China's legislature yesterday ratified a key document expected to improve human rights, but placed reservations on the internationally accepted right to establish independent trade unions.
The UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights was passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the state news agency Xinhua said, a day after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mrs Mary Robinson ended a two-day visit.
Mrs Robinson had urged the Chinese parliament to ratify the covenant, without reservations on Article Eight of the treaty, which pertains to the establishment of free trade unions.
"The Chinese government will assume the obligations prescribed in Item I(a) of Article Eight of the convention in line with relevant provisions of China's constitution, trade union law and labour law," Xinhua said, quoting the legislature.
Ms Sophia Woodman, Asia director for the New York-based Human Rights In China organisation, welcomed the ratification, saying it would improve China's human rights situation, but was disappointed at Beijing's reservation on the trade union provisions.
China's trade union law explicitly states that there is only one legal trade union in China, the All China Federation of Trade Unions, she said.
"We are very disappointed that they haven't accepted this important right," Ms Woodman said. But she added that the document could play a "very significant" role in ensuring the Chinese government protects human rights.
"This provides the people of China with a tool to hold the government accountable for the protection of internationally recognised rights," she said.