Beijing, March 19: The 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council featured a general debate on human rights issues. During this session, Chinese delegation’s Deputy Head, Li Xiaomei, emphasized that March 15 marks the 20th anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s resolution establishing the Human Rights Council.
Li noted that multilateralism and global human rights efforts are currently facing unprecedented challenges. She pointed out that regional circumstances are profoundly impacting world peace and security, leading to human rights violations and humanitarian crises.
In her address, Li expressed concern over the increasing politicization and instrumentalization of human rights, as well as the rising trend of double standards. She highlighted that the various review and inspection mechanisms of the Human Rights Council primarily target developing countries, which incur millions of dollars in costs, while insufficient attention is given to the genuine human rights issues that require honest monitoring.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Human Rights Council’s establishment, she urged all parties to reconsider the fundamental objectives of promoting and protecting human rights. It is essential to foster dialogue and cooperation based on equality and mutual respect to make a solid and meaningful contribution to advancing global human rights efforts.
Additionally, during the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Chinese NGO Network for International Exchange (CNI) organized a side meeting on March 17 in collaboration with the Permanent Mission in Geneva to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development. The theme of the meeting was “Addressing Human Rights Challenges through Scientific Solutions.”
Approximately 100 representatives and experts from China and various countries engaged in in-depth discussions on broad and contemporary topics. Key issues included ensuring the right to development through digital technology, addressing global challenges such as climate change, public health crises, and the digital divide, and the role of NGOs in these areas.
Li Xiaomei reiterated that China places great importance on promoting and ensuring the right to development. She called for collaboration among countries based on the principles of justice and genuine multilateralism to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
Other representatives at the meeting praised China’s creative and proactive role in strengthening cooperation within the multilateral framework and promoting technological innovation.