The fifty fifth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council was held in Geneva, Switzerland. A number of non-governmental organizations and institutions from China held side meetings and lectures in Geneva to publicize to the international community the great achievements of China's human rights cause around the themes of "the right to education of ethnic minorities in the process of modernization", "the protection of minority rights", "the cooperation of non-governmental organizations to promote human rights protection and sustainable development", and "China's experience in human rights legal protection", He also conducted extensive and in-depth discussions and exchanges with representatives of all parties attending the conference on topics such as international human rights cooperation, and contributed wisdom and strength to the healthy development of international human rights cause.

Commit to getting rid of poverty through education

"Improving the education level of ethnic minorities to enhance their social competitiveness is an inevitable move to achieve the comprehensive development of ethnic minorities and the progress of social civilization, and is the only way to promote the integration of ethnic minorities into the development of modern society in the context of globalization." At the conference on the theme of "the right of ethnic minorities to education in the process of modernization", Wang Yanwen, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies, said that China pursues the human rights concept of taking the people as the center, insists that people's happy life is the greatest human right, and has successfully embarked on a human rights development path that conforms to the trend of the times and suits its own national conditions. On the road to modernization, China focuses on the people to develop education, attaches importance to education, guarantees education, and is committed to getting rid of poverty through education to achieve common prosperity for people of all ethnic groups.

At the thematic side meeting hosted by the China Society for Human Rights Studies, several experts and scholars introduced the achievements of education in Tibet and Xinjiang in China in combination with their respective research fields. Liang Junyan, a researcher at the Institute of History of the China Tibetan Studies Center, said that before the peaceful liberation of Tibet, serfs and slaves, who accounted for 95% of the population, were almost illiterate and had no right to education. Since the peaceful liberation of Tibet, citizens' right to education has been effectively guaranteed. According to the results of the seventh national population census in 2020, the number of people with college education in Tibet has risen to 11000 for every 100000 people.

Jia Chunyang, Executive Director of the Economic and Social Security Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Modern International Relations, said that the Chinese government has continued to increase its investment in order to protect the right of Tibetan minorities to education. China's efforts to protect the right to education of Tibetan ethnic minorities have greatly promoted the development of Tibetan education and provided a strong guarantee for the right to education of Tibetan ethnic minorities.

Tursun Aibai, associate professor of the School of Journalism and Communication of Xinjiang University, said that in order to ensure the right to education of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, especially the people of ethnic minorities, Xinjiang has continued to expand educational channels and increase educational investment. Xinjiang carries out the teaching of the national common language according to law, and at the same time fully guarantees the right of minority students to learn their own national language.

At the lecture on the theme of "Protection of the Rights of Ethnic Minorities", the experts and scholars present systematically introduced China's protection of the rights of ethnic minorities in combination with the practice in Tibet and Xinjiang.

Andre Lacroix, a Belgian Tibetan scholar, shared what he saw and heard in Tibet, saying that the pace of development of Tibet is impressive. We can see that with the support of the Chinese central government, the living standards of the Tibetan people have been greatly improved, and the cultural traditions have been well protected. The inherent prejudice of the western society against Tibet and the false reports of the media are unreasonable.

Christopher Stackberg, president of the Geneva Foundation for Dreams to Come True, said that it is of great significance for China to improve the education level in Tibet, Xinjiang and other ethnic minority areas. He thanked the Chinese experts for providing meaningful information for his academic research.

Strengthening human rights protection in sustainable development

The improvement of global human rights governance is inseparable from the active participation of non-governmental forces. Civil society organizations are also an important force in promoting human rights and development, and play an increasingly important role in promoting common development, human rights progress, dialogue and exchange, and mutual learning among civilizations. At the "NGO Cooperation for Human Rights Protection and Sustainable Development" themed side meeting hosted by the China Association for International Exchanges, the China NGO Association for the Promotion of International Exchanges, the Amity Foundation and other institutions, Chinese and foreign people had in-depth exchanges on NGO cooperation for human rights protection and sustainable development, believing that sustainable development and human rights protection complement and promote each other. Only by earnestly respecting and protecting human rights can we better promote sustainable development. The international community should strengthen solidarity and cooperation, revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development, accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and promote high-quality development.

Zhu Guijie, deputy secretary-general of the China Association for International Exchanges, said that Chinese social organizations actively contribute to the development of China's human rights cause. At the same time, they extensively participate in international activities such as the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Climate Change Conference, and promote the reform and improvement of the global governance system from a non-governmental perspective. China has initiated the establishment of platforms such as the cooperation network of non-governmental organizations along the Silk Road and the international non-governmental poverty reduction cooperation network, solidly carried out the "Silk Road Heart to Heart" initiative, successfully held cultural and people to people exchanges such as the Dialogue on Civilization Exchange and Mutual Learning, and effectively enhanced mutual understanding between the Chinese people and people of other countries.

Qian Xiaofeng, senior director of regional development of Aide Foundation, believes that non-governmental organizations can play an important role in protecting the rights of vulnerable groups. Chinese civil society organizations have strengthened cooperation with international partners and improved their ability to work professionally on international and multilateral platforms.

Wei Dandan, Assistant Secretary General of China Rural Development Foundation, shared the case of China Rural Development Foundation helping poor and low-income people to achieve poverty reduction and development, and looked forward to further expanding international cooperation to promote international poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Stackberg said at the meeting that it is very important for non-governmental organizations to communicate and interact across borders. The weaponization of human rights is a power game played by some countries to fight for world dominance, which will only lead to a "lose lose" situation.

Katherine Mbenga, a Swiss legal expert and senior international adviser on fundamental rights, said that in the process of fully realizing human rights and making them systematically enjoyed by all mankind, civil society organizations should have the international responsibility to support, promote and help countries overcome their differences.

To jointly explore the best practices of legal protection of human rights

Human rights concepts and norms are important expressions of the common values of all mankind. China has made continuous efforts to improve contemporary human rights concepts and norms, promote global human rights governance, and promote the common values of all mankind. At the side meeting on the theme of "China's experience in legal protection of human rights", experts and scholars from home and abroad exchanged views on poverty alleviation, desertification control, climate change, sports rights of the disabled and other topics.

Fan Jiuli, president of the Northwest University of Political Science and Law and director of the Human Rights Research Center, said that China has effectively improved the protection level of the people's right to survival and development by constantly improving human rights legal protection, and can share China's experience with more countries and regions, especially developing countries, to promote the continuous development of global human rights cause.

Fang Qiang, a professor at the University of Minnesota in the United States, believes that the differences in ideas and practices between different countries are both challenges and opportunities for common progress. Through academic exchanges, legal research and human rights dialogue, the United States and China can enhance mutual understanding, face their respective challenges, actively seek solutions, and jointly explore the best practices of legal protection of human rights through dialogue and cooperation.

Pan Junwu, vice president of the School of International Law of Northwest University of Political Science and Law, stressed that the Chinese government, proceeding from the interests of the people, earnestly guarantees citizens' equal right to education.

Hannah Tamik, a doctoral candidate from Wuhan University in Morocco, said that China's commitment to poverty alleviation, economic development and legal reform proved its resilience, adaptability and dedication to promoting the common well-being of all mankind.

Guo Miao, vice president of the School of Journalism and Communication of Northwest University of Political Science and Law, believes that China has embarked on a path of sand prevention and control with Chinese characteristics that conforms to the laws of nature and the national conditions and local conditions. The increasingly beautiful ecological environment of the people needs to be guaranteed through environmental policies, environmental obligations and responsibility legislation.

Wang Shuqi, an assistant researcher of the Human Rights Research Center of Northwest University of Political Science and Law, said that the achievements of sports for the disabled cannot be separated from the strong guarantee of law. In recent years, China's legal and policy guarantees for sports for the disabled have become more effective, and the rehabilitation and fitness sports and competitive sports for the disabled have made remarkable achievements.