UN: India Calls On China To Commit To Human Rights, Gender Equality At Universal Periodic Review

India has urged China to unwaveringly uphold its commitment to human rights and gender equality. Additionally, it called on China to actively contribute to fulfilling the aspirations of developing nations. Indian diplomat Gaurav Kumar Thakur presented these recommendations during the 45th Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations

India issued three recommendations to China during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR): to ensure the fullest enjoyment of basic human rights through inclusive and sustainable development, promote gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, and play a constructive role in realizing the aspirations of developing countries through multilateral institution reform.

The ongoing fourth UPR session scrutinizes China's human rights record. This review presents an opportunity for member states to hold China accountable for its human rights obligations, analysts and rights advocates suggest.

During China's third UPR in November 2018, it received 346 recommendations, accepting 284. Despite a seemingly high acceptance rate, China broadly rejected recommendations on Uyghur and Tibetan rights, cooperation with the UN, unrestricted UN access, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, the death penalty, and ratification of international treaties.

Since 2018, numerous UN human rights bodies have documented mounting human rights abuses. The UPR remains one of the few spaces for open discussion, challenge, and scrutiny of China's record based on UN information.

In September 2022, a resolution on the situation in Xinjiang narrowly failed at the Human Rights Council. The UPR is now a vital platform for discussing China's human rights crisis, especially after the UN 'Xinjiang Report' in 2022 found actions against Uyghurs could amount to 'crimes against humanity'. This is the first UPR session since the report's publication, offering a rare moment of global scrutiny.