LIU Ming 

 

On June 8, 2017, a symposium on the Construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind and Human Rights Global Governance was held in Jinnan campus of Nankai University. It was hosted by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and the Publicity Department of Tianjin Municipal Party Committee and organized by Nankai University. 
 

Xiangba Pingcuo, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee and president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies attended the meeting and delivered a speech, and Cui Yuying, vice minister of the Central Propaganda Department, deputy director of the Information Office of the State Council, and vice president of China Society for Human Rights Studies, made a keynote speech. Xiao Huaiyuan, director of the Standing Committee of the Tianjin Municipal People’s Congress, Chen Zhemin, minister of the Publicity Department of the Tianjin Municipal Party Committee, Wei Dapeng, secretary of the Party Committee of Nankai University and Gong Ke, president of Nankai University also attended the meeting. Close to 50 experts and scholars from universities and human rights research institutes across the country participated in the symposium.

 

As pointed out by Xiangba Pingcuo, as a great proposition of the era, the construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind expounded systematically and profoundly by General Secretary Xi Jinping in his speech made at the UN headquarters in Geneva this January has not only opened an way to deal with current global challenges, but also put forward a China plan to strengthen and improve the global governance of human rights. Such a concept contains rich connotations for human rights. Embodying the pursuit of the value of human rights, it is not only a beautiful expression of human goodness, but also the essence of the pursuit of progress of human society. With strong moral force, it is able to form a powerful inspiration. On the other hand, it reflects the progress of human rights as the spirit of the times. Its demand for the building of a clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, fairness and security, common prosperity and development, openness and inclusiveness is a concrete manifestation of the world’s human rights cause in terms of the right to life, the right to development, the right to health, the right to security, and the right to a clean environment, etc. It reflects the comprehensive, coordinated, balanced, inclusive and sustainable development of human rights.

 

Cui Yuying said in her keynote speech that the concept of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping has ushered human rights into a new era. China has pursued and will continue to pursue such a concept in the field of human rights. It is a great idea rooted in ancient Chinese culture that draws on the outstanding achievements of human civilization, conforms to today’s global development trend and complies with the requirements of global governance, it is people-oriented and embodies the responsibility to deal with common human challenges to create a better life for all people. It focuses on the integration of the interests of all countries and is the advancement of China’s neighborhood diplomacy of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. It considers the progress of human rights around the world from the perspective of the overall development and the interdependence of human societies, advocates the establishment of a more fair and reasonable international human rights management system, provides a new path for the global governance of human rights and occupies a commanding height based on its values and justice. 

 

First, it offers a new plan for promoting the global governance of human rights. Constructing a Community of Shared Future for Mankind to achieve mutual benefit and mutual sharing is the solution to the problems that have emerged in global governance and is China’s proposal for improving the global governance of human rights. Second, it opens a new chapter in the development of the human rights concept. Finally, China’s practice in constructing a Community of Shared Future for Mankind represents substantial action in the field of human rights and is conducive to the establishment of a fairer and more reasonable international human rights order.

 

This year, the construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind has been included in a number of UN resolutions, meaning it no longer just a key part of the discussions on global governance and human rights. The experts and scholars attending the symposium conducted in-depth discussions and exchanges on the following topics, the connotations of constructing a Community of Shared Future for Mankind for human rights and the global governance of human rights, the opportunities and challenges presented by the construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind, China’s theory and practice for the construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind, and significance of constructing a Community of Shared Future for Mankind for the realization of human rights worldwide. 

 

Professor Liu Hainian, honorary academician of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and honorary director of the Human Rights Research Center held that a Community of Shared Future for Mankind has five aspects: safeguarding national sovereignty and the equal status of sovereignty, the maintenance of peace and security, adherence to economic win-win cooperation and common development, persistence of full inclusiveness between different civilizations, and the strengthening of the construction of an ecological civilization. Professor Li Buyun, honorary academician of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and president of the Institute of Human Rights at Guangzhou University believes that the protection of human rights is the fundamental task of building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind. The construction of such a community is the fulfillment of all human rights, a common value pursuit for mankind and the shared responsibility of all organizations and governments in the international community. China has made achievements in poverty reduction, peacekeeping, the Belt and Road Initiative, etc., and thus is already making contributions to constructing a Community of Shared Future for Mankind. Professor Liu Jie, director of the Human Rights Research Center of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences held that the concept of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind provides three new connotations for the development of human rights: the concept of human rights = viewed from the perspective of “human beings”, the concept of “destiny” in the development of human rights, and the concept of “community” which offers a new goal for the development of human rights. Professor Ye Chuanxing from the School of law of Renmin University of China also interpreted the concept of human rights from the perspective of human community, holding that a Community of Shared Future for Mankind has added new connotations to the legitimacy of human rights, the obligation to protect human rights, the globalization of human rights and global justice, etc. Deputy Director Lu Zhian of the Human Rights Research Center of Fudan University argued that a Community of Shared Future for Mankind is, by its very nature, a community taking human rights as the highest value pursuit. The realization of human rights and the community of shared future for mankind should be promoted in all policies and actions by way of “+human rights”. In essence, human rights emphasize common interests and common values and a Community of Shared Future for Mankind represents major progress in this regard, believes Professor Chen Youwu, vice president of the Institute of Human Rights of Guangzhou University.

 

With regard to the opportunities and challenges in the construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind, professor Zhang Wei, executive vice president of the Research Institute for Human Rights of China University of Political Science and Law advocated that respect for and protection of human rights should be taken as the core value, noting China has practiced this basic idea at both the domestic and international levels, playing its role as a responsible member of the international community. Professor He Zhipeng, executive director of the Education and Research Center of Human Rights of Jilin University examined humanitarian intervention from the perspective of Community of Shared Future for Mankind, claiming that the key to humanitarian intervention is to determine who has the right to decision-making and what kind of procedure should be taken. Professor Xia Qingxia, a professor at the Law School of Nanjing University of Finances and Economics, argued that the concept of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind, to a certain degree, offers an answer to the problems arising in defining and understanding the model adopted by the UN agenda that combines human rights with development. Zhao Shukun, a professor at the Institute of Human Rights of Southwest University of Political Science and Law held that a Community of Shared Future for Mankind is not merely a political community or a legal community, but an ethical community with public will and civic virtue. Dr. Liu Ming from Human Rights Research Center of Nankai University maintained that the realization of “human rights” and “common destiny” in global governance calls for relations based on the concept of an “embedded community of humans”.

 

In the discussion on the Community of Shared Future for Mankind and the global governance of human rights”, professor Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs of Renmin University of China analyzed the global governance of human rights from the perspective of the Belt and Road Initiative, advocating that the Belt and Road countries should coordinate with each other in such aspects as improving people’s livelihoods, the independent development of the countries involved and the mutual sharing and promotion of human rights. Professor Wu Zhicheng, dean of the Zhou Enlai School of government of Nankai University held that the concept of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind is adapted to the trend of globalization and is of great significance for both China and the world, with China playing an important role in the construction of this community. Professor Chen Xulong, director of the China International Strategic Research Institute of International Studies argued that the international order is at a turning point, and the new and old order are coexistent and changes as well as new constructions are unavoidable. He further proposed a “five-order” concept to promote the global governance of human rights. Luo Yanhua, a professor at the School of International Relations of Peking University said that the construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind has had an enormous impact on the global governance of human rights in six aspects such as the concept of human rights, international cooperation and international norms of human rights, Professor Chang Jian, director of Human Rights Research Center of Nankai University, believes that the construction of the Community of Shared Future for Mankind should be a great inspiration for solving the problems that have arisen in the global governance of human rights, for example, the existence of hegemonism and the neglect of collective human rights, since it calls for the establishment of collective human rights and each nation, demands each government to meet their corresponding obligations and constrains international hegemonism by adopting the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration. Dr. Bi Yingqian of the Institute of Human Rights of Guangzhou University held that the legalization of human rights provides opportunities for the development of human rights and the construction of international human rights governance system.

 

In the discussion on the issue of the Chinese theory and practice in the construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind, professor Liu Huawen, executive director of the Research Center of Human Rights of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said that China is playing an active role in leading the international governance of human rights. The socialist concept of human rights with Chinese characteristics not only applies to China as well as the international world, but keeps pace with the times. As a developing country, China is dedicated to the healthy development of domestic and international human rights. Han Zhaoying, editor of Nankai Journal and professor of the Zhou Enlai School of Government of Nankai University studies the issues regarding the relation between the Community of Shared Future for Mankind and human rights, the evolution of China’s human rights policy and the construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind. He pointed out that China is going to play an increasingly important role in the construction of such a community in the field of human rights. Professor Zheng Ge of Ko Guan Law School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University explored the relationship between the Community of Shared Future for Mankind and the five principles of peaceful coexistence, pointing out that the five principles of peaceful coexistence is the bottom line for ensuring human peace. The building of this community is a logical development of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence and calls for the creation of a world of a mutual benefit and common development through the efforts of each country. Professor Zhang Wanhong, vice president of the Human Rights Institute of Wuhan University maintained that the protection of human rights is deep-rooted in China and its practice is integrated with the world. He went further by analyzing this issue in detail from such aspects as modernization, China-ization, legalization, socialization and internationalization. Hao Yaming, associate professor of the Human Rights Research Center at Nankai University proposed the construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind should be integrated with respect for the diversity of world civilizations, which is a fundamental issue in the global governance of human rights. Dr. Zheng Ruohan of the Institute of Human Rights of Southwest University of Political Science and Law examined the problem of poverty arising in the construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind and offered an analysis of China’s contribution and experience in poverty alleviation.

 

In the discussion on the issue of “the construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind and the realization of world human rights”, professor Zhang Yonghe, executive president of the Institute of Human Rights of Southwest University of Political Science and Law highlighted the importance of the right to peaceful development, saying that the common aspirations of all the members of the community is not the sum of the right to peace and the right to development, but “the right to peaceful development”. Professor Li Yunlong from the International Institute for Strategic Studies at the Party School of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China argued that the right to development is one of the fundamental human rights and one widely recognized by the international society and thus it is fundamental to the Community of Shared Future for Mankind. The construction of such a community requires mutual aid and cooperation and provides a solution to the issue of the right to development and its realization. Professor Man Hongjie from Human Rights Research Centre of Shandong University looked at the Community of Shared Future for Mankind from the perspective of the right to health, arguing that humans are a community that exists in the face of illness and the increasing transference of “human trials” from developed countries to developing countries deserves the attention of the international society. Professor Li Hongbo, deputy director of the Human Rights Research Center of China Foreign Affairs University analyzed the relationship between environmental rights and the construction of Community of Shared Future for Mankind. He said that right to a healthy environment is directly linked to the future of the community and advocated harmonious development between man and nature through the protecting of the environment. Associate professor Tang Yingxia, deputy director of the Human Rights Research Center of Nankai University believed the protection of environmental rights is an indispensible “green dimension” to a Community of Shared Future for Mankind. The construction of this community will provide new thoughts and new paths for green and sustainable development which will far-reaching significance in the protection of environmental rights. Sun Meng, associate professor of the Human Rights Institute of China University of Political Science and Law discussed the relationship between the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and human rights protection, saying the Agenda is the basic implementation of human rights protection.

 

Professor Li Junru, vice president of China Society for Human Rights Studies and former vice president of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC made a speech at the closing ceremony. He pointed out that in the economic globalization led by the United States and other developed Western countries, there are two basic contradictions which are hard to overcome: the contradiction between national interests and global interests and the contradiction between the interests of capital and the interests of the people. In response to such contradictions, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward two basic guiding principles. The first of these is building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind and the second is for it to be people-oriented. Economic globalization will enter a new stage under the guidance of these two guiding principles. To build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind requires the study of major issues such as human rights and national sovereignty, human rights and international law, human rights and the democratization of international relations, human rights and humanitarian assistance, etc.. Efforts should be made to promote a rational, institutionalized, standardized and procedural mechanism for the global governance of human rights, including a dialogue mechanism of human rights, a sharing mechanism for human rights experiences and a coordination mechanism for human rights policies.

 

At the symposium, experts and scholars have unanimously agreed that the concept of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind put forward by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core is a major idea in international political and economic relations. Improving the global governance of human rights and promoting its healthy development are major themes for building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind. The construction of such a community provides new opportunities for the global development of human rights and will have a profound impact on the global governance of human rights.

 

(Translated by WANG Min)