International Human Rights Materials
Foundational United Nations Documents | Core United Nations Documents Signed, Ratified, or Acceded to by China | Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups of the UN Commission on Human Rights
Foundational United Nations Documents
United Nations Charter
Effective October 24, 1945
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Effective December 10, 1948
Core United Nations Documents Signed, Ratified, or Acceded to by China
International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
Adopted by the General Assembly December 16, 1966
Effective January 3, 1976
Ratified by China March 27, 2001
China's Reports
Document Number: E/1990/5/Add.43 (1999) (Hong Kong SAR)
Document Number: E/1990/5/Add.59 (2004)
UN Concluding Observations
Document Number: CESCR/E/2002/22 (2001) (Hong Kong SAR)
Document Number: CESCR/E/C.12/1/Add.107 (2005)
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Adopted by the General Assembly December 16, 1966
Effective March 23, 1976
Signed by China October 5, 1998; not yet ratified
China's Reports
Document Number: CCPR/C/HKSAR/99/1 (1999)
Document Number: CCPR/C/HKSAR/99/1/Add.1 (1999)
UN Concluding Observations
Document Number: CCPR/A/55/40 (2000) (Hong Kong SAR)
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Adopted by the General Assembly November 20, 1989
Effective September 2, 1990
Ratified by China March 3, 1992
China's Reports
Document Number: CRC/C/11/Add.7 (1995)
Document Number: CRC/C/83/Add.9 (Part I) (2004) (Hong Kong SAR)
Document Number: CRC/C/83/Add.9 (Part II) (2004) (Macau SAR)
UN Concluding Observations
Document Number: CRC/A/53/41 (1998)
Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Adopted by the General Assembly December 10, 1984
Effective June 26, 1987
Ratified by China October 4, 1988
China's Reports
Document Number: CAT/C/7/Add.14 (1993)
Document Number: CAT/C/20/Add.5 (1995)
Document Number: CAT/C/39/Add.2 (1999)
UN Concluding Observations
Document Number: CAT/A/45/44 (1990)
Document Number: CAT/A/48/44 (1993)
Document Number: CAT/A/51/44 (1996)
Document Number: CAT/A/55/44 (2000)
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
Adopted by the General Assembly December 21, 1965
Effective January 4, 1969
Acceded to by China December 29, 1981
China's Reports
Document Number: CERD/C/275/Add.2 (1996)
Document Number: CERD/C/357/Add.4 (2000)
Document Number: CERD/C/357/Add.4,Part II (2000)
Document Number: CERD/C/357/Add.4,Part III (2000)
UN Concluding Observations
Document Number: CERD/A/38/18 (1983)
Document Number: CERD/A/42/18 (1987)
Document Number: CERD/A/45/18 (1990)
Document Number: CERD/A/51/18 (1996)
Document Number: CERD/A/56/18 (2001)
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Adopted by the General Assembly December 18, 1979
Effective September 3, 1981
Ratified by China November 18, 1980
China's Reports
Document Number: CEDAW/C/5/Add.14 (1983)
Document Number: CEDAW/C/13/Add.26 (1989)
Document Number: CEDAW/C/CHN/3-4 (1997)
Document Number: CEDAW/C/CHN/3-4/Add.1 (1998)
Document Number: CEDAW/C/CHN/3-4/Add.2 (1998)
Document Number: CEDAW/C/CHN/3-4/Corr.1 (1999)
Document Number: CEDAW/C/CHN/5-6/Add.1 (2004)
Document Number: CEDAW/C/CHN/5-6/Add.2 (2004)
UN Concluding Observations
Document Number: CEDAW/A/39/45 (1984)
Document Number: CEDAW/A/47/38 (1992)
Document Number: CEDAW/A/54/38/Rev.1 (1999)
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
Adopted by the General Assembly December 14, 1950
Effective April 22, 1954
Acceded to by China September 24, 1982
Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees
Adopted by the General Assembly December 16, 1966
Effective October 4, 1967
Acceded to by China September 24, 1982
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
Adopted by the General Assembly November 15, 2000
Effective December 25, 2003
Acceded to by China February 8, 2010
Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons
Adopted by the General Assembly December 13, 2006
Effective May 3, 2008
Ratified by China August 1, 2008
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
Adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women September 15, 1995
Endorsed by the General Assembly December 22, 1995
Programme of Action of the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development
Issued by the International Conference on Population and Development October 18, 1994
Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100)
Adopted by the International Labour Organization June 29, 1951
Effective May 23, 1953
Ratified by China November 2, 1990
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111)
Adopted by the International Labour Organization June 25, 1958
Effective June 15, 1960
Ratified by China January 12, 2006
Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)
Adopted by the International Labour Organization June 26, 1973
Effective June 19, 1976
Ratified by China April 28, 1999
Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144)
Adopted by the International Labour Organization June 21, 1976
Effective May 16, 1978
Ratified by China November 2, 1990
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)
Adopted by the International Labour Organization June 17, 1999
Effective November 19, 2000
Ratified by China August 8, 2002
Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988 (No. 167)
Adopted by the International Labour Organization June 20, 1988
Effective June 11, 1991
Ratified by China March 7, 2002
Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155)
Adopted by the International Labour Organization June 22, 1981
Effective August 11, 1983
Ratified by China January 25, 2007
OHCHR Country Profile on China
Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups of the UN Commission on Human Rights
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
July 1996 China Preparatory Visit Report
Document Number: E/CN.4/1997/4
December 17, 1996
October 1997 China Visit Report
Document Number: E/CN.4/1998/44/Add.2
December 22, 1997
September 2004 Mission to China
Document Number: E/CN.4/2005/6/Add.4
December 29, 2004
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Torture and Detention
Document Number: E/CN.4/2005/6
December 1, 2004
Report: Opinions Adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Document Number: E/CN.4/2005/6/Add.1
November 19, 2004
Individual Cases Reported by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Special Rapporteur for Religious Freedom
1994 China Visit Report
Document Number: E/CN.4/1995/91
December 22, 1994
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Religious Tolerance
Document Number: E/CN.4/2003/66
January 6, 2003
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Religious Tolerance
Document Number: E/CN.4/2001/63
February 3, 2001
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Religious Tolerance
Document Number: E/CN.4/2000/65
February 15, 2000
Special Rapporteur on Torture
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Questions of Torture and Detention/Addendum-Summary of Cases Transmitted to Governments and Replies Received
Document Number: E/CN.4/2004/56/Add.1
March 23, 2004
Report: Questions of the Human Rights of All Persons Subjected to Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, in Particular: Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Document Number: E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1
March 14, 2002
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Questions of Torture and Detention
Document Number: E/CN.4/2000/9
February 2, 2000
Individual Cases Reported by the Special Rapporteur on Torture
Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Disappearance and Summary Executions/ Addendum-Summary of Cases Transmitted to Governments and Replies Received
Document Number: E/CN.4/2004/62/Add.1
March 26, 2004
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Disappearance and Summary Executions/ Addendum-Summary of Cases Transmitted to Governments and Replies Received
Document Number: E/CN.4/2003/3/Add.1
February 12, 2003
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Disappearance and Summary Executions/ Addendum-Summary of Cases Transmitted to Governments and Replies Received
Document Number: E/CN.4/2000/3/Add.1
February 2, 2000
Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Freedom of Expression/ Addendum-Summary of Cases Transmitted to Governments and Replies Received
Document Number: E/CN.4/2003/67/Add.1
February 20, 2003
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Freedom of Expression
Document Number: E/CN.4/2001/64
February 13, 2001
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Freedom of Expression
Document Number: E/CN.4/2000/63
January 18, 2000
Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Independence of the Judiciary Administration of Justice, Impunity/Addendum-Situations in Specific Countries or Territories
Document Number: E/CN.4/2004/60/Add.1
March 4, 2004
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Independence of the Judiciary Administration of Justice, Impunity
Document Number: E/CN.4/2001/65
February 1, 2001
Report: Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Independence of the Judiciary Administration of Justice, Impunity
Document Number: E/CN.4/2000/61
February 21, 2000
Working Group on Minorities (now Forum on Minority Issues)
Report: China's Minorities-The Case of Xinjiang and the Uyghur People
Document Number: E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2003/WP.16
May 5, 2003
Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing
Report: Annual Report by the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing
Document Number: E/CN.4/2003/5
March 3, 2003