Title: Calling for the Secretary of State to direct that the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva and the United States Permanent Representative to the Human Rights Council sponsor the strongest possible resolution by September 28, 2022 to ensure that the United Nations Human Rights Council takes up the findings of United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in its "Assessment of human rights concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China," and for other actions.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution expresses the sense that the Secretary of State should direct specified U.S. representatives to the United Nations to sponsor the strongest possible resolution to ensure that the U.N. Human Rights Council acts on the findings in the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report on human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1393 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1393

  Calling for the Secretary of State to direct that the United States 
Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International 
Organizations in Geneva and the United States Permanent Representative 
 to the Human Rights Council sponsor the strongest possible resolution 
 by September 28, 2022, to ensure that the United Nations Human Rights 
  Council takes up the findings of United Nations Office of the High 
   Commissioner for Human Rights in its ``Assessment of human rights 
concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of 
                    China,'' and for other actions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 22, 2022

  Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Suozzi) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Calling for the Secretary of State to direct that the United States 
Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International 
Organizations in Geneva and the United States Permanent Representative 
 to the Human Rights Council sponsor the strongest possible resolution 
 by September 28, 2022, to ensure that the United Nations Human Rights 
  Council takes up the findings of United Nations Office of the High 
   Commissioner for Human Rights in its ``Assessment of human rights 
concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of 
                    China,'' and for other actions.

Whereas, on August 31, 2022, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner 
        for Human Rights published an ``Assessment of human rights concerns in 
        the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China,'' 
        also known informally as the ``Bachelet Report'' (``OHCHR Report'');
Whereas the OHCHR Report concluded that the Government of the People's Republic 
        of China (``PRC''), had committed serious human rights violations, 
        including likely ``crimes against humanity,'' directed against Uyghurs, 
        Kazaks and other predominantly Muslim Central Asian people in the 
        Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (``XUAR'');
Whereas the OHCHR Report further concluded that the PRC's implementation of 
        counter-terrorism and counter-extremism strategies ``has led to 
        interlocking patterns of severe and undue restrictions on a wide range 
        of human rights,'' that there has been ``large-scale arbitrary 
        deprivation of liberty of members of Uyghur and other predominantly 
        Muslim communities in XUAR,'' that there have been ``credible'' 
        allegations of ``patterns of torture or ill-treatment, including forced 
        medical treatment and adverse conditions of detention'' and ``undue 
        restrictions of religious identity and expression,'' as well as 
        ``coercive and discriminatory enforcement of family planning and birth 
        control policies,'' and that ``the extent of arbitrary and 
        discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly 
        Muslim groups, pursuant to law and policy . . . may constitute 
        international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity'';
Whereas the OHCHR Report recommends that the PRC Government ``ensure that all 
        laws and policies are brought into compliance with international human 
        rights law and to promptly investigate any allegations of human rights 
        violations, to ensure accountability for perpetrators and to provide 
        redress to victims,'' including the release of individuals ``who are 
        arbitrarily deprived of their liberty'';
Whereas the OHCHR Report further concludes that the ``human rights situation in 
        XUAR also requires urgent attention by the Government, the United 
        Nations intergovernmental bodies and human rights system, as well as the 
        international community more broadly'';
Whereas the Government of the PRC has engaged in an extensive campaign to first 
        shape and then, subsequent to publication, minimize the impact of the 
        OHCHR Report, including issuing demarches to Human Rights Council 
        (``HRC'') Member States not to support the creation of a Commission of 
        Inquiry to investigate the issues contained in the OHCHR Report and to 
        recommend accountability measures;
Whereas when the United States rejoined the HRC in October 2021, President 
        Joseph R. Biden pledged that the United States would be a ``constructive 
        voice'' at the Council and Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised to 
        ``work hard to ensure that the Council better supports those fighting 
        against injustice and tyranny'';
Whereas U.S. leadership is needed to place the OHCHR Report on the HRC agenda, 
        and to rally other countries to vote in favor of the creation of a 
        Commission of Inquiry;
Whereas likeminded countries such as Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands 
        and the United Kingdom have already denounced the PRC in response to 
        previous reporting of atrocities in the XUAR contained in the Xinjiang 
        Police Files compiled by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, 
        and thus would likely support a U.S. resolution, and Germany in 
        particular has committed to placing stronger emphasis on human rights 
        with regard to the PRC;
Whereas the deadline to file a resolution to ensure that the HRC takes up the 
        findings of OHCHR Report on human rights violations in XUAR during the 
        current HRC session is September 28, 2022: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) Secretary of State Antony Blinken should direct U.S. 
        Permanent Representative to the UN and other International 
        Organizations in Geneva Bathsheba Nell Crocker and U.S. 
        Permanent Representative to the Human Rights Council Michele 
        Taylor to sponsor the strongest possible resolution to ensure 
        that the United Nations Human Rights Council takes up the 
        findings of OHCHR Report on human rights violations in XUAR, 
        including the finding that there is evidence that the PRC has 
        likely committed crimes against humanity;
            (2) the United States shall deploy the necessary diplomatic 
        resources to ensure the success of the resolution; and
            (3) the Human Rights Council should establish a Commission 
        of Inquiry to investigate the issues raised by the OHCHR Report 
        and recommend accountability measures.
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