China underwent its third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. The review took place in the context of a mounting volume of reports since 2017 on the massive internment of ethnic Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang—estimated at 1 million, out of the area’s total Uyghur population of 11 million—into what the authorities call “re-education” camps. In August 2018, when questioned about the detention and the camps during China’s review by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Chinese officials flatly denied the existence of these camps. In October, Chinese authorities admitted that the camps do exist but justified them as “vocational training centers” where “thought transformation” is conducted to combat extremism. Reports in September and October 2018 further indicate that a campaign is underway to transport Uyghur detainees out of Xinjiang into other regions of China, and to transport inmates from prisons elsewhere in China into Xinjiang.
Since China’s last UPR in 2013, the human rights situation in China has significantly worsened. Developments include the following:
As of October 30, twenty-three UN member states have submitted their advanced questions to China.
See more information on China’s UPR: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/CNindex.aspx
Other Resources
Related media coverage
Watch: China Review – 31st Session of Universal Periodic Review [2], November 6, 2018
Watch: Consideration of the UPR review of China [6], March 15, 2019
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[1] https://www.hrichina.org/en/universal-periodic-review
[2] http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/human-rights-council/universal-periodic-review/watch/china-review-31st-session-of-universal-periodic-review/5858293845001
[3] https://www.hrichina.org/en/advance-questions-un-member-states
[4] https://www.hrichina.org/en/select-floor-statements-governments-during-chinas-2018-upr
[5] https://www.hrichina.org/sites/default/files/hric_upr_urgent_appeal_20_govts.pdf
[6] http://webtv.un.org/search/china-upr-report-consideration-38th-meeting-40th-regular-session-human-rights-council/6014290354001/
[7] http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/HRC/40/6&Lang=E
[8] https://www.hrichina.org/sites/default/files/hric_china_upr_2018_submission.pdf
[9] https://www.hrichina.org/sites/default/files/hric_2018_upr_final_ch.pdf
[10] https://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/hric-bulletin/upr-china-will-governments-stand-firm-accountability-and-universal
[11] https://www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/hric-bulletin/chinas-upr-will-concerns-raised-over-ethnic-and-religious-repression-lead
[12] https://www.hrichina.org/sites/default/files/hric_upr_mid-term_assessment_11.06.2016.pdf
[13] https://www.hrichina.org/sites/default/files/hric_upr_mid-term_assessment_exec_summ_part_2_ch_final.pdf
[14] https://www.hrichina.org/en/china-and-united-nations
[15] https://www.hrichina.org/en/human-rights-council
[16] https://www.hrichina.org/en/2018-universal-periodic-review-china
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[25] https://www.hrichina.org/en/convention-rights-persons-disabilities-crpd
[26] https://www.hrichina.org/en/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights-iccpr
[27] https://www.hrichina.org/en/international-covenant-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-icescr
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