China joined other countries on Friday in calling for the elimination of inequalities in economic, social and cultural rights worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introducing a draft resolution on behalf of Bolivia, Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa and China at the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, China's permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva Chen Xu said the pandemic poses unprecedented challenges to the economic and social development of all nations, especially developing countries.

"It has further exacerbated existing inequalities within and among states, with the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, including the rights to health, food, education and work, seriously affected," he said, adding that the pandemic has again highlighted the importance of strengthening the work on these rights by multilateral institutions.

The resolution said it was important to strengthen international cooperation to promote and protect economic, social and cultural rights and address inequalities. It requested the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to convene a workshop to discuss practical ways of achieving the objective.

"We call on the Human Rights Council to hear the call of all countries, especially developing and least developed countries, and to respond to the aspiration of peoples of all countries, by helping people of all countries to better enjoy economic, social and cultural rights and addressing inequalities and building a better future in the recovery from the pandemic," Chen said.

"It is the common aspiration of people of all countries to eliminate the gap of inequality and to benefit from the outcome of development more directly and fairly, with the realization of all human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights." 

(With input from Xinhua)