Assessment Report on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010)

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Information Office of the State Council

The People's Republic of China

Contents

Preface
I. Overall Implementation
II. Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
III. Civil and Political Rights
IV. Guarantee of the Rights and Interests of Ethnic Minorities, Women, Children, Elderly People and the Disabled
V. Human Rights Education for the Public
VI. Performing International Human Rights Duties, and Conducting Exchanges and Cooperation in the Field of International Human Rights

Preface

In April 2009, after being approved by the State Council, the Information Office of the State Council published National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010) (hereinafter referred to as the Action Plan). It is China's first national plan on the theme of human rights, and serves as a policy document for advancing China's human rights in a comprehensive way. It is an important move to implement the constitutional principle of respecting and safeguarding human rights, and to promote sustainable development and social harmony. It is also a solemn commitment to the world made by the Chinese government on human rights.

Since the Action Plan was promulgated, the relevant departments of the central government and state organs, and local governments at all levels nationwide have attached great importance to it. Based on the principle of "each performing its own functions and sharing the work and responsibilities," they have incorporated the Action Plan into their work and adopted effective measures to implement it based on mid- and long-term work plans in their respective fields. Enterprises and institutions, social groups, non-governmental organizations, media agencies, academic and research institutions and the general public have also been actively involved in the publicity and implementation of the Action Plan. Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and with the joint efforts of the relevant government departments and institutions and the general public, all targets and tasks set by the Action Plan have been fulfilled as scheduled.

According to what is stipulated in the Action Plan, a "joint meeting mechanism for the National Human Rights Action Plan" was created, consisting of the Information Office of the State Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - they jointly take the leading role in this mechanism - and relevant state legislative and judiciary organs, departments of the State Council, social groups and non-governmental organizations, and is responsible for coordinating the implementation, supervision and assessment of the Action Plan. To ensure the effective implementation of the goals and measures for promoting and protecting human rights set forth in the Action Plan, the joint meeting mechanism has organized two assessments for the implementation of the Action Plan.

At the end of 2009, the joint meeting mechanism launched a mid-term assessment of the implementation of the Action Plan, instructed the relevant departments and government institutions to deliver reports on the implementation of the Action Plan for the year 2009, organized staff from the relevant departments along with experts and scholars to carry out corresponding research and investigations, and convened a mid-term assessment meeting on the implementation of the Action Plan, at which it appraised and reviewed the implementation of the Action Plan for the earlier period, put forward opinions and suggestions on how to better carry out the Action Plan in the next phase, and made corresponding arrangements. The mid-term assessment meeting gave great impetus to the comprehensive implementation of the Action Plan.

In November 2010 the joint meeting mechanism launched the final assessment of the implementation of the Action Plan to give it a comprehensive and scientific evaluation. The final assessment was conducted in three stages - investigation, evaluation and summary. From November to December 2010 the Information Office of the State Council took media agencies and human rights experts on a tour of investigation in Shanghai and Sichuan, where they listened to comments and suggestions of people from all walks of life before writing an investigation report. The China Society for Human Rights Studies arranged five trips for human rights experts and NGO representatives to Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang, where they conducted investigations on the implementation of the Action Plan, and offered their opinions and suggestions. On this basis, the joint meeting mechanism instructed relevant departments and institutions to make self-assessment of the completion of their respective tasks concerning the Action Plan, and submitted written reports. The joint meeting mechanism established an assessment team composed of human rights experts from relevant departments and institutions of central state organs, mass organizations and NGOs, as well as Nankai University, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Party School of the CPC Central Committee and other universities and research institutions. Based on the data collected from all the parties involved, the assessment team made a conscientious evaluation and summary of the implementation of the Action Plan. During the assessment, the joint meeting mechanism and the assessment team convened a number of conferences to examine the self-appraisals of each department and institution in accordance with the targets set by the Action Plan, solicited opinions and suggestions from member organizations of the joint meeting mechanism and all social sectors by correspondence, telephone conversations and other means, and finally formulated the Assessment Report on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010).

The Assessment Report on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010) is hereby promulgated as follows.

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