Sep. 21, 2023 -- Chinese and European specialists and officials gathered for a seminar on human rights on Wednesday, focusing on China's path to modernization as well as on the diversity of human rights among different civilizations.

The 2023 China-Europe Seminar on Human Rights, held both online and offline, was attended by more than 130 human rights experts, officials and representatives from political parties and social organizations.

In his opening address, Baima Chilin, president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, called on countries to promote positive progress in global human rights governance through solidarity and cooperation and to promote the free and comprehensive development of all people in the process of modernization.

All countries should also join hands to find solutions to problems and challenges that exist in the field of global human rights, he added.

"At a time of tension in international relations, it is apparent that there are various efforts being made to weaponize the human rights debate," Neil Davidson, Labour member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, said.

The considerable diversity in the governance of human affairs suggests that the policy for one society is unlikely to apply to another society with different priorities, traditions, history and cultures, Davidson said, noting that "the purpose of discussion should be to learn from one another, to share experiences and to understand one another, not to promote division between peoples."

Building mutual respect is one step to reducing rising tensions in today's world, he said, adding that "discussion on human rights, with the objective of mutual understanding between countries, can only serve to improve relations."

Oliviero Diliberto, Italy's former justice minister and dean of the Faculty of Law at the Sapienza University of Rome, noted that Italy and China enjoy close relations as they recognize and respect differences between their civilizations and cultures, as well as seek common ground and a common goal of cooperation.

In his video message, Diliberto also praised the fruitful academic exchanges and cooperation in law between Italy and China in recent years, which functioned as a bridge between civilizations to foster dialogue.

Three parallel sessions were held during the seminar, with participants discussing such topics as the development of modern human rights philosophy and the evolution of human rights civilizations in the digital age.

The 2023 China-Europe Seminar on Human Rights was co-hosted by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and the Faculty of Law at the Sapienza University of Rome.