Fifty-six years ago today, on January 4, 1969 (November 16, 1968 in the lunar calendar), the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination entered into force. The full name of the Convention is the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 21, 1965, and submitted to all countries for signature, it entered into force on January 4, 1969. The full text consists of 25 articles. The Convention stipulates that racial discrimination shall be defined by any distinction, exclusion or restriction made to people on the basis of race, colour, descent or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing their enjoyment or exercise of human rights or fundamental freedoms in political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life. States Parties shall take measures to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. Promote understanding between races. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), composed of 18 experts, was established to monitor States parties' compliance with their obligations. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China adopted a decision on November 26, 1981, acceding to the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. However, it made reservations to Article 23 of the Convention. This article stipulates that in the event of a dispute between States parties, "it shall be submitted to the International Court of Justice for adjudication at the request of either party to the dispute." China declared that it would not be bound by this article.