The formal title of the EU-China Human Rights Network is the “EU-China Network for the Ratification and Implementation of the UN Human Rights Covenants”. The overall aim of this cooperation project is to assist China in the process of bringing its laws into compliance with international standards, and advancing practical protection of the substantive rights guaranteed by the UN Covenants.

The Network is a partnership composed of 15 European universities - one in each EU member-state - and 15 Chinese universities led by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). The Irish Centre for Human Rights is responsible for coordinating and directing the Network, with a full-time project secretariat based at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Three other European institutions, Paris II, Milan and Essex, are co-partners and make up the remaining European members of the Steering Committee. On its side, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences leads the additional Chinese partners.

The Network is funded by the European Commission with the full co-operation of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will run for an initial period of two years, that is, until the end of 2003.

The Network is a partnership composed of 15 European universities - one in each EU member-state - and 15 Chinese universities led by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

Participating Institutions — Europe

1. Irish Centre for Human Rights, Galway (project leader)
       www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights
2. Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Vienna
       www.univie.ac.at/bim/eng/
3. SIM, Netherlands Institute of Human Rights, University of Utrecht
       www.law.uu.nl/english/sim/
4. Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights, Athens
       www.mfhr.gr/home/index.htm
5. Danish Centre for Human Rights, Copenhagen
       www.humanrights.dk
6. Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights, Lund
       www.rwi.lu.se
7. Human Rights Centre, University of Essex (co-partner)
       www2.essex.ac.uk/human_rights_centre
8. Institute for Human Rights, Abo Akademi University, Turku
       www.abo.fi/instut/imr
9. Francisco de Vitoria Institute of the Juan Carlos III University
       www.uc3m.es/uc3m/inst/FV/dpfv.html
10. Humboldt University, Berlin
11. University of Antwerp
12. Universite Pantheon-Assas Paris II (co-partner)
        www.u-paris2.fr
13. University of Milan (co-partner)
        www.unimi.it/ateneo/istit/giu/dirinter, www.unimi.it/engl
14. Faculty of Law, University of Lisbon
        www.fd.ul.pt
15. Centre Universitaire de Luxembourg
        www.cu.lu/lettres/index.html

Network objectives are primarily to be achieved through provision of academic expertise and technical assistance in a series of Working Groups (‘Network Seminars’) to be held alternately in Europe and China. Working Groups - through in-depth examination of international standards and Chinese experience - should ultimately result in very practical recommendations for revision of Chinese law.

There is also provision in the budget for development of training materials for use in China, hands-on training of relevant officials and professionals, as well as a series of exchanges and internships for Chinese students and professionals.

Eight priority themes for these activities were agreed with CASS and have been approved by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

1. Institutional Mechanisms for the Implementation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
2. Freedom of Association
3. Judicial Guarantees of Human Rights (fair trial, due process etc);
4. Transparency and Regulation of the Mass Media;
5. Right to Health (including Reproductive Health and Rights and the Environment);
6. Cultural Rights of Minority Peoples;
7. The ICCPR and domestic law;
8. Children’s Rights.

For a number of years the EU and China have held twice-yearly high-level political meetings on human rights; coupled with twice-yearly academic ‘Dialogue Seminars’ on human rights topics.

The Network now has responsibility for organisation of the Dialogue Seminars series on behalf of its co-hosts the European Commission, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency of the European Union. In terms of substance, the outcomes and recommendations of Network research and Seminars will also feed into the Dialogue Seminars, thus contributing to a more practical and concrete focus in the dialogue process.

In this way, it is hoped that the Network will contribute to the success of the Dialogue by ensuring a greater degree of continuity and institutional memory in the process, and by publishing the reports and findings of such events.

The information presented in this website is for information purposes only. The Network grants permission to users to download the information, documents and materials from the site for the user’s personal, non-commercial use, without any right to resell or redistribute them or to compile or create derivative works therefrom, subject also to more specific restrictions that may apply to specific material within this site. Use of this website constitutes agreement with these terms and conditions.

The EU-China Human Rights Network is funded by the European Commission. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in materials on this site do not necessarily represent the views of the European Commission.

The permanent Secretariat of the EU-China Human Rights Network is based at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Additional staff members are based at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing. Staff members welcome comments and queries at all times.

EU-China Human Rights Network
Irish Centre for Human Rights
National University of Ireland, Galway
Galway
Ireland.
Ph: +353-91-512336
Fax: +353-91-750575
Email: eu.china@nuigalway.ie