Revisiting the Spirit of the UDHR and Discussing Human Rights Development——Summary of Views from the Seminar Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On December 4,2023,the China Society for Human Rights Studies hosted a seminar in Beijing commemorating the 75^(th) Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.Participants discussed topics such as the significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,China’s theories and practices in respecting and safeguarding human rights,the three global initiatives and global human rights governance,human rights protection in the digital age,and telling Chinese stories of human rights in the new era.The discussions led to a broad consensus and achieved positive results.

On the Effectiveness of“Cross-cultural Consensus”on Human Rights--Reflecting on Zhang Pengchun’s Contributions to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

In the example of formulating the Universal Declara-tion of Human Rights in 1948,which involved international human rights discourse,the“cross-cultural consensus”put forward based on Confucian culture by Zhang pengchun,the Chinese representative at that time,is widely considered an empirical reference for resolving confrontations and conflicts in the practice of human rights discourse.However,the effectiveness of this kind of cross-cultural consensus in addressing confrontations and conflicts is worth considering.Under the presumption of cultural differences,any attempt to resolve confrontations and conflicts in the human rights discourse must address the inherently controversial issues.the settlement of disputes and differences depends on how deep the consensus involves the values.Based on this,it reveals that the effectiveness of Zhang pengchun’s so-called contribution is limited.therefore,we should not overstate its relevance to the current human rights discourse.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the “Spirits” of Confucian Ethics

At present, the value revealed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is under attack, and the consensus on human rights value is experiencing division globally,which asserts that "human rights can only be provided by paradox". The root of this is that" reason ",the metaphysical nature of human rights proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,is infinitely magnified while the " spirit " is ignored. History and philosophy show that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights entails the Confucian ethical " spirit ".At this time,this potential factor is gradually emerging in the course of world history and became a force to bridge the global division of human rights values. The significance of Confucian ethics " spirit " to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights lies in: from the perspective of " spirit ", its holistic view, bridging individual rights and collective rights; its relational view focuses on the realization of human rights and transcends the " paradox of human right; progressing from the value consensus to common action, so that in the process of judging the progress of human rights in the world, we consider not only the value consensus, but also the common action.

The Declaration on the Right to Development as a First Step towards a Comprehensive Southern Vision on Human Rights

Having proper sanitation and hygiene, access to affordable health care and enough food on the table are the basic conditions for a dignified life. This link between human dignity and the right to development was made very persuasively already in the White Paper on human rights, issued by the State Council of P.R.C. in 1991. The Declaration on the right to development can be considered the first successful joint action undertaken by Southern states in the area of human rights. The Declaration was based on Southern scholarship, such as the pioneering research conducted by the Senegalese jurist Kéba M’baye. And its adoption was the result of joint stage management performed by diplomats from different continents. Therefore the Declaration serves as a source of inspiration for the work of drafting a Comprehensive Southern Vision on human rights. The Vision document will lay out a common Southern outlook on human rights issues as an elaboration of the Universal Declaration.

On Significance of the Birth of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Introduction The Universal Declaration of Human Rights （UDHR or Declaration） adopted by the UN General Assembly is not a legally binding treaty per se. As early as the Drafting Committee was making out a draft, heated discussions and debates had been carried out for many times with regard to the nature of the UDHR. At last, the present form of UDHR was taken according to chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights Eleanor Roosevelt＇s view of pragmatism in order to provide moral guidance for UN Member States.

Cross-Cultural Exchange of Human Rights: Crossing Divides or Crossing Swords?

This paper explores the basic framework for cross-cultural dialogue on human rights. Such dialogue implicates differing understandings of the content of human rights as well as differing interpretation of the concept of human rights itself. The challenges confronting the universality of human rights arguably stem from people's fear of radical individualism, secular fundamentalism and political radicalism. While the universality of human rights should not be denied, cognizance must be taken as well of the gap between theory and practice during the realization of those rights and the selectivity pertaining to such realization. Dogmatism and uncompromising ideological stances is an obstacle to dialogues and cross-cultural exchanges on human rights.

The Neutralization of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the Concept of Human Rights and Its Historical Significance

The concept of human rights was put forward by european and american countries in modern times, which bears a strong european and american cultural influence? but human rights have since experienced a slow process of neutralization? During the drafting process of the universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1947 to 1948, the concept of human rights experienced the neutralization of multiculturalism, making it the Declaration a matrix accepted by various cultures, which thus laid a foundation of consensus for its continued expansion and wide adoption?

On the Making and Significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was the first common commitment of the international community to human rights. It demonstrated the belief and determination of humanity to maintain peace, democracy and human dignity. The process of formulating the Declaration was difficult. But in the spirit of cooperation,countries finally succeeded in reaching a consensus on human rights.The making of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights had great value and significance for promoting world peace and development,and it has had a far-reaching impact on the rule of law in international human rights and the development of the human rights legal systems in various countries. A re-examination and analysis of the process of formulating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will help us understand the purposes and objectives of the Declaration and review the great value of the spirit of the Declaration to the world today.

Dignity:the Overlap of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Traditional Chinese Culture

Human dignity is the fundamental concept of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and serves as the theoretical backbone for the international human rights system. Chinese culture has an excellent tradition of treasuring the dignity and value of people. The provisions on dignity in the Declaration can find their historical origins in traditional Chinese culture. The dignity of people has a supreme status and value in traditional Chinese culture. Chinese "etiquette" culture has a long tradition of respecting the dignity of people.Achieving benevolence through etiquette is the basic way to protect human dignity. Etiquette in ancient China was constrained by inequality and historical limitations, but it also had the elements of respecting or honoring others, and had the practical function of respecting, maintaining and achieving human dignity. The effective implementation of etiquette requires the fulfillment of people’s basic needs. Progressing from xiao kang(moderate prosperity) to da tong(great harmony) is the process of approaching the human rights standards of human dignity and equal rights that all nations and all peoples should strive to achieve.

Confucian Liberalism:Convergence Between the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Chinese Traditional Culture

As early as the 18th century,Confucian liberalism of considering others in one s own place was integrated into the provisions of freedom of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.In 1948,the Confucian idea of benevolence and other liberalism had an important influence on the drafting and content of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.The fulcrum of Confucian liberalism is self-discipline based on benevolence.The code of conduct created by Confucianism of"What you do not want done to yourself,do not do to others"has the social effect of safeguarding people’s negative freedom;the code of conduct of"while establishing himself and pursuing success,also works to establish others and enable them to succeed as well"has the social effect of safeguarding people s positive freedom.Confucian liberalism is social-oriented,which adheres to the unity of everyone’s freedom with the freedom of others,and the idea that individual freedom lies in the overall freedom of the social community.It is based on the conscience(benevolence)of the way of considering others in one’s own place and the practical path from the obligation to rights and freedoms are prominent features of traditional Chinese culture.It is consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’provision that everyone has duties to the community,and is similar to Marx’s philosophy that"the free development of every human being is the condition of the free development of all human beings",and is a unique system of liberal discourse that is different from Western liberalism.

Relative Universality of Human Rights: Theory and Practice

Introduction After the birth of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights （UDHR）, ＂universal human rights＂ became a novel formal legal term both in the field of jurisprudence and in the international community. The notion of ＂universal human rights＂ indicates the ideal of ＂all human rights for all.＂ As the provision in Article 2 of the UDHR stated： ＂Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, politi cal or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.＂ However, some nonWestern govern ment officials and intellectuals have expressed doubts about the justifi ability of the term, which seems only to be a reflection of unique Western culture rather than Asian or Arabian ones. At the Vienna World Human Rights Conference, many heads of state said that universal human rights cannot be compatible with nonWest em culture. Even Lee Kuan Yew, the former leader of Singapore, declared in 1996： ＂Asian values are universal values. European values are European values.＇＇~ This statement is obviously a rejection of the idea that human rights are universal. In contrast, universal rights extremists and human rights activists and NGOs, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, try to propagandize unified international human rights standards and international human rights re gimes. The debate continues from the diplomatic field to the academic field. But, in the foreseeable future,

Teaching of Human Rights Law in Chinese Universities

Teaching and research on human rights law are not purely academic, in that after graduation law students are expected to be .judges, prosetutors, lawyers and government officials who, in one way or another, will be obliged to respect human rights.

Fudan University Human Rights Research Center

I. Overview of the Fudan University Human Rights Research Center 1. Positioning The Fudan University Human Rights Research Center is an interdisciplinary academic platform, based in China and looking outward to the world. The center integrates the academic resources of Fudan University, a comprehensive higher-learning institution, to organize multifaceted research on human rights issues. The center serves as an engine and a booster for human rights research and education at Fudan University.

Shandong University Human Rights Research Center

I. Overview The Shandong University Human Rights Research Center was founded in 1990 by the university as the ＂hu- man rights research office.＂It is one of the earliest human rights research institutions in China. In 1994, Shandong University decided to upgrade the office to become the current research center. Prof. Xu Xianming was its first director. In order to enhance human rights law studies and showcase the latest developments in human fights research in China, the center launched the well- recognized academic journal Human Rights Research in 1998.

Sichuan University Human Rights Law Research Center

I. Introduction The Human Rights Law Research Center of Sichuan University was established in 2004. The center, which relies on the university, combines the functions of theoretical research, teaching and training, and social service. The organizational members of the center consist of the Law School of Sichuan University, the Academy of Social Development and Western Exploration, the Research Institute of Tibetology and the Research Institute of South Asia.

From the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to Building a Community with a Shared Future for Human Beings--The Past, Present, and Future of International Human Rights Protection

The UN Charter first of all affirmed the basic concept of international protection of human rights and opened up a broad space for international protection of human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an important document in the development of the international human rights cause. It established a set of international standards for basic human rights, represents the world’s most important consensus on human rights, and contributes greatly to the creation of an international human rights legal system. The important theory put forward by President Xi Jinping to build a Community with a Shared Future for Human Beings, as a Chinese program for today s global major issues, also outlines a new blueprint for national human rights protection and will play a major role in promoting the development of China’s human rights and international human rights protection.

Second National Convention on University Human Rights Education Held in Beijing

The Second China Convention on Human Rights Education in Universities was held on November 6-8 in Beijing. It was jointly sponsored by the Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Institute of the China University of Political Science and Law, the Norwegian Center for Human Rights at the University of Oslo, Norway, the Danish Institute for Human Rights and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at Lund University, Sweden. More than 90 researchers, scholars and human rights teachers of universities from China and other countries attended.

Renmin University of China Human Rights Research Center

I. Overview The Human Rights Research Center of the Renmin University of China was established on Oct. 8, 1991, and was among the first human rights research institutions at a Chinese university. The center is composed of experts and scholars on law, economics, sociology, philosophy and politics. Prof. Zheng Hangsheng is the director of the center and Prof. Gu Dechun is the deputy director. In 1996, the center was listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in the fourth edition of the Directory of World Human Rights Research and Training Organizations. Since its establishment, the center has actively conducted research on human rights theory, publicity and education concerning human rights as well as international exchange activities.

Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Research Center Peking University Law School

In order to implement the stipulation in the National Human Rights Action Plan （2012-2015） requiring the addition of no less than five national human rights education and training bases by 2015, the appraisal and selection meeting for the second group of national human rights education and training bases was held on March 17, 2014 in Beijing.

Jilin University Center for Human Rights Research and Education

I. Overview The Center for Human Rights Research and Education at Jilin University, is based on the Human Rights Institute of the Theoretical Law Research Center at Jilin University. It brings together teachers and researchers who specialize in constitutional law, ad- ministrative law, criminal law, civil and commercial law, procedural law, labor and social security law, environmental law and international law. With a geo- graphical focus on the three northeastern provinces, the center invites human rights experts to construct a teaching and research platform that combines theoretical research, personnel training, social service and cultural exchange.