National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2016-2020)

(3) Freedom of religious belief

Rule of law shall be enhanced in addressing religious affairs, and the stipulation in the Constitution concerning freedom of religious belief shall be implemented.

? Amending the Regulations on Religious Affairs, regularizing in accordance with the law the conduct of the government in managing religious affairs, and protecting the lawful rights and interests of religious believers.

? Supporting the efforts of the religious circles for self-improvement to enhance their capabilities for self-regulation, self-discipline and self-management. Necessary support and assistance shall be provided for religious groups to hold activities.

? Encouraging religious circles to organize charity activities in accordance with the law.

? Making efforts to run the religious institutes well, improving the training of religious professionals, and improving the qualities of faculty and staff of the religious institutes.

? Halting investments in and commercial use of venues for religious activities, and prohibiting the "contracting" of Buddhist monasteries and Taoist temples.

? Improving organization and services for the Islamic Hajj.

? Actively engaging in religious exchanges with the outside world.

(4) Rights to know and to participate

Expanding the citizens' right to know through various channels and in various fields, and increasing the means and forms of their orderly participation in social governance.

? Further pressing forward with making public the lists of powers and responsibilities for easier supervision by the public. The people's governments at all levels and their subordinate departments shall make public their functions, responsibilities, powers, administrative procedures and means of accepting public supervision.

? Introducing the system of publicity for administrative law enforcement.

? Improving the construction of online administrative information data platform and public service platform, and promoting IT application to make governmental affairs more open and easier to access.

? Improving the information disclosure system for emergencies.

? Disclosing information about police, prison, adjudicative and procuratorial affairs. Information shall be released in time about the basis, procedures, processes and results of judicature and law enforcement in accordance with the law, and a system of unified online announcement and open inquiry shall be established for effective legal documents.

? Enlarging public involvement in legislation. Exploration shall be made for the establishment of a mechanism in which the state organs, social groups, specialists and scholars provide argument and consultation for the adjustment of major interests in the process of legislation, thus expanding the channels for the public's orderly participation in legislation, and improving the mechanisms of soliciting public opinion for the drafting of laws, regulations and provisions, and giving feedbacks to the public.

? Implementing the plan of doubling the number of people's jurors, expanding the channels and scope of their selection and appointment, and specifying their functions and powers.

? Improving the mechanism of having specially-invited procurators, and taking effective measures to ensure they perform their duties in accordance with the law and involve in the deliberation of procuratorial affairs.

? Improving the people's supervisor system. The selection, appointment and management of people's supervisors shall be improved, their rights be fully protected, and the channels be expanded for the public's orderly participation in judicial affairs.

? Ensuring public participation in judicial mediation and hearing, and addressing petition letters and visits in relation to legal proceedings.

? Bringing into play the positive role of citizens' code of conduct, village regulations and folk conventions, and statutes of trades and social groups in social governance, and advancing self-governance of society.

? Supporting social organizations to participate in the provision of social services. Efforts shall be made to develop social work service agencies and voluntary service associations, promote the separation of trade associations from administrative bodies, facilitate the orderly development of charity organizations, and improve the systems of registration and management of social organizations and of government buying services from them.

? Revising the Organic Law on Urban Residents' Committees, and accelerating the pace of formulating or amending supporting laws and regulations of the Organic Law on Villagers' Committees. Efforts shall be made to forge ahead with transparency of the work of urban residents' and villagers' committees, and encourage democratic participation by urban and rural residents.

? Improving the system of democratic management of enterprises and public institutions in the form of employees' congresses. Efforts shall be made to press forward with institutionalization and normalization of information disclosure in enterprises and public institutions, and ensure employees' right to know and to participate in democratic management.