A constant practitioner: How China contributes to global human rights governance

The 54th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in October adopted with consensus a draft resolution, submitted by China, Bolivia, Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa, Syria and Venezuela, on promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights within the context of addressing inequalities.

Emphasizing the impact of inequalities and discrimination on human rights, the resolution underscores the urgent need to alleviate extreme poverty to ensure the enjoyment of human rights and encourages international financial institutions to prioritize social spending and support developing countries.

The China-introduced resolution, co-sponsored by 80 countries in total and adopted without a vote, received widespread support from developing countries, which fully demonstrates that China is playing an increasingly important role in global human rights governance.

In the development process of the world human rights causes, China is not an outsider, but a constant practitioner.

China committed to global human rights governance

Over the years, China, based on its own human rights practices, has put forward a series of constructive proposals and initiatives, echoing the concerns of the international community and getting widespread recognition.

For instance, in response to challenges such as difficulties in improving the level of global human rights protection, human rights cooperation and protecting ESC rights during the post-pandemic recovery, China has repeatedly pushed the UNHRC to adopt resolutions on promoting of win-win cooperation in the field of human rights and the contribution of development to the enjoyment of all human rights.

Meanwhile, China has participated in working group meetings for the formulation of important human rights documents such as a series of treaties regarding forbidding torture, and protecting children's rights and the rights of people with disabilities, making important contributions to their drafting, revision and improvement.

Regarding human rights exchanges and cooperation, China has successively established human rights dialogue or consultation mechanisms with more than 20 countries and regional organizations, and held international conferences such as the Beijing Forum on Human Rights and the South-South Human Rights Forum, continuously expanding the circle of friends for international human rights cooperation.

All parties should promote exchanges and mutual learning to provide more options for the realization of human rights, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed on Tuesday when speaking at the international symposium commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

"We are ready to engage in exchanges and dialogue with other countries based on equality and respect, draw on each other's strengths, and work together to achieve the goals set out in the UDHR," Wang said.

Advancing human rights through development

Promoting development through cooperation, and human rights through development. This is China's path to jointly promoting the progress of global human rights.

Over the past decade, the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become a highly popular international public good, a global cooperation platform, and a path to happiness, aiding partner countries in promoting human rights protection and achieving a better life.

By fostering economic and social development through collaborative projects, the BRI has contributed to ensuring the right to subsistence worldwide by improving living conditions and healthcare, generating employment and boosting incomes.

Examples from Burundi, where Chinese agricultural technology experts have expanded rice cultivation to ensure ample food for local people, and Senegal, where a China-financed well-sinking project addresses the water needs of one-seventh of its population, showcase the commitment to tackling global issues of hunger and inadequate drinking water.

On poverty alleviation, projections from the World Bank indicate that, by 2030, the BRI is expected to help lift 7.6 million people in partner countries out of extreme poverty and 32 million people out of moderate poverty.

"From the perspective of global human rights governance, the BRI has played multiple roles," Muhammad Asif Noor, director of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies in Islamabad, told Xinhua News Agency. He said the BRI helps partner countries eliminate poverty and improve people's living conditions, and provides financial support for education so that people have better job prospects.

In the meantime, China has implemented more than 200 cooperation projects under the Global Development Initiative (GDI), and established a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund totaling $4 billion. Over 100 countries and international organizations have indicated their support for the GDI, and nearly 70 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI. China has also signed memorandums of understanding on cooperation with nearly 20 countries and international organizations in this regard.

As Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, said during a side event at the UN headquarters in October, the right to development is an inalienable and basic human right, calling on all sides to strengthen exchanges and cooperation for the advancement of global development and human rights causes.