December 10 is Human Rights Day, commemorating the adoption of the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1948. Experts from around the world met in southwest China for a "Peace, Development, Human Rights" forum on Wednesday. CGTN's Gong Ming reports.

This year's forum marked the 80th anniversary of the UN Charter and featured the Li Buyun Law Prize, one of China's top legal honors. The award, in memory of jurist Li Buyun, recognizes scholars advancing the rule of law and global legal dialogue. This year's winner, Professor Zhang Yonghe, was honored for over 30 years of research, notably redefining the "Right to Development" as an "eternal right" for all humanity – a Chinese perspective gaining worldwide attention.

ZHANG YONGHE 2025 Li Buyun Law Prize Laureate "Peace, Development, and Human Rights are the three pillars of the UN Charter. Given today's global situation, I feel we must emphasize these rights even more. This also reflects China's view on human rights – prioritizing the right to subsistence and the right to development as primary, indivisible human rights. Without a peaceful environment, we cannot develop. Similarly, without development, achieving peace is very difficult."

DJIBRIL DIALLO Former Spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General "China's view of human rights is really central to the issue, because it links to the most basic levels. I have observed how China has been over the years promoting human rights in order to introduce issues such as fighting hunger, providing education and also health issues, and especially providing issues as entry points dealing with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. So that's most impressive."

Beyond legal theory, the forum showcased real-life stories with the global launch of Women in China's New Era. Edited by Professor Zhang, the book traces women's rights progress through personal stories of growth and empowerment – an approach that captivated international attendees.

KRISZTINA KARSAI Chairperson of the Hungarian Branch International Criminal Law Association "I think personal stories and especially human stories, women stories are very important to see how human rights development is in action. You know, in the everyday life of normal and average people, how they understand the development and how they have the fruits of the development."

GONG MING Chongqing "Today's forum underscored China's development-first view of human rights, the principle that economic progress and stability form the foundation of people's well-being. As the world confronts rising geopolitical tension, participants say this development-driven perspective could play a greater role in shaping future international human-rights cooperation. GONG MING, CGTN, Chongqing."