GENEVA, Jan. 24 — A side event themed on the fourth round of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) working group meeting of the UN Human Rights Council was held in Geneva on January 22. Participants exchanged experience on promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights, the practice of the right to development, and the human rights economy.

The side event, themed "Putting Development at the Center of the Agenda: Safeguarding Economic, Social and Cultural Rights," was co-hosted by China's Permanent Mission to the UN Office at Geneva, the YouChange Entrepreneurial Rural Development Foundation, and the China NGO Network for International Exchanges.

Photo taken on January 22 local time in Geneva, Switzerland, shows the venue of the side event "Putting Development at the Center of the Agenda: Safeguarding Economic, Social and Cultural Rights" held during the fourth round of the Universal Periodic Review working group meeting of the UN Human Rights Council. (Photo by Ma Xiuxiu, China News Service)

Shi Qi, minister-counselor of China's Permanent Mission to the UN Office at Geneva, said China calls on all parties to build consensus on economic, social and cultural rights, strengthen international cooperation, promote these rights through capacity building and other means, and oppose the politicization of human rights issues. China is committed to pursuing a human rights path suited to its national conditions and has made remarkable achievements in safeguarding economic, social and cultural rights. The 54th session of the Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a resolution on promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights submitted by China, the first China-initiated proposal adopted by consensus at the Human Rights Council. China is ready to take this as an opportunity to actively participate in multilateral human rights mechanisms including the Human Rights Council and, together with the international community, promote the development of global human rights governance in a more equitable, just, reasonable and inclusive direction.

Syria's Permanent Representative to the UN Office at Geneva, Haidar Ali Ahmad, noted that China has made outstanding achievements in human rights protection. The Chinese government adheres to a people-centered approach, doing everything for the people and relying on the people in everything, and has achieved lasting and effective results. China has vigorously developed education and improved local medical standards in Xinjiang, effectively safeguarding the economic, social and cultural rights of the local people, which is completely different from the attacks and smears by Western countries.

Alfred de Zayas, former UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, criticized some Western media for waging information warfare. He pointed out that these media not only spread disinformation but also spread "false history," and that by smearing specific countries and creating conflicts, they make international cooperation more difficult.

Speaking about Western double standards on human rights issues, Stephan司徒博 (English name: Starkenberg), chairman of the Geneva Foundation for Great Love, said that human rights and their basic principles should have been one of the key forces uniting humanity, but they are increasingly becoming an ideological tool used by Western countries to suppress developing countries.

Liang Xiaohui, chief researcher at the Social Responsibility Office of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, said that the Chinese government has made important progress in fulfilling its obligation to protect human rights in policy and legislation and in international economic and trade cooperation, and that Chinese industries and enterprises have also made great progress in their pioneering practice of fulfilling the responsibility to respect human rights.

Zhao Weili, deputy secretary-general of the Expert Committee on International Exchange and Cooperation and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the 26th Council of the Chinese Medical Association, said that during a research trip to Xinjiang in August 2023, she found that Xinjiang's health sector is developing rapidly, and that local governments, medical institutions and medical workers have made great progress in implementing policies to benefit the people through medical care and in achieving the goals of Healthy China and universal health coverage advocated by the World Health Organization.

Gongqiu Zeren, a council member of the China Association for International Exchange of Ethnic Minorities, said that fine traditional ethnic culture carried by the Tibetan language is being inherited and promoted in education in Tibet. The development of traditional Tibetan festivals and folk activities has been protected and is increasingly becoming an important tourism brand activity, driving Tibet's economic development.

Wang Feifei, project manager of the International Cooperation Department of the China Family Planning Association, said that the Chinese government guides Chinese social organizations to actively carry out education, publicity, service projects and activities in the fields of adolescent health protection and youth development, with fruitful results.

Representatives of the permanent missions to the UN Office at Geneva of Cuba, Belarus, Vietnam, Burundi, Azerbaijan, the Dominican Republic and other countries attended the side event and exchanged views.