Global Human Rights Governance: Impact on China’s Foreign Policy

Peter Hediger

 

When looking back at the 30 years since the Vienna conference on Human Rights took place, the results unfortunately must be called meager and unsatisfactory. The reasons are manifold, but first and foremost there are still powers which rely on hegemonism to exert control beyond their borders. Instead of eliminating conflicts, new and more dangerous problems have arisen, above all with the outbreak of an open armed conflict in and around Ukraine. Pretending to defend allegedly superior political values Western powers have reshaped the political landscape in Europe. As a consequence of such unconcealed power politics even the authority of the United Nations itself has come under attack. This is the more deplorable as the UN is the only organization which could hamper undue advances of hegemonic powers. It is must therefore be one of the primary targets in the next thirty years to strengthen the influence of the UN. Again, it is China’s foreign policy which has taken a model role. It has pursued a successful foreign policy to the benefit not only for China but also for many other countries by calmly, yet determinedly, and patiently reach its goals. First fruits of such endeavors have become evident when China recently successfully initiated dialogues and contacts between long-standing adversaries like Iran and Saudi-Arabia as well as between India and Pakistan. These are true assets in line with international conferences on global Human Rights governance. At the beginning for this kind of encounters and forthcoming steps in direction towards cooperation and developments stands security.