The Central Asia-China cooperation mechanism has brought valuable opportunities for human rights protection, livelihood and economic development in the region, said stated participants at the 2024 China-Central Asia Human Rights Development Forum which was held in Kazakhstan’s Astana on 28-29 May 2024.
The forum themed “building a China-Central Asia community of shared future: a new vision for human rights development” was hosted by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development.
Zuo Feng, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the China Foundation for Human Rights Development, presided over the forum and delivered a speech. He stated that the people of China and Central Asian countries have explored development paths that are in line with their own national conditions while promoting the modernization process of their respective countries.
They recognize that peaceful development is not easy to come by and that human rights need to be effectively protected.
He put forward four suggestions:
- First, take the implementation of global security initiatives as the guide, and build a peaceful foundation to safeguard the basic human rights of the people;
- Second, taking the joint construction of the Belt and Road as the main line, consolidate the material foundation for promoting the common development of human rights;
- Thirdly, taking the implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative as a path, working together to promote the improvement of global human rights governance;
- The fourth is strengthening people to people communication.
The meeting brought together officials, researchers and experts in human rights field from China and the Central Asian countries.
Chinese experts said that in pursuing human rights, China and the Central Asian countries are committed to building a community with a shared future, enhancing the representation and voice of developing countries in the international human rights system, and making global human rights governance more fair, just, reasonable and inclusive.
Experts from Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National academy of science of Kyrgyz Republic, and the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan, also had discussions on topics such as common development and human rights protection, as well as mutual learning between civilizations and progress in human rights.
The first session of the forum under the Central Asia-China cooperation mechanism was held in September 2023 in Beijing. ///nCa, 31 May 2024 (based on CCTV/Seetaoe reports)