On the Effectiveness of “Cross-cultural Consensus” on Human Rights

— Reflecting on Zhang Pengchun’s Contributions to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

HONG Lewei

Abstract: When formulating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, an example involving international human rights discourse, the “cross-cultural consensus” put forward based on Confucian culture by Zhang Pengchun, the Chinese representative at that time, is widely considered an empirical reference for resolving confrontations and conflicts in the practice of human rights discourse. However, the effectiveness of this kind of cross-cultural consensus in addressing confrontations and conflicts is worth considering. In fact, its “contribution” is not as prominent as some foreign scholars have claimed. Under the presumption of cultural differences, any attempt to resolve confrontations and conflicts in the human rights discourse must address the inherently controversial issues. The settlement of disputes and differences depends on how deep the consensus involves the values. Based on this, it reveals that the effectiveness of Zhang Pengchun’s so-called contribution is limited. Therefore, we should not overstate its relevance to the current human rights discourse.

Keywords: Universal Declaration of Human Rights · cross-cultural consensus · effectiveness · confucianism