Press Release – For Immediate Release 
17 June 2024 
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
+49 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) is pleased to announce that it will hold its 8th General Assembly at the end of October 2024. The exact location and date will be announced later. This year’s event follows the previous General Assembly held in 2021 in Prague.

“The WUC General Assembly comes at a crucial time as the Chinese government has intensified its propaganda efforts, in a fast changing geopolitical context” says WUC President, Dolkun Isa. “The General Assembly is a vital component of the WUC’s commitment to transparency and representation, providing an opportunity for the Uyghur diaspora to have a say in the leadership and direction of the organisation.”

According to the WUC’s by-laws, the General Assembly is convened every three years, during which the WUC will elect the organisation’s leadership, discuss strategic directions, and develop effective strategies to raise the Uyghur issue in international fora. 

During this year’s General Assembly, the WUC elected delegates will also elect different committee directors and board, including its presidency, and plan and strategize the organisation’s priorities and activities for the next three years. 

The General Assembly preparation committee has announced that 170+ elected delegates from 27 countries will join the General Assembly as delegates. The delegate elections will be held from July 27-28, 2024. Each participating country is responsible for setting up an election committee to oversee the nomination and election procedures. From June 10 to June 30, 2024, all Uyghurs aged 18 and above can submit their candidacy as a delegate for the 8th General Assembly. 

The General Assembly will also be attended by international observers, including politicians, government officials, NGO representatives, scholars and press. 

This year’s General Assembly elections are of special importance, as increasing international conflicts diminish attention to the Uyghur cause. This shift in focus benefits China, enabling it to downplay and obscure the severe human rights abuses and genocide faced by Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan. The Chinese government’s mechanisms of oppression against Uyghurs also extends across borders, undermining the international human rights system.