observer of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to the European Union. From 2009 to 2016, she was the ambassador of Bangladesh to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union and from 2007 to 2009, she was the ambassador and permanent representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations.
The Republic of India recognised Ukraine as a sovereign country in December 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and established diplomatic relations in January 1992. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv was opened in May 1992 and Ukraine opened its Mission in New Delhi in February 1993. The Consulate General of India in Odesa functioned from 1962 until its closure in March 1999.
Zalmai Aziz is an Afghan diplomat and is the current ambassador of Afghanistan to the United Nations Office in Geneva and to Switzerland. He is the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the Russian Federation and the former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan.
Jayant Prasad is a former Indian civil servant of the Indian Foreign Service cadre who served as the Director General of the Delhi-based Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, a think-tank affiliated with the Indian Ministry of Defence between September 2015 and September 2018.
Alexander Vladimirovich Yakovenko is a Russian diplomat. He served as the Ambassador of Russia to the United Kingdom between January 2011 and August 2019. Since August 2019, he has been rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia. While working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow, he was in charge of multilateral diplomacy. A graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1976, he later gained a Doctor of Law degree. Yakovenko holds the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and speaks Russian, English and French.
India was among the charter members of the United Nations that signed the Declaration by United Nations at Washington, D.C., on 1 January 1942 and also participated in the United Nations Conference on International Organization at San Francisco from 25 April to 26 June 1945. As a founding member of the United Nations, India strongly supports the purposes and principles of the UN and has made significant contributions in implementing the goals of the Charter, and the evolution of the UN's specialised programmes and agencies.
INS Trikand (F51) is a Talwar-class frigate of the Indian Navy. She is the third and final ship of the second batch of Talwar-class frigates ordered by the Indian Navy. She was built by the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia. She was commissioned to Indian Navy service on 29 June 2013.
Dilip Sinha is an Indian diplomat and former public administrator. He served in the Indian Foreign Service from 1978 to 2014 and as chairman of the Manipur Public Service Commission, India, from 2015 to 2016. Ambassador Sinha is a public speaker on international security, Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran and environmental diplomacy. He is the author of Legitimacy of Power: The Permanence of Five in the Security Council. The book traces the origins of international security cooperation and scrutinizes the moorings of the UN Security Council's powers in international law.
Prasad Kariyawasam is a Sri Lankan diplomat and the former Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the top diplomat in Sri Lanka. He was the International Affairs Adviser to Hon.Karu Jayasooriya, Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.He was the former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States. with concurrent accreditation as High Commissioner for Sri Lanka to Trinidad & Tobago and Ambassador (designate) to Mexico. He was also the Permanent Observer of Sri Lanka to the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS).He has also served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to India, Afghanistan and Bhutan.
India–Libya relations are bilateral diplomatic relations between India and Libya. India maintains an embassy in Tripoli and Libya has an embassy in New Delhi.
India–Kuwait relations are bilateral diplomatic relations between the Republic of India and the State of Kuwait. The two countries share friendly ties. Kuwait houses a large expatriate Indian population and is the source for 10–12% of India's oil imports while India is among the largest trade partners of Kuwait.
Tibet Justice Center, is an American legal association founded in 1989 that advocates human rights and self-determination for the Tibetan people.
Ajay Bisaria is a corporate strategic advisor, guiding global businesses on geopolitics and regulations. He advises OMERS in India and several companies in private equity, fintech, health tech, and more. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). Earlier Ajay Bisaria was an Indian diplomat with a diplomatic career spanning 35 years, Bisaria has held key positions in some of India's most critical economic and security relationships. He served as the High Commissioner of India to Canada from March 2020 to June 2022, and prior to that, he was the High Commissioner of India to Pakistan from December 2017 to February 2020. Bisaria has also represented India at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and served in various capacities in Indian embassies in Berlin and Moscow. Within the Ministry of External Affairs, the Department of Commerce, and the Prime Minister’s Office, he played a significant role, including being a key aide to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 1999 to 2004. Bisaria is a specialist in India's Eurasia policy, having worked extensively with Russia, Ukraine, and Central Asia. Before his diplomatic service, he worked with American Express Bank and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited in Delhi.
T. S. Tirumurti is a retired Indian civil servant (Ambassador) of the Indian Foreign Service cadre. His diplomatic career spanned 37 years (1985-2022). He served as the Secretary to Government of India and later as Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in New York when India became a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 8th time. He was also the President of the UN Security Council for August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)