China faced an unprecedented challenge to its human rights violations in Tibet during its 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Review in January 2024, in what Tibet advocates hailed as a “landmark” session at the United Nations.

At least 20 UN Member States used China’s UPR in Geneva to raise uncompromising recommendations about the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet. The rise in governments raising Tibet has increased two-fold since China’s last UPR in 2018 and is up almost five-fold since China’s first UPR in 2009, signalling the severe worsening of the human rights situation on the ground, as China continues to deny independent UN human rights monitors access to the country.

Among governments’ recommendations to China were that it end the residential boarding school system in Tibet; to end forced labour and coercive labour transfer in Tibet; to grant the UN full and unfettered access to Tibet; to guarantee access to Tibetan language education [in every aspect of their schooling]; and to respect the rights to freedom of religion, or belief, opinion, and expression, peaceful assembly and culture in Tibet.

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