Experts, scholars discuss BRI contributions to global human rights cause in Geneva

GENEVA - A symposium focusing on the progress of the human rights cause in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation was held here Tuesday.

At the symposium, human rights experts and scholars from China and other countries exchanged their views on the contributions of the BRI cooperation to global development and human rights progress.

The symposium, with the theme of "Joint Building of the Belt & Road and Progress of Global Human Rights Cause," was organized by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development, a Chinese non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting the development of human rights cause.

Zuo Feng, vice chairman and secretary-general of the foundation, said that since the BRI was proposed by China in 2013, more than 150 countries and 30 international organizations have signed cooperation documents. In a decade, the BRI cooperation has played a constructive role in improving the global economic landscape, promoting common development and prosperity, and bettering the global governance system. It is widely recognized that the BRI cooperation has made positive contributions to global development and human rights progress.

Hu Biliang, executive dean of the Belt and Road School at Beijing Normal University, said that the BRI cooperation has played an important role in the progress of human rights in partner countries, as it has improved infrastructure, brought job opportunities, facilitated trade, increased people's incomes and reduced poverty.

Zhang Aining, director of the Human Rights Studies Center in China Foreign Affairs University, said the BRI is a Chinese solution to the problems facing the world and to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals. It provides a good example of "Cooperation improves development and development improves human rights" for the progress of the global human rights cause.

The symposium was part of meetings on global human rights during the 54th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council going on here from Sept. 11 to Oct. 13.