Now that the US have left the UN Human Rights Council, China’s energetic efforts to increase its power within the body represent a serious global threat.
By Dolkun Isa
March 10, 2025
The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council is taking place from February 24 to April 4. It occurs in the shadow of significant developments such as the U.S. withdrawal from the Council and the American funding freeze affecting many civil society organizations. China and other authoritarian states, always looking for new opportunities to exploit weaknesses in international institutions, are ready to pounce. Human rights advocates the world over are understandably nervous.
In recent years, discussions surrounding human rights have become increasingly complex on the international stage. The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) was established in 2006 to provide a more effective mechanism aimed at protecting human rights and preventing violations, replacing the previous structure known as the UN Human Rights Commission (UNCHR), which was restructured under the belief that it could not be adequately effective as it met only once a year. The Commission was dogged by accusations, particularly in the United States, that it gave a platform for tyrannical regimes, and provided them cover and the veneer of respectability as they oppressed their people at home. Its successor body has not fared better, a state of affairs that has been exacerbated as global power dynamics have changed.
The UN Human Rights Council meets three times a year, in March, June, and September. The March session is particularly significant. However, it is clear that it faces serious obstacles in fulfilling its founding objectives. Initially seen as a promising structure for addressing human rights issues, the Council has strayed ever further from its goals. Over the years, the civic space and the opportunities for those genuinely committed to human rights have correspondingly shrunk, particularly with the removal of general debates during the June session.
The initiative taken by authoritarian regimes like China has had a profoundly negative impact on the UNHRC, giving them a platform to present an entirely false image of the state of human rights in their countries. This raises serious concerns for the global human rights movement as a whole.
The Chinese government employs various strategies on the international stage to defend its appalling human rights record. This is particularly true of human rights violations concerning Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Hong Kong’s struggle to find a place on the UNHRC agenda. In 2022, when a draft resolution was proposed to address the Uyghur issue in the Council, 17 countries supported it, but it was rejected with the backing of 19 countries due to China’s influence. One of the factors increasing China’s influence in the Council is its provision of economic aid and diplomatic pressure globally.
In this context, the extraordinary silence and supportive votes of Muslim countries in favor of China, despite its human rights violations, is noteworthy and troubling. China’s discriminatory and genocidal policies towards Uyghur Muslims are given a free pass with only a limited number of countries, such as Somalia, adopting a principled approach. This parlous situation exposes the aching contradictions within the UN infrastructure.
Overall, many countries simply prioritize their national interests, giving short shrift to the real purpose of the human rights institution of which they are members. The international human rights struggle has thus grown increasingly complex, and fraught with contradictions.
Finally, while reports published by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights support claims that the Chinese government has committed crimes against humanity against Uyghurs, the lack of concrete actions in this regard further calls into question the effectiveness and credibility of the UNHRC.
The withdrawal of the U.S. from the UNHRC is another important factor that exacerbates the seriousness of this issue: it paves the way for China and other authoritarian countries to further increase their influence within the Council.
One of the main reasons for the U.S. withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council is the significant reduction in the Council’s importance and significance as a genuine force for good. This view is not without merit: the number of countries with authoritarian tendencies now exceeds those that respect human rights. Therefore, the U.S. withdrawal is an important development that further undermines the Council’s credibility in advocating for human rights.
Sadly, though, such changes create a power imbalance in the human rights ecosystem, and embolden authoritarian regimes. A shift in the U.S. approach may also lead to a change in policies pursued by its allies, posing a threat to the future of international human rights struggles.
In this context, it is highly likely that in the coming period, the UN Human Rights Council will see a decrease in its effectiveness while countries that violate human rights will play a more active role. China’s energetic efforts to increase its power within the UNHRC pose a serious threat to the protection of human rights. This necessitates action to safeguard democratic values.
Countries worldwide that advocate for human rights must carefully evaluate this situation and recognize the need to unite in building a new and just world order. Human rights are not only a fundamental concern for individuals, but also for societies. Therefore, the seriousness and urgency of this issue reveal the need to reassess international cooperation.
It appears that the UN Human Rights Council may quickly become a platform that is even more heavily dominated by countries that violate human rights. This situation will negatively impact the global human rights struggle, raising serious questions about the purpose and mission of such institutions.
In sum, a new “human rights” order shaped under China’s leadership will threaten countries with democratic values. A united front by genuine human rights advocates is essential to push back against those authoritarian trends. It is crucial for every enlightened government to help reshape the global human rights space, and restore credibility within it.
It is a collective struggle to the benefit of all humanity.
Source: bitterwinter.org
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