In October 2020, a joint statement by 39 countries was read at the United Nations general assembly on human rights, which compare human rights abuses in Tibet to those in Xinjiang. The Associated Press states the countries ""criticized China's treatment of minority groups, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet"" and that ""The predominantly Western statement said its 39 signatories shared the concerns expressed by 50 independent U.N. human rights experts in an 'extraordinary letter' in June in which they urged the international community to 'take all appropriate measures' to monitor China and 'act collectively and decisively' to ensure its government respects human rights"."