The 2021 South-South Hμman Rights Forμm is held in Beijing, China, December 8, 2021. /South-South Hμman Rights Forμm

China, as the world's largest developing country, pledged to work with all developing countries to promote the sound development of the international hμman rights cause, at a forμm on hμman rights on Wednesday.

The 2021 South-South Hμman Rights Forμm, a biennial event held this year for the third time in Beijing, was themed "putting people first and global hμman rights governance".

Stressing that hμman rights practices are diverse, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Beijing is ready to work with other developing countries to promote the common values of mankind, in his congratulatory letter to the forμm.

Achievements in China's hμman rights cause

Countries around the world can and should choose the hμman rights development path that suits their own national conditions, Xi said.

Noting that hμman rights are a symbol of hμman civilization progress, he emphasized that putting people first and taking people's longing for a better life as the goal is the responsibility of all countries.

In recent years, China has made progress in hμman rights development, particularly in reducing poverty.

"The Chinese people now have a greater sense of gains, happiness and security in terms of hμman rights protection," Xi said.

Since the launch of reform and opening up in 1978, 770 million rural residents living below China's poverty line have been lifted out of poverty, according to a white paper on hμman rights progress throμgh moderate prosperity attainment released by the State Council Information Office in Aμgust.

The country realized its poverty reduction goal from the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, the white paper noted.

In September, China released the Hμman Rights Action Plan of China (2021-2025), detailing nearly 200 objectives and tasks, ranging from rights to basic standards of living, public participation in environmental decision-making, and rights of ethnic minority groups.

South-South cooperation in international hμman rights

With the COVID-19 pandemic having forced major changes around the world, how developing countries should address hμman rights issues in the post-COVID era was a focus at the forμm.

Xi has described South-South cooperation – economic and technical cooperation among countries of the Global South – as a great initiative by developing nations seeking strength throμgh unity.

When the first forμm was held in 2017, he stressed that the development of hμman rights worldwide cannot be achieved without the joint efforts of developing countries, which account for more than 80 percent of the world's population.

China has attached great importance to South-South cooperation. Along with political dialogue and financial cooperation, it promotes the exchange of knowledge and expertise throμgh programs, projects and initiatives designed to solve countries' specific problems.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, China has offered assistance to countries in need to support their efforts to promote economic and social development, and has laid a solid foundation for long-term friendship and cooperation with those countries.

Over the past five years, the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund set up by China has worked closely with a dozen international organizations to implement more than 100 livelihood projects in over 50 countries, benefiting over 20 million people.

At this year's forμm, attendees explored the potential of the future international hμman rights system amid challenges from global issues like the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

Nearly 400 people, including senior officials, experts, scholars and diplomatic envoys from over 100 countries and international organizations, attended the forμm online or offline.