A Chinese envoy to the UN Friday highlighted development in the realization of human rights and called for efforts for common development.
Liu Jieyi, China' s permanent representative to the UN, made the remarks at a general debate on human rights at the Third Committee of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly.
"The past seven decades have witnessed UN member states pulling together, all of one mind, to advance the international human rights cause, with marked progress," he said, adding that "unrelenting efforts" must be kept up to promote and protect all human rights and achieve development and dignity for all.
Liu stressed that respecting national sovereignty is a basic precondition for effective promotion and protection of human rights.
"The international community should respect the right of governments and peoples to choose their own development paths, reject any politicization of the human rights issue, and refrain from interference in the internal affairs of any country on the pretext of protecting human rights," he said.
The envoy also urged the international community to strive for common development.
"Development is both the foundation of peace and the sole route towards the realization of human rights. Only through development can people' s aspiration for a better life be fulfilled and human rights and human dignity truly safeguarded," he said.
Liu called on the international community to view the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a new starting point and fully respect the aspiration of the developing countries to realize the rights to subsistence and to development as a priority.
"Developed countries should show good faith and honor their commitments to help developing countries advance towards sustainable development," said Liu.
China has been actively supporting and participating in the international human rights cause in a spirit of equality and mutual trust, inclusiveness, experience sharing, and win-win cooperation, he said, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a package of major initiatives at the Summits marking the 70th anniversary of the United Nations.
"These initiatives highlight, once again, the fact that China is a driver of and contributor to the international human rights cause," said Liu.
China attaches great importance to safeguarding human rights. By consistently integrating the universal principles of human rights with the realities of China, we have explored and found a human rights development path tailored to our national conditions, he said.
With all-round improvement of its people' s living standards, China has achieved ahead of schedule the MDG (Millennium Development Goals) goal of halving the population living in poverty; provided employment for 770 million people; achieved universal coverage of nine-year compulsory education; and established the initial structure of the world' s largest universal medical insurance system and social security system.
"Currently, the Chinese people are working hard towards the two centenary goals, which will result in better safeguard of the Chinese people' s human rights and better all-round human development. That in turn will contribute further to the human rights cause of the world," Liu added.
