One of the most far-reaching results of China's opening-up policies in recent decades has been its readiness to adopt international conventions and norms. Landmarks for UN cooperation in China and for the country's development since the 1980s have included ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention against Racial Discrimination, the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and follow up to key international conferences and summits such as the Beijing Conference on Women and the Internatinal Conference on Population and Development. In 2005 the Government of China ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in an effort to step up measures to improve public health and welfare.

The UN Country Team has a vital role to play in helping the Government to translate these commitments into laws, policy and action, as well as in introducing a rights-based approach to development. Building China's relationships with the global bodies responsible for these conventions and standards and strengthening monitoring and reporting are also important tasks. UN agencies actively promote China's adoption of more key global conventions.

The UN Country Team promotes good governance and strong rule of law. In 2001 China ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and in 1998 signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The UN Country Team is helping to enhance legal institutions in conformance with these Covenants so that they better protect the rights and interests of the poor and vulnerable, particularly in Western China. Anti-corruption legislation and new codes of conduct for officials are developed, with the support of the UN system, which aim to improve transparency in the civil service.

Among the new governance concepts that the UN Country Team promotes is greater public participation – ranging from participation by the public in the urban and rural areas to national policymaking. Citizens' voices are increasingly being heard in China, to the great benefit of transparency, equity and sustainable development. The UN system in China is helping build the institutions necessary to promote participation, and to create the conditions in which China's budding civil society organizations can flourish. In this way, everyone in China will have a say in setting the country's future course.