Volker Turk has been re-elected as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He will serve a second four-year term in the role. This outcome was supported by 144 nations, with China among the countries voting in favor. However, several governments had raised concerns about the process. During the past four years, the Chinese government has intensified its crackdowns, subjecting the families of activists to collective punishment, suppressing critics worldwide, and causing human rights defenders to die in custody.
Although Turk has made occasional criticisms of China’s human rights violations, these efforts have not led to significant changes in the government’s policies. In October 2022, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a major report accusing the Chinese government of crimes against humanity in its treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic communities. The report detailed allegations of mass arbitrary detention, torture, and forced family separations. Turk has expressed full agreement with the report’s conclusions.
Despite his alignment with the report, Turk has largely focused his efforts on diplomatic engagement with Chinese officials. He has engaged in talks with those responsible for the violations rather than directly confronting them. In the process, he has met rarely with victims and survivors of China’s abuses, an omission that stands out given the gravity of the situation.
A Re-election That Opens Few Doors
Turk cannot claim that his diplomatic approach with Beijing has produced meaningful results. Human rights conditions in China have continued to deteriorate. To make a difference in his second term, he must adopt a more assertive strategy. The next Human Rights Council session, set for September, presents a key opportunity. Turk should use this platform to explain his previous efforts on behalf of victims, describe why they failed, and propose new steps, such as updating the 2022 report, conducting interviews with witnesses, and making those findings public. These actions are entirely within his power and would prevent Chinese diplomats from claiming to have stifled U.N. scrutiny.
Turk wields considerable control over how he spends his time, but so far, he has dedicated much of it to the perpetrators of abuses rather than to the victims. He must begin to meet with survivors more frequently, both to listen to their testimonies and to demonstrate publicly that Beijing’s threats are no longer effective. These encounters are not only morally necessary but also strategically powerful, countering the fear-based tactics used by Chinese authorities.
Chinese diplomats have long issued warnings to officials and diplomats, urging them not to engage with critics of the Chinese government. These critics are often labeled anti-China or even “terrorists.” In many cases, these threats have been taken seriously, with officials and governments retreating from human rights defenders for fear of reprisal. This dynamic has only further weakened the voices of those who need to be heard the most.
Legal Pathways and Blue Washing
To counter Beijing’s actions effectively, Turk must develop a clear legal strategy to address the alleged crimes against humanity. He must also take on the concerns raised by U.N. human rights experts, who have been sounding the alarm for years. These experts have pointed to China’s failure to meet its international obligations and its attempts to manipulate human rights mechanisms. They have called for specific measures, including a special session of the Human Rights Council on China, the appointment of an independent expert on China, and greater scrutiny of China’s hostility toward U.N. human rights efforts.
Chinese officials have increasingly sought to “blue wash” their image through U.N. human rights processes. They insist that there are no human rights violations occurring within China, and they push back aggressively against scrutiny. Turk’s best response is to confront these claims directly and publicly, using detailed evidence and facts. He must ensure that U.N. human rights mechanisms remain effective and not co-opted by Beijing’s influence.
Beijing’s recent legal developments pose additional threats to the rights of marginalized groups. For example, the new “Ethnic Unity and Progress Law” contradicts China’s international obligations to combat discrimination. This law and others like it represent a further effort to undermine the cultural identities of groups such as Tibetans and Uyghurs, many of whom are already at risk of being subjected to state-led cultural erasure.