Source: LAWHUST (WeChat Public Account), Law School of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, June 25

On June 21, the "2019·China-Europe Seminar on Human Rights" co-sponsored by China Society for Human Rights Studies and Austria-China Friendship Association and organized by the Law School and the Institute for Human Rights Law of Huazhong University of Science and Technology was held at the Federal Ministry of Justice of Austria. More than 100 well-known experts and scholars in the field of human rights from China, Austria, Germany, France, the Netherlands and other countries have carried out discussions and exchanges on the theme of "Comparison of Human Rights Values between the East and the West."

                                      Lu Guangjin presides over the opening ceremony

The opening ceremony of the seminar was presided over by Lu Guangjin, Secretary-General of China Society for Human Rights Studies. Present at the seminar were Fischer, former President of Austria and President of Austria-China Friendship Association; Kaminski, Executive Vice President of Austria-China Friendship Association; Li Xiaosi, Chinese Ambassador to Austria; Kräuter, Austrian Ombudsman; Fu Zitang, Vice President of China Society for Human Rights Studies; Shen Yongxiang, Vice President of China Society for Human Rights Studies; Xu Xiaodong, Vice President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and others.

Opening Ceremony

Xu Xiaodong delivering a speech at the opening ceremony

Vice President Xu Xiaodong, on behalf of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, expressed warm welcome and sincere thanks to the participants in the opening ceremony. He said that as the organizer, the Law School of Huazhong University of Science and Technology has achieved rapid development in a short period, following the pace of the legalization process of modern China. It has established a school-running system with a reasonable structure, complete disciplines, outstanding features and distinct advantages, maintaining close cooperation with top-ranking scientific research institutes in more than 20 countries and regions. Moreover, the research of the Institute for Human Rights Law in the field of right to existence and right to development has been in a leading position. Interdisciplinary research has been carried out in the fields of information rights in the era of artificial intelligence and big data, human rights in intellectual property, and others, with outstanding achievements and wide recognition by the international community. In the era of globalization, human beings face many common problems and challenges, thus are in need of seeking answers in dialogue and exchanges. In the field of human rights, Chinese and European scholars should respect each other, treat each other with sincerity and fully exchange their research achievements, so as to bridge the gap of understanding, enhance mutual trust, and provide academic support for the development of human rights cause in China and Europe.

Wang Xigen making a keynote speech

After the opening ceremony, delegates made keynote speeches. Wang Xigen, Dean of the Law School, President of the Institute for Human Rights Law and distinguished professor of Changjiang Scholar, made a speech on the theme of "Value Divergences and Possible Consensus on the Right to Development between the East and the West". He mentioned that human rights mean that everyone can live a decent life. However, in today's world, there are serious imbalances in development and increasing polarization between the rich and the poor. Hunger, diseases and wars are always threatening human beings. Development and human rights have become key global issues. However, there are still sharp differences on the right to development. The United Nations has confirmed that the right to development is a human right. The vast majority of Western countries, including the European Union, have agreed to take practical actions to implement the right to development, but oppose to the formulation of the International Covenant on the Right to Development or other documents with the force of mandatory laws. Different countries have different understanding of equality, freedom, order and subject. However, there is still a certain consensus between the East and the West, such as human dignity in the origin of value, fraternity on the basis of value, fairness and justice in the core of value, globality in the field of value, social connection in the value relationships and the new development concept in the value dimension, totaling six aspects.

In the afternoon of the same day, scholars and experts at the seminar expressed their opinions on the universality and particularity of human rights, the significance of human rights in a community with a shared future for mankind, the history and evolution of human rights values, the practice of human rights in the People's Republic of China and its world significance, and conducted in-depth discussion on key, difficult and hot issues in the field of human rights.

Experts participating in the discussion

Seminar site

Fischer

Referring to this seminar, former President Fischer said that human rights are the common wealth of all human beings and that it needs joint efforts of the international community to safeguard and promote human rights. The 2019 China-Europe Seminar on Human Rights will make new contributions to promoting mutual understanding and academic research in the field of human rights between China and Europe.

Li Xiaosi

Ambassador Li Xiaosi believes that China and Europe have common ground and differences on human rights issues. This seminar was held in Vienna, which fully reflects the growing political mutual trust and mature relations between China and Europe as well as between China and Austria in recent years.

Fu Zitang

Vice President Fu Zitang said that there are similarities and differences between the human rights values of the East and the West. In pursuit of the common values of all human beings, such as peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, as well as the goal of full human rights for all and indivisibility of all human rights, the East and the West share the same direction and voice. This seminar provides a good platform for promoting exchanges and dialogue between Chinese and European human rights scholars and for mutual enlightenment.

In early June, Kaminski came to our university to discuss the preparatory work.

Under the direct guidance of China Society for Human Rights Studies, , our university has always attached great importance to the relevant work of this seminar since Professor Wang Xigen first went to Austria last year to discuss the holding of this seminar, with direct participation of the leaders of our university. The Law School has established a preparatory group for the seminar, headed by Nie Qingbin, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Law School, and Wang Xigen, Dean of the school. The preparatory group carefully planned and fully prepared for the seminar, repeatedly consulted with Austria-China Friendship Association, reported to China Society for Human Rights Studies for many times, and took multiple measures to overcome difficulties. The preparatory work lasted nearly half a year.

The seminar has received high attention and in-depth reports from CCTV, Chinese Media Group, Guangming Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Nouvelles d'Europe and other media. It has become a sensational event in China and abroad.

It is reported that the "China-Europe Seminar on Human Rights" was founded by China Society for Human Rights Studies. Since 2015, it has held four times, with fruitful discussions on the themes of "protection of children's rights", "protection of rights of minority group", "protection of rights of persons with disabilities" and "protection of diversity of civilizations and human rights". It has played an active role in enhancing understanding, expanding consensus and promoting the human rights cause of both sides and even of the world. The Law School and the Institute for Human Rights Law of Huazhong University of Science and Technology will continue to further promote human rights research, strengthen international exchanges and research cooperation in the field of human rights, and enhance their international academic influence and voice in the field of human rights.

Link：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/WsX2TTJ2tazXigjLuhMr4g

Translated by Pan Yingzhao