China hailed as a big contributor to global human rights governance

Editor's note: At the two-day Forum on Global Human Rights Governance which began on Wednesday, experts shared their views on global human rights governance. Excerpts from the speeches of six of the experts follow:

Foreign policy a model for global governance

When looking back at the 30 years since the World Conference on Human Rights took place in Vienna, Austria, the results unfortunately must be called meager and unsatisfactory. The reasons are manifold, but first and foremost there are still powers which rely on hegemonism to exert control beyond their borders.

Instead of the elimination of conflicts, new and more dangerous problems have arisen — above all the outbreak of an open armed conflict in and around Ukraine. Pretending to defend allegedly superior political values, Western powers have reshaped the political landscape in Europe.

As a consequence of such unconcealed power politics, even the authority of the United Nations has come under attack. This is extremely deplorable as the UN is the only organization which could rein in hegemonic powers. It must therefore be one of the primary goals in the next 30 years to strengthen the influence of the UN.

Again, China's foreign policy has been playing a model role. It has pursued a successful foreign policy to the benefit of not only China but also many other countries, by calmly, yet determinedly and patiently, realizing its goals. The first fruits of such endeavors became evident when China successfully initiated dialogue and contacts between long-standing adversaries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia recently.

These are true assets in line with international conferences on global human rights governance. At the beginning for this kind of encounter and forthcoming steps toward cooperation and development stands security.

Peter Hediger, a sinologist, historian, and international security policy expert

Global Security Initiative guarantees human rights

The Global Security Initiative is aimed at creating a new pathway to resolving conflict and guaranteeing security. It seeks to promote dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliances. And more importantly, it seeks to create win-win situations, not zero-sum games.

No society is devoid of disagreements. But how we choose to resolve these disagreements is what many times makes a clear distinction, the distinction between civilized and primitive leaderships. The GSI re-affirms the rejection of the use of force in international relations, and advocates the settlement of regional and international disputes through peaceful means on the basis of the UN Charter. It has already demonstrated that global peace is possible through peaceful means.

The GSI must therefore quickly, albeit peacefully, integrate with both the conventional and new spaces to re-balance the global political and security architecture from competition to cooperation. This requires a committed community of practice to deliver both broadly and urgently on the implementation mechanisms.

In a world where a lopsided drive toward "improving" human rights conditions around the world has in many cases resulted in a dramatic widening of the wealth gap, worsening hunger and rising terrorism, the right thing to do is to stop, re-think and change course. China is not only proposing the way, but it is also sharing its experiences with the world; it is leading the way and peacefully turning the tide. It has made the right to development achievable.

Many countries are now optimistic — if China can do it, then every other country can do it. The Global Security Initiative is an action-oriented architecture. It has in part exposed the inadequacies of the current normative framework of the international human rights system.

Crispin Kaheru, a member of Uganda Human Rights Commission

History, culture key to good human rights governance

The dramatic and profound changes taking place worldwide can be most definitely connected to the rise of China. This is expressed clearly in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The importance of studying and understanding these ideas, not only for the Chinese people, but perhaps, even more importantly, for the rest of the world, will be ignored at a great price for humanity.

Unfortunately, the ongoing efforts to demonize China, efforts by the United States, the United Kingdom and the other G7 member states, are based on a combination of fear and ignorance of both modern China and the history of a 5,000-year-old civilization.

I see the Belt and Road Initiative emerging out of this very long and profound history of China. Western political leaders, currently, lack any insight into this very long and great history. They are also trapped in the philosophical basement of a Western philosophical Hobbesian world view which sees men and women as fundamentally evil and egotistical. Therefore, they operate on the idea of the "law of the jungle".

They consider brute power to be the solution to problems and they cannot trust anyone. This certainly lacks any substance for protecting or defending human rights. Naturally, differences do exist, but they do not divide us, rather in the best sense, they teach us to learn from each other.

Stephen Brawer, chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden

A world in turmoil must find a new paradigm

The world today finds itself in a totally unprecedented situation, a time of fundamental transition, a time of great turmoil. While serving for decades as the economic engine of the world economy, China, over the past decade, has begun to exert its influence and philosophy on the global stage. The response of the West to these moves has been anything but welcoming.

More concerned about the growing loss of control over other countries, the West has instead targeted China in a vicious attempt to check its development and discredit its growing influence. Nobody should be fooled by these cheap tricks, abetted by the lying media in the West. China's role in protecting the human rights of its citizenry is deserving much praise.

The future is in our hands, but not unless we act now in bringing down the war fever and hate, and finding the great common interest around which all nations can unite, the interests of peace, development and scientific progress. We can create a beautiful world.

William Jones, a former White House correspondent for EIR News Service and a nonresident fellow at Renmin University's Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies

Peaceful development best human rights protection

Differences between Eastern and Western views on human rights have led to misunderstandings. Misunderstandings have also been caused by differences in Western and Chinese concepts of respect and protection of human rights.

The Western theory of human rights is a specific concept of human rights developed at a certain time and under certain circumstances, and thus it cannot be a universal concept, a concept accepted and followed by all humankind.

The Eastern concept of human rights was developed by reflecting on and as a critique of Western human rights theory and practices. China continues to adhere to the idea of development, putting people first and center, continuing to improve the livelihoods of the people in all aspects, and promoting prosperity for all.

The Chinese government's strenuous efforts in realizing these goals show that it embodies the true value of a government when it comes to promoting and protecting human rights. China's success in eradicating extreme poverty in the country is its biggest contribution to global poverty alleviation and promotion of human rights.

Veronika S. Saraswati, convener of the China unit at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Jakarta-based think tank

GSI a boon for global human rights governance

While the world remains committed to protecting human rights, this universal sacrosanct value of humanity has been put to severe tests in the prevailing global governance system. The Western-centric narrative of human rights has time and again been proven irrelevant to the dire needs of the Global South in terms of sustainable development.

No single nation or authority should ever set the benchmark for human rights worldwide based merely on its own whims and fancies or perspective, as the cultural norms and priorities across the globe have never been homogeneous. Indeed, global human rights governance is now disappointingly in disarray.

The escalating belligerent rhetoric compounded with the beefing up of war machines by the Cold War-minded major powers would only push the world toward ultimate self-destruction. The timely rollout of China's Global Security Initiative fills the void of a viable global security architecture which addresses both conventional and non-conventional security concerns. The GSI calls for a "common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable" security structure based on the principle of "indivisible security" in which no country can strengthen its own security at the expense of others.

Ong Tee Keat, chairman of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for the Asia-Pacific, Malaysia

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.