The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) is an independent agency of the
U.S. government which monitors human rights and rule of law developments in the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. It was created in October 2001 under Title III of H.R. 4444, which authorizes normal trade relations with the PRC, and establishes a framework for relations between the two countries.
[H.R. 4444, TITLE III--CONGRESSIONAL-EXECUTIVE COMMISSION ON THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA](_blank)
The commission was given the mandate by the
U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...
to monitor and report on human rights issues with a particular focus on compliance with the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a multilateral treaty that commits nations to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, fr ...
and the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, ...
. Its reporting covers developments in
freedom of expression
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recog ...
, the right to peaceful assembly,
religious freedom
Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
, freedom of movement, freedom from
arbitrary arrest and detention
Arbitrary arrest and arbitrary detention are the arrest or detention of an individual in a case in which there is no likelihood or evidence that they committed a crime against legal statute, or in which there has been no proper due process of l ...
or torture, and the
right to a fair trial, among others.
The commission publishes an annual report to the
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
and Congress, typically in the fall of each year. It also maintains a database of prisoners of conscience, holds regular roundtables and hearings, and issues letters to other institutions concerning human rights matters.
The commission comprises a staff of researchers and analysts, and is overseen by as many as nine members each from the
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
and
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, as well as senior executive branch officials. Chairmanship of the commission rotates between the majority parties from the House and Senate. The commission is currently chaired by
Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
Work
Annual report
The CECC publishes an annual report on human rights and rule of law development in China, usually in the fall of each year and covers issues such as freedom of expression, worker rights, religious freedom, ethnic minority rights, population planning, status of women, climate change and the environment, treatment of
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
n refugees, civil society, access to justice, and democratic governance. The reports draw on a variety of sources, including information from human rights groups, media reports, and official government or
Communist Party of China
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...
documents.
Prisoner database
As part of its mandate from Congress, the CECC maintains a partial database of religious and political prisoners believed to be detained in China. As of 2013, the database contained over 7,300 names. Over 1,300 of these are believed to be detained currently, while the remainder have been released, killed, or escaped. The database was created with the assistance of the
Dui Hua Foundation
The Dui Hua Foundation ( zh, s=中美对话基金会, t=中美對話基金會, p=Zhōngměi Duìhuà Jījīnhuì, l=China-America Dialogue Foundation), or Dui Hua, is a San Francisco-based nonprofit humanitarian organization that seeks clemency a ...
and
Tibet Information Network
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...
.
[Congressional-Executive Commission on China]
CECC political prisoner database
, accessed 11-13-11.
Commissioners
;Commissioners, 116th Congress
;Commissioners, 115th Congress
;Commissioners, 114th Congress
;Commissioners, 113th Congress
;Commissioners, 112th Congress
;Commissioners, 111th Congress
;Commissioners, 110th Congress
;Commissioners, 109th Congress
;Commissioners, 108th Congress
;Commissioners, 107th Congress
Historical leadership
See also
*
United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission
The United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission (informally, the US-China Commission, USCC) is an independent agency of the United States government. It was established on October 30, 2000, through the Floyd D. Spence National Defe ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Independent agencies of the United States government
Human rights organizations based in the United States
Human rights in China
United States national commissions
Foreign relations agencies of the United States
China–United States relations