At the United Nations Human Rights Council, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer asked George Katrougalos, the Chair of UN human rights experts, why his report glorifies China while erasing its victims — and how he used Beijing’s $100,000 donation. Katrougalos and the Chinese regime failed to answer the questions, instead choosing to attack UN Watch. Read more here.
Debate Highlights:
George Katrougalos, Chair of UN Human Rights Experts: China, not the United States, is the leading trade partner of most of Latin America. The five principles of peaceful coexistence are traceable to China’s global governance initiative.
China: China commends the independent expert for his thematic report. China supports the independent expert in continuing to fulfill his important mandate.
Islamic Republic of Iran: We thank the independent and expert for their valuable report. The United States has become a major threat to international order.
Vice-President of the Human Rights Council: Now I give the floor to the representative of United Nations Watch.
Hillel Neuer: Mr. President, thank you for allowing us to pose several questions to the Expert.
Mr. Katrougalos, your report mentions China 33 times.
At page 9, you say China is a “central actor” defending international order; Xi Jinping is the “new guardian of global rules for free trade”; and Chinese discourse “closely aligns” with the UN Charter and “peaceful co-existence.”
At page 10, you recite numerous Chinese initiatives, that contribute, and I quote, “to the enjoyment of alll human rights.”
Mr. Katrougalos, we ask: if your report is truly about human rights, then where are China’s victims?
Where are the million Uyghurs subjected to mass detention, forced labour, and religious persecution?
Where are the Tibetans whose culture, language and religion Beijing systematically crushes?
Where are Hong Kong’s imprisoned democracy activists, such as 78-year-old Jimmy Lai?
Where are the human rights lawyers, journalists, dissidents, and religious minorities jailed across China?
Where is Beijing’s mass censorship? Its surveillance state? Its threats against Taiwan?
Mr. Katrougalos, one fifth of humanity are denied free elections, free speech and basic political rights.
Why does none of this appear in your account of China’s contribution to a “democratic and equitable” world order?
Now, you also chair the UN committee overseeing all human rights experts — and the UN disclosed that China chose to donate $100,000 to your mandate.
Why did Beijing choose you? What exactly did its money finance? Did it support this report? Who funded your two trips to China, mentioned on Page 2?
Will you acknowledge that such funding creates a conflict?
Will you commit today that all China’s money will be returned?
George Katrougalos: UN Watch organizes a smear campaign against the Special Procedures and the United Nations system as a whole. Denying the genocide while orchestrating a campaign of lies against the United Nations actually feeds the very venom of antisemitism. Thus, ironically, by result, UN Watch has become a champion of antisemitism.
China: Mr. President, this morning, certain NGO’s fabricated lies and maliciously smearing China’s economic cooperation with UN Special Procedures mandate holders, contributing over 20% of UN finances.
Why China’s goodwill has not been cherished but instead distorted and maligned? China has repeatedly reaffirmed that Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang, and Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs.
CHINA TAKES OVER U.N. RIGHTS BODY
We asked the chair of UN human rights experts:
Why did China give you $100,000?
Why did you cite China 33 times—yet ignore all its victims?Katrougalos called us “a champion of antisemitism.”
China lashed out: “We will brook no interference.” pic.twitter.com/3OBIndqqjO
— UN Watch (@UNWatch) September 28, 2026
