Assessment Report on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010)
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Xinhua, July 14, 2011
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
II. Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
In 2009 and 2010, the state took effective measures and worked hard to improve the people's livelihood, strengthening the guarantee of people's economic, social and cultural rights. Most targets set in the Action Plan for ensuring these rights were fulfilled ahead of schedule or over-fulfilled.
(1) Right to work
During those two years, an additional 22.7 million urban workers were employed and 19.39 million rural laborers moved to cities or towns and found jobs there, 26.1 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively, above the targets set in the Action Plan. By the end of 2010, the registered urban unemployment rate was 4.1 percent, lower than the target (5 percent) set in the Action Plan. Labor contracts were signed among 97 percent of enterprises above a designated size, and 65 percent of small enterprises. The state investigated and dealt with 819,000 cases in violation of social security-related laws, in which employers had failed to sign labor contracts, or did not pay workers promptly, or did not participate in social insurance in accordance with the law.
The state adopted a series of measures to strengthen labor protection and protect the lives of workers. During the two years, the State Administration of Work Safety carried out the "Year of Safe Production" activity and an educational campaign on the Law on Production Safety and the Notice of the State Council on Further Enhancing Work Safety in Enterprises, to enhance people's awareness of work safety. The Regulations on Coal Mine Leaders Leading Shifts Underground and on Safety Supervision and Examination, General Norms for Safety Production Standardization of Enterprises, and 70 other departmental rules and regulations were issued in succession. Over 100 safety production standards and coal industry standards were formulated and revised. Special actions were carried out to combat illegal production, operation and construction. By 2010, about two million illegal acts had been investigated and dealt with across the country, over 33,400 companies and projects that had been engaged in illegal production and operation had been closed or cancelled in accordance with the law, and 13.563 million hidden dangers had been eliminated.
The People's Mediation Law and Organizational Rules on the Arbitration of Labor and Personnel Disputes were issued to help solve labor disputes fairly and promptly, and promote harmonious and stable labor relations. At present, throughout the country there are over 14,000 tripartite organizations for labor relations coordination at all levels, about 534,000 labor dispute mediation organizations, and over two million mediators.
(2) Right to basic living conditions
In 2010, the per capita disposable income of urban residents reached 19,109 yuan, 3,328 yuan more than the targeted 15,781 yuan in the Action Plan. All provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government raised minimum wages.
The living conditions of poor people were improved. In early 2009 the state raised the poverty line to 1,196 yuan, below which were 40.07 million people. By the end of 2010 the number of the impoverished population had decreased to 26.88 million, 13.19 million less than that at the end of 2008; the poverty incidence dropped from 4.2 percent in 2008 to 2.8 percent in 2010; and the per capita net income of farmers in 592 key counties for state poverty alleviation and development grew from 2,611 to 3,273 yuan. During the two years, the state improved conditions in 37,800 key poverty-stricken villages, and provided pre-employment training for 2,643,000 impoverished laborers.
The housing conditions of urban residents, particularly middle- and low-income families, were improved. From the fourth quarter of 2008 to the end of 2010, the state invested over 1.3 trillion yuan in low-income housing projects, and started constructing 13 million apartments for low-income housing and run-down area re-development, with eight million completed, solving housing difficulties for over eight million low- and below-middle-income urban families. In 2010, by providing rent subsidies, the state improved the housing conditions of nearly four million low-income urban families. During 2009 and 2010, the State Council issued the Regulations on the Requisition of Buildings on State-owned Land and Compensation, the Urgent Notice on Strengthening the Management of Land Expropriation, Housing Demolition and Resident Relocation and Safeguarding the People's Legitimate Rights and Interests, and some other administrative regulations and policies, regulating the requisition of buildings and the management of land expropriation, housing demolition and resident relocation. In 2009 the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance allocated 10 billion yuan as subsidies for rural housing rebuilding.
The system of subsistence allowances was improved. During the two years, the Ministry of Civil Affairs distributed the Notice on Strengthening the Work of Identifying Urban Residents Entitled to Basic Living Allowances, Guidelines on Regulating the Work of Allocating Rural Basic Living Allowances and some other related documents. In 2010, the central government allocated 36.55 billion yuan as subsistence allowances in urban areas, an increase of 12.5 percent over the previous year, and 26.9 billion yuan as subsistence allowances in rural areas, an increase of 24.5 percent over the previous year.
(3) Right to social security
The social insurance system was improved. During the two years, the state issued the Social Insurance Law, and revised the Regulations on Work-related Injury Insurance and the Measures for the Ascertainment of Work-related Injuries. By the end of 2010, the population covered by the urban basic old-age insurance reached 257 million; that covered by basic medical insurance, 432 million; that covered by unemployment insurance, 134 million; that covered by work-related injury insurance, 162 million; and that covered by maternity insurance, 123 million. The population covered by the new rural old-age insurance reached 140 million. Altogether 269 zones of unified planning for work-related injury insurance were set up at city (prefecture) level or equivalent administrative levels.
The system of "Five Guarantees" (Note 1) was improved. The Ministry of Civil Affairs issued the Methods for the Management of Rural Five-guarantee Providers, and revised the Interim Measures for the Management of Elderly People's Home in Rural Areas. In 2009 and 2010, the state appropriated budgetary funding and lottery proceeds for supporting the construction of facilities of nearly 1,300 rural Five-guarantee providers. At present, 5.563 million people in the countryside enjoy the "Five Guarantees." The average standard for concentrated support is 2,951.4 yuan per person per year, while that for individual support is 2,102.1 yuan per person per year.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs formulated the Service Standards of Assistance and Management Centers and the Service Standards for Assistance and Protection Centers for Vagrant Minors. In 2010 the Ministry of Civil Affairs used 30 million yuan of lottery proceeds to support 40 key counties (county-level cities) and major communities in big and medium-sized cities to build assistance and protection centers for vagrant children and 24-hour assistance and protection centers. From 2009 to 2010, the state allocated 280 million yuan from the central budget for the building of 164 protection institutes for vagrant children.
(4) Right to health
The basic framework for a basic medical and health system covering the entire nation has taken shape, and the basic health care level of residents has been improved. At present, the average life expectancy is 73.5 years; mortality rate of pregnant and birth-giving women, 30 per 100,000; mortality rate of children under five, 16.4 per thousand; and infant mortality rate, 13.1 per thousand. By the end of 2010, the basic medical insurance for urban workers and basic medical insurance for urban residents covered 430 million people while the new rural cooperative medical insurance covered over 836 million; the total number of participants reached 1.26 billion, covering more than 90 percent of the country's population. In early 2011 governments at all levels increased the subsidy for participation in the medical insurance for urban residents and the new rural cooperative medical insurance from not less than 40 yuan to 200 yuan. In recent years, the central government has appropriated 50.9 billion yuan as special funds to solve the medical insurance problems of eight million uninsured retirees from closed or bankrupt state-owned enterprises and other enterprises. The proportion of hospitalization expenses of urban workers with medical insurance paid out of the medical insurance fund has been increased to 75 percent, while that of urban residents with medical insurance paid out of the medical insurance fund has been increased to 59 percent. The maximum amount for urban workers with medical insurance in most areas paid out of the medical insurance fund is six times these workers' average annual wages, while that for urban residents with medical insurance paid out of the medical insurance fund is six times their yearly disposable income.
The system of basic medical and health services has been improved. From 2009 to 2010, the state appropriated 44.83 billion yuan for improving the conditions of 2,382 community-based health service centers in cities, 116 mental health institutes, 1,877 county-level hospitals, 5,169 health clinics in key towns and townships, and 11,300 health centers in villages. The state has also allocated 1.14 billion yuan to support 16 national bases for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical research and 1.69 billion yuan to support 142 key TCM hospitals above city (district) level. The state has recruited over 20,000 certified doctors for health clinics in towns and townships, and trained nearly three million medical personnel for urban communities and primary-level services in rural areas. Every year the state gives free training to 5,000 medical students for health clinics in towns and townships in central and western China.
Equality in the right to basic health services has been promoted. In 2010, the per capita spending on basic public health services for urban and rural residents was 17.4 yuan. At the same time, 48.7 percent of urban residents and 38.1 percent of rural residents have had their health records established. From 2009 to 2010, health checkups were conducted for 84.49 million people over 65 years old; and 561,000 surgical operations were conducted to recover lost eyesight for poor cataract patients. At present, standard management of chronic diseases includes 35.538 million sufferers from hypertension, 9.189 million sufferers from diabetes and 1.706 million sufferers from acute mental illnesses. In rural areas, 7.833 million sanitary toilets have been built, and 1.439 million households have had their coal-fired stoves improved to prevent fluorine poisoning.
Infectious diseases have been brought under control. During the two years, 102 million people were immunized against measles. The number of reported cases of 15 infectious diseases, including diphtheria, dropped markedly. In 2010, the incidences of meningitis B, rabies and hemorrhagic fever throughout the country were 0.19 per 100,000, 0.15 per 100,000 and 0.17 per 100,000, respectively, decreases of 42 percent, 40 percent and 15 percent, respectively, compared to 2007.
Measures ensuring food and medicine safety have been improved. From February 2009, the state issued the Food Safety Law, Regulations on the Implementation of the Food Safety Law, and 27 other related laws, regulations and regulatory documents on the supervision of food safety; and formulated and promulgated 163 national standards on food safety. In addition, the state established a blacklist of illegal food additives. Throughout the country, quality inspection departments placed on file over 65,000 cases for investigation and prosecution in the course of cracking down on fake food products.
The conditions of community sports facilities for both urban and rural residents have been improved. In October 2009, the Regulations on National Fitness came into effect. From 2009 to 2010, the China General Administration of Sports spent 914 million yuan on various kinds of projects for national fitness. By the end of 2010, there were over one million sports venues across the country, among which over 230,000 had been built for rural residents. In addition, there were more than 250,000 mass sport sites.
(5) Right to education
Citizens' right to education was better guaranteed. The state promulgated the Outline of the State's Medium- and Long-term Program on Education Reform and Development (2010-2020), defining the strategic goal of making China a country rich in human resources by 2020. By the end of 2010, nine-year compulsory education covered 100 percent of the national population: the net enrollment rate of school-age children in elementary schools reached 99.7 percent, the retention rate for students undergoing five years of elementary-school education reached 99 percent, and the gross enrollment rate in junior high schools reached 100 percent. Among new pupils in elementary schools in urban areas, 96.6 percent had received pre-school education, while 90.8 percent of new pupils in rural areas had received it. The illiteracy rate among the population above 15 years of age dropped to 4.08 percent.
Rural education developed more rapidly. In 2010, the state exempted 130 million rural students in compulsory education from paying tuition and miscellaneous fees, and supplied them with free textbooks; exempted boarders from boarding fees, and subsidized about 12.24 million boarders from poor rural families, granting 750 yuan each year to every boarder in elementary schools and 1,000 yuan to every boarder in junior high schools. In 2009, the state expanded the scope of central government-funded special programs for attracting teachers to rural schools in compulsory education to include state-level poor counties in central China, publicly recruiting college graduates to teach in rural schools. By the end of 2010, some 185,000 new teachers went to teach at special posts in rural schools.
Vocational education was boosted. During the two years, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance decided that funding from the central government would be provided to: 960 practical training bases for vocational education, 285 secondary vocational schools for national demonstration of education reform and development, 229 secondary vocational schools with high quality and characteristics, and 100 key vocational colleges. The state built, renovated and expanded teaching, practical training and living facilities measuring 5.23 million sq m for 910 secondary vocational schools, and bought more than 62,000 sets of teaching aids or practical training equipment.
The project of improving and reforming undergraduate teaching at institutions of higher learning was implemented. The state approved 3,453 programs for special undergraduate disciplines, established 3,863 state-level courses, and approved over 16,000 plans for innovative experiments carried out by undergraduates in 120 universities.
After-school education received active support. In 2009 and 2010, the central government used three billion yuan of lottery proceeds to build 600 after-school facilities for minors. The central government subsidized 1,692 after-school facilities, granted 1,092 after-school facilities 600,000 yuan each for equipment purchase and maintenance, and invested 30 million yuan in training managerial personnel and key teachers for after-school activities.
The system of assistance to students with financial difficulties was improved. In September 2010, the state raised government grants to college students with financial difficulties from 2,000 to 3,000 yuan per student per school year. Every year, over 500,000 new students from families with financial difficulties are enrolled in regular institutions of higher learning through "green channels." About 12 million students in secondary vocational schools each receive 1,500 yuan of government grants per year. From the autumn term in 2010, the state established government grants for junior high school students, appropriated 2.25 billion yuan from the central budget, and subsidized 4.79 million students at the rate of 1,500 yuan per student per year.
(6) Cultural rights
The public cultural services system has been improved. By the end of 2010, there were 188.72 million household users of wired radio and cabled television, and 42,000 sets of equipment for mobile projection of digital movies in rural areas, with the goal of one showing every month in each village having been basically realized. Radio and TV broadcasting has been made available in almost all administrative villages and natural villages each with at least 20 households where electricity is available. By the end of 2010, there were 2,885 public libraries, 3,264 art galleries (cultural centers), 2,435 museums, and over 40,000 cultural stations in towns and townships and communities. By the end of 2010, the state had spent over seven billion yuan on the construction of over 300,000 farmers' reading rooms in half of the country's administrative villages. The state spent 5.78 billion yuan on building a five-level national cultural resource sharing network, whose data reached 108 TB and were used by more than 890 million people. The state spent 100 million yuan equipping opera troupes and other grassroots cultural establishments with 330 mobile stages. In 2009 and 2010, the central government allocated four billion yuan as special subsidies for local museums and memorial halls that open to the public free of charge. Throughout the country, 1,749 public museums and memorial halls, and several thousand other kinds of museums, memorial halls and patriotic education bases at all levels are now open to the public free of charge.
The state has formulated the Culture Industry Revitalization Plan and Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Prosperity and Development of the Film Industry. In 2010, mid- and long-term renminbi and foreign currency loans to the cultural sector grew by 27.6 billion yuan, while cultural enterprises raised 10.4 billion yuan on the stock market.
Efforts for the protection of intellectual property rights were intensified. In 2009 and 2010, the state revised the Copyright Law, the Patent Law and the Regulations on Customs Protection of Intellectual Property Rights, and promulgated the Interim Measures for the Payment of Remuneration for Audio Products Played by Radio and TV Stations. In 2010, the State Council carried out a special campaign against all infringements of IPR and the production and sale of counterfeit and shoddy products; the Ministry of Culture launched a special campaign against piracy of online games; the National Copyright Administration carried out special campaigns to advocate the use of authorized software and to combat IPR infringements and piracy. In 2009 and 2010, throughout the country 2,014 cases involving patent infringement were accepted and heard in court, and over 100,000 cases of trademark infringement were investigated and dealt with. Departments of cultural administration and related law-enforcement authorities dispatched 16.5 million staff members who instructed business entities to make about 510,000 rectifications, and revoked the licenses of 7,058 entities.
(7) Environmental rights
The country's environmental quality was improved, and environmental rights and interests of the public were ensured. China's National Plan for Coping with Climate Change was implemented. By the end of 2010, the ratio of energy consumption per GDP unit, the amount of chemical oxygen demand and the emission of sulfur dioxide had met or exceeded the targets set in the Action Plan. The days with good air quality in major cities made up 91.5 percent per year on average, and 95.6 percent of the major cities had more than 292 days with good air quality in a year. In 2009 and 2010, more than 5.08 million law-enforcement personnel were dispatched to make over 2.04 million examinations of enterprises. Special examinations were made of paper-making enterprises and enterprises which discharge heavy metal residue. Environmental safety checkups were conducted on chemical and petrochemical enterprises located by rivers, particularly those close to sources of drinking water, to eliminate potential threats to the environment. By the end of 2010, some 80 percent of environmental departments at city (district) level and 70 percent of environmental departments at county level had joined the "12369" environmental protection hotline, while 30 percent of environmental departments above county level had set up centers for receiving environment-related complaints and petitions. In 2009, the state revised the Law on Renewable Energy Resources. By the end of 2010, China ranked first in the world in terms of the newly-installed capacity of hydropower and wind power, output of solar photovoltaic batteries and coverage of solar heating.
The Outline of the Plan for National Forest Land Protection and Utilization was implemented. At present, the forest area in China is 2.932 billion mu (about 195,466,666 hectares), and the forest coverage has grown from 13.92 percent in the early 1990s to the present 20.36 percent. The preserved area of planted forests reaches 926 million mu (about 61,733,333 hectares), ranking first in the world. By the end of 2010, the state had fulfilled or over-fulfilled the targets set in the Action Plan regarding forest coverage, grassland improvement, treatment of degraded, sand-encroached and alkaline grasslands, effective utilization of irrigation water, protection of typical forest ecological systems and wild animals and plants under state protection, protection of natural wetlands, and comprehensive treatment of soil erosion.
(8) Safeguarding farmers' rights and interests
Farmers' land right has been ensured. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress issued and implemented the Law on the Mediation and Arbitration of Rural Land Contracting Disputes, and the Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant departments formulated related rules and documents, notably the Rules on the Arbitration of Rural Land Contracting Disputes, and Model Bylaws for Rural Land Contracting Arbitration Commissions. By the end of 2010, a total of 18 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government had worked out measures for distributing and using the compensation funds of requisitioned land within rural collectives. Altogether, 229 million rural families had contracted farmland from collectives by way of household contract; land-use rights transfer had covered 187 million mu (about 12,466,666 hectares), making up 14.7 percent of the total farmland under household contract management. Nationwide 1,405 rural land contract arbitration commissions were set up, among which 1,369 were at county level, covering 47.9 percent of counties or county-level cities. Overall reform of tenure in collective forests was carried out throughout the country. By the end of 2010, a total of 18 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government had basically fulfilled the task of clarifying forest rights and contracting out to households. Tenure of 2.431 billion mu (about 162,066,666 hectares) of forests had been determined in the course of the reform, and 72.6 million certificates of forest right were issued, bringing direct benefits to 300 million farmers.
Farmers' usufructuary right to their homesteads has been protected. The basic distribution system of "one homestead per family" has been implemented, while the measures for the management of farmers' homesteads were constantly improved. The examination and approval procedures for homesteads were standardized, and the work of homestead registration and certificate issuance was strengthened.
The land requisition system was reformed, and the legitimate rights and interests of farmers whose land had been requisitioned were protected. The Measures on Public Announcement of Land Requisition and the Provisions on the Hearings in Respect of Land and Resources have been carried out, and thus before the authorities report the compensation standards and relocation plans about the land to be requisitioned to the upper level for approval, any party concerned will receive a written notice stating that he/she has the right to a hearing. The procedure of land requisition has been improved. In accordance with the requirement of "relocation first and demolition later," the government ensures that the compensation for and relocation of farmers are done properly. Local governments have publicized the uniform standards for land requisition and the comprehensive land prices of the areas to be requisitioned, and raised the compensation level by 20 percent to 30 percent, and even over 100 percent in some places. A dynamic mechanism for adjusting compensation standards has been established, under which the compensation standards for land requisition will be adjusted every two or three years. A social security system for farmers whose land has been requisitioned has been established; the governments of 29 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have issued measures to include farmers whose land has been requisitioned in the social security system, enabling them to enjoy basic living or old-age insurance. More methods have been adopted for the relocation of farmers, including relocation to other areas of agricultural production and relocation of farmers to other places, so that farmers whose land has been requisitioned can be provided with basic production conditions and source of income.
The state has made the increase of farmers' income and improvement of people's wellbeing a central task for agriculture and rural work. In 2009 and 2010 the per capita net annual income of rural residents reached 5,153 and 5,919 yuan, respectively, increases of 8.5 percent and 10.9 percent in real terms after adjusting for inflation. The increase of the per capita net annual income of farmers in real terms exceeded 6 percent for seven successive years. The state granted grain growers direct subsidies and general subsidies for purchasing agricultural supplies, expanded the scope of subsidies for purchasing superior seeds, and granted more subsidies for purchasing agricultural machinery. In 2009 and 2010 the total of the four subsidies was 127.45 billion yuan and 122.59 billion yuan, respectively.
Health care services for farmers have been improved. The coverage of the new rural cooperative medical care system has been constantly expanded, with the number of participants accounting for over 90 percent of rural residents. More money was raised for this, with an average of 155.3 yuan from each participant. Out-patient expenses were paid out of the medical insurance fund in over 60 percent of all the areas throughout the country. In 2010 the proportion of hospitalization expenses paid out of the medical insurance fund in accordance with relevant policies grew by five percentage points, with the maximum amount for rural participants paid out of the medical insurance fund increasing to six times the per capita annual net income of farmers. In 2009 and 2010, the state solved the problem of safe drinking water for 122 million rural residents.
The rights and interests of rural migrant workers have been further protected. In 2009 and 2010, the relevant departments provided vocational training courses for over ten million rural migrant workers and training courses about starting businesses for 130,000 rural laborers. The state gradually put in place a system ensuring payment for rural migrant workers, and increased the minimum wage by a big margin. By the end of 2010 some 30 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government had adjusted the minimum wage, and the minimum monthly wage increased by 22.8 percent on average. A supervision system has been set up in 26 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government to ensure the prompt payment of wages to workers. All the 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government in China have established the wage deposit system in the field of construction.
(9) Guarantee of human rights in the reconstruction of areas hit by the devastating earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan Province
The life and rights of the victims in areas hit by the earthquake in Wenchuan have been fully ensured. In three quake-hit provinces (Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi), houses of 2.92 million rural families and 1.46 million urban families have been repaired and reinforced, and new housing has been built which can accommodate 1.91 million families in rural areas and nearly 290,000 families in towns, greatly improving the living conditions of both urban and rural residents in these areas.
The employment of people in quake-hit areas has been ensured. The state adopted a joint conference system for employment assistance and some other measures, and invested 3.678 billion yuan in employment expansion and social security. It helped 1.765 million people find jobs, stabilized over 130,000 jobs, and created 230,000 public welfare jobs, thereby realizing the goal of finding a job for at least one member of each jobless family. Employment in quake-hit areas was restored to the situation before the earthquake. The state formulated policies and measures to help people in quake-hit areas to increase their incomes, fostered rural industries in these areas at a faster pace, and opened up more channels for farmers to increase their incomes. The Sichuan government solved the problem of safe drinking water for 2.286 million rural people, as covered in the national plan. The disposable income of urban residents in the 39 hardest-hit counties - whose reconstruction was incorporated into a national plan - increased by 12.1 percent, and the per capita cash income of farmers in those counties grew by 13.2 percent. The income of both urban and rural residents exceeded what they earned before the earthquake.
The reconstruction of elementary and high schools and medical and health services has been basically completed. Construction began in 99.7 percent of the 3,972 schools that the state had planned to rebuild, and 93.8 percent have been completed; students moved into permanent buildings when the spring term began in 2010. Construction began in 99.7 percent of the 3,001 medical and health services that the state had planned to rebuild, and 92.2 percent have been completed; the reconstruction of the 1,108 family-planning service centers have been basically completed. Cultural centers, social welfare institutes, community service centers, elderly people's homes, radio and TV broadcasting stations, and some other facilities have been rebuilt.
The names of those who died or reported missing in the earthquake were recorded and made public. The Sichuan government, following the principles of being realistic, acting in accordance with the law and dealing with things by category, worked out standardized procedures, and published the names of victims as soon as they were confirmed. At present, most of the 98 quake-hit counties and county-level cities and districts have completed the work of making public the names of people who died or disappeared in the earthquake. With a sense of responsibility and in a solemn and prudent manner, governments of quake-hit areas at all levels are still continuing the work of publishing the names and confirming the number of victims.
Relief funds and materials were used in an open, transparent, standard and orderly way. From January 2009, the National Audit Office launched follow-up audit of these funds and materials. By the end of November 2010, the National Audit Office and local audit departments had sent 7,137 teams consisting of 19,000 people to conduct investigations in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi in follow-up audits of recovery and reconstruction projects in the three provinces, and the results have been made public. The Sichuan Provincial Government and governments at city and county levels each established a leading group for supervising and inspecting the receipt and use of relief funds and materials, supervising the whole process from the early period of the earthquake to recovery and reconstruction and ensuring that these funds and materials are used for people in the quake-hit areas, and for recovery and reconstruction work.
The legal system to ensure precautions against earthquakes and disaster reduction has been improved, and the public's awareness in this regard has been constantly enhanced. The Sichuan government has promulgated some local regulations, including the Decision on Strengthening the Seismic Fortification Management of Rural Houses and the Opinions on the Implementation of Appraising the Safety of, Renovating, Reinforcing and Demolishing Urban Houses Damaged in the Wenchuan Earthquake. Governments of other quake-hit areas have also worked out relevant regulations. The Sichuan government demanded that from 2009, all schools should teach a course titled, "Life and Safety," practice emergency evacuation, and popularize knowledge concerning precautions against earthquakes and disaster reduction.
(Note 1) Guarantee of food, clothing, housing, medical care, and funeral expenses for elderly people, people with disabilities, and residents under the age of 16 living in the countryside who have lost the ability to work, have no sources of income and have no one to support them.
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