A group of Chinese human rights scholars on Wednesday elaborated the idea of a community of shared future for mankind in the context of human rights governance, saying interpretation of human rights ideas cannot be taken out of their cultural contexts.
Speaking during a side event at the ongoing 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Chinese scholars highlighted that the protection and guarantee of human rights do not mean sharing burdens, but sharing responsibilities.
The side event, which was jointly organized by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations at Geneva, centered around the theme of "Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind: a New Approach to Global Human Rights Governance."
During the event, the Chinese experts, from various universities and research centers, also discussed such topics as human rights challenges faced by the community of a shared future, diversified approaches to human rights, the protection of human rights in the process of building a community of shared future, China's contribution to global human rights governance, China's stance on and practice in religion, and the common pursuit of all members of the community of a shared future.
About 50 people from over 20 countries attended the side event, including representatives from other NGOs, members of government delegations and journalists.
The ongoing 34th Session of the UN Human Rights Council is being held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from Feb. 27 to March 24, 2017.
Earlier on March 1, Ma Zhaoxu, head of the Chinese mission to the United Nations at Geneva, delivered a joint statement on behalf of a cross-regional group of 140 countries during a high-level meeting of the session, stressing that in order to promote and protect human rights, all countries should join hands to build a community of a shared future for mankind, and to work together for the realization of peace, development and win-win cooperation for all.
The senior Chinese diplomat said in the statement that politicization of the human rights agenda should be avoided, and countries should be committed to multilateralism, not unilateralism, in addressing global challenges.
"All countries should work together like passengers in the same boat," he said.
