China's poverty reduction greatly promotes human rights protection: experts

(ECNS) -- China's contributions to the global human rights cause including its poverty reduction practices won applaud from foreign experts and officials during the Forum on Global Human Rights Governance held in Beijing on Wednesday.

Akmal Saidov, first deputy speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan and director of the National Human Rights Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan, believes that China has spared no efforts to promote and protect human rights and has made great achievements. China is playing an increasingly important role in the world, he said.

Aslan Abashidze, member of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, said China has contributed 70 percent to the global poverty reduction goal, and eliminated absolute poverty 10 years ahead of the poverty-eradication schedule set by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“It is not only a milestone in the history of the Chinese nation, but also in the history of mankind, too, making an important contribution to the course of the global poverty alleviation," he said.

Stephen Brawer, chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden, thought highly of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China. He believes that the BRI has great advantages for global development and cooperation.

"I'm convinced it is the pathway to peace as well as to true human rights and the proper sense of development, and the elimination of global poverty," he said.

Robert Lawrence Kuhn, founder of the Kuhn Foundation, also praised China’s targeted poverty alleviation plans. Kuhn has lived in China for more than 30 years and knows China well. He noted that China has customized plans for millions of impoverished families and conducted regular assessments to ensure they can be lifted out of poverty, which has impressed him.

Jointly hosted by China’s State Council Information Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the forum themed Equality, Cooperation and Development: The 30th Anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and Global Human Rights Governance.

With over 300 people from nearly 100 countries and international organizations including United Nations agencies participating, the forum will last two days.