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 50 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 world-wide. 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,
- 21Wilberforce
- ACAT Belgium
- ACAT Germany (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture)
- ACAT-France (action des chrétiens pour l’abolition de la torture)
- ACAT-Switzerland
- Acceso a la Justicia
- Access Now
- Acción Solidaria
- Action des Chrétiens pour l’Abolition de la Torture au Burundi(Acat-Burundi)
- ACTION FOR DEVELOPMENT
- Adivasi-Koordination in Germany
- African Law Foundation (AFRILAW)
- AfricanDefenders (Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network)
- Agir ensemble pour les droits de l’Homme
- Agora Society Malaysia
- Alliance Canada Hong Kong
- Alliance des Avocats pour les Droits de l’Homme
- ALTSEAN-Burma
- Amnesty International
- Amsterdam stands with Hong Kong
- Arab Watch Regional Coalition
- ARTICLE 19
- Asia Democracy Network (ADN)
- Asia Pacific Permanent Peace Alliance
- Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)
- Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
- Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)
- Asian Solidarity Council for Freedom and Democracy
- Asociación Civil Fuerza, Unión, Justicia, Solidaridad y Paz (FUNPAZ)
- Asohorizonte
- Australia Tibet Council
- Australian Centre for International Justice
- Australian Lawyers for Human Rights
- Australian Uyghur Association
- Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales
- Benteng Heritage Musrum
- Body & Data
- Building Inclusive Society Tanzania Organization (BISTO).
- CADAL
- Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
- Cambodia Center for Human Rights
- Cambodian Alliance of Trade Union
- Cameroon Women’s Peace Movement
- Campaign for Uyghurs
- Canada Tibet Committee (CTC)
- Canada-Hong Kong Link
- CAN-Myanmar
- Central Taiwan Society
- Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos “Segundo Montes Mozo SJ” (CSMM)
- Centro de Justicia y Paz – Cepaz
- Centro para la Paz y los Derechos Humanos Universidad Central de Venezuela
- ChangSha FuNeng
- China Aid
- China Change
- China Constitutional Democracy Promotion Association
- Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)
- CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
- Civilis Derechos Humanos
- Clean Clothes Campaign
- Coalition Burkinabé des Défenseurs des Droits Humains ( CBDDH)
- Coalition des Defenseurs Des Droits Humais (Benin)CDDH-Benin
- Coalition for Genocide Response
- Coalition Togolaise des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CTDDH)
- COC Nederland
- Comité Permanente de Derechos Humanos – ACUEM
- Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
- COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peacebuilding
- Conectas Direitos Humanos
- CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
- DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
- Defensa en Accion
- Défenseur des droits de l’Homme au Niger
- Democracy China Media
- Dialogue China
- Droits Humains Sans Frontières
- East Turkistan Australian Association
- ECPM
- Endorois Welfare Council
- Espacio Público
- EXCUBITUS Derechos Humanos en Educacion
- Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND)
- Fédération Euro-méditerranéenne contre les disparitions forcées
- Federation for a Democratic China 民主中国陣線
- FIDA CAMEROON
- FIDH
- FOVIDA – Fomento de la Vida
- Frankfurt Stands With Hong Kong
- Free Tibet
- Freedom House
- Fridays for Future, PCT
- Friends of Beanstalk Association, Taiwan
- Friends of Canada India
- Friends of Tibet – Austria
- Friends of Tibet (NZ)
- Front Line Defenders
- FUNCAMAMA
- Fundacion Aguaclara
- Fundación La Tortuga
- Fundación Prodefensa del Derecho a la Educación y la Niñez
- Fundaciónpara el Debido Proceso Fundepro
- Fundaval
- Ghjtrn для трансгендерных людей и их близких T*Revers
- GIN-SSOGIE
- Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
- Global Justice Center
- Global Pinoy Diaspora Canada
- Green Advocates International
- Groupe de Recherche et de Plaidoyer sur les Industries Extractives (GRPIE)
- Grupo de Apoio ao Tibete-Portugal
- Halifax Hong Kong Link
- Hanbyun (Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea)
- Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
- Hong Kong Affairs Association of Berkeley
- Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC)
- Hong Kong Global Connect
- Hong Kong Watch
- HRIC
- Human Rights Defenders Network-SL
- Human Rights First
- Human Rights Foundation (Japan) 【日本人権財団】
- Human Rights in China
- Human Rights Watch
- Human Rights Without Frontiers International
- Humanists International
- Humanitarian China
- Humanity Beyond Borders
- ICNA Council for Social Justice
- Illa Centro de Educación y Comunicación
- In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND)
- Independ Journalist Association of Vietnam
- India Alliance for Child Rights
- Institut des Médias pour la Démocratie et les Droits de l’Homme (IM2DH)
- Institute for Asian Democracy
- Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
- International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute
- International Campaign for the Rohingya
- International Campaign for Tibet
- International Coalition for Papua
- International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect
- International Commission of Jurists
- International Society for Human Rights, Munich
- International Tibet Network
- ISHR
- Japan Uyghur Association
- Japan Uyghur Union
- Judicial Reform Foundation
- Justice Access Point Uganda
- Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE)
- Karapatan Alliance Philippines
- KontraS (The Commission for the Disappeared and the Victims of Violence)
- Lady Liberty Hong Kong
- Lawyers for Lawyers
- Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada
- Le Comité pour la liberté à Hong Kong
- Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany LSVD
- LGBT social movement “REVERS”
- Liberty and Democracy Advocacy Club University of Calgary
- Liên Đoàn Công Giáo Việt Nam tại Đức
- Logos ID
- MAFAPO ( madres de los falsos positivos de colombia)
- Mazingira Network – Tanzania (MANET)
- Meru youth empowerment centre
- Miloon Kothari individually as an independent expert and former UN Special Rapporteur
- MINBYUN – Lawyers for a Democratic Society International Solidarity Committee
- Minority Rights Group International
- Monitor Social A.C.
- Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
- Mouvement Lao pour les Droits de l’Homme
- Movimiento Manuela Ramos
- Ms. Enakshi Ganguly individually as an independent expert
- MUHURI (Muslims for Human Rights)
- Nafas LGBT Azerbaijan Alliance
- Nako cc
- Namibia Diverse Women’s Association (NDWA)
- National Party of Japan
- Netherlands for Hong Kong
- NGURUKA DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
- No Business With Genocide
- NO FENCE
- Northern California Hong Kong Club
- NY4HK ( New Yorkers Supporting Hong Kong )
- ONG DEMOCRACIA EMPRENDEDORA
- ONG PAFED
- Otus Books
- Pacific Human Rights Initiative
- PEN America
- People Go Network
- People’s Watch
- Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor
- Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)
- Philippine Human Rights Information Center
- Planet Ally
- Programa Venezolano de Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos (Provea)
- Progressive Voice
- PROMEDEHUM
- PSCORE (People for Successful COrean REunification)
- Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights
- Red Corpora en Libertad
- Red de Activistas Ciudadanos por los Derechos Humanos (Redac)
- René Cassin, the Jewish voice for human rights
- Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF)
- Réseau International des Droits Humains RIDH
- Réseau Ouest Africain des Défenseurs des Droits Humains/West African Human Rights Defenders’ Network
- Réseau Saharaius
- Rights and Security International
- RUDM
- RURAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (RUWODI)
- Safeguard Defenders
- Save Our Borneo
- Save Tibet Austria
- Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace
- SFT Japan
- Society for Threatened Peoples – Germany
- Solidarité Chine
- Solidarity Sisters Network of Liberia (SoSNoL)
- SOS TORTURE BURUNDI
- Sounds of the Silenced
- Southern Africa Human Rights. Defenderss Network- SAHRDN
- Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) Uganda
- Southern Mongolia Congress
- Sova Center for Information and Analysis
- Stand with HK@JPN
- Students For a Free Tibet- India
- Sustainable Holistic Development Foundation (SUHODE)
- Taiwan Kenkyu Rondan 台湾研究フォーラム
- Tanzania Human Rights Defenders’s Coalition
- Tata Trusts
- The Lesbian and Gay Association of Liberia (LEGAL)
- The Rights Practice
- The Society to Help Returnees to North Korea
- The Tibet Support Committee, Denmark
- Think Differently Center
- Tibet Committee of Fairbanks, Alaska and Alaskans for Tibet
- Tibet Justice Center
- Tibet Support Group Ireland
- TOHKnews
- Toronto Association for Democracy in China
- Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG)
- T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
- UCV
- Una Ventana a la Libertad
- United Belize Advocacy Movement
- University of Waterloo Lion Rock Spirit
- Uyghur Association of Victoria, Australia
- Uyghur Human Rights Project
- Uyghur Projects Foundation
- Uyghur Refugee Relief Fund
- Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
- VAJ Vietnamese Association in Japan
- Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement
- Vancouver Society of Freedom, Democracy & Human Rights for China
- Vancouverites Concerned About Hong Kong
- Verein für sozial-ökologischen Wandel
- VETO! Human Rights Defenders’ Network
- Viet Tan
- Vietnam Human Rights Network
- Visual Artists Guild
- Wanawake Tanzania Tunaweza (Tanzania Women We Can)
- Witness Radio – Uganda
- Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society
- Women’s March Global
- Working Group on India and the UN (WGHR)
- World Federalist Movement/Institute for Global Policy
- World Uyghur Congress
- Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia (YLBHI) / Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation
- yBy Media
- Young Queer Alliance
- Youth Empowerment and Development Association-sierra
- Комитет “Гражданское содействие”
- Московская Хельсинкская группа
- Правозащитный совет Санкт-Петербурга
- Сахаровский Центр
- チベット問題を考える会 Japan Committee for Tibet
- مرصد الصحراء للسلم والديمقراطية وحقوق الإنسان
- 台灣南社
- 台灣客社
- 【台灣民間支援香港協會】 Taiwanese Civil Aid to HKers
- 國會調查兵團
- 日本ウイグル協会
- 華人基督徒公義團契 Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness
- 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.
(Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash)
