This phase is the fourth phase of the Exchange Programme between Chinese and Swiss legal practitioners, which started in 1996.
The main aim of the present phase is to reach a sustainable deeper and mutual understanding in the subjects of minority rights and religious freedom. Institutional learning in the framework of a rights-based approach shall ultimately lead to contributions to the reform process in China and the implementation of international standards concerning minorities and religious freedom.
This programme fits into the scope of Switzerland's efforts in the field of human rights promotion in China. It represents an operational contribution to the activities undertaken at the political level in the context of the human rights dialogue conducted by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and SDC in China.
The programme focuses on minority rights and religious freedoms and shall result in: 1) more in depth insights and understanding on both sides of rights based minority and religious freedoms policies, 2) further reflections in China and Switzerland about Chinese minority policies against the background of foreign experiences and debate on international legal standards for minority rights and religious freedoms, in a sustainable academic exchange and co-operation between Switzerland and China that shall contribute to the related human rights reform processes in China. Ultimately it should lead to a better implementation of international standards concerning minorities and religious freedom.
The main activities are: 1) An international conference and workshops organized with different Chinese partners, 2) Research stay of Chinese scholars in the IFF, 3) A research stay of a young Swiss scholar in the CASS Institute of Law (topic: Linguistic Rights of Minorities in China and Switzerland – Comparative Legal Analysis; expected con-financing by CASS and Swiss National Fund, 4) Lectures by invitation of Swiss scholars during their stay in Beijing.
Other small activities ad hoc suggested by Chinese partners will be carried out, such as suggestion on major related topics (federalism, decentralization, gender issue and environmental text-books and other scholarship works on minority rights, religious freedoms and rights)
An Agreement between IFF and CASS Institute of Law has been signed to organise in Beijing in the first half of 2008 an International Conference on Theories and Practices on ICCPR with a special focus on the rights of ethnic minorities, vulnerable groups, and other related issues.
Other subprojects have been identified with the various Chinese partners and concentrate on the thematic issues of federalism and human rights, minorities and environmental protection of water resources using in rural North China.
The total costs for the implementation of the programme amount to 972'000 Swiss Francs. The Institute of Federalism (IFF) is the implementing agency of the programme. The main partner on the Chinese side is the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences CASS, Institute of Law (major partner, the only one having a think-tank status in China)
