At the United Nations

Human Rights Council

ICT statements on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights at the regular sessions of the UN Human Rights Council since 2020

• UNHRC59
  • Freedom of Assembly
• UNHRC58
  • Item 4
  • Cultural rights
• UNHRC57
  • Item 4
  • Arbitrary detentions
• UNHRC56
  • Freedom of Expression
  • Right to education
  • UPR adoption
• UNHRC54
  • Item 4
  • Slavery
  • Enforced disappearances
• UNHRC53
  • Trafficking
  • Extreme poverty
• UNHRC52
  • Torture
  • Human Rights Defenders
  • Item 4
• UNHRC51
  • Slavery
  • Arbitrary detentions
  • Item 4
• UNHRC50
  • Right to education
  • Freedom of opinion and expression
  • Human rights and climate change
• UNHRC49
  • Oral update of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Human Rights Defenders
  • Torture
  • Item 4
• UNHRC48
  • Arbitrary detentions
  • Enforced disappearances
  • Development
  • Item 4
• UNHRC47
  • Right to education
  • Olympics
• UNHRC46
  • Torture
  • Poverty Alleviation
  • Item 4
• UNHRC45
  • Arbitrary detentions
  • Enforced disappearances
  • Development
  • Item 4
• UNHRC44
  • Peaceful assembly and association
  • Freedom of opinion and expression
• UNHRC43
  • Minority issues
  • Cultural rights
  • Item 4

Universal Periodic Review

• ICT-FIDH joint submission for China’s Fourth UPR (2024)
• ICT-FIDH joint submission for Nepal’s Third UPR (2021)
• ICT-FIDH joint submission for China’s Third UPR (2018)
• ICT-FIDH joint submission for Nepal’s Second UPR (2015)
• ICT-FIDH joint submission for China’s Second UPR (2013)

Special Procedures

• Human Rights in the life cycle of Renewable Energy and Critical Minerals – ICT submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on climate change (April 2025)
• What are Minority Issues? ICT submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues (February 2025)
• Cultural rights and sustainable development in Tibet – ICT submission to the UN Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural Rights (April 2022)
• Discrimination, segregation and the right to adequate housing – ICT submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing (November 2021)
• Rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association to advance climate justice – ICT submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association (May 2021)
• The long term detention of human rights defenders – ICT submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders (March 2021)
• Right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in Tibet – ICT submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association (January 2021)
• Cultural rights and climate change – ICT submission to the UN Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural Rights (May 2020)
• Minority language education in Tibet – ICT submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues (October 2019)

Treaty Bodies

• ICT submission for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) Review of China (August 2018)
• ICT-Loyola Law School submission for the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) Review of China (January 2023)

UN Forum on Minority issues

• ICT statement at the 17th UN Forum on Minority Issues (November 2024)
• ICT statement at the 16th UN Forum on Minority Issues (November 2023)
• ICT statement at the 14th UN Forum on Minority Issues (December 2021)
• ICT statement at the 12th UN Forum on Minority Issues (November 2019)

UN related press releases and statements

• ICT reiterates concerns of UN Special Rapporteur on status of Tsongon Tsering (March 27, 2025)
• Claiming space for Tibet at the United Nations Human Rights Council – ICT welcomes states raising Tibet at General Debate (March 22, 2025)
• UN High Commissioner raises human rights situation in Tibet (March 3, 2025)
• UN human rights experts demand information from China about ‘disappeared’ Tibetans (January 15, 2025)
• UN Forum: ICT highlights erasure of Tibetan identity through the PRC’s educational policies (December 12, 2024)
• Tibetan rights advocates on school closures in Tibet at UN Human Rights Council (September 17, 2024)
• UN human rights experts deeply concerned over repression of dam protests and Chinese hydropower policies in Tibet (September 6, 2024)
• Petition by 100 Tibetan scholars to UN High Commissioner calls for an end to school closures and cultural assimilation policies in Tibet (August 14, 2024)
• As UPR concludes, UN Human Rights Council voices clear criticism of China’s abuses in Tibet (July 5, 2024)
• Twofold increase in states raising Tibet at UN China review (January 23, 2024)
• UN China review: International community must clearly address Tibet (January 22, 2024)
• UN must include strong language on Tibet in China review (January 10, 2024)
• ICT urges China to stop discriminating and disempowering Tibetans at UN Forum (December 8, 2023)
• ICT Urges UN Members to Vote Against China’s Candidacy for Human Rights Council (October 9, 2023)
• UN Human Rights Council told: ‘End repression in Tibet; reject China’s membership bid’ (September 28, 2023)
• ICT calls for information on disappeared Tibetans at UN Human Rights Council (September 20, 2023)
• UN experts demand information about detained Tibetan environmental defenders (August 10, 2023)
• CCP Tibet policies demand action, groups say in report to UN Human Rights Council (July 19, 2023)
• Tibet raised at UN Human Rights Council’s 53rd session (July 12, 2023)
• UN experts warn of forced labor and threats to Tibetan culture (April 27, 2023)
• UN Human Rights Council: ICT calls for end to boarding schools, Tibetan mass resettlement (March 23, 2023)
• Torture, repression of Tibetan environmental defenders raised at UN human rights session (March 16, 2023)
• UN rights body calls for end to boarding schools and relocations in Tibet (March 6, 2023)
• UN Economic, Social and Cultural Rights committee addresses China’s assimilation of Tibetans (February 17, 2023)
• Ahead of important UN review, ICT calls for end to forced relocations, coercive policies in Tibet (February 13, 2023)
• UN warning about Tibetan children shows need to resolve conflict (February 6, 2023)
• ICT denounces Tibet arbitrary arrests, calls for independent investigation (September 19, 2022)
• Tibet labor transfer programs discussed at UN Human Rights Council (September 15, 2022)
• UN experts’ call for special session on China human rights must include Tibet (September 7, 2022)
• ICT welcomes UN report on China’s human rights violations in Xinjiang (September 1, 2022)
• In the spotlight again: China and Tibet at UN Human Rights Council (June 28, 2022)
• UN experts renew call on China for unhindered access by independent human rights experts (June 10, 2022)
• UN Human Rights chief’s visit is China’s political victory (May 28, 2022)
• ICT calls on UN high commissioner: “Raise Tibet loud and clear” (May 23, 2022)
• Postpone trip to China, NGOs tell UN High Commissioner (May 6, 2022)
• Mounting concerns over UN High Commissioner visit to China (April 28, 2022)
• NGOs demand transparency and clear criteria ahead of UN High Commissioner’s visit to China (April 21, 2022)
• Tibet at the 49th Session of the UN Human Rights Council: round-up (March 23, 2022)
• UN human rights commissioner urged to speak up on Tibet—Chinese delegation intervenes (March 11, 2022)
• ICT statement at 14th UN Forum on Minority Issues (December 7, 2021)
• Human Rights Council urged to address the worsening human rights situation in Tibet (September 27, 2021)
• UN Human Rights Council: Detention, disappearance and development in Tibet raised (September 21, 2021)
• UN experts raise cases of detained and “disappeared” Tibetans (September 14, 2021)
• ICT statement at UN Asia-Pacific Forum on Minority Issues (September 7, 2021)
• Government denies rights of Tibetan refugees in UN review (July 8, 2021)
• Beijing Olympics concerns raised at UN Human Rights Council (July 7, 2021)
• UN Human Rights Council urged to respect Tibetans’ cultural rights in education (June 25, 2021)
• UN Human Rights Council urged to ask China to allow an investigation into the coercive labor program in Tibet by independent human rights experts (March 15, 2021)
• UN Human Rights Council urged to hold China accountable for the pattern of deaths of Tibetans after torture and mistreatment in detention (March 9, 2021)
• China elected to UN Human Rights Council but suffers another setback as criticism grows (October 13, 2020)
• UN experts write to China on Panchen Lama, reincarnation rules (August 4, 2020)
• ICT welcomes unprecedented joint statement by UN experts on China (June 26, 2020)
• UN human rights experts ask China to lift charges against Tibetan anti-corruption activist Anya Sengdra (May 19, 2020)
• Blow for global human rights system – China appointed to important UN human rights panel (April 6, 2020)
• UN human rights chief visit to China must include Tibet: ICT (February 27, 2020)
• ICT calls on China to allow Tibetans to learn in their mother tongue at UN Forum on Minorities (December 3, 2019)
• UN experts voice grave concerns about threats to Tibetans and Uyghurs from China’s “counter-terrorism” law (November 18, 2019)
• UN urged to ask China to cease demolition of Tibetan Buddhist institute (September 18, 2019)
• UN urged to pressure China over arbitrary detention of Tibetans (September 13, 2019)
• UN asked to focus on disappeared Tibetans, in particular the 11th Panchen Lama (September 11, 2019)
• Rights groups raise China’s systematic human rights violations in Tibet at UN Human Rights Council (July 3, 2019)
• China’s response to UN rights review blatantly ignores its persecution of Tibetans (March 14, 2019)
• UN Human Rights Council urged to pass resolution on China’s human rights violations (January 30, 2019)
• China’s false denials at UN human rights council must be challenged, ICT says (November 6, 2018)
• As China faces critical UN review, its appalling human rights record must not become the new normal (November 5, 2018)
• UN human rights expert on poverty criticizes policies on “ethnic minorities”, and government obstruction to meaningful access to civil society in China (May 4, 2017)
• Unprecedented diplomatic action in Geneva on China’s human rights record (March 17, 2016)
• Historic joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council condemns China’s human rights record (March 11, 2016)
• UN Urged to Ensure Freedom of Expression and Opinion in Tibet (June 22, 2015)
• UN Human Rights Council Side Event “Lockdown in Tibet” (June 8, 2015)
• ICT highlights Enforced Disappearances in Tibet at the 27th Human Rights Council Session (September 9, 2014)
• China fails to shut down scrutiny of its violations as UN Council adopts China rights report (March 21, 2014)
• China rejects most UPR recommendations on Tibet but agrees to High Commissioner’s visit to Tibet (March 17, 2014)
• ICT meets with the UN High Commissioner’s Office (February 27, 2014)
• ICT highlights Tibet’s lack of civil society on the eve of China’s rights review in Geneva (October 22, 2013)
• Statements on China and Tibet at 22nd Human Rights Council Session (April 22, 2013)
• UN Rights Commissioner makes strong first statement on Tibet (November 2, 2012)
• Europe, US, Canada raise Tibet at UN Human Rights Council; call on China to grant rights and access to outside observers (June 28, 2012)
• Governments confront China at UN Human Rights Council (March 14, 2012)
• UN Human Rights Council publishes written statement on discrimination in Tibet (February 28, 2012)
• ICT delivers UN statement on illegal killings by security forces in Tibet (June 5, 2008)
• Report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (January 15, 2008)