Ma Zhaoxu, head of the Chinese Mission to the UN in Geneva, said countries should work together to build a "community of shared future for mankind" to promote international human rights. 

Ma was speaking at a seminar jointly sponsored by the China Society of Human Rights Studies and the Chinese Mission to the UN at Geneva.

The head of the Chinese Mission to UN at Geneva Ma Zhaoxu (R-2) attends the International Seminar on Human Rights and Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 14, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

"Building a community of shared future for all mankind will propel the development of a fair and just international governance system for human rights and promote this global cause," Ma said.

Ahead of the Seminar, Ma delivered a joint statement entitled "Join Hands to Reduce Poverty, Promote and Protect Human Rights" on behalf of more than 140 countries at the 35th Session of the Human Rights Council.

Poverty reduction

Poverty reduction is one of the key examples as China's human rights system continues to evolve. The number of citizens China has raised from poverty now accounts for 70 percent of the world's total.

Over the past 30 years, more than 700 million Chinese people have been raised from poverty, said a white paper published in 2016 by the State Council Information Office. 

China aims to lift at least 10 million people out of poverty every year over the next three years and completely eradicate poverty by 2020.

CGTN Graphic

Gender equality

A recent report by the United Nations Human Rights Council, highlighted progress made in China in attempting to eliminate discrimination against women. 

The council praised new legislation which prevents discrimination on grounds of ethnicity and gender when hiring. The report also said that prohibiting the dismissal of pregnant women and a clampdown on people trafficking – particularly women and children – were examples of progress made in the area of gender equality.

While the NGO Human Rights Watch said systemic gender discrimination still exists in China, its 2017 World Report highlighted a landmark case in which a Guangzhou court ruled in favor of a woman who sued two companies for discriminating against her in their hiring process. 

VCG Photo

The UN report also highlighted efforts China had made to make a greater number of public buildings accessible to disabled persons and praised new legislation which guarantees legal protection from exploitation and abuse to workers with disabilities. 

Since 2011, more than half of China's counties have implemented a program of nutrition improvement for rural students receiving compulsory education, with central government spending 67 billion yuan to benefit 33.6 million students in rural areas, according to a government white paper.

As of 2012, the government carried out a nutrition improvement program for children in poor areas, providing free nutrition packages to infants aged six to 24 months and popularizing knowledge on healthy feeding among guardians, the white paper said.

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