UN High Commissioner Urges Repeal of China’s Ethnic Unity Law

At the 62nd United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that China’s newly adopted Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress could deepen restrictions on minorities in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Tibet. The law, passed by China’s National People’s Congress in March 2026 and set to take effect on 1 July 2026, is said to limit freedoms of language, education, religion, cultural expression, speech and peaceful assembly.

Türk called on Chinese authorities to repeal the legislation, stressing that its broadly worded provisions risk penalising peaceful exercise of minority rights. His concerns echo those of UN experts and human‑rights groups, while the Chinese government argues the law promotes social stability and national cohesion. A representative of the Dalai Lama welcomed the intervention, noting the law’s potential impact on Tibetan communities abroad.