Global outcry: UN scrutinises China’s forced organ harvesting at Human Rights Council meeting
In a historic development, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has once again brought global attention to the alarming allegations of forced organ harvesting in China.
The matter, which has long remained a contentious human rights issue, resurfaced prominently at the recent UNHRC session held in Geneva in March 2025.
The international community expressed grave concern over credible evidence pointing toward systematic forced organ harvesting, allegedly targeting prisoners of conscience, including Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetans, and other minority groups.
The practice, widely condemned as a gross violation of human rights, has sparked widespread outrage among human rights activists, international bodies, and medical ethics organisations.
The UNHRC meeting marked a crucial point in addressing the continued human rights abuses in China, bringing fresh scrutiny to Beijing’s controversial organ transplantation industry.
The allegations of forced organ harvesting in China trace back to the early 2000s when international human rights organisations, journalists, and survivors began reporting widespread and systematic abuses within China’s medical and prison systems.
The practice primarily targets prisoners of conscience — individuals imprisoned for their religious beliefs, political dissent, or ethnic identity.
The Falun Gong, a spiritual practice rooted in traditional Chinese meditation and moral teachings, has been at the centre of these allegations.
Since 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been accused of conducting mass arrests, detentions, and forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners.
In recent years, evidence has emerged that Uyghur Muslims detained in the Xinjiang region, as well as Tibetans and political dissidents, have also been subjected to forced organ harvesting.
China’s organ transplantation industry has grown exponentially over the past two decades, raising concerns about the source of organs.
According to various human rights reports, China has built a multi-billion-dollar organ transplantation industry, with patients from across the world travelling to China for organ transplants due to its shorter waiting times.
Medical professionals and former detainees have reported that organs are often extracted without consent from imprisoned individuals, who are subjected to inhumane treatment before being killed for their organs.
This has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organisations, with some terming it as a “crime against humanity.”
The recent UN Human Rights Council meeting held in Geneva from March 4-6, 2025, placed significant focus on China’s forced organ harvesting practices.
During the session, several member states, international human rights organisations, and former detainees presented disturbing evidence about China’s involvement in forced organ harvesting.
The session commenced with a statement from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who reiterated the Council’s commitment to addressing human rights violations globally.
The Commissioner highlighted that the credible and mounting evidence of forced organ harvesting in China cannot be ignored any longer.
One of the most powerful moments of the session came when survivors of forced organ harvesting provided chilling testimonies.
Among them was Jiang Li, a former Falun Gong practitioner who was detained in a Chinese labour camp for five years.
She detailed how detainees underwent regular blood tests and medical examinations while being subjected to harsh conditions.
Another testimony came from Mehmet Adil, a Uyghur Muslim from Xinjiang who was detained in a “re-education camp” before escaping to Turkey.
Adil testified that several of his fellow detainees were taken away without explanation, only to have their families later informed of their deaths under “unknown circumstances.”
During the session, international human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and The International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China (ETAC) presented detailed reports highlighting the scale of forced organ harvesting in China.
ETAC’s report revealed that an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 organ transplants take place annually in China, despite the country’s official voluntary donor programme reporting significantly lower figures.
This massive discrepancy has further fueled allegations of widespread organ harvesting from unwilling prisoners.
Amnesty International’s representative at the meeting also called for an independent international investigation into the matter, urging China to grant unfettered access to UN investigators to inspect detention centres and hospitals.
As expected, China categorically denied all allegations of forced organ harvesting during the UNHRC meeting.
The Chinese delegation dismissed the claims as “malicious fabrications” aimed at tarnishing China’s international reputation.
China’s Ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, stated that China has a well-regulated voluntary organ donation system and accused Western nations of politicising human rights issues to interfere in China’s internal affairs.
The Ambassador further asserted that the allegations were rooted in misinformation and were part of a broader campaign to undermine China’s global standing.
China also presented data showcasing the growth of its voluntary organ donation system over the years, attributing the increase in organ transplants to improved healthcare infrastructure.
However, the data was met with scepticism from UN member states and human rights organisations, as the figures failed to justify the large-scale organ transplants happening in China.
The UNHRC’s recent meeting drew widespread condemnation from several countries and international organisations.
The United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and Australia were among the prominent nations that demanded a comprehensive and independent investigation into China’s organ transplant industry.
The US representative expressed grave concern over the credible evidence presented and called for targeted sanctions on individuals and institutions complicit in forced organ harvesting.
Similarly, the European Union (EU) reiterated its commitment to pursuing accountability for those responsible for organ harvesting crimes.
Legal experts and human rights organisations have called for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for forced organ harvesting in China.
The case bears striking similarities to crimes prosecuted under the Nuremberg Trials after World War II.
The UNHRC’s 2025 meeting has amplified international pressure on China, pushing for accountability and transparency.
The proposed UN resolution, if passed, could lead to global sanctions and further isolation of China in the international community.
The demand for an independent UN investigation has gained considerable momentum, with several countries vowing to pursue the matter aggressively.
However, China’s potential non-cooperation poses a major challenge to establishing accountability.
The UN Human Rights Council’s recent meeting in 2025 has once again exposed the dark underbelly of China’s organ transplantation industry.
The credible evidence of forced organ harvesting targeting prisoners of conscience, particularly Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghur Muslims, and other minorities, has prompted renewed international outrage.
While China continues to deny the allegations, the international community has now reached a critical juncture where inaction may result in continued large-scale human rights abuses.
The resolution’s success and the establishment of an independent investigation remain crucial in determining whether the perpetrators of forced organ harvesting in China will finally be held accountable.
The world now monitors closely as history inches toward a potential breakthrough in one of the most disturbing human rights violations of the 21st century.
