The High Commissioner’s assessment of the human rights situation in Xinjiang laid bare Chinese authorities’ sweeping abuses, targeting Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. The High Commissioner concluded that these may rise to the level of crimes against humanity, requiring “urgent attention by the UN … human rights system.” We urge all Council members to support the draft decision mandating a debate on the human rights situation in Xinjiang. Faced with a report detailing violations on such a massive scale, the very least response that can be credibly expected of this Council is a willingness to discuss the issues. Anything less would suggest that China, uniquely among all countries, is seen as above the law, and would encourage the Chinese government to continue to persecute Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities with impunity.
Second, after years of civil society groups and human rights bodies sounding the alarm, the Council is considering a draft resolution on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation. In recent days, several thousand more peaceful protesters have been arrested in Russia, in the latest episode of what the Special Procedures described as a “decisive and systematic clampdown on civil society.” The situation is urgent, demanding immediate heightened scrutiny and a high-level focal point within the UN system to enable swift support to Russia’s beleaguered civil society groups.
We call on Council members to support the establishment of a Special Rapporteur on Russia, by adopting this resolution.
This is a crucial moment of opportunity for the Human Rights Council -- when the Council should live up to its mandate by ensuring that the human rights records of all states, no matter how powerful, are scrutinized and perpetrators of human rights violations, even by P5 members of the Security Council, can be held accountable. This is the true meaning of “non-selectivity.” We urge member states to seize this moment and take these important steps towards accountability.
