China aims to undermine the rules-based international order by assuming control of the UN: Whistleblower
- In Reports
- 06:37 PM, Apr 17, 2024
- Myind Staff
Evidence provided by a UN whistleblower suggests that China is seeking to reshape the rules-based international order in accordance with its own priorities. The evidence indicates that Beijing has been attempting to take control of multilateral institutions like the UN.
It alleges that China has been influencing votes at the UN to suppress discussions on topics sensitive to its interests, and further alleges that it has bribed two General Assembly presidents.
Former Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly, a British citizen, has alleged in written evidence submitted to the foreign affairs committee—a panel of MPs scrutinising the foreign office—that Beijing is seeking to de-prioritise the rule of law, democracy, and human rights. The committee is conducting an inquiry into international relations in the multilateral system.
In her written testimony, Reilly reveals how Beijing influences the OHCHR to avoid addressing certain issues and "exerts significant pressure" on senior UN officials and staff to amend their reports by removing negative references to China.
She alleges that reports from both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) regarding the origins of Covid-19 were edited to downplay the possibility of a laboratory leak.
Furthermore, she claims that an Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) report on the treatment of Uyghurs underwent significant edits by the Chinese government. She also alleges that UN staff secretly provided China with the names of human rights activists intending to address the Human Rights Council regarding China's human rights abuses.
According to her, individuals identified in this manner subsequently had their family members in China targeted by Chinese authorities. They faced arbitrary arrest, house arrest, torture, disappearance, or detention in concentration camps.
She asserts that Beijing's consistent demands for meetings and apologies, even in response to mild criticism, have deterred relatively independent UN officials from publicly criticising China or raising human rights concerns privately. This situation, she claims, leads to a scenario where the UN's human rights and humanitarian agencies more frequently criticise democracies that allow dissent than they do autocratic regimes.
Reilly, dismissed for whistleblowing, alleges Beijing influences UN votes using development aid, aiming to suppress discussions on Xinjiang. She claims Beijing bribed two General Assembly presidents during SDG negotiations, shaping the final goals to align with China's agenda, excluding civil and political rights.
Recent years have seen China effectively securing leadership positions for its nationals in numerous UN departments, programmes, and agencies, surpassing other member states in senior management representation.
Evidence, including submissions from the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), suggests China is actively shaping the multilateral system to reflect a state-centric, authoritarian perspective and to staunchly shield itself from criticism.
Image source: Times of India
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