An open human rights letter to the United Nations on the Chinese government’s human rights violations

In International Advocacy Program by CIHRS

Ahead of the 45th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on September 9 2020, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies joined more than 300 regional and international civil society organisations in an open letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, and UN Human Rights Council member states calling for the UN to create an independent international mechanism to address the Chinese government’s human rights violations.

Global call for international human rights monitoring mechanisms on China

An open letter to: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, UN Member States

We, the undersigned organizations, join together to call for an international mechanism to address the Chinese government’s human rights violations, and urge you to take decisive action to achieve this goal.

On 26 June 2020, an unprecedented fifty United Nations experts called for “decisive measures to protect fundamental freedoms in China.” They highlighted China’s mass human rights violations in Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang,  suppression of information in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, and attacks on rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and critics of the government across the country.

Our organizations are also concerned about the impact of China’s rights violations worldwide. China has targeted human rights defenders abroad, suppressed academic freedom in countries around the world, and engaged in internet censorship and digital surveillance. We deplore China’s promotion of rights-free development and the ensuing environmental degradation at the hands of government-backed extractive industries, as well as the racist treatment of people in China, or by Chinese state actors in other parts of the world.

We are dismayed at China’s efforts to distort the mandate of the UN Human Rights Council by promoting  “cooperation” over accountability, and opposing initiatives to bring scrutiny of serious rights violations and international crimes in countries around the world. It has used its seat on the UN’s NGO Committee to baselessly deny accreditation to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), while accrediting government-organized NGOs (GoNGOs). It has sought to deny access to human rights defenders to UN premises, denounced speakers on NGO side events as “terrorists,” and threatened delegates to deter them from attending UN side events on rights violations, including abuses in Xinjiang.

When the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Special Procedures, and dozens of states urged China to comply with international human rights standards, China contended that they were “improper remarks” that “grossly interfered” with China’s sovereignty.

A state that tries to hold itself above any kind of scrutiny presents a fundamental threat to human rights.  That China—a state with extraordinary global power—expects such treatment affects us all.

We therefore endorse the call by UN experts for a Special Session of the Human Rights Council to evaluate the range of violations by China’s government, and to establish an impartial and independent UN mechanism to closely monitor, analyze, and report annually on that topic.  We urge the UN Secretary-General to appoint a Special Envoy, consistent with his Call to Action on Human Rights, and we call on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to fulfil her independent mandate to monitor and publicly report on China’s sweeping rights violations. We support the call that UN member states and UN agencies use all interactions with Chinese authorities to insist that the government comply with its international human rights obligations.

We write in the spirit of global solidarity and partnership, urging that you act swiftly to counter and remediate grave human rights violations committed by Chinese authorities. No state should be above the law.

Sincerely,

  1. 21Wilberforce
  2. ACAT Belgium
  3. ACAT Germany (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture)
  4. ACAT-France (action des chrétiens pour l’abolition de la torture)
  5. ACAT-Switzerland
  6. Acceso a la Justicia
  7. Access Now
  8. AcciónSolidaria
  9. Action des Chrétiens pour l’Abolition de la Torture au Burundi(Acat-Burundi)
  10. ACTION FOR DEVELOPMENT
  11. Adivasi-Koordination in Germany
  12. African Law Foundation (AFRILAW)
  13. AfricanDefenders (Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network)
  14. Agir ensemble pour les droits de l’Homme
  15. Agora Society Malaysia
  16. Alliance Canada Hong Kong
  17. Alliance des Avocats pour les Droits de l’Homme
  18. ALTSEAN-Burma
  19. Amnesty International
  20. Amsterdam stands with Hong Kong
  21. Arab Watch Regional Coalition
  22. ARTICLE 19
  23. Asia Democracy Network (ADN)
  24. Asia Pacific Permanent Peace Alliance
  25. Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)
  26. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
  27. Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)
  28. Asian Solidarity Council for Freedom and Democracy
  29. Asociación Civil Fuerza, Unión, Justicia, Solidaridad y Paz (FUNPAZ)
  30. Asohorizonte
  31. Australia Tibet Council
  32. Australian Centre for International Justice
  33. Australian Lawyers for Human Rights
  34. Australian Uyghur Association
  35. Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales
  36. Benteng Heritage Musrum
  37. Body & Data
  38. Building Inclusive Society Tanzania Organization  (BISTO).
  39. CADAL
  40. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
  41. Cambodia Center for Human Rights
  42. Cambodian Alliance of Trade Union [CATU]
  43. Cameroon Women’s Peace Movement
  44. Campaign for Uyghurs
  45. Canada Tibet Committee (CTC)
  46. Canada-Hong Kong Link
  47. CAN-Myanmar
  48. Central Taiwan Society
  49. Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos “Segundo Montes Mozo SJ” (CSMM)
  50. Centro de Justicia y Paz – Cepaz
  51. Centro para la Paz y los Derechos Humanos Universidad Central de Venezuela
  52. ChangShaFuNeng
  53. China Aid
  54. China Change
  55. China Constitutional Democracy Promotion Association
  56. Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)
  57. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
  58. Civilis Derechos Humanos
  59. Clean Clothes Campaign
  60. Coalition Burkinabé des Défenseurs des Droits Humains ( CBDDH)
  61. Coalition des Defenseurs Des Droits Humais (Benin)CDDH-Benin
  62. Coalition for Genocide Response
  63. Coalition Togolaise des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CTDDH)
  64. COC Nederland
  65. Comité Permanente de Derechos Humanos – ACUEM
  66. Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
  67. COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peacebuilding
  68. ConectasDireitosHumanos
  69. CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
  70. DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
  71. DefensaenAccion
  72. Défenseur des droits de l’Homme au Niger
  73. Democracy China Media
  74. Dialogue China
  75. Droits Humains Sans Frontières
  76. East Turkistan Australian Association
  77. ECPM
  78. Endorois Welfare Council
  79. EspacioPúblico
  80. EXCUBITUS Derechos HumanosenEducacion
  81. Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND)
  82. Fédération Euro-méditerranéenne contre les disparitions forcées
  83. Federation for a Democratic China 民主中国陣線
  84. FIDA CAMEROON
  85. FIDH
  86. FOVIDA – Fomento de la Vida
  87. Frankfurt Stands With Hong Kong
  88. Free Tibet
  89. Freedom House
  90. Fridays for Future, PCT
  91. Friends of Beanstalk Association, Taiwan
  92. Friends of Canada India
  93. Friends of Tibet – Austria
  94. Friends of Tibet (NZ)
  95. Front Line Defenders
  96. FUNCAMAMA
  97. FundacionAguaclara
  98. Fundación La Tortuga
  99. Fundación Prodefensa del Derecho a la Educación y la Niñez
  100. Fundaciónpara el DebidoProcesoFundepro
  101. Fundaval
  102. Ghjtrnдлятрансгендерныхлюдей и ихблизких T*Revers
  103. GIN-SSOGIE
  104. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
  105. Global Justice Center
  106. Global Pinoy Diaspora Canada
  107. Green Advocates International
  108. Groupe de Recherche et de Plaidoyer sur les Industries Extractives (GRPIE)
  109. Grupo de Apoio ao Tibete-Portugal
  110. Halifax Hong Kong Link
  111. Hanbyun (Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea)
  112. Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
  113. Hong Kong Affairs Association of Berkeley
  114. Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC)
  115. Hong Kong Global Connect
  116. Hong Kong Watch
  117. HRIC
  118. Human Rights Defenders Network-SL
  119. Human Rights First
  120. Human Rights Foundation (Japan)　【日本人権財団】
  121. Human Rights in China
  122. Human Rights Watch
  123. Human Rights Without Frontiers International
  124. Humanists International
  125. Humanitarian China
  126. Humanity Beyond Borders
  127. ICNA Council for Social Justice
  128. Illa Centro de Educación y Comunicación
  129. In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND)
  130. Independ Journalist Association of Vietnam
  131. India Alliance for Child Rights
  132. Institut des Médias pour la Démocratie et les Droits de l’Homme (IM2DH)
  133. Institute for Asian Democracy
  134. Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
  135. International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute
  136. International Campaign for the Rohingya
  137. International Campaign for Tibet
  138. International Coalition for Papua
  139. International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect
  140. International Commission of Jurists
  141. International Society for Human Rights, Munich
  142. International Tibet Network
  143. ISHR
  144. Japan Uyghur Association
  145. Japan Uyghur Union
  146. Judicial Reform Foundation
  147. Justice Access Point Uganda
  148. Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE)
  149. Karapatan Alliance Philippines
  150. KontraS (The Commission for the Disappeared and the Victims of Violence)
  151. Lady Liberty Hong Kong
  152. Lawyers for Lawyers
  153. Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada
  154. Le Comité pour la liberté à Hong Kong
  155. Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany LSVD
  156. LGBT social movement “REVERS”
  157. Liberty and Democracy Advocacy Club University of Calgary
  158. LiênĐoànCôngGiáoViệt Nam tạiĐức
  159. Logos ID
  160. MAFAPO ( madres de los falsos positivos de colombia)
  161. Mazingira Network – Tanzania (MANET)
  162. Meru youth empowerment centre
  163. Miloon Kothari individually as an independent expert and former UN Special Rapporteur
  164. MINBYUN – Lawyers for a Democratic Society International Solidarity Committee
  165. Minority Rights Group International
  166. Monitor Social A.C.
  167. Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
  168. Mouvement Lao pour les Droits de l’Homme
  169. Movimiento Manuela Ramos
  170. Ms. EnakshiGanguly individually as an independent expert
  171. MUHURI (Muslims for Human Rights)
  172. Nafas LGBT Azerbaijan Alliance
  173. Nako cc
  174. Namibia Diverse Women’s Association (NDWA)
  175. National Party of Japan
  176. Netherlands for Hong Kong
  177. NGURUKA DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
  178. No Business With Genocide
  179. NO FENCE
  180. Northern California Hong Kong Club
  181. NY4HK ( New Yorkers Supporting Hong Kong )
  182. ONG DEMOCRACIA EMPRENDEDORA
  183. ONG PAFED
  184. Otus Books
  185. Pacific Human Rights Initiative
  186. PEN America
  187. People Go Network
  188. People’s Watch
  189. PersatuanSahabatWanita Selangor
  190. Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)
  191. Philippine Human Rights Information Center
  192. Planet Ally
  193. Programa Venezolano de Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos (Provea)
  194. Progressive Voice
  195. PROMEDEHUM
  196. PSCORE (People for Successful COreanREunification)
  197. Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights
  198. Red Corpora en Libertad
  199. Red de Activistas Ciudadanos por los Derechos Humanos (Redac)
  200. René Cassin, the Jewish voice for human rights
  201. Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF)
  202. Réseau International des Droits Humains RIDH
  203. Réseau Ouest Africain des Défenseurs des Droits Humains/West African Human Rights Defenders’ Network
  204. RéseauSaharaius
  205. Rights and Security International
  206. RUDM
  207. RURAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (RUWODI)
  208. Safeguard Defenders
  209. Save Our Borneo
  210. Save Tibet Austria
  211. Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace
  212. SFT Japan
  213. Society for Threatened Peoples – Germany
  214. Solidarité Chine
  215. Solidarity Sisters Network of Liberia (SoSNoL)
  216. SOS TORTURE BURUNDI
  217. Sounds of the Silenced
  218. Southern Africa Human Rights. Defenderss Network- SAHRDN
  219. Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) Uganda
  220. Southern Mongolia Congress
  221. Sova Center for Information and Analysis
  222. Stand with HK@JPN
  223. Students For a Free Tibet- India
  224. Sustainable Holistic Development Foundation (SUHODE)
  225. Taiwan KenkyuRondan台湾研究フォーラム
  226. Tanzania Human Rights Defenders’s Coalition
  227. Tata Trusts
  228. The Lesbian and Gay Association of Liberia (LEGAL)
  229. The Rights Practice
  230. The Society to Help Returnees to North Korea
  231. The Tibet Support Committee, Denmark
  232. Think Differently Center
  233. Tibet Committee of Fairbanks, Alaska and Alaskans for Tibet
  234. Tibet Justice Center
  235. Tibet Support Group Ireland
  236. TOHKnews
  237. Toronto Association for Democracy in China
  238. Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG)
  239. T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
  240. UCV
  241. UnaVentana a la Libertad
  242. United  Belize Advocacy Movement
  243. University of Waterloo Lion Rock Spirit
  244. Uyghur Association of Victoria, Australia
  245. Uyghur Human Rights Project
  246. Uyghur Projects Foundation
  247. Uyghur Refugee Relief Fund
  248. Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
  249. VAJ Vietnamese Association in Japan
  250. Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement
  251. Vancouver Society of Freedom, Democracy & Human Rights for China
  252. Vancouverites Concerned About Hong Kong
  253. Vereinfürsozial-ökologischenWandel
  254. VETO! Human Rights Defenders’ Network
  255. Viet Tan
  256. Vietnam Human Rights Network
  257. Visual Artists Guild
  258. Wanawake Tanzania Tunaweza (Tanzania Women We Can)
  259. Witness Radio – Uganda
  260. Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society
  261. Women’s March Global
  262. Working Group on India and the UN (WGHR)
  263. World Federalist Movement/Institute for Global Policy
  264. World Uyghur Congress
  265. YayasanLembagaBantuanHukum Indonesia (YLBHI) / Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation
  266. yBy Media
  267. Young Queer Alliance
  268. Youth Empowerment and Development Association-sierra
  269. Комитет “Гражданскоесодействие”
  270. МосковскаяХельсинкскаягруппа
  271. ПравозащитныйсоветСанкт-Петербурга
  272. СахаровскийЦентр
  273. チベット問題を考える会　Japan Committee for Tibet
  274. مرصد الصحراء للسلم والديمقراطية وحقوق الإنسان
  275. 台灣南社
  276. 台灣客社
  277. 【台灣民間支援香港協會】 Taiwanese Civil Aid to HKers
  278. 國會調查兵團
  279. 日本ウイグル協会
  280. 華人基督徒公義團契 Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness
  281. 香港黎明, Dawn of Hong Kong, 香港の夜明け

*Signatories totaled 321 organizations. However, 39 organizations chose to remain anonymous.

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