China and the LAC Region’s New Path for Human Rights Progress

On February 7, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres outlined the organization’s priorities for 2024, warning, “As conflicts rage and geopolitical divisions grow, peace in our world is threatened. As polarization deepens and human rights are trampled, peace within communities is undermined.”

His words stressed a growing crisis in human rights.

Amid this severe reality, one particular partnership is drawing international attention—that of China and the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region. Together, China and LAC countries represent nearly one third of the world’s population and an indispensable voice for the Global South. Their cooperation on human rights offers a promising path forward, seeking to bridge cultural divides and strengthen global human rights governance.

On September 10, the first China-Latin American and Caribbean States Roundtable on Human Rights took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Co-hosted by the China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS), Renmin University of China and the Brazilian Universidade Federal Fluminense, this event fostered dialogue and mutual understanding, reimagining human rights in a rapidly changing world.

At just the right time

Themed “The Diversity of Civilizations and the Path to Achieve Human Rights,” the roundtable brought together a wide array of voices.

Over 120 senior officials, experts and scholars in the human rights field, as well as representatives from social organizations, think tanks, and media outlets, were in attendance. They came from 17 countries, including China, Brazil, Argentina, the Bahamas, Bolivia, Chile and Cuba.

In a recent interview with China News Service (CNS), Ma Chaoqi, Vice President of Northwest University of Political Science and Law in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province in northwest China, and a researcher at its Human Rights Research Center, emphasized the importance of the China-LAC human rights dialogue.

Despite the geographical distance, Ma said China and LAC countries share both similarities and differences in their approaches to human rights.

This dialogue, according to Ma, exemplified the Chinese concept of “harmony without uniformity” in action. It underscored a mutual commitment to respecting diverse civilizations and fostering cross-cultural learning. By engaging in these discussions, China and LAC countries demonstrated their dedication to navigating the complex landscape of global human rights while honoring their unique cultural contexts.

“The paths and institutional designs for achieving democracy and human rights are rooted in the practical exploration and creative wisdom of each nation’s people, reflecting different expressions of these common ideals,” Ma said,“It is essential for countries worldwide to recognize and respect the diversity in how democracy and human rights are manifested, while embracing them as shared values of humanity. Only by acknowledging these differences can we truly strengthen exchange and foster mutual learning.”

Together, the roundtable’s organizers released a report titled Common Goals: China-Latin America and the Caribbean Cooperation on Human Rights Development, the Present and the Future. This report identifies global challenges to human rights protection, including hegemony, power politics, conflicts, economic issues and climate change, while highlighting a deficit in post-Cold War global human rights governance.

On July 11 last year, the UN Development Programme and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, an economic research center based in the United Kingdom, published the 2023 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index. This index showed that worldwide, 1.1 billion people were still living in extreme poverty, struggling to meet basic needs like food, shelter, and healthcare. The UN defines extreme poverty as living on less than $2.15 a day.

The Global South–regions of the world generally characterized by lower levels of economic and industrial development and often located south of more industrialized nations–is reshaping human rights governance by addressing fundamental challenges.

China’s human rights philosophy focuses on the right to subsistence and development, as well as emphasizes security and holistic advancement. This approach has gained international traction due to China’s domestic achievements in poverty reduction, having eradicated extreme poverty nationwide as of late 2020, and sustainable development.

LAC countries align their human rights agenda with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the organization’s member states in 2015, focusing on poverty eradication and environmental protection, as well as reinforcing their commitment to a balanced human rights framework.

Collaboration between China and the LAC strengthens the Global South’s voice in human rights discussions, nurturing a more equitable global governance structure. The Beijing Declaration, adopted by the First South-South Human Rights Forum in Beijing in 2017, affirmed South-South cooperation as a pivotal force in promoting development and human rights in developing countries.

Setting an example

Since 1945, when the UN was created with its charter recognizing promoting human rights as a core purpose, human rights have become a fundamental connection for international cooperation. China-LAC cooperation on human rights development, an essential component of South-South teamwork, is deeply rooted in both history and current realities.

Their collaboration on human rights adheres to the core idea of “promoting human rights through development.” The China-LAC partnership focuses on mutual support for human rights endeavors, expanding cooperation through economic co-development, living standard improvement and cultural exchange. It further intends to become a model for human rights development cooperation, not only among Global South countries but potentially on a global scale.

“Guided by the people’s aspirations for a better life, China’s human rights development aims to achieve common prosperity for all and advancing higher levels of human rights protection through high-quality development,” Padma Choling, Vice Chairman of the 13th Standing Committee (March 2018-March 2023) of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, and President of the CSHRS, said in his opening speech at the fourm.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the LAC region in July 2014, he proposed the “1+3+6” cooperation framework. This initiative laid the groundwork for a China-LAC community with a shared future, focusing on a five-year cooperation plan, strengthening trade, investment and finance, and collaborating in key areas such as energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and technology.

The past decade has seen this vision come to fruition, with cooperation intensifying across different fields and economic ties growing stronger. China-LAC relations have blossomed into a new era defined by equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and tangible benefits for people on both sides.

The year 2023 witnessed a flurry of diplomatic activity, with leaders from 10 LAC countries visiting China, reinforcing the partnership’s importance. Building on this momentum, 2024 has already seen the inauguration of two forums: the China-Latin American and Caribbean States Space Cooperation Forum in Wuhan, Hubei Province in central China, in April, and the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Development Forum in Beijing in August.

These platforms align the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to boost connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes, with LAC regional development goals. They also foster deeper exchanges of ideas and mutual understanding between both sides. This evolving partnership demonstrates the growing influence of South-South cooperation in reshaping global development paradigms and human rights discourse, emphasizing practical collaboration and shared progress in an increasingly multipolar world.

“By strengthening international institutions, implementing inclusive policies, preventing conflict, integrating human rights into climate policies and regulating the use of technology, it is possible to move toward a world where human rights are respected and protected for all. Only through a collective and coordinated effort can we ensure that dignity and justice are a reality for all people in the world,” Jones Cooper, a professor from the School of Public Administration at the University of Panama and former Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama, said in an interview with CNS.