On 4 July 2024, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) delivered a statement at the 56th session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council for the adoption of the report of China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The statement expressed disappointment over the Chinese government’s rejection of numerous key recommendations made by UN member states. Read the statement below.
UN Human Rights Council – 56th session
Item 6: Adoption of the Universal Periodic Review outcome of China
4 July 2024
Mister President,
FIDH is disappointed by the fact that, once again, China’s government has used the UPR to rebuff international concern over serious human rights violations, issue blanket denials, and make blatantly false statements.
The government accepted - wholly or partially - 70% of the UPR recommendations China received in January 2024. This represents a 12% drop in the proportion of recommendations the government accepted compared to the previous UPR in 2018.
In a worrying sign of the government’s outright refusal to heed the mounting international concern over key human rights issues, of the 130 recommendations it did not accept, an unprecedented number - 98 - were categorized as “rejected.”
The government accepted only one third of the recommendations it received on human right issues in Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang - in many cases claiming they were based on “false information,” despite many verified reports, including by UN experts. For example, the government had the audacity to call “illegal” the 2022 OHCHR assessment on Xinjiang.
Despite well-documented evidence to the contrary, the government claimed that many of the recommendations it accepted were being implemented or had already been implemented. Such was the case regarding the accepted recommendations related to human rights in Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang, and the situation of human rights defenders, lawyers, civil society, media, and journalists. The government also made the false claim that it protected “freedom of speech, association and assembly” and “the lawful rights of all citizens as equals.”
We are equally disappointed by the government’s refusal to accept all recommendations concerning the death penalty and protection of North Korean refugees and most of the recommendations on LGBTIQ+ rights.
FIDH urges the government to reverse course and use the fourth UPR to address the concerns voiced by numerous UN member states without delay by implementing all the recommendations that are consistent with its obligations under international human rights law.
Thank you.