On August 22, 2025, over 200 representatives from China and 44 African countries gathered in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, for the inaugural “China-Africa Human Rights Seminar”. Centering on the theme “Building a China-Africa Community with a Shared Future and Jointly Realizing the Right to Development”, the participants engaged in vigorous discussions and reached the following consensus on the protection and realization of the right to development.

Here is the full text of the joint statement:

I. Development is the Key to Solving all Human Rights Issues. As fellow Global South countries, China and African nations remain mindful of the historical wounds inflicted by colonial rule, resource plundering, and unequal trade, as well as the resulting long-term development setbacks and severe constraints on human rights. We share similar development tasks and common aspirations for development, deeply understanding the vital significance of development for their nations and peoples.

II. The Right to Development is an Inalienable Human Right. The right to development is a fundamental and primary human right. Efforts must be made to continuously eliminate obstacles，such as poverty, hunger, conflict, and discrimination. We must uphold human rights through security, advance human rights through development, and promote human rights through cooperation. We are committed to pursuing development that is more equitable, inclusive, balanced, and mutually beneficial, enhancing its resilience and autonomy to better safeguard the fulfillment of the right to development.

III. Upholding a People-Centered Approach to Development. We adhere to the principle that development is for the people, by the people, and its fruits should be shared by the people. We respect the principal role of the people of all countries, honoring their expressed will, accumulated experience, and inherent rights. Efforts shall be made to ensure that the benefits of development reach all peoples more extensively and equitably, safeguarding the right to development for Chinese and African people.

IV. Adhere to Sustainable and High-Quality Development. We emphasize the critical role of Charter of the United Nations, and The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in fulfilling the right to development, ensuring equitable development rights through sustainable and high-quality development. Together, we will advance modernization that is just and reasonable, open and win-win, people-centered, diverse and inclusive, eco-friendly, and peaceful and secure, thereby achieving higher standards of human rights protection.

V. Respecting National Sovereignty, Security, and Development Interests. Both China and African countries have the right to choose their own paths of human rights development based on their actual national conditions and historical-cultural traditions. We respect the diversity of human rights civilizations, oppose the politicization and instrumentalization of human rights issues, as well as the use of human rights as a pretext to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs or deprive their peoples of the right to development.

VI. Resolutely Opposing Unilateralism, Hegemonism, and Protectionism. The reckless imposition of tariff measures severely undermines the right to development. We call upon all nations to promote a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation. By adhering to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, we shall create more favorable conditions and a conducive environment for the realization of development rights in China and Africa.

VII. Taking Joint Action to Safeguard the Realization of the Right to Development. Resolutely uphold the international norms based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, adhere to the spirit of Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Declaration on the Right to Development, we will actively promote the integration of the right to development into the United Nations agenda. We call upon all countries and the international community to adopt legal frameworks, policies, and development strategies to ensure the full realization of the right to development, thereby contributing to the improvement of the global human rights governance system.

VIII. China-Africa Cooperation as an Effective Pathway to Realizing the Right to Development for Both Parties. We will give full play to the role of mechanisms such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, and actively establish platforms including the “China-Africa Human Rights Seminar” and “China-Africa Human Rights Research Cooperation Network”. Through mutual learning and exchange, we will consolidate the foundation of the China-Africa community with a shared future and comprehensively promote the progress and development of human rights endeavors in both China and Africa.