Chinese diplomat calls on int'l community eliminate legacies of colonialism

Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations at Geneva, Chen Xu, on Wednesday urged the international community to make more efforts to eliminate the negative impact of legacies of colonialism, promote and protect human rights, and enhance international justice.

Speaking at the 48th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on behalf of a group of countries, Chen said that legacies of colonialism, in their multiple manifestations, are seriously impeding the enjoyment of such human rights as economic, social and cultural rights, the right to development, and civil and political rights.

He explained that legacies of colonialism include economic exploitation, inequality within and among States, systemic racism, violations of indigenous peoples' rights, contemporary form of slavery, armed conflicts, and damage to cultural heritage, and so on.

"We call on the Human Rights Council, the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights and relevant Special Procedures to pay continued attention to the negative impact of legacies of colonialism on the enjoyment of human rights," he noted.