Monrovia, Liberia – Wang Yi, a senior diplomat of the Chinese government has urged the international community to overhaul global human rights governance to make it more “people-centered, action-oriented and development-driven,” as he addressed the high-level segment of the 61st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Speaking on behalf of the Chinese government, the senior diplomat called for reforms guided by “extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit,” warning against politicization and double standards in the human rights system.
He also stressed that some of the most urgent human rights issues facing the world now include social injustice, development gaps, and climate change. Wang urged the international community to place the right to development higher on the multilateral agenda, saying that “the greatest human right is to live a happy life, and development holds the key to achieving it.”
Yi emphasized that “no one should be left behind” and stressed the importance of addressing pressing public issues such as social protection, healthcare, childcare, and eldercare. The Chinese foreign minister noted that environmental deterioration and extreme weather events increasingly endanger lives and dignity, especially in poor nations, and connected human rights protection to climate action.
Wang urged further global resource mobilization to make human rights “visible, tangible, and accessible” in honor of the Declaration on the Right to Development’s 40th anniversary. He emphasized China’s recent involvement in supporting UNHRC resolutions on economic, social, and cultural rights as well as the significance of development to human rights.
As proof of what he called a “shift from rhetoric to results,” Wang cited China’s hosting of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women last year and its human rights capacity-building initiatives for developing nations.
Wang promised that Beijing would develop “whole-process people’s democracy,” foster shared prosperity, and distribute the benefits of modernization more fairly among its people as 2026 marks the start of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period.
In his closing remarks, he urged the development of “a community with a shared future for humanity,” which has become a key component of China’s diplomatic messaging on global governance, as well as increased multilateralism and the protection of international justice and fairness.
The comments coincide with escalating worldwide discussions over economic growth, the proper balance between civil and political rights, and the roles of major powers in determining the direction of international human rights organizations.
