Beijing (TDI): At the 2026 Forum on Global Human Rights Governance, Executive Director of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS), Muhammad Asif Noor, spoke during the session titled “Development as a Pillar of Human Rights: Global South Perspectives on Inclusive Governance.”
The forum opened in Beijing on Thursday, bringing together officials, experts, and international representatives to discuss the role of development in promoting human rights.
It was organized by the State Council Information Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development.
The two-day event kicked off with an opening ceremony and plenary session. More than 400 participants from over 100 countries, along with representatives from the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, attended the event.
Senior Chinese Communist Party official Li Shulei delivered the keynote address. The forum highlighted growing global debates on how development-focused policies can address inequality and improve living standards in developing countries.
Read More: China Sets Out 2026–2030 Human Rights Goals At Beijing Forum Opening
Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of its Publicity Department, outlined China’s perspective that economic and social development forms a key basis for human rights protection.
A major highlight of the event was the release of China’s new national human rights action plan for the 2026–2030 period, which Beijing announced at the opening of the forum.
According to the plan, China aims to ensure that the “principal position of the people” is respected and that citizens’ basic interests are protected.
It also emphasizes promoting social fairness and justice, and ensuring that the benefits of modernization are more evenly shared across society.
The document is structured into an introduction and eight chapters and was jointly issued by members of the national human rights action plan coordination mechanism.
The Chinese government noted that its previous 2021–2025 action plan was successfully implemented, claiming it delivered significant progress in human rights protection and contributed to stability in global human rights development.
Established in December 2008, The Diplomatic Insight is Pakistan’s premier diplomacy and foreign affairs magazine, available in both digital and print formats.
