- China was up for a Universal Periodic Review with the U.N. Human Rights Council, in which other member countries analyzed its actions abroad and provided recommendations to improve.
- Some of the most popular concerns were connected to the environmental and social conflicts affecting Latin America, including violence against activists, rushed impact studies and weak oversight of projects ranging from dams and highways to mines and bridges.
- China accepted a record ten out of 11 recommendations, giving hope to some that the country will change how it handles future projects in the region. But some critics are concerned that the country won’t keep its word.
It’s been a little over a decade since China launched its Belt and Road Initiative, a global program to improve relations with Latin America and other developing regions through trillions of dollars in investment in infrastructure and energy projects. But China hasn’t always carried out those projects in a responsible way, sparking outcry about their environmental impact and human rights violations, especially against Indigenous communities.
Recently, China was up for a Universal Periodic Review with the U.N. Human Rights Council, in which other member countries analyzed its actions abroad and provided recommendations to improve. Some of the most popular concerns have been emblematic of the environmental and social conflicts affecting Latin America, including violence against activists, rushed impact studies and weak oversight of projects ranging from dams and highways to mines and bridges.
China accepted a record ten out of 11 recommendations, giving hope to some that the country will change how it handles future projects in the region.
“China’s recognition of these problems is a crucial step towards accountability and transparency,” Paulina Garzón, director of Latin America Sustentable, said in a statement.
More than 200 civil society groups participated in the process, including a consortium from Latin America called the Collective on Chinese Financing and Investment, Human Rights and Environment (CICDHA), made up of groups from across the continent.
i think its good China said its willing to help more in latin america in areas like enviroment and social conflicts, their big push for solar energy shows they care about green policy
