Title: Condemning the United Nations decision to appoint China a seat on its Human Rights Council.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution condemns the United Nations decision to appoint China a seat on its Human Rights Council and demands serious human rights reform.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 919 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 919

 Condemning the United Nations decision to appoint China a seat on its 
                         Human Rights Council.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 10, 2020

 Mr. Steube submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the United Nations decision to appoint China a seat on its 
                         Human Rights Council.

Whereas, on April 1, 2020, China was appointed to a United Nations Human Rights 
        Council panel;
Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has been criticized for 
        being influenced by countries widely perceived as having poor human 
        rights records;
Whereas China rejected recommendations made by the Human Rights Council related 
        to human rights activists, extrajudicial detention, freedom of belief, 
        freedom of expression, and the rights of ethnic minorities;
Whereas some countries called on China to ensure greater protections of the 
        rights of ethnic minorities;
Whereas China violated basic privacy rights by spying on its own people;
Whereas during the COVID-19 outbreak, China further suppressed religion in the 
        country by destroying places of worship or placing them under heavy 
        surveillance;
Whereas in 2018, the United States left the Council;
Whereas in 2018, the Department of State released its Country Reports on Human 
        Rights Practices, highlighting China for engaging in some of the worst 
        human rights violations;
Whereas former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called 
        the Council ``a protector of human rights abusers, and a cesspool of 
        political bias'';
Whereas former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley 
        tweeted that ``China was appointed on Wednesday to a UN Human Rights 
        Council panel where it will play a key role in picking the world body's 
        human rights investigators--including global monitors on freedom of 
        speech, health, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detention. You 
        can't make this up!'';
Whereas United States Government senior officials have expressed concerns about 
        the completeness and timeliness of information China is reporting on 
        COVID-19; and
Whereas China's failure to be transparent with global leaders about the outbreak 
        has cost thousands of lives: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the United Nations decision to appoint China a 
        seat on its Human Rights Council;
            (2) demands serious reform if the United States is going to 
        remain in the United Nations and provide funding to countries 
        that ignore basic human rights; and
            (3) holds China and the United Nations accountable for 
        human rights violations.
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