China, Latin America forge stronger human rights partnership

In a world fraught with economic challenges, climate change and political instability, a newly released report highlights a growing partnership between China and Latin America and the Caribbean, or LAC, as a beacon of hope for human rights development.

The report, titled "Common Goals: China-Latin America and the Caribbean Cooperation on Human Rights Development, the Present and the Future", outlines significant progress in poverty reduction, social equity and environmental protection across both regions. By prioritizing development as a cornerstone of human rights, China and LAC are advancing global human rights governance, particularly for the Global South, while opposing the political manipulation of these fundamental rights.

The report opens by addressing global challenges that have placed human rights under increasing strain. In response, China and LAC, which represent nearly one-third of the world's population, are emerging as critical partners in tackling these issues. Their collaboration is more than a bilateral effort as it serves as a model for human rights development globally, especially within the Global South.

However, "(i)n UN human rights instruments and mechanisms, Global South countries remain underrepresented, with limited voice and influence", the report stated. It further noted that some countries politicize and weaponize human rights, using them to create barriers to meaningful dialogue between nations, and even as tools to impose unilateral sanctions, which undermine human rights development, violate national sovereignty and pose a serious threat to global peace.

By working together, China and LAC are aligning their diverse cultural and social contexts to make concrete progress on shared human rights goals. This partnership allows both sides to navigate the complexities of global human rights discourse while promoting more equitable governance.

According to the report, China and LAC have both made notable advancements in human rights, largely through development strategies.

China has lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty, contributing more than 70 percent to global poverty reduction efforts since its reform and opening-up period. By 2023, China's per capita GDP had surpassed $12,000, laying the foundation for future human rights improvements, particularly in social welfare, healthcare and environmental protection.

Similarly, LAC countries have made strides in human rights through development initiatives. Brazil, under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has committed to achieving zero deforestation by 2030 through an Ecological Transformation Plan, highlighting the region's focus on environmental rights — a key component of modern human rights discourse.

Through sustained dialogue, China and LAC have forged a strong consensus on fundamental human rights issues. Both agree human rights must be developed according to national conditions, with a particular emphasis on the rights to subsistence and development as prerequisites for realizing other human rights. This understanding underscores the importance of the Global South's role in shaping international human rights governance.

The collaboration has moved beyond rhetoric. In 2022, trade between China and LAC reached nearly $500 billion, a 35 times increase since 2000. China has consistently been LAC's second-largest trading partner and third-largest investor, establishing a solid economic foundation for future human rights cooperation, according to the report.

China and LAC are also contributing to the international human rights agenda by advocating for a more inclusive and fair global governance system. Both regions oppose the manipulation of human rights by powerful nations for political gain and call for impartiality in United Nations human rights organizations, the report said.

As key actors in the Global South, China and LAC view their cooperation as a cornerstone of South-South collaboration. Looking forward, the report outlines three priorities: enhancing communication to build stronger consensus, resisting the use of human rights as geopolitical tools and promoting transnational development to safeguard human rights.

In conclusion, the report frames China-LAC cooperation as a pivotal force in creating a more equitable global human rights landscape. By fostering open dialogue, mutual learning and understanding, both regions can strengthen their human rights frameworks while amplifying the voices of the Global South in international governance. Together, they aim to oppose the political misuse of human rights and champion a fairer, more inclusive global system. Through economic development, healthcare cooperation and cultural exchanges, China and LAC are poised to set a powerful example of how human rights can be advanced through development, driving progress and unity for the future.

Co-organized by the China Society for Human Rights Studies, the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China and the Faculty of Law at Fluminense Federal University, the report was released during the First China-Latin American and Caribbean States Roundtable on Human Rights on Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.