BEIJING – China on Thursday released a new national human rights action plan at the opening of the 2026 Forum on Global Human Rights Governance, aiming to ensure the principal position of the people is respected and the people's fundamental interests are safeguarded.

The National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2026-2030) will also promote social fairness and justice and ensure that the fruits of modernization benefit all people fairly.

The action plan is divided into an introduction and eight chapters. It was jointly unveiled by the representatives of the members of the joint meeting mechanism for the national human rights action plan.

The Chinese government implemented its fourth human rights action plan between 2021 and 2025. With the effective implementation of its objectives and tasks, the country achieved remarkable progress in human rights protection, providing much-needed stability and certainty for global human rights development, the latest action plan says.

Public awareness of human rights

According to the action plan, China will further promote human rights education and public awareness.

China will incorporate education on the contemporary Chinese outlook on human rights into the national education system, apply digital and intelligent technologies, and explore new forms, channels and scenarios for human rights education, the action plan said.

The country will boost the development of human rights think tanks and research bases, and improve the staffing, funding, infrastructure and management of national human rights education and training bases.

Healthy development of emerging human rights

China will also comprehensively guide the healthy development of emerging human rights in the next five years, according to the plan.

It stresses creating a better digital and intelligent life, such as fully leveraging the role of digital and intelligent technologies and data as a factor of production in enriching people's lives and improving their wellbeing.

It emphasizes promoting corporate fulfillment of human rights responsibilities, for instance, improving the corporate social responsibility evaluation system in government procurement and providing necessary training and support for relevant enterprises.

Ethnic minority groups, women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities

In the next five years, China plans to guarantee the rights and interests of ethnic minority groups, women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, the action plan said.

It stresses the rights and interests of ethnic minority groups, such as promoting shared prosperity and development among all ethnic groups.

It also emphasizes women's rights and interests, calling for upholding the basic national policy of gender equality.

The rights and interests of children, the elderly, and people with disabilities are also underscored by the report.

Advancing rights development on all fronts

The report also showed China will comprehensively advance the protection of economic, social and cultural rights on all fronts in the next five years.

Stressing the right to an adequate standard of living through efforts such as continuing to consolidate and expand the achievements made in poverty eradication, the action plan highlighted the right to work, calling for pressing forward with the employment-first strategy and improving the quality of public employment services.

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Promoting global human rights governance

China has pledged to promote global human rights governance, the action plan said.

China will champion humanity's shared values, practice true multilateralism, and advocate for protecting human rights through security, promoting human rights through development, and advancing human rights through cooperation, to advance global human rights governance in a more just, fair, reasonable, and inclusive direction, according to the plan.

The plan also highlights China's resolve to take an active part in UN human rights affairs, conduct dialogue and exchanges on human rights with all parties on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and strengthen solidarity and cooperation with all countries, contributing to the overall progress of global human rights. 

Strengthening environmental rights protection

From 2026 to 2030, China plans to strengthen environmental rights protection, according to the action plan.

It stresses the right to improving modern eco-environmental governance systems by such means as applying the ecological and environmental code, strengthening eco-environmental information disclosure and public participation, and promoting simple, moderate, green, low-carbon and healthy lifestyles and consumer habits.

The report reiterates advancing the critical battle against pollution, including air, water resources, aquatic environments, aquatic ecosystems, soil and solid waste, noise and marine pollution.

Improving civil, political rights protection mechanisms

Meanwhile, China has pledged to further improve the mechanisms for protecting citizens' civil and political rights, said the action plan.

China will further refine the institutions, standards, and procedures for whole-process people's democracy, expand orderly public participation in political affairs, and guarantee that the people engage in democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight in accordance with the law.

The country will guarantee the people's extensive rights and freedoms as prescribed by law, strengthen legal protection of human rights, and ensure that the respect for and protection of human rights run through all aspects and the entire process of legislation, law enforcement, judicature, and law observance, according to the action plan.