Chinese and foreign guests exchanged experiences on promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights

　　China News Service, Geneva, January 24. The theme side event of the fourth round of the National Human Rights Review Working Group of the United Nations Human Rights Council was held in Geneva on the 22nd.

Guests at the meeting exchanged experiences on promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights, the practice of the right to development, and the human rights economy.

　　The theme of the side event is "Putting Development at the Center of the Agenda: Guaranteeing Economic, Social and Cultural Rights." The meeting was co-organized by the Permanent Mission of China in Geneva, the YouChannel Entrepreneurs Rural Development Foundation and the China Association for the Promotion of International Exchanges of Non-Governmental Organizations.

On January 22, local time, the scene of the themed side event "Putting Development at the Center of the Agenda: Safeguarding Economic, Social and Cultural Rights" of the fourth round of the Working Group on National Human Rights Reviews of the United Nations Human Rights Council, filmed in Geneva, Switzerland.

Photo by China News Service reporter Ma Xiuxiu

　　Shi Qi, Minister-Counselor of the Permanent Mission of China in Geneva, said that China calls on all parties to reach consensus around economic, social and cultural rights, strengthen international cooperation, promote economic, social and cultural rights through capacity building, and oppose the politicization of human rights issues.

China is committed to following a human rights path that suits its national conditions and has made remarkable achievements in protecting economic, social and cultural rights.

The 54th session of the Human Rights Council unanimously adopted a China-sponsored resolution on promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights, becoming the first China-sponsored initiative adopted by consensus at the Human Rights Council.

China is willing to take this opportunity to actively participate in multilateral human rights mechanisms such as the Human Rights Council, and work with the international community to promote global human rights governance in a more fair, just, reasonable and inclusive direction.

　　Haider Ali Ahmed, the Permanent Representative of Syria in Geneva, pointed out that China has made remarkable achievements in the field of human rights protection. The Chinese government insists on being people-centered, insisting on doing everything for the people and relying on the people, and has achieved lasting and effective results.

China has vigorously developed education in Xinjiang, improved local medical standards, and effectively protected the economic, social and cultural rights of local people, which is completely different from what Western countries have attacked and smeared.

　　De Zayas, a former independent expert on democratic and equitable international order at the United Nations Human Rights Council, criticized some Western media for launching an information war.

He pointed out that these media not only spread false news, but also spread "false history." They discredit specific countries, create conflicts, and make international cooperation more difficult.

　　When talking about the double standards adopted by the West on human rights issues, Situ Bo (English name: Stackelberg), chairman of the Great Love Foundation in Geneva, said that human rights and its basic principles should be one of the key forces that unite mankind. But it has increasingly become an ideological tool used by Western countries to suppress developing countries.

　　Liang Xiaohui, chief researcher of the Social Responsibility Office of the China National Textile and Apparel Federation, said that in policy legislation and international economic and trade cooperation, the Chinese government has made important progress in implementing its obligations to protect human rights, and the latest practices of Chinese industries and enterprises in fulfilling their responsibility to respect human rights have also made great progress.

　　Zhao Weili, deputy secretary-general of the International Exchange and Cooperation and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Expert Committee of the 26th Council of the Chinese Medical Association, said that she went to Xinjiang for investigation in August 2023 and found that Xinjiang’s health industry is developing rapidly, and local governments, medical institutions and medical staff are developing rapidly. Great progress has been made in promoting the implementation of medical policies to benefit the people and achieving universal health coverage advocated by Healthy China and the World Health Organization.

　　Qiu Zeren, director of the China Association for Foreign Exchange of Ethnic Minorities, said that the excellent traditional ethnic culture with Tibetan as the carrier has been inherited and carried forward in Tibetan education.

The development of Tibetan traditional festivals and folk activities has been protected and is increasingly becoming an important tourism brand event, driving Tibet's economic development.

　　Wang Feifei, project director of the International Cooperation Department of the China Family Planning Association, said that the Chinese government has guided Chinese social organizations to actively carry out education, publicity, service projects and activities in the fields of adolescent health protection and youth development, and has achieved fruitful results.

　　Permanent missions of Cuba, Belarus, Vietnam, Burundi, Azerbaijan, Dominica and other countries in Geneva sent representatives to attend the side event and conduct exchanges.

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