——Dr. Peng Jianbiao, CEO for UN Consultative Affairs of the China Association for International Science and Technology Promotion and Chairman of the International Regional Innovation and Standardization Alliance, attended the event and delivered a speech.
Geneva, March 18 (Xinhua) — On the sidelines of the 61st Session of the UN Human Rights Council, the China Non-Governmental Organizations’ International Exchange Association and the Permanent Mission of China to Geneva co-hosted a themed side event on March 17, entitled Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development: Addressing Human Rights Challenges with Science-based Solutions. Nearly 100 Chinese and foreign participants gathered to conduct in-depth discussions on how civil society organizations can leverage digital technologies to safeguard the right to development, respond to global challenges such as climate change, public health crises and the digital divide, and facilitate efforts to address discrimination and inequality.
Representatives from more than 20 countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Russia, Switzerland and Vietnam, as well as heads of multiple non-governmental organizations and experts and scholars attended the event.
Li Xiaomei, Deputy Head of the Chinese Delegation to the 61st Session of the UN Human Rights Council, stated that China attaches great importance to the promotion and protection of the right to development. At the Human Rights Council, China has sponsored resolutions on Development Promotes Human Rights and Accessibility for All, calling on all parties to attach greater importance to the right to development and advance inclusive and equitable development.Marking the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development, China urges all countries to renew their commitments, uphold a people-centered approach, uphold fairness and justice, pursue true multilateralism, further leverage the role of development in the enjoyment of all human rights, and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.
Speakers shared in-depth insights and practices on the role of science and technology in human rights protection and development from diverse perspectives.A representative from the Qatar Center for Peace and Democracy stressed that it is increasingly important for all countries to work together to seek science-based solutions to human rights challenges. The representative commended China’s constructive role in promoting dialogue on development cooperation and technological innovation within multilateral frameworks, especially its efforts to enhance developing countries’ access to digital infrastructure and technologies.A representative of the Baha’i International Community pointed out that scientific and technological innovation holds enormous potential in addressing major global challenges and advancing human well-being, and it is essential to strengthen equity, inclusiveness and the protection of minority groups.
A representative from the China Family Planning Association shared the institution’s practices and explorations in promoting reproductive health and protecting people’s livelihood-related human rights.
On behalf of the China Association for International Science and Technology Promotion, Dr. Peng Jianbiao, CEO for UN Consultative Affairs of the Association and Chairman of the International Regional Innovation and Standardization Alliance, delivered a speech. He shared the Association’s concrete practices in safeguarding the right to health, the right to development and the right to the environment by advancing energy technological innovation and vigorously developing clean energy technologies, and highlighted the Alliance’s proactive efforts in promoting the interconnection of international standards and advancing sustainable development through standardization.
A representative from China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shared local cases of applying AI-powered medical diagnosis and epidemic prevention technologies to serve the public.
Participants also exchanged views on topics including using science and technology to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, attaching importance to the right to development of people in war-torn regions, and strengthening collaboration among diverse stakeholders in the process of human rights protection.
