Global human rights governance needs talks, not confrontation

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, Austria.

China believes human rights can be better protected by strengthening security and promoting development and cooperation. The belief is based on China's practical experience in human rights protection, and by acting on it, we can solve the problems associated with global human rights governance. Importantly, the belief aligns with the Vienna declaration and promotes the healthy development of global human rights governance.

The world has reached a crossroad, with global human rights governance facing daunting challenges due to regional conflicts, arms races, terrorism, cyberattacks, climate change, food security risks, energy crisis and global poverty. While structural contradictions including the North-South wealth gap, unequal status and the unbalanced development of economies have not changed, hegemonism and unilateralism have been undermining global human rights governance.

The Vienna declaration, which was adopted after the end of the Cold War, drew lessons from the United Nations' 50-year experience in global human rights governance, and affirms that equality and the right to development are inalienable parts of human rights, and cooperation and development are key to promoting global human rights governance and addressing the challenges facing the world.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN in 1948, includes a wide range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, and sets the common standards of human rights for all people and countries to follow. Significantly, the UN's core human rights treaty system is based on the UDHR and has set the international standards for human rights protection.

But despite the Vienna declaration saying the international community should treat human rights issues in a just and balanced manner, the United States does just the opposite. The US, with the help of some other countries, unilaterally emphasizes the right to freedom, advocates government inaction and non-interference, ignores or even denies that economic, social and cultural rights are integral parts of human rights, and refuses to accept that governments are obligated to protect human rights. Needless to say the US' actions are inconsistent with international law and global human rights norms.

Good global human rights governance is about promoting cooperation and dialogue, opposing confrontation, accusation and humiliation, and adhering to the basic principles of democracy and equality.

Since the end of World War II, the US had been controlling the global human rights discourse. But the UN Human Rights Council, created by the UN General Assembly in 2006 to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights, formalized its procedures and mechanisms in an attempt to change the system where the US-led West controlled the discourse on human rights.

Unfortunately, some Western countries spread fake information, instigate bloc confrontations, shame other countries at regional and international gatherings, even level fake charges against other countries to achieve their narrow political goals. They politicize and weaponize human rights issues, and hinder discussions on real global human rights issues. The Western economies should refrain from such acts and instead cooperate with the other countries to promote human rights development.

To exclude China from the global industry and supply chains, the US has passed several laws, imposed sanctions on China, and urged and/or coerced its allies to boycott Chinese enterprises and products on the pretext of "protecting human rights".

Such actions of the US and its allies contravene international law, hinder the development of the targeted countries, violate human rights and disrupt global trade.

Since the right to development is a universal right and an integral part of human rights, countries should cooperate with each other to promote development and eliminate obstacles to development. And since development is the foundation of human rights, there cannot be peace and prosperity without development.

It is in this context that China proposed the Global Development Initiative in 2021, urging all countries to better protect human rights through development, and make sure development is for the people and by the people. The GDI also calls for addressing the problem of unbalanced development among and within countries.

China's initiatives and proposals align with the spirit of the World Conference on Human Rights, and uphold multilateralism, and it has helped build, participate in and contribute to the global human rights governance system, while championing the Vienna declaration.

The author is a researcher of Institute of International Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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