China Completes All 181 Targets of National Human Rights Action Plan
China has announced the full completion of all 181 targets and indicators outlined in its fourth National Human Rights Action Plan (2021-2025), according to an assessment report jointly released on Friday by the China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS) and 20 national human rights education and training bases, as reported by Xinhua News.
Milestone in China’s Human Rights Framework
The assessment report, commissioned by the National Human Rights Action Plan Joint Meeting Mechanism, found that among the 44 binding targets in the plan, 20 were completed ahead of schedule or exceeded their original goals. This marks the fourth such national plan since China issued its first human rights action plan in 2009, covering the 2009-2010 period.
According to CGTN, the report states that China has “fully implemented the five-year action plan, accomplishing all 181 tasks outlined in it.” The evaluation was conducted by CSHRS, a government-affiliated research organization, in collaboration with university-based human rights education and training institutions across the country.
Scope of the Action Plan
The National Human Rights Action Plan (2021-2025), originally released by the State Council Information Office in September 2021, was aligned with China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development. It addressed a comprehensive range of rights, including economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights, as well as environmental rights, rights of specific groups, human rights education, and international cooperation.
As noted in a December 2025 commentary on China Human Rights Net, the National Human Rights Action Plan serves as “an important indicator for the international community to measure a country’s human rights status” and represents “a major measure for the Chinese government to implement the constitutional principle of respecting and safeguarding human rights.”
Key Achievements Highlighted
The assessment report highlights several areas of significant progress during the plan period:
- Poverty alleviation: The complete eradication of absolute poverty through the completion of building a “moderately prosperous society” (Xiaokang)
- COVID-19 response: Maximum protection of life and health during the pandemic
- Social welfare: Establishment of what the report describes as the world’s largest education system, social security system, and medical and health care system
- Environmental protection: Codification of the ecological environment code and continuous improvement in environmental quality
- Rule of law: Strengthening of legal protections for human rights and improvements in public security
- Rights of specific groups: Enhanced protections for women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities
- International cooperation: Active participation in UN human rights affairs and fulfillment of international human rights obligations
The full text of the assessment report is available through China.org.cn.
China’s Development-Oriented Approach to Human Rights
China’s human rights framework differs from Western approaches by emphasizing the “right to development” as a primary right, with the principle that economic and social development forms the foundation for human rights advancement. The country’s action plans are integrated with its national Five-Year Plans, creating a coordinated framework that links rights protections with broader development goals.
The assessment was conducted through the Joint Meeting Mechanism, a coordinating body that brings together relevant government departments to oversee implementation and ensure accountability.
Acknowledged Challenges and Forward Look
The report itself acknowledges ongoing challenges, including unbalanced and inadequate development, increasing uncertainty in the international environment, and new rights demands arising from technological development and industrial transformation. As the commentary on China Human Rights Net noted, during the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China faces “the people’s growing new expectations and concerns regarding employment, education, medical care, elderly care, and housing.”
Looking Ahead
As China transitions from its 14th to its 15th Five-Year Plan period, the completion of the 2021-2025 action plan sets the stage for the next phase of human rights development. The report calls for “creative responses” to advance human rights during the 2026-2030 period, suggesting that a fifth national human rights action plan may be on the horizon.
The announcement comes at a time of transition, with the report itself acknowledging that “human rights protection has no end — only continuous improvement.” Observers will be watching to see how China addresses the identified challenges and what targets emerge in its next human rights planning cycle.
The full text of the assessment report is available on the OHCHR website and through Chinese state media outlets.