Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders to press China's President Xi Jinping on human rights and to prioritize action on climate change and economic justice at the upcoming summit in San Francisco.
HRW said that participating APEC countries should also reaffirm international human rights norms and institutions to confront worsening repression and instability around the world.
"The Chinese government is not going to change its conduct unless it faces sustained public pressure about its horrendous crimes in Xinjiang and Tibet, intensifying repression across China, and the dismantling of democracy in Hong Kong," said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Government leaders at APEC need to press President Xi both about domestic rights violations and China's efforts to undermine global human rights norms."
HRW also called on all government leaders at APEC to make or reaffirm commitments to phase out fossil fuels and end tropical deforestation ahead of the upcoming 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).
"APEC governments need to recognize that robust climate policies can't be realized without the meaningful participation of civil society, including those voices calling for the phaseout of fossil fuels," said Richard Pearshouse, environment director at Human Rights Watch.
In addition, HRW urged government leaders attending APEC to make meaningful commitments to protect and promote human rights and democratic rule across the Asia-Pacific region.
"Leaders of democratic governments attending APEC should publicly reaffirm support for rights-respecting rule," Pearson said. "They should recommit to the underlying core aims of healthy and resilient democratic systems, which are the rights and liberties of their citizens."
The APEC summit will take place on November 14-15, 2023, in San Francisco.
.Edited and collated by Team TRC