China on Thursday released a new national human rights action plan at the opening of the 2026 Forum on Global Human Rights Governance, aiming to ensure the principal position of the people is respected and the people’s fundamental interests are safeguarded.
The National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2026-2030) will also promote social fairness and justice and ensure that the fruits of modernization benefit all people fairly.
The action plan was divided into an introduction and eight chapters. It was jointly unveiled by the representatives of the members of the joint meeting mechanism for the national human rights action plan.
China has issued a series of National Human Rights Action Plans over the years, with the latest plan being the fifth of its kind. The newly released document affirms the achievements made under the previous action plan covering 2021 to 2025, stating that the effective implementation of its objectives and tasks resulted in remarkable progress in human rights protection and provided much-needed stability and certainty for global human rights development.
Advancing economic, social and cultural rights
China will comprehensively advance the protection of economic, social and cultural rights on all fronts in the next five years, according to the report.
The report stressed the right to an adequate standard of living through efforts such as continuing to consolidate and expand the achievements made in poverty eradication.
It emphasized the right to work, calling for pressing forward with the employment-first strategy and improving the quality of public employment services.
Meanwhile, the rights to social security, property, health, education and culture were also underscored by the report.
Better civil and political rights protections
China has pledged to further improve the mechanisms for protecting citizens’ civil and political rights, the report said.
China will further refine the institutions, standards and procedures for whole-process people’s democracy, expand orderly public participation in political affairs, and guarantee that the people engage in democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management and oversight in accordance with the law.
The country will guarantee the people’s extensive rights and freedoms as prescribed by law, strengthen legal protection of human rights, and ensure that the respect for and protection of human rights run through all aspects and the entire process of legislation, law enforcement, judicature and law observance, according to the action plan.
Strengthening environmental rights
The report emphasized China’s plan to strengthen environmental rights protection in the next five years.
It stressed the importance of improving modern eco-environmental governance systems by such means as applying the ecological and environmental code, strengthening eco-environmental information disclosure and public participation, and promoting simple, moderate, green, low-carbon and healthy lifestyles and consumer habits.
The report reiterated advancing the critical battle against pollution, including air, water resources, aquatic environments, aquatic ecosystems, soil and solid waste, noise and marine pollution.
It called for increasing the diversity, stability and sustainability of ecosystems through efforts including strictly enforcing red lines for ecological conservation.
It affirmed the importance of tackling climate change, reasserting the country’s pledge to peak carbon emissions in 2030 as scheduled.
Protecting ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups
China vows to guarantee the rights and interests of ethnic minority groups, women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities in the next five years, the report noted.
China plans to guarantee the rights and interests of ethnic minority groups, such as promoting shared prosperity and development among all ethnic groups.
The action plan emphasized women’s rights and interests, calling for upholding the basic national policy of gender equality.
Meanwhile, the rights and interests of children, the elderly and people with disabilities were also underscored by the report.
Guiding the development of emerging human rights
The report outlined China’s plan for guiding the healthy development of emerging human rights in the next five years.
It stressed creating a better digital and intelligent life, such as fully leveraging the role of digital and intelligent technologies and data as a factor of production in enriching people’s lives and improving their wellbeing.
It emphasized promoting corporate fulfillment of human rights responsibilities, for instance, improving the corporate social responsibility evaluation system in government procurement and providing necessary training and support for relevant enterprises.
Raising public awareness of human rights
China will further promote human rights education and public awareness, according to the action plan.
China will incorporate education on the contemporary Chinese outlook on human rights into the national education system, apply digital and intelligent technologies, and explore new forms, channels and scenarios for human rights education, the action plan said.
The country will boost the development of human rights think tanks and research bases, and improve the staffing, funding, infrastructure and management of national human rights education and training bases.
According to the action plan, China will promote higher-quality human rights research, encourage the development of original concepts derived from human rights practices, and advance the disciplinary, academic and discourse systems of human rights.
Promoting global human rights governance
China has pledged to promote global human rights governance under the action plan.
China will champion humanity’s shared values, practice true multilateralism and advocate for protecting human rights through security, promoting human rights through development and advancing human rights through cooperation to advance global human rights governance in a more just, fair, reasonable and inclusive direction, according to the plan.
The plan also highlighted China’s resolve to take an active part in UN human rights affairs, conduct dialogue and exchanges on human rights with all parties on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and strengthen solidarity and cooperation with all countries, contributing to the overall progress of global human rights.
SOURCE: CGTN News