China leads UN call for the right to fully develop

GENEVA - On behalf of 139 countries, China on Friday called for the full realization of the right to development at the ongoing 42nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"Development is the eternal theme of human society and the key to solving all problems. The human history, especially the success experience of developing countries, shows how critical development is for the realization and enjoyment of human rights," Chen Xu, head of the Chinese Mission to the UN at Geneva, told the council.

Chen said that currently, unilateralism and protectionism are gaining ground, eroding mutual trust and coordination among countries. The development across countries remains uneven, lopsided and inadequate, and poverty and hunger have not yet been eradicated. The right to development is not yet fully guaranteed around the world.

"We should adhere to the Declaration on the Right to Development to realize the right to development, promote innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, guarantee the people's equal right to participate in development, and ensure a life of dignity for all," he added.

Chen said that to lift humanity out of poverty as soon as possible and promote and protect human rights, the international community should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, work for the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and achieve inclusive and sustainable growth.

Liu Hua, the special representative for human rights affairs of China's Foreign Ministry, said on Friday in Geneva that China has painted a glorious chapter of human rights promotion in the past 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China.

"After 70 years of efforts, China has become the world's second largest economy. Last year, its GDP exceeded 90 trillion yuan ($12.7 trillion), contributing more than 30 percent to world economic growth for many years," she said.

Moreover, China has solved the food and clothing problem for nearly 1.4 billion people, and reduced the number of poverty population by 850 million, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global poverty reduction, she said.

Xinhua