Joint declaration on Tibet’s and Xinjiang’s human rights conditions

I have the honour of delivering this joint statement on behalf of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Lithuania, Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America, and my own country, Australia.

These countries are all committed to universal human rights and have ongoing concerns about serious human rights violations in China.

Two years ago, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ assessment on Xinjiang concluded that serious human rights violations had been committed in Xinjiang, and that the scale of the arbitrary and discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang “may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity”.

Subsequently, United Nations Treaty Bodies have taken similar views and made similar recommendations, including the CERD in November 2022 through its concluding observations and Urgent Action Decision on Xinjiang; and the CRPD, CESCR and CEDAW in their September 2022, March 2023 and May 2023 Concluding Observations.

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has issued communications concerning multiple cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances, and over 20 Special Procedure Mandate Holders have expressed concern about systemic human rights violations in Xinjiang.

Relying extensively on China’s own records, these comprehensive findings and recommendations by independent human rights experts from all geographic regions detail evidence of large-scale arbitrary detention, family separation, enforced disappearances and forced labour, systematic surveillance on the basis of religion and ethnicity; severe and undue restrictions on cultural, religious, and linguistic identity and expression; torture and sexual and gender-based violence, including forced abortion and sterilisation; and the destruction of religious and cultural sites.

China has had many opportunities to meaningfully address the UN’s well-founded concerns.

Instead, China labelled the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ assessment as “illegal and void” during its Universal Periodic Review adoption in July.

According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ statement in August, the problematic laws and policies in Xinjiang continue to remain in place. The statement again called on China to undertake a full review, from the human rights perspective, of the legal framework governing national security and counterterrorism.

Chair, as with our concerns for the situation in Xinjiang, we are also seriously concerned about credible reports detailing human rights abuses in Tibet.

United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies and United Nations Special Procedures have detailed the detention of Tibetans for the peaceful expression of political views; restrictions on travel; coercive labour arrangements; separation of children from families in boarding schools; and erosion of linguistic, cultural, educational and religious rights and freedoms in Tibet.

We urge China to uphold the international human rights obligations that it has voluntarily assumed, and to implement all UN recommendations including from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ assessment, Treaty Bodies and other United Nations human rights mechanisms.

This includes releasing all individuals arbitrarily detained in both Xinjiang and Tibet, and urgently clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing family members.

Transparency and openness are key to allaying concerns, and we call on China to allow unfettered and meaningful access to Xinjiang and Tibet for independent observers, including from the United Nations, to evaluate the human rights situation.

No country has a perfect human rights record, but no country is above fair scrutiny of its human rights obligations.

It is incumbent on all of us not to undermine international human rights commitments that benefit us all, and for which all states are accountable.