First South-South Human Rights Forum opens in Beijing

The first South-South Human Rights Forum kicked off in Beijing on Thursday. Themed "Building a Community of Shared Future for Human Beings: New Opportunity for South-South Human Rights Development," the forum has gathered scholars and officials from over 70 countries to discuss rights issues.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the event. 

Huang Kunming, minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, reads President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter at the opening ceremony of the South-South Human Rights Forum on December 7, 2017. /CGTN Photo

He said the development of human rights worldwide cannot be achieved without the joint efforts of developing countries, which account for more than 80 percent of the world's population.  

Developing nations should uphold both the universality and particularity of human rights, and steadily raise the level of human rights protection, according to Xi.

It is important for the international community to respect and reflect the will of the people in developing countries in the spirit of justice, fairness, openness and inclusiveness.  

He stressed that the Chinese people would like to work in concert with people in other developing countries and beyond to promote human rights.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed the opening ceremony on December 7, 2017. /CGTN Photo

Participants at the forum say that human rights are the lofty ideals of mankind, but there is no universally agreed path to human rights.

When it comes to rights issues, there are often debates or sometimes confrontations. 

YIdiz Deborah Pollack-Beighle, Surinamese foreign minister, said China has been making great strides and achievement in changing the human rights landscape. 

"I think it's commendable to see the efforts and in fact the launch of the'New Era for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics' where we note that human beings are at the center of development," she said. 

Participants at the opening ceremony at the Great Hall of People on December 7, 2017 /CGTN Photo

Tom Zwart, professor of law at Utrecht University, said China is taking the lead among southern countries in order to stop some of the misconceptions that dominate the debate on human rights in the North.