China’s contribution to human rights promotion hailed at Beijing forum

▶ Unilateralism, sanctions by West ‘ challenge global governance’

The Beijing Forum on Human Rights was held on Tuesday with about 200 attendees from nearly 70 countries around the globe and international organizations meeting to discuss issues that affect global human rights, including the COVID- 19 pandemic, the Ukraine crisis, as well as the unilateral sanctions launched by the West which brought great concerns worldwide. Political leaders, scholars and representatives from the UN praised China’s contribution to promoting human rights.

Padma Choling, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and president of China Society for Human Rights Studies, said at the opening that the world is entering a new period of turbulence and countries around the world need to work together to improve global governance for human rights and to have consensus on how to develop human rights.

Danilo Türk, former president of Slovenia, said via video link that “The need for global cooperation has never been as urgent as it is today. The cause of human rights will be served best when global cooperation is improved – and when the currently prevailing geopolitical and ideological tensions are reduced.”

Alena Douhan of Belarus, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Negative Impact of Unilateral Coercive Measures on the Enjoyment of Human Rights, raised concerns over the unilateral sanctions launched by the West. She said “Unilateral sanctions shall still be viewed as a common and easy to use political tool. It’s not at all of good guides against bad ones. A legality and humanitarian impact assessment shall be done before any measure is taken by any state used in precautionary approach.”

Attendees praised China’s contribution toward improving the human rights internally and globally. Tahir Farooq, editor- in- chief of the Daily Ittehad of Pakistan, said that “Over the past four decades since the launch of reform and opening- up, China has lifted over 700 million people out of poverty, accounting for over 70 percent of poverty reduction worldwide.”

“This makes China the largest contributor to the global effort of poverty eradication. China has created jobs for 770 million people, and has established the world’s largest education, social insurance and primarylevel democratic election systems,” Farooq noted.

Bhofal Chambers, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Liberia, praised China’s efforts to solve human rights problems, including aid to help other countries promote women and children’s rights, as well as UN peacekeeping missions. He said China is a great power to promote global human rights.

“China has created jobs for 770 million people, and has established the world’s largest education, social insurance and primary- level democratic election systems.”