China endeavors to improve human rights
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China Daily, July 13, 2011
Editor's note: Wang Chen, minister of the State Council Information Office, delivered a speech at the "Assessment Meeting of the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010)" in Beijing on Tuesday. Following is the full text of the speech:
With the approval of the central government, today we are holding the Assessment Meeting of the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010) here to sum up the implementation of the Action Plan.
More than 200 people are present at today's meeting, including persons in charge of 53 relevant departments and institutions of central state organs, and human rights experts and grassroots representatives from mass organizations, NGOs, institutions of higher learning and research institutions.
First of all, on behalf of the International Communications Office of the CPC Central Committee, the Information Office of the State Council and the joint meeting mechanism for the National Human Rights Action Plan, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to government departments and institutions at various levels and the general public for their contributions to the implementation of the Action Plan.
In April 2009, after receiving approval from the State Council, the Information Office of the State Council published the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010). It is China's first national plan on the theme of human rights, and serves as a policy document of the current stage 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, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the relevant departments of the central government and State organs, and local governments at all levels nationwide have incorporated the Action Plan into their work and adopted effective measures to implement it based on the principle of "each performing its own functions and being responsible for its work". Enterprises and institutions, mass organizations, NGOs, media agencies, academic and research institutions and the general public have also been actively involved in the publicity and implementation of the Action Plan, and guaranteed the fulfillment of all targets and tasks set by the Action Plan.
In accordance with the stipulations 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 which jointly take the leading role in this mechanism and relevant state legislative and judiciary organs, departments of the State Council, mass organizations and NGOs. The mechanism is responsible for coordinating the implementation, supervision and assessment 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, appraised and reviewed its implementation for the earlier period, and confirmed the implementation in the next phase. 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 and the China Society for Human Rights Studies took media agencies, human rights experts and NGO representatives on tours of investigation in Shanghai, and Sichuan, Shandong and Guangdong provinces, where they offered opinions and suggestions. Relevant departments and institutions made self-assessments 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 institutions of higher learning and research institutions. The assessment team examined the self-appraisal of each department and institution in accordance with the targets set by the Action Plan, solicited opinions and suggestions from all social sectors through various channels, and finally formulated the Assessment Report on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010).
Comrades in charge and grassroots representatives of relevant departments of the central government and mass organizations, including Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Supreme People's Court, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, China Disabled Persons' Federation, Wenchuan county government, etc, have just made speeches introducing the implementation of the Action Plan from different angles, and expressed their opinions. What they mentioned reflects the implementation of the Action Plan and fully conforms to the assessment and opinions given by the Assessment Report. In accordance with the assessment organized by the joint meeting mechanism, we can say with responsibility that the Action Plan has been well implemented. Generally speaking, by the end of 2010 all measures stipulated in the Action Plan had been put into practice, with all the goals achieved and tasks fulfilled in due time. Of these, 35 percent of the binding targets and over 50 percent of the targets concerning the people's livelihood had been met ahead of time or exceeded, thus realizing the comprehensive implementation of the Action Plan. In addition to the tasks stipulated in the Action Plan, the Chinese government has made extra efforts in other fields and aspects. With the compilation and implementation of the Action Plan, the Chinese citizens' awareness of human rights has been remarkably enhanced; the people's overall living standard has been markedly improved with the progress made in the national economy and social development; their economic, social and cultural rights and interests have been comprehensively safeguarded; their civil and political rights have been effectively protected; the rights and interests of ethnic minorities, women, children, elderly people and the disabled have been robustly safeguarded; international communication and cooperation on promoting human rights have been further advanced; and with the establishment of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, safeguarding human rights in all fields has been put on the path of institutionalization and legalization. The fulfillment of all targets and tasks in the Action Plan as scheduled shows that the cause of human rights in China has entered a new stage.
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