An international symposium on judicial concepts and practices for the protection of women's rights was held on Friday in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, co-hosted by UN Women and China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) to mark the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The event highlighted growing cooperation between the UN agency and China's top court in areas including women's rights protection and anti-domestic violence efforts. Organizers said the symposium aimed to encourage international exchanges on judicial practices, strengthen national capacities and promote greater accountability in safeguarding the rights and interests of women and girls.

Justice Wang Zhongming, vice president of the Supreme People's Court; Christine Arab, UN Women regional director for Asia and the Pacific; and Justice Wang Shujiang, president of the High People's Court of Sichuan Province, addressed the opening session. Chen Zhiyuan, president of the China Applied Jurisprudence Institute, chaired the meeting and delivered closing remarks.

Wang Zhongming noted that the symposium both commemorates the landmark Beijing Declaration and reflects the judiciary's commitment to advancing gender equality and protecting women's rights.

Ahead of the event, the SPC released the 2025 Guiding Case of Anti-Domestic Violence in China, featuring eight cases concluded in the past three years. The cases address issues such as the recognition of mental abuse, interdisciplinary expert testimony, coordinated "one-stop" support mechanisms and compensation for household labor for survivors. The SPC said the release underscores China's ongoing efforts toward "zero violence," in line with international standards under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Arab stressed that justice systems are "powerful levers for change," adding that UN Women stands ready to deepen cooperation with the SPC and other partners to advance the Beijing Platform for Action, CEDAW, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

During the symposium, experts and judges from China and abroad discussed three key areas: evidence rules in confirming domestic violence, the issuance and enforcement of personal safety protection orders, and support for judicial personnel working on anti-domestic violence cases. Participants highlighted the role of expert testimony, digital tools to improve procedural efficiency, and measures to protect the well-being of judicial workers.

More than 80 representatives attended the event, including delegates from China's top judicial bodies, local courts across 12 provinces and regions, UN Women, and scholars and judges from countries including the United States, Germany and Pakistan.