China had made progress in implementing a two-year action plan on human rights since it was published in April, said Wang Chen, director of the Information Office of the State Council, Thursday.

Wang made the remarks in a speech delivered at a meeting on the implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010), which was released by the Information Office of the State Council on April 13 this year.

"Based on the progress made, we are confident of realizing on time the goals set by the action plan," he said.

The action plan is China's first national plan on human rights, and serves as an initial policy on advancing China's human rights cause in a comprehensive way.

The plan set out targets to ensure people's rights, including the rights to employment, basic living necessities, social welfare, health care, education, cultural facilities, clean environment, judicial justice, religious freedom, expression of opinions, and the rights to know about, participate in and supervise political affairs.

For most of the targets and tasks, which were stipulated in the action plan and expected to be finished in two years, 50 percent, or even 65 percent for some, have been accomplished so far, Wang said.

The government had put people's rights to subsistence and development on top of its human rights protection cause, he said.

This year, the Chinese government has adopted major policies and measures to expand domestic demands, restructure economy, and promote economic growth and people's livelihood.

The government has coped with the international financial crisis in a proactive and prudent manner and has upheld people's rights to development, said Wang.

Various channels have been created to help farmers employed in non-farming sectors. Migrant workers' rights and interests were better championed.

Social insurance system has improved with all social insurance compensation being paid in time and in full, Wang said. The population covered by basic insurance has swelled.

Since this year, all the draft laws under deliberations by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the national legislature, have been posted on websites or other media in full text to solicit public opinions.

A national complaint reception center has been set up and efforts to building a national petition information system have been stepped up, Wang said. Collecting and disclosing information via the Internet has become more prevalent.

Efforts to amend the Criminal Law and the Law on State Compensation have been intensified, focusing on protecting citizens' rights, he said.

In the past year, the human rights of minority groups, women, children, senior citizens and the disabled had been further protected, he said. The State Council held the first national conference on minority cultures and promulgated regulations to promote development of minority cultures.

The central government had invested 1.24 billion yuan (US$182 million) in infrastructure and housing projects and other efforts to improve minority groups' living standards and incomes, he said.

Despite all the progress, Wang said some problems and defects in the implementation of the plan still existed.

"Some local governments and departments have not paid enough attention to the action plan, the awareness of human rights protection is not strong, and they have not actively included human rights protection into their own responsibilities," he said.

At the same time, Wang warned that the country's economy is still facing many difficulties due to the spreading of the international financial crisis.

"And the country's huge population, unbalanced development between different regions and incomplete social development will bring many new difficulties and challenges to the realization of all goals on time set by the action plan," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2009)