Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Paragraph: 20
The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination provides a viable avenue...
Recommendation
The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination provides a viable avenue through which the UK Government, with others, may hold the Chinese government accountable, and another forum through which likeminded countries can draw attention to and pursue accountability for human rights abuses in Xinjiang We recommend that the Government urgently raise a complaint against China to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Paragraph Reference:
20
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is an important independent mechanism that monitors the implementation of States Parties’ obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It is already looking closely at China’s actions in Xinjiang. In its 2018 Concluding Observations on China’s examination under the treaty, CERD made eight recommendations in respect of Xinjiang. CERD has subsequently followed up on these recommendations with China, including in a public letter in November 2020. The UK also referred to these recommendations in our advance questions to China during the Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in 2018. The most recent joint statement on Xinjiang at the UN Third Committee in October 2021 also called on China to ‘urgently implement’ the recommendations. Previous joint statements on Xinjiang, including those led by the UK, have also raised this matter. Given CERD is already paying close attention to the situation in Xinjiang, we judge that lodging a bilateral complaint would not result in an increase in scrutiny, but would risk turning this issue of global concern into a bilateral dispute between the UK and China. This would be contrary to our firm view that concerted international pressure is the most effective means of influencing China. We will continue to work closely with our partners on this matter.