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In landmark ruling, the UN’s committee on racial discrimination has strongly condemned China’s persecution of Uyghurs, and decided, for the first time ever, to refer the situation to the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect. Reiterating the most serious concerns expressed by the UN’s Human Rights Office and UN independent experts, the committee reminded governments of their obligation to put an end to the most serious human rights violations wherever they occur, in particular racial discrimination.

A group of States at the United Nations Human Rights Council betrayed principles of human rights, non-discrimination and accountability today in opposing a historic resolution in response to a UN report finding possible crimes against humanity committed by the Chinese government against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples.

The 47 State Members of the UN Human Rights Council must decide whether to support or oppose a UN debate on human rights in Xinjiang. Hundreds of Uyghur and international rights groups, as well as over 40 UN experts, have long called for the establishment of a UN-mandated monitoring mechanism on China.

On 31 August 2022, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released its much-awaited report on serious human rights violations in the Uyghur region (Xinjiang). ISHR prepared a multilingual explainer to break down the report's findings.

Drawing on legal analysis and illustrative cases, this report shows that one of the many challenges posed by the National Security Law for Hong Kong is an effective criminalisation of engagement with the UN - and as a result, a chilling effect on defenders' engagement.

Today, 19 September 2022, marks one year in detention for two young Chinese human rights defenders: Huang Xueqin, an independent journalist and key actor in China’s #MeToo movement, and Wang Jianbing, a labour rights advocate. China must respect and protect their rights in detention.

Faced with overwhelming evidence, and in line with the Human Rights Council’s mandate and objective criteria for action, ISHR calls on all States to support the establishment of an independent international mechanism to monitor and report on human rights in China and promote accountability for violations.

Despite significant pressure, the UN human rights office has published its findings on the Chinese government's persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang. This first-ever UN human rights report on a major power and permanent member of the Security Council demands global condemnation and action at the upcoming UN Human Rights Council session.

This explainer presents action taken by UN experts on the case of detained Chinese anti-discrimination activists Cheng Yuan, Wu Gejianxiong, and Liu Dazhi.

The present assessment provides substantial evidence that demonstrates how the human rights situation in China meets each of the nine ‘objective criteria’ for action by the Human Rights Council.