China attempted to obstruct a UN Human Rights Council tribute to Cao Shunli, a dissident who died after detention en route to the council a decade ago. Despite objections from China and allies, NGOs like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch defended their right to speak. The EU, US, Canada, and Britain supported NGO expression. China’s protest, echoed from a decade ago, was eventually overruled. UN experts reiterated calls for a fair investigation into Cao’s death and urged China to allow its citizens to engage safely with the UN.