In May 2000 a peaceful transfer of power was accomplished for the first time in Chinese history when the Democratic Progressive Party's Chen Shui-bian took over as president of the Republic of China. In his inaugural address, he stressed that the country was founded based on respect for human rights. Then in October of that year he formally established an advisory committee on human rights chaired by Vice President Annette Lu.
千禧年五月，我國首度政權和平轉移，總統陳水扁就職演說中，特別提出執政黨「人權立國」的概念，並於當年十月正式成立「人權諮詢委員會」。