Assessment Report on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010)

Updated: 2011-07-14 14:22

(Xinhua)

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(6) The right to participate

Citizens' right to participate has been effectively guaranteed. In March 2010 the National People's Congress adopted the decision to revise the Election Law to stipulate that deputies to the people's congresses should be elected in the same proportion to the populations of urban and rural areas. The revisions broadened the representativeness of the people's congresses, and improved the regulations concerning election organs and procedures, better demonstrating the equality among all people, regions and ethnic groups. In 2009 and 2010, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) filed over 10,000 proposals, of which over 90 percent have been replied to and handled. The CPPCC organized 15 inspection groups and 30 investigation groups, submitted inspection and investigation reports to the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and received 27,333 reports on social conditions and public opinions, and 75,119 petitions from the public. It also convened meetings among members of its Standing Committee to discuss political and government affairs, and hosted consultative symposiums, seminars and consultation meetings, actively making proposals for the social and economic development of the country.

The system of people's self-governance at grassroots level has been improved. In October 2010 the NPC Standing Committee passed the newly-revised Organic Law on the Villagers' Committees to enhance the level of villagers' self-governance and democratic management. So far, 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have published their own electoral measures for village committees, and eight provinces have formulated their rules on making village affairs more transparent; about 85 percent of the villages have set up the system of villagers' council or villagers' congress, and over 90 percent of the villages have established organs to supervise the transparency of village affairs. The state has promulgated the Opinions on Strengthening and Improving the Work of Building Urban Neighborhood Committees, which puts forth clear requirements for the further standardization of democratic neighborhood electoral procedures and the steady expansion of the coverage of direct elections of neighborhood committee members. In 2010 the election of urban neighborhood committee members was being practiced nationwide.

The transparency of enterprise affairs has been further enhanced to protect workers' rights and interests. In 2010 related state departments jointly issued the Opinions on Making Enterprise Affairs More Transparent and Practicing Democratic Management to reinforce guidance for work in this regard in the reorganization, restructuring, closedown and bankruptcy of state-owned enterprises. By the end of September 2010, among all enterprises and public institutions with trade unions, 2.113 million had established a separate system of making enterprise affairs public, an increase of 20.6 percent over the previous year, and 2.249 million have set up a separate system of workers' conferences, an increase of 22.3 percent over the previous year.

The state encourages mass organizations to participate in social management and public services to protect the people's legitimate rights and interests. By the end of 2010 the All-China Federation of Trade Unions participated in the formulation and revision of laws and regulations having a direct bearing on the rights and interests of workers and trade unions, including the Social Insurance Law and the Work-related Injury Insurance Regulations. It also actively pushed forward the revision of the Trade Union Law. The All-China Women's Federation made great efforts to promote women's representation in villagers' council and villagers' congress. Its active participation in the inspection of the enforcement of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women organized by the NPC Standing Committee gave impetus to the formulation and revision of the rules for the implementation of this law in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. Youth League committees at all levels carried out an activity under the title "Youth League Members Meeting with NPC Deputies and CPPCC Members," established the NPC Deputy Mentor Groups for Teenage Affairs and the Working Groups of Guardians of Rights and Interests of Teenagers, and held activities for the Youth League to listen to the opinions of its members, so as to represent and safeguard the rights and interests of teenagers.

The construction and management of social organizations have been strengthened to enhance their function in serving society. The revision of the Regulations on the Management of Foundations, Regulations on the Registration and Management of Social Organizations, and Interim Regulations on the Registration and Management of Private Non-enterprise Entities has been incorporated into the legislative work plan of the State Council. Social organizations raise over 10 billion yuan every year for poverty reduction and relief, and disaster relief and prevention. Social organizations, trade associations in particular, are playing an increasingly important role in regulating market order, developing industry self-discipline, establishing industry standards and mediating trade disputes. At present, China's over 60,000 trade associations keep in close contact with over 20 million members, including private industrial and commercial units; over 40,000 academic organizations keep in close contact with over five million experts and scholars; and special economic associations in the rural areas keep in close contact with over ten million households. Meanwhile, social organizations have provided over ten million full-time and part-time jobs.