WUC, 13 February 2012

The WUC participated in the evaluation of China´s implementation of recommendations accepted during the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodical Review (UPR) process. According to WUC’s assessment, China has so far not implemented any of the recommendations.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a process established by the United Nations Human Rights Council wherein states, UN agencies, and civil society can come together and comment on a wide range of human rights issues and provide recommendations to the ‘State under Review’ (SuR).

The SuR then has the option to accept or reject recommendations, but accepting means that the SuR must seriously consider and work to implement said recommendations.

The first UPR cycle, during which every UN member state underwent review, took place between 2008 and 2012. China’s UPR took place on 9 February 2009. The WUC and the Uyghur American Association (UAA) submitted a joint report to China’s UPR. A summary of stakeholders’ information submitted during China’s review is available here.

The second UPR cycle is now underway, and will represent the first opportunity to formally follow-up on the recommendations accepted by States during the first cycle. China will be again under review during the 17^th session, to take place in 2013.

Because the UPR process takes approximately 4 years, mid-term follow-up procedures help to ensure that all countries are accountable for progress in implementing these recommendations. For this purpose, UPR Info – a non-governmental organization that aims at raising awareness and providing capacity-building tools to the different actors of the UPR process – publishes a Mid-term Implementation Assessment (MIA) including responses from each stakeholder.

UPR Info notes that the MIA is “meant to show how all stakeholders are willing to follow and implement their commitments” and directly involves NGOs in the process of monitoring States’ implementation of the recommendations. The WUC has been invited to participate in this process and its comments regarding China’s implementation of the accepted recommendations have been published on 13 February 2012.

While time remains for many reviewed states to implement the recommendations, it remains crucial for NGOs to continue shining a spotlight on the situation of indigenous and minority peoples. By participating in international mechanisms to ensure accountability of all states, more attention can be brought to bear on these issues, paving the way for meaningful changes.

The full Mid-term Implementation Assessment for China, including WUC’s assessment, is available for download here, and is also available on the UPR-Info page here.