The Forum on Global Human Rights Governance kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday, attracting over 300 participants from nearly 100 countries and international organizations. The forum is jointly hosted by the Information Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the China International Development Cooperation Agency.
The theme of the forum is “Equality, Cooperation and Development: The 30th Anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and Global Human Rights Governance.” The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action was adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993, which reaffirmed the universal nature of human rights and called for cooperation among states and civil society to promote and protect human rights.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum, in which he stressed that China stands for safeguarding human rights with security, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, calling on all countries to follow the path of peaceful development, and putting into action the Global Security Initiative.
Xi also said that China advocates for promoting human rights with development, putting into action the Global Development Initiative, and ensuring fair entitlement to human rights by people of all countries through modernization paths with their own characteristics. He added that China stands for advancing human rights with cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect and equality, putting into action the Global Civilization Initiative, and deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
Xi noted that putting the people above all else, China has pursued a human rights development path that follows the trend of the times and suits its national conditions, strengthening human rights protection in the course of advancing Chinese modernization.
He said that China is ready to work with the rest of the world to act on the principles enshrined in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, push for greater fairness, justice, reason, and inclusiveness in global human rights governance, and promote the development of a human community with a shared future.
The forum features keynote speeches, panel discussions, and roundtable dialogues.