The Costs of International Advocacy: China’s Interference in United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms

The Costs of International Advocacy: China’s Interference in United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms details how Chinese officials have blocked activists from working with UN officials, and have harassed, intimidated, and even threatened some UN officials, experts, and advisers. The Chinese government has also manipulated the process by which nongovernmental organizations are accredited to participate at the UN, side-lining those it sees as critics.

In some instances, the UN has resisted China’s pressure; in other cases, it has capitulated and allowed accredited activists to be removed from UN premises or changed review procedures for China. Taken together, China’s tactics risk undermining the integrity of the UN’s global architecture for human rights protection. Human Rights Watch’s new report brings these practices to light, with a view to protecting the safety of human rights defenders and the integrity of the UN system.