International Human Rights Conventions in China——An interview with Research Fellow Mo Jihong of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

On the advent of the ＂International Human Rights Day＂ on Dec. 10, 2007, our staff reporter Interviewed Research Fellow Mo Jihong of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on how the international human rights conventions are implemented in China. Born in May 1965, Mo Jihong is a native of Jingjiang, Jiangsu Province. He is a research fellow at the Law Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social sciences and a tutor for Ph.D candidates in the International Human Rights Law. He also serves as an executive member of the Society for International Constitution Studies and vice-president of the Constitution Chapter of the China Society of Law. He was a visiting scholar at the Human Rights Institute of Norway, and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. His principal works include International Human Rights Convention and China （2005）, Principles of Constitutional Sciences in Practice （2007） and In Defense of Legislation （2007）. He was elected as one of the ten most outstanding young jurists in China. The following is the full text of the interview：

The Constitutional Analysis of Human Rights Legislative Protection

The paths for applying the international human rights conventions in China should be recognized as follows: On the premise of respecting the Constitution of China, systematic human rights which could coordinate the relationship between the Constitution of China and international human rights conventions. The source of the human rights legislation obligations of the legislative organs of China is the Constitution of China, not the international human rights conventions. The legislature should understand and grasp the main contents of the human rights legislation obligations of the legislature according to Paragraph 3 of Article 33 of the Constitution while the interpretation of this clause must be based on the relevant provisions of the international human rights conventions. Human rights legislative obligations of the legislature can be classified into two types: legislative protecting obligations and legislative relief obligations of human rights. The NPC and its Standing Committee should be structurally responsible for the human rights legislation obligation, and the State Council and other organs of the State not for the legislation protection of human rights. A special human rights law should be enacted by the NPC.

The Development of Legal Protection of Women's Human Rights in China

The legal confirmation process of women’s human rights has been undergoing great difficulties both in the United Nations and among nations. The Fourth World Conference on Women plays a role in promoting the legal protection of women’s human rights. Currently, the protection of women’s human rights has undoubtedly become the consensus of both international and domestic law. International conventions on human rights have become an important launching area for promoting international law on women’s human rights, owing to its legal binding force and supervising mechanism established under it. Domestic law has also become the first line of defense for protecting women’s human rights. However, it needs to be pointed out that, for international conventions on human rights and domestic legislation, the cognition and acceptance of social gender conception has not only promoted changes on forms, but, more importantly, on revolution at substantial level.