Reviewing the spirit of the Declaration and talking about the development of human rights

——Summary of the Seminar on "Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights"

Liu Xuanlin

Summary: On December 4, 2023, the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies held a seminar in Beijing on "Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights". The participants discussed the significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the theory and practice of China's respect and protection of human rights, the "Three Global Initiatives" and global human rights governance, human rights protection in the digital era, and telling the story of China's human rights in the new era. They reached broad consensus and achieved positive results.

key word: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights The community with a shared future for mankind The rule of law guarantees global human rights governance Contemporary Chinese human rights view

In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of "adhering to the path of China's human rights development, actively participating in global human rights governance, and promoting the comprehensive development of human rights" in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, actively publicize and interpret Xi Jinping's cultural thoughts, especially the important discourse on respecting and protecting human rights, and take the opportunity of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, On December 4, 2023, the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies held a seminar on "Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Issuance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" in Beijing, which was attended by more than 70 people, including leaders of the central and state organs, relevant departments of the central media, experts and scholars in the field of human rights, and representatives of social organizations. The participants discussed the significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the theory and practice of China's respect and protection of human rights, the "Three Global Initiatives" and global human rights governance, human rights protection in the digital era, and telling the story of China's human rights in the new era. They reached broad consensus and achieved positive results.

1、 The Birth and Significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On December 10, 1948, the Third United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its resolution 217A, which is the first international document on human rights issues and a milestone in international human rights law. Zhang Pengchun, the representative of China, participated in the drafting of the declaration as the vice chairman of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and played an important role. He suggested that the Confucian idea of "benevolent people love others" should be included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and finally achieved success. Looking back at history, we can see that the birth of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the need to implement the main purposes of the 1945 United Nations Charter, such as jointly safeguarding security, jointly promoting development, respecting and safeguarding human rights, and the need to profoundly reflect on the serious violations of human life, freedom, dignity and other basic human rights during the Second World War, It is the need for the international community to strongly appeal that human rights should receive greater attention and protection. Participants in the seminar believed that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has produced important and far-reaching significance worldwide.

Bai Ma Chilin, president of the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies, pointed out that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reaffirmed the inherent dignity of human beings, appealed to all countries to respect human rights, advocated to bridge confrontation conflicts with multiple consensus, provided guidance for the realization of human rights for all, and had a profound impact on the development of the world's human rights cause. Looking back at the historical moment 75 years ago, China is an intellectual contributor to the text of the Declaration, an active advocate of the spirit of the Declaration, and a practitioner of the concept of the Declaration. We need to return to the historical starting point, review the text, spirit and concept of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, clarify the coordinates and direction of global human rights governance, and better safeguard world peace and promote common development.

Lu Guangjin, vice president of the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies and professor of the Law School of Jilin University, believes that the birth of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a landmark event in the history of human civilization, which has set up a monument of human rights values. In the history of human civilization, no human rights document has had such a broad and far-reaching impact on the development of human society as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Today, the role and influence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights still exist, and it still encourages people to make efforts to respect and protect human rights.

Xu Xianming, Vice President of the China Law Society, pointed out that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has safeguarded world peace, promoted the progress and development of the international community, reshaped governments, and is the epitome of all human rights declarations in human history. He believes that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a timeless document that will never be out of date. It can be said to be the greatest declaration of mankind from the last century to today. It is a political declaration, a legal declaration, and a moral declaration. It is of great significance.

Liu Huawen, Executive Director of the Human Rights Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Deputy Director of the International Law Research Institute, and member of the United Nations Committee against Torture, believes that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the most important international instrument in international human rights law, the foundation of the core human rights treaties and other important human rights documents of the United Nations, and even quoted or recognized by domestic constitutions and laws of many countries. As a part of the International Charter of Human Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights embodies the original intention, purpose and goal of the Charter of the United Nations; As a universal and comprehensive international human rights instrument, it reflects the integrity and integrity of human rights; As a pioneering and fundamental international human rights instrument, it embodies the inclusiveness and diversity of human rights; As the earliest and most comprehensive international human rights instrument of the United Nations, it reflects the forward-looking and leading nature of human rights; As the most concerned and representative international human rights instrument, it reflects the cohesion and impetus of human rights values.

Qi Yanping, a chair professor of Beijing University of Technology, believes that since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was issued 75 years ago, protecting human life, value and dignity, and realizing that everyone enjoys human rights have become the common pursuit of human society. Respect and protection of human rights have become the ethical basis for the operation of international political norms and the legal basis for good law and good governance in countries around the world. He pointed out that the People's Republic of China was founded the second year after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was issued. This is the moment when China opened its modern history, and it is also the moment when China opened its modern human rights history. China's modern human rights history and the history of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights complement each other.

2、 China's theory and practice of respecting and safeguarding human rights

（1） The Formation of Contemporary China's View of Human Rights

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), General Secretary Xi Jinping has made promoting the development of human rights as an important task of governing the country. He has delivered a series of important speeches and made a series of important statements around respecting and safeguarding human rights, and has profoundly answered major issues such as what human rights are, how to promote the development of China's human rights cause, and how to promote global human rights governance, In theory, it has formed a contemporary Chinese view of human rights that reflects the common values of all mankind. Participants in the seminar spoke highly of the significance and value of the formation of contemporary China's human rights view, believing that it originates from practice, guides practice, and guides China to embark on a human rights development path that is both suitable for China's national conditions and in line with the trend of the times.

Jiang Jianguo, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies, pointed out that the contemporary Chinese view of human rights is a profound summary of our party's long-term experience in the development of human rights by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, a profound insight into the development and evolution of human rights in the world, and a scientific summary of the living practice of human rights in contemporary China, It is also a refinement of the basic propositions and important viewpoints of contemporary Chinese human rights, which embodies the new understanding and overall grasp of the development of human rights cause by the Chinese Communists in the new era. It is an important part of Xi Jinping's thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, and provides a fundamental basis for promoting the development of China's human rights cause in the new era, It has contributed Chinese wisdom to promoting global human rights governance. Practice has proved that the contemporary Chinese view of human rights is a scientific theory and has a strong force of truth and practice.

Li Lin, a member of the academic department of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the contemporary Chinese view of human rights is rich in connotation and profound in thought, contains profound philosophy, truth and jurisprudence of human rights philosophy, and has very important value, which is mainly reflected in the following six aspects: adhere to the unity of universality and particularity of human rights, and provide a Chinese sample for the world's human rights cause; Insist on taking the people as the subject and center of human rights, and innovate and develop the theory of world human rights subject; Adhere to the combination of "primary focus" and "comprehensive development" of human rights, enrich and improve the theory of world human rights object; Adhere to the principle that people's happy life is the greatest human right, and promote the innovation of international human rights value theory; Adhere to the scientific concept of human rights to guide and promote human rights practice, and provide China's experience for the development of human rights in the world; Adhere to building a community with a shared future for mankind to promote the development of global human rights cause and jointly create a new form of human rights civilization.

（2） Progress of China's human rights cause

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "when human rights issues are not completed, there is only progress; when there is no best, there is only better." Since the founding of New China 74 years ago, especially since the reform and opening up 45 years ago, under the strong and correct leadership of the Communist Party of China, China has always adhered to the United Nations Constitution and carried forward the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, We should combine the Marxist view of human rights with China's specific reality, with China's excellent traditional culture, and adhere to the right to subsistence and the right to development as the primary basic human rights. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Communist Party of China has clearly put forward the idea of people centered development, always put the interests of the people in the supreme position, take the people's aspiration for a better life as the goal of struggle, and constantly improve the level of respect and protection of the people's basic rights, so that everyone can develop themselves and contribute to society with dignity. At present, the living standard of our people has been greatly improved, and the world's largest education system, social security system, and medical and health system have been built. The people's sense of gain, happiness, and security have been significantly improved. The cause of human rights has made all-round progress, and the level of human rights security has reached a new level. The Chinese nation has ushered in a new start A great leap from becoming rich to becoming strong. The participants believed that China's human rights cause has made remarkable achievements. The seminar representatives combined with the specific work permit to form this view.

Qian Xiaoyan, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, pointed out that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the active employment policy system with Chinese characteristics has been constantly enriched and developed, the employment promotion mechanism has been continuously improved, and the working pattern of independent employment of workers, employment regulated by the market, employment promoted by the government and entrepreneurship encouraged has been fully formed, The large developing country with a population of more than 1.4 billion has achieved relatively full employment, which is specifically reflected in seven aspects: the overall stability of the employment situation, the continuous optimization of the employment structure, the steady employment of college graduates, the more unblocked employment channels for migrant workers, the effective employment assistance for people in difficulty, the more equitable employment environment for women, and the increasingly improved employment promotion mechanism for the disabled. Taking the overall stability of the employment situation as an example, since 2012, the number of new urban jobs in China has remained at more than 11 million, with an average annual increase of more than 13 million. From January to October 2023, 11.09 million new urban jobs will be created in China.

He Shuwen, Vice Minister of the Liaison Department of the All China Women's Federation, pointed out that the All China Women's Federation adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping's thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, fully implements the spirit of the Twentieth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, thoroughly implements the important statements of General Secretary Xi Jinping on respecting and protecting human rights, women, children and the work of the Women's Federation, and solidly promotes the protection of women's rights and interests in the new era, Positive results have been achieved, specifically in three aspects: the top-level design of women's rights and interests protection is more perfect, women enjoy more extensive and full rights and interests, and women's "half sky" role is fully demonstrated. Taking the omni-directional role of women in "half the sky" as an example, women accounted for more than 40% of the employed people in the whole society, 45.8% of female scientific and technological workers, and about one third of new formats such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live broadcast. Women's participation in decision-making and management has become more extensive and in-depth. Women deputies to the Twentieth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, women deputies to the 14th National People's Congress and women members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference accounted for 27%, 26.54% and 22.4% respectively. In the new era, women have an unprecedented opportunity to shine, show an unprecedented style, and work with the people of the country to create a great cause of rejuvenation and share the glory of the motherland.

（3） Comprehensive protection of people's human rights according to law

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The broadest and deepest foundation of comprehensive rule of law is the people, and we must adhere to the principle of serving the people and relying on the people. We should implement the whole process of embodying the interests of the people, reflecting their aspirations, safeguarding their rights and interests, and improving their well-being in all areas of comprehensive rule of law." Participants generally believed that the rule of law was the basic way of governing the country, It has played an increasingly important role in safeguarding people's human rights.

Jiang Jianguo, the executive vice president of the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies, pointed out that we need to respect and protect human rights through all aspects of legislation, law enforcement, justice and law-abiding, and constantly promote scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, fair justice, and law-abiding by the whole people, so as to comprehensively protect human rights in comprehensively promoting the rule of law. At present, the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics is becoming more and more scientific, and the foundation for the protection of human rights under the rule of law is increasingly consolidated.

Ma Huaide, Vice President of the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies and President of the China University of Political Science and Law, believes that seven of the 30 articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights involve the Constitution, laws, courts, and the rule of law, which can be said to be a declaration full of the rule of law. On March 14, 2004, the amendment to the Constitution adopted at the second session of the Tenth National People's Congress included "the State respects and safeguards human rights" in the Constitution, becoming a constitutional principle. Since then, China's human rights protection has had a fundamental legal basis. Ma Huaide further pointed out that although there are many ways to protect human rights, the rule of law is undoubtedly the most important way to protect human rights. Only by comprehensively governing the country according to law, safeguarding the authority of the Constitution and law, attaching importance to the rule of law and enforcing the rule of law, can all policies and systems for safeguarding human rights be implemented and effectively implemented.

Xu Xianming believes that it is necessary to deeply study the human rights view in Xi Jinping's rule of law thought, especially the view that General Secretary Xi Jinping insists on taking the people as the center. Focusing on the people requires that the people feel fairness and justice in every legislation, every law enforcement decision, and every judicial case. Fairness and justice are the values of human rights, so the pursuit of fairness and justice is essentially the pursuit of human rights values.

（4） Continuous optimization of international dissemination of human rights in China

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that human rights propaganda and knowledge popularization should be widely carried out in various forms, channels and occasions to create a good atmosphere for respecting and protecting human rights in the whole society. The participants expressed their own opinions and suggestions on how to tell the story of human rights in China's new era.

Lv Tao, the producer of the News Theme Department of the Chinese Global Program Center of China Central Radio and Television, believes that we should not only return to the essence of human rights, but also strengthen China's confidence in human rights from the inheritance of Chinese civilization, and create more and better world human rights stories. Only in this way can we do a good job in the international dissemination of human rights. For example, in the news documentary "Human Rights in China in the New Era", stories about the whole Dulong ethnic group getting rid of poverty and leaping over the millennium show that China has won the battle against poverty as scheduled with the whole nation's efforts, implying the concept and experience of "the right to survival and the right to development are the primary basic human rights" and "promoting human rights through development"; The lively meeting hall in the small courtyard "has things to discuss, and everyone's things are discussed by everyone", which is a true portrayal of the whole process of democracy. In an interview, Margaret Chan, former Director General of the World Health Organization, praised that the documentary shows the abstract concept of human rights with vivid character stories, and vividly interprets the development path of human rights in China with the people as the center.

Zhang Wei, Deputy Secretary General of the Global Think Tank, pointed out that the target of think tanks in international exchanges is mostly people from the policy, strategic, think tank and business circles. Although many people wear ideological eyeglasses, there are also rational thinkers among them. He introduced the work of globalization think tanks in telling Chinese human rights stories and actively carrying out international human rights exchanges. He believed that in the face of doubts and accusations, presenting facts and data is often more persuasive than simply stating opinions. Use brand activities to tell stories about China's human rights, development, poverty alleviation and common prosperity.

3、 Human rights protection faces opportunities and challenges in the digital era

General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that "science and technology is a powerful tool for development, and may also be the source of risk." With the rapid development of the Internet, big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, blockchain and other new generation information technologies, Chinese society is accelerating its transformation to the digital era, and digital technology is fully integrated into politics, economy, culture, society The various fields of ecological civilization construction have brought extensive and far-reaching impacts on human production and life and human rights protection. They are full of opportunities as well as challenges.

Professor Qi Yanping believes that the innovative development of China's modern human rights system is first reflected in giving priority to consolidating the political premise and institutional foundation of equality for all, implementing people's democracy throughout the process, and actively creating social conditions for everyone to share human rights. This innovative development is not only to cope with the inherent historical limitations of traditional individual human rights, but also to cope with the new challenges to human rights in the burgeoning digital, networked and intelligent era, and to provide Chinese wisdom for the world's human rights from the single dimension of the individual to the dual dimension of the whole and the individual.

Professor Han Xiutao, Executive Director of the Science and Technology Human Rights Research Center of Beijing University of Technology, believes that with the advent of the era of intelligent technology, new technological forms represented by generative artificial intelligence are changing the traditional production and life mode. While it brings intelligence and convenience to human production and life, personal privacy disclosure, data security, algorithm black box, deep forgery Information cocoon room, big data killing, digital divide, "data poisoning" and other scientific and technological ethical risks have also emerged and gradually increased, becoming a real human rights problem that countries must face. Therefore, it has become an important topic of human rights research in the digital age to improve the ethical awareness of AI technology, strengthen the ethical governance of AI technology, promote AI technology innovation on a safe, reliable and responsible track, and ensure the coordinated development of scientific and technological development and human rights protection.

Tong Lihua, director of the Beijing Youth Legal Aid and Research Center, believes that we should not only remember the global consensus and rule of law principles on human rights and dignity reached for the first time in human history, but also have the courage to think about the new challenges, new ideas and new opportunities facing human society in the field of human rights today. Since the 21st century, human society has rapidly moved from the industrial era to the digital era, and the world governance pattern, national and global governance patterns, economic development patterns, and people's production and life styles have undergone revolutionary changes. This change has brought new challenges and opportunities to the reform of the rule of law in different countries and the development of human rights in human society. In the future, it is necessary to comprehensively strengthen strategic research on human rights issues in the digital era, understand and develop the digital rule of law from the strategic perspective of global governance and human rights development, and dare to play China's new role in the global human rights governance system in the digital era.

4、 "Three Global Initiatives" Promote the Modernization of Global Human Rights Governance

General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the global development initiative, the global security initiative and the global civilization initiative, forming three pillars supporting the concept and practice of a community with a shared future for mankind. They are full of the spiritual connotation of autonomy, inclusiveness and peace, and are a powerful response to the "clash of civilizations", "estrangement of civilizations" and "superiority of civilizations" of the United States and the West. Participants discussed the relationship between the "Three Global Initiatives" and the modernization of global human rights governance, as well as China's contribution.

Zhang Wenxian, member of the Party Leadership Group and director of the Academic Committee of the China Law Society, pointed out that the common values embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are the basis for us to face the future of human rights and embrace human rights civilization. On the basis of unswervingly adhering to the common values, General Secretary Xi Jinping, on behalf of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government, has successively put forward the "three major global initiatives" of the global development initiative, the global security initiative and the global civilization initiative, providing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for human society to solve the development deficit, security deficit, peace deficit, governance deficit and civilization conflict, It has aroused warm response and widespread recognition worldwide, and is also another modern declaration full of consensus on human values in the field of global human rights construction and human rights governance. Based on common values, the "Three Global Initiatives" have innovatively broken through the limitations of previous human rights concepts, greatly enriched the connotation of global human rights, and have extraordinary guiding significance for building a fair, reasonable and good governance system of international human rights governance.

Fu Zitang, vice president of the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies and president of the Human Rights Research Institute of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, pointed out that looking at the logical relationship of the core elements of the "three major global initiatives", we can see that security is the prerequisite for development and civilization. Without a peaceful and tranquil environment, development and civilization will lose security; Development is the foundation of security and civilization. Only prosperity and development can make peace lasting and civilization progressive; Civilization is the sublimation of security and development. At the same time, civilization can provide spiritual support for security and development. Fu Zitang further pointed out that the "three major global initiatives" are complementary and inseparable, and together constitute the "troika" to improve global human rights governance and promote the development of global human rights cause. Common development is the "master key" to promote the protection of human rights, shared security is the "stabilizer" to consolidate the cause of human rights, and shared civilization is the "lubricant" to eliminate human rights confrontation.

5、 Prospects for the development of China's human rights cause

General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly pointed out that "the world today is experiencing a great change that has not been seen in a century. This change is not limited to a single event, one country, one territory, but a profound and broad change of the times." At present, a few countries pursue unilateralism and power politics, which pose a serious challenge to the cause of human rights for all mankind. Strengthening and improving global human rights governance has become the common aspiration of the people of the world.

Bai Mazhilin stressed that 75 years ago, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established the basic consensus of respecting and protecting human rights. Today, 75 years later, mankind is standing at the crossroads again. We need to return to the historical starting point, review the text, spirit and concept of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, clarify the coordinates and direction of global human rights governance, and better safeguard world peace and promote common development. In the future, we need to do a good job in four aspects: first, deepen theoretical research and be an interpreter of contemporary Chinese human rights; Second, we should cultivate a strong sense of autonomy and become a deep cultivator of China's human rights theory; The third is to respond to the practical needs and be a builder of China's human rights cause; Fourth, take the initiative to communicate with foreign countries and become a disseminator of Chinese human rights discourse.

Zhang Wenxian believes that the times are developing and human rights are progressing. When human society opens up from localization to globalization, human productivity develops from industrialization and informatization to digitalization, and human civilization expands from material civilization to comprehensive civilization, human rights concepts, human rights systems, and human rights discourse will inevitably undergo historic changes and epochal progress. In this case, we should return to the logical starting point of "common values", reinterpret the text and connotation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, sublimate the human rights claims and human rights jurisprudence of the people of the world, and recreate the human rights concepts and human rights civilization of all mankind. In practice, it is necessary to consciously implement the common values into the great practice of human rights, and strive to promote the modernization of human rights and the development and progress of human rights civilization; Theoretically, we need to use the new paradigm of common values to interpret the spirit and principles of human rights, and innovate and develop the pedigree and discourse system of human rights theory in the 21st century.

Li Lin believes that in the future, we need to hold high the banner of human rights civilization, uphold the core concept of "universal human rights" in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, carry forward the human rights spirit contained in the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, transcend human rights civilization barriers with human rights civilization exchanges, transcend human rights civilization conflicts with human rights civilization mutual learning, and transcend human rights civilization superiority with human rights civilization coexistence, Work with the people of the world to create a new form of human rights civilization in the 21st century.

The development of human rights is the common cause of all mankind and requires the joint efforts of all countries in the world. China's human rights development path and model have made China's contribution to promoting the development of the world's human rights cause and provided China's programs. In the future, we need to keep pace with the times, adhere to integrity and innovation, respect human rights, protect human rights, promote human rights, develop human rights, improve human rights, and constantly promote the high-quality development of China's human rights cause, create new achievements, create new brilliance, and write a new chapter!

(Liu Xuanlin, director and associate professor of the Institute of Economic Law and Social Law, Master of Law School, China University of Political Science and Law.)

Abstract： On December 4，2023，the China Society for Human Rights Studies held a seminar in Beijing to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Participants discussed a wide range of topics，including the significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights， China´s theoretical and practical achievements in respecting and protecting human rights，the“Three Global Initiatives”and global human rights governance， human rights protection in the digital age，and the storytelling of human rights in China in the new era. The seminar facilitated extensive discussions and achieved positive results，with attendees reaching a broad consensus on these topics.

Keywords： Universal Declaration of Human Rights；a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind；the Rule of Law Protection；Global Human Rights Governance；Contemporary Chinese Outlook on Human Rights

(Editor in charge: Ye Chuanxing)