China has called for a renewed global focus on advancing human rights through strengthened security, sustainable development, and international cooperation during the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to UN agencies in Switzerland, delivered a joint statement Tuesday emphasizing the need to uphold the UN Charter's principles amid growing global challenges.
Speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends on Human Rights Promotion, Chen stressed that international mechanisms must maintain 'universality, impartiality, and non-politicization' to preserve credibility. 'Human rights development has no universal model,' he asserted, warning against imposing unilateral approaches on sovereign states.
The address coincided with the first observance of the UN's International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations on June 10. Chen linked civilizational diversity to human rights progress, urging members to 'embrace genuine multilateralism' and respect different development paths.
With the UN marking its 80th anniversary this year, the Chinese representative called for collective action to address what he described as 'a period of heightened turbulence' impacting global human rights efforts. The council session, running through July 9, continues to address pressing human rights issues worldwide.
