A deal was signed yesterday that promises to help China's
efforts to raise its standards of human rights.
The memorandum of understanding is aimed at helping China
implement recommendations on economic, social and cultural
rights.
Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang and visiting United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour attended
the signing ceremony.
According to the agreement, the cooperation program between the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) and China will include projects to assist the country find
alternative penalty measures to imprisonment; help the country
revise its Criminal Procedure Law, Lawyers Law and other related
laws and regulations, officials said.
It would also assist the incorporation of human rights education
into the curricula of primary and secondary schools, universities
and the education of public servants.
Before the memorandum was signed, Shen briefed Arbour on
progress made by China in the protection and promotion of human
rights and the country's international exchanges on issues
concerning human rights.
Shen said as a country with a population of 1.3 billion, China
mainly relies on its own strengths to promote human rights and
social development but it is also eager to learn beneficial
international experiences.
He said China will continue its "technical cooperation" with the
OHCHR in the principles of "mutual respect, equal consultation and
practicality."
Arbour said she appreciated China's progress in human rights
development and the excellent cooperation between the two parties,
expressing that the OHCHR wishes to be engaged in more active and
constructive cooperation with China under the framework of the
memorandum.
The parties also exchanged views on the reform of the human
rights sector of the UN and other issues.
On Tuesday, Arbour attended the opening ceremony of the 13th
Workshop on Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection
of Human Rights in Beijing.
"There are major opportunities for the human rights cause in the
Asia-Pacific region, which stands at a historic juncture of
development,” State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said in his opening
speech.
Tang called on all UN member states in the region to follow the
principles of mutual respect and equality, to prioritize the
development of economic, social, cultural rights and to keep their
cultural tradition and values, while learning from the experiences
of others.
Co-sponsored by the Chinese government and the OHCHR, the
four-day event, which ends on September 2, is being attended by
representatives from 37 countries in the region, and international
organizations.
(China Daily September 1, 2005)