The World Uyghur Congress claims to be a nonviolent and peaceful movement that opposes what it considers to be the Chinese occupation of East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and advocates rejection of totalitarianism, religious intolerance and terrorism as an instrument of policy.

[7] It has been designated as a terrorist organization by the government of the People's Republic of China since 2003 for conspiring with separatists and religious extremists to plan terror attacks.

[5][10][15] The East Turkistan Government in Exile claimed to be the "sole organ of the Eastern Turkestan Republic" just four months after the formation of the World Uyghur Congress, leading to immediate tensions between the two groups.

It is a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, and is based primarily in Munich, home to a large Uyghur diaspora.

[20] The WUC has accused former Chinese Communist Party chairman Mao Zedong of colonizing Xinjiang and reneging on promises to allow self-determination for the region.

[21] According to the WUC, its main aim is to "promote the right of the Uyghur people to use peaceful, nonviolent, and democratic means to determine the political future of East Turkestan."

[24] The Congress, like the Uyghur American Association based in Washington, D.C., use mass media and their own websites in an aim to inform the international community of human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.

Fair Trials, an organization working "for fair trials according to internationally recognized standards of justice" has noted that in practice, "INTERPOL's Red Notices are being used as political tools by NCBs, and are being issued and maintained on the basis of criminal cases which have been recognized as being politically-motivated by extradition courts and asylum authorities.

After enduring persecution from the Chinese government, Isa fled China in 1994 and sought asylum in Europe, and became a citizen of Germany in 2006.

Born in the city of Altay of China, Kadeer became a millionaire in the 1980s through her real estate holdings and ownership of a multinational conglomerate.

WUC delegates from the United States, Canada, the Great Britain, Australia, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan attended this assembly.

Held in conjunction with the meeting was a conference on the Uyghur conflict entitled: East Turkestan: 60 Years under Communist Chinese Rule, that took place on 18 and 19 May, prior to the Assembly.

During the rally, a representative delivered a letter to the Chinese government calling for an end to ongoing grave human rights abuses suffered by Uyghurs in their homeland.

The Assembly brought together over 140 WUC delegates from 18 countries to elect new representation, amend the charter of the organization and to discuss a forward-looking strategic advocacy plan over the next four years.

The public opening session brought together members of the Uyghur community with representatives of civil society in France as well as WUC affiliate organizations from around the world to highlight the successes of those groups as well potential areas for improvement.

In addition, the delegates recognized the unparalleled contributions of former president and long time Uyghur activist Rebiya Kadeer with an honorary role with the organization.

Demonstrations were held in 15 cities in 14 countries around the world, including: the US, Germany, Belgium, Norway, Turkey, Sweden, the UK, Netherlands, Australia, Canada, France, Finland and Japan.

[44] The government of the People's Republic of China has accused the World Uyghur Congress of fomenting unrest in Xinjiang, and added the WUC to its list of terrorist organizations in December 2003.