The Historical Position and Value Dimensions of Human Rights Civilization

Human beings are the mainstay and the ultimate goal of civilization.The history of human civilization is a continuous struggle to realize the respect,liberation,protection,and development of humanity.Human rights are an achievement of humanity and a symbol of progress,and the human rights civilization is an important component of human civilization.Understanding and interpreting human rights from the perspective of human rights civilization means that human rights are not only a concept or an idea but also a grand historical and long-term social practice.Up to now,the development of human rights civilization has roughly experienced four awakening eras:initialization,revolution,popularization,and globalization.In terms of its value dimensions,it has the characteristics of progressiveness,diversity,commonality,inclusiveness,indivisibility,openness,and so on.The historical position of human rights civilization and the development of its value dimensions have shown to the world that human rights are the common wealth of humanity,and human rights belong to all mankind;human rights are historical,concrete,and developmental;the concept of human rights is constantly evolving,and its connotations and categories are constantly expanding;achieving the free and well-rounded development of every person is the highest value realm of human rights civilization.The Chinese modernization endows Chinese civilization with modern strength and opens up new horizons for human rights civilization.The new pattern of human rights civilization to be created by Chinese modernization not only possesses the common characteristics of human rights civilization but also enjoys Chinese characteristics based on its own national conditions,enriching and developing the diversity of human rights civilization for all mankind.

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.

Comparative Analysis and Legal Reflection on the Boundaries of Human Rights Due Diligence in the Supply Chain

As global supply chains become increasingly lengthy and complex, human rights due diligence in the supply chain is becoming a controversial focal point in the accountability of multinational corporations. In recent years, legislative practices in the field of human rights due diligence have shown a trend from voluntary soft law toward mandatory hard law, and from corporate due diligence for their own operations towards extended due diligence for the entire supply chain. However, there is a divergence in national practices regarding the extent to which human rights due diligence should extend along the supply chain and the manner in which it should be incorporated into domestic legal policies. International soft law interpretations surrounding the boundaries of human rights due diligence in the supply chain are decentralized, posing risks of interpretation diversification, boundary blurring, and procedural formalization, as well as risks of misinterpretation and misuse. Meanwhile, some countries and regions are vigorously promoting mandatory legislation on human rights due diligence in the supply chain, which has profound implications for the stability of global supply chains and the international economic and trade order. Against this backdrop, it is crucial to explore the reasonable boundaries of human rights due diligence in the supply chain. Instead of applying a one-size-fits-all approach,the rationality of legal factors and the complexity of practical factors should be considered, applying context-specific measures based on the varying degrees of linkage between companies and negative human rights impacts in the supply chain. China should be particularly wary of the “chilling effect” of mandatory legislation on human rights due diligence in the supply chain, attaching great importance to national supply chain security and international supply chain competitiveness.Additionally,China should actively promote the implementation of voluntary human rights due diligence under the United Nations framework, and accelerate the enhancement of China's discourse power in the international rule-making process in the fields of industry and commerce as well as human rights.

Pioneering a New Realm of Human Rights Civilization in the Chinese Path to Modernization——An Overview of the Symposium on“The Chinese Path to Modernization and the Promotion of Free and Comprehensive Human Development”

On October 14,2023,a symposium themed“The Chinese Path to Modernization and the Promotion of Free and Comprehensive Human Development”was held in Changchun,Jilin Province,China.More than fifty experts,scholars,and researchers from national institutions and universities engaged in discussions and exchanges on human rights on the Chinese path to modernization,including the path,practice,knowledge systems,and civilization forms of human rights.This symposium played a significant role in advancing the construction of the disciplinary system,academic system,and discourse system of human rights in China.

Addressing Japan’s disposal of nuclear-contaminated water from the perspective of international human rights law

The discharge of nuclear-contaminated water containing radionuclides into the ocean by Japan will lead to its integration into the entire ecosystem through processes of circulation and biomagnification,eventually entering the human body via the food chain.This poses a substantial risk of irreversible damage to both the ecosystem and human health,a situation that will worsen with the ongoing discharge of such water.The respect and protection of human rights represent an international consensus,and safeguarding fundamental human rights is a substantial obligation that states must undertake in accordance with both international and domestic law.Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster,Japan has continuously violated its international legal obligations to protect human rights in several areas,including the resettlement of disaster victims,the reduction of nuclear radiation levels,and the handling of contaminated water.Such actions have compromised and will continue to compromise the basic human rights of not only its citizens but also those of people worldwide,including environmental rights,the right to life,development rights,and food rights.In the aftermath of the Fukushima meltdown,the public and workers involved in handling nuclear contaminants have been continually exposed to high radiation levels,endangering their rights to life,development,and health.Japan’s inadequate efforts in victim resettlement and environmental restoration have jeopardized the environmental and food rights of its citizens to live healthily and access food in an environment unaffected by nuclear radiation.The release of nuclear-contaminated water poses a risk of Japan’s nuclear pollution to the people of neighboring countries and the global population at large.The principle of human rights underpins the theory of a community with a shared future for humanity,and human rights are a crucial area of China’s active participation in United Nations affairs and global governance.By voicing concerns over Japan’s potential human rights violations globally,China demonstrates its role as a responsible major country.In response to Japan’s breach of legal obligations and human rights violations,China can adopt a reasoned and beneficial approach,including calling on the international community to hold Japan criminally accountable for crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute and advancing scholarly discussions on ecocide and crimes against the marine environment.Furthermore,China should persist in seeking advisory opinions from the International Court of Justice and strive for substantive accountability,utilizing the mechanisms of international human rights organizations to make its voice heard.

Understanding the Human Rights of Modern Individuals—Revisiting Habermas’s Dual Critique and the Reconstruction of Intersubjectivity

Human rights are not only pivotal in depicting the relationship between individuals and communities but also a focal point of political philosophical concerns oriented towards reality. The inseparability of human rights from individual self-identity reveals a contradiction between practicality and historicity in understanding individuals, as highlighted in the debate between liberalism and communitarianism. In order to reconcile this contradiction, Habermas,drawing from German classical philosophy, examines practicality and historicity separately: while Fichte intertwines objectivity in self-identity, revealing the practicality of individuals but neglecting their real elements, Hegel interprets self-identity under the concept of unity,examining individuals from a historical dimension but letting rational rules dominate reality. Ultimately, Habermas reconstructs the process of modern individual self-identity from the theory of communicative action by critiquing the shackles of subjective philosophy. He not only reconciles the divergence between practicality and historicity in self-identity, but also elucidates the intersubjective core inherent in human rights.

Access to Financial Services——An Analysis from the Human Rights Perspective

There is a broad connection between finance and human rights,with finance having both positive and negative impacts on human rights.Everyone has a need for access to financial services.Documents in both the international human rights and international finance fields address the relationship between financial services and human rights.Among financial services,microcredit and inclusive finance have the closest connection to human rights and potentially the greatest impact on human rights.Access to financial services promotes economic,social,and cultural rights as well as the rights of specific groups.The conditions for access to financial services to promote human rights require the state to assume obligations to recognize,respect,protect,and fulfill the need for individuals to access financial services,and to ensure the availability,accessibility,acceptability,and adaptability of basic financial services.Access to financial services has played a significant role in China’s comprehensive victory in the battle of poverty alleviation,providing valuable experience for the international community in poverty eradication,achieving sustainable development goals,and protecting and promoting human rights.

Viewing Chinese modernization and Its Requirements for Human Rights Protection from the Perspective of Human Development

Modernization,as a specific stage in the historical development of human society,possesses a multi-layered composite structure,with each layer playing both a promoting and inhibiting role in human development and dignity simultaneously.Chinese modernization is a strategic choice made based on lessons learned from various experiences of modernization processes in other countries,reflecting judgments on the benefits and choices on the values of human development and dignity in modernization.It values the promotion of the free and well-rounded development of all individuals as its standard,demanding the full realization of the positive effects of modernization on human development and the overcoming of its negative effects.Human rights,aiming to promote the free and well-rounded development of every person as the ultimate value goal,are not only an intrinsic structural element of the modernization stage but also a social normative tool that restrains the direction of modernization development,aligning closely with the values pursued by Chinese modernization.Chinese modernization poses dual requirements for human rights protection:on the one hand,it demands the affirmation and promotion of the positive effects of modernization on human development and dignity through human rights standards,and on the other hand,it requires the prevention and mitigation of the negative effects of modernization on human development and dignity through human rights standards.There exists a certain tension between these two dimensions,necessitating an appropriate balance and thereby presenting corresponding requirements for China’s approach to human rights protection.

The Historic Achievements of the Communist Party of China in Respecting and Protecting Human Rights in the New Era

In the new era,the Communist Party of China(CPC)has made historic achievements in respecting and protecting human rights.Building upon the principle of the“two integrations”(integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional culture),it has nurtured new theories on respecting and protecting human rights in the new era,which can address the fundamental questions of whom and what the human rights protection efforts in the new era are for.Guided by the principle of“taking our own path,”it has charted a distinct course for the development of human rights,diverging from the Western approach.The CPC has maintained the unity between Party leadership and the respect for and protection of human rights,promoting progress in human rights through the pursuit of“high-quality development,”and ensuring various fundamental rights of the people through the rule of law.Building upon the past experience,the CPC has established the“source”of the institutional framework for respecting and protecting human rights in the new era,crafted the“body”of this institutional framework,and introduced its practical“application.”In promoting the comprehensive advancement of human rights protection,the CPC has facilitated the connotative development of human rights protection in China,empowering China in international human rights discourse,and contributing Chinese strength and wisdom to global human rights governance.

Systematic and Theoretical Unfolding of Research on Xi Jinping’s Discourses on Respecting and Protecting Human Rights

Xi Jinping’s discourses on respecting and protect-ing human rights stand as a shining example of the sinicization and modernization of Marxist human rights theory,embodying profound theoretical,political,practical,and cultural logic.Existing research has conducted comprehensive and systematic theoretical analysis and academic extractions on the following contents:the core essence in-herent in these important discourses,including the“theory of human rights concepts,”the“theory of human rights paths,”the“theory of human rights practices,”the“theory of human rights protection,”and the“theory of human rights governance,”along with their profound theoretical significance,practical significance,and global signifi-cance.In the future,researchers should emphasize efforts on studying the original texts and understanding the original principles.While focusing on the precision of concepts,the scientific nature of the prop-ositions,the maturity of theoretical systems,and the rigor of internal logic related to Xi Jinping’s discourses on respecting and protecting human rights,researchers should also pay attention to constructing a discourse system on human rights from the dimensions of discourse power,discourse cluster,and discourse field.Researchers should be adept at drawing innovative insights into human rights theory from China’s vibrant human rights practices and the vast masses of people.This approach will facilitate the systematic unfolding,academic trans-formation,and innovative development of Xi Jinping’s discourses on respecting and protecting human rights.

Development of Human Rights-Based Practices in Psychiatry from People Living with Mental Health Problems During Involuntary Hospitalization or Treatment - A Secondary Publication

This article presents the research protocol of an interpretative phenomenological study that aims to understand the lived experiences of coercion and human rights-based practices in psychiatry from the perspectives of people living with mental health problems during involuntary hospitalization or treatment.This qualitative study used an interpretative phenomenological analysis design.In-depth,one-on-one interviews along with a socio-demographic questionnaire were conducted with approximately 10 participants.Data analysis was followed by an iterative and hermeneutic emergence coding process.By centering human rights-based practices on the lived experiences of people living with mental health problems who encountered coercion,this study highlighted the contributing and limiting factors to the recognition of human rights in nursing practices.This study also promoted the development of nursing knowledge and practices that can significantly contribute to an individual’s recovery process.

The Four Categories of Chinese Discourse on Human Rights and Their Interrelationships

In China,the main discourse on human rights can be classified into four categories:political discourse,policy discourse,institutional discourse,and academic discourse.These four categories show significant differences in terms of the context,content,mode of expression,characteristics,and functions of the discourse.They cannot be simply equated or interchangeable with one another.However,they also rely on,restrict,and promote each other,and under certain conditions,they can be transformed into one another.It is needed to prevent imbalances,mismatches in context,isolation,and inadequate translation among human rights discourses.Meanwhile,it is essential to promote balanced development among different discourses,where each discourse maintains its own boundaries,refers to one another,and undergoes accurate translation,in order to construct their healthy interrelationships.Exploring appropriate methods of translation between discourses is an important and worthwhile topic for research in Chinese human rights discourse.It holds significant practical significance and academic value in constructing the Chinese human rights discourse system.

Modernization and the Diversity of Human Rights Among Civilizations--Review of the 2023 China-europe Seminar on Human Rights

Human rights are an achievement of humanity and a symbol of progress.Respect for and protection of human rights are basic principles of modern civilization.Around the world,countries and regions have chosen different paths to modernization,which are rooted in their unique civilizations.to promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations,facilitate human rights exchanges and cooperation between different countries,and advance the global development of human rights,on September 20,2023,the 2023 China-europe Seminar on Human Rights was held in Rome,the capital of Italy.Under the theme of“Modernization and the Diversity of Human Rights Among Civilizations,”the seminar focused on discussing topics such as exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and the development of modern human rights philosophy,modernization and the free and well-rounded development of every person,sustainable development in the process of modernization,and the evolution of the civilization of human rights in the digital age.participants reached the following consensuses at the event:First,the participants from various countries spoke highly of the great achievements that China has made in human rights cause and fully recognized China’s contributions in promoting the development and progress of the global human rights cause;Second,the participants from all countries agreed that it is necessary to discard the concept of“Western-centrism,”transcend the mindset of“cultural superiority,”promote human rights exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations on the basis of equality and mutual respect,and inject new impetus into the diversity of human rights among civilizations;third,participants reaffirmed that human rights represent an open concept,and that we should discuss the development of human rights with an open mind and jointly promote the progress of human rights in the world.

An Evaluation of the Core Controversies in Contemporary Western Human Rights Theory——A Study Based on the Examination of the Criterion of Fidelity to Practice

The development of theories on human rights with Chinese characteristics and China’s engagement in global human rights governance cannot be separated from attention to contemporary Western human rights theory.The debate between naturalistic and political conceptions of human rights has a long history,but discussions on the basic criteria for evaluating human rights theories have been insufficient.This article,focusing on the criterion of fidelity to practice,attempts to identify the development trajectory and direction of human rights theory.The universal claims of naturalistic human rights perspectives and the human rights catalog they propose have been criticized for deviating from practice.On the other hand,political conceptions of human rights,while emphasizing domestic human rights practices,have been criticized for their occasional nature and perceived loss of criticality.The broad-way practice theory seeks a third way that goes beyond the divide between these two perspectives.On the one hand,the theory itself faces limitations and the need for reshaping,while on the other hand,the traditional singular practice theory is also undergoing self-renewal.It can be said that the“internal critique”of contemporary Western human rights theory is already underway and will continue.

Constructing China’s Human Rights Science:Cause,Cognition,and Paradigm

“China’s Human Rights Science”is undoubtedly a brand-new concept.Just as China has its own philosophy,literature,history,law,political science,and sociology,it should also have its own human rights science.China’s Human Rights Science refers to the cognitive science of human rights in China.Developing its disciplinary system,academic system,and discourse system,and constructing an independent Chinese human rights knowledge system,are essential requirements for promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization and creating a new form of human civilization.China’s Human Rights Science originated in China,grew in China,and deepened through China’s human rights practices.China’s Human Rights Science adhere to the universality of human rights principles and possess distinctive characteristics.It works as the knowledge-based organization,academic refinement,and theoretical expression of the path of human rights development that conforms to the trend of the times and suits China’s national conditions,as pursued by the Communist Party of China in leading the people.China’s Human Rights Science can enrich and develop the theory of human rights civilization,and should become a global public product of human rights.

Working for Global Progress in Human Rights

It should be ensured that all peoples enjoy human rights as equals by allowing them to follow their respective paths of modernization.DECEMBER 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR).On December 10,1948,the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UDHR(General Assembly resolution 217 A),the first international document on this issue.Chang Peng Chun(P.C.Chang,1892-1957),vice chairman of the original UN Commission on Human Rights at the time.

Side Event"Human Rights Protection for the Next Generation:the Rights of Children and Youth"Held in Geneva

On January 23,as the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review Working Group conducted its fourth review of China's human rights record,the side event"Human Rights Protection for the Next Generation:the Rights of Children and Youth",co-sponsored by the New Sunshine Charity Foundation and China NGO Network for International Exchanges,was held in Geneva.Experts and scholars representing dozens of civil society organisations from different countries exchanged their views around the topic.

Reaffirming the Significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Upholding the Highest Values of Human Rights in the New Era

It is of particular significance to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the special occasion of the 10th National Constitution Day.In reviewing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,I’ll share my insights and reflections in three aspects.

Promoting Human Rights Through Development

China’s human rights practice focuses on the rights of subsistence and development,China always regards rights to subsistence and development as primary and basic human rights.As a goal humanity has pursued for a long time,the Chinese people have worked tirelessly to protect human rights for all.Consistent with its rising global stature,the nation has moved from its traditionally more defensive posture to a more activist role in the field of global human rights protection,especially in the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Human Rights in Civil Judicial Documents:Conception and Function

Traditional human rights theory tends to hold that human rights should be aimed at defending public authority and that the legal issue of human rights is a matter of public law.However,the development of human rights concepts and practices is not just confined to this.A textual search shows that the term“human rights”exists widely in China’s civil judicial documents.Among the 3,412 civil judicial documents we researched,the concept of“human rights”penetrates all kinds of disputes in lawsuits,ranging from property rights,contracts,labor,and torts to marital property,which is embedded in both the claims of the parties concerned and the reasoning of judges.Human rights have become the discourse and yardstick for understanding and evaluating social behavior.The widespread use of the term“human rights”in civil judicial documents reflects at least three concepts related to human rights:first,the rights to subsistence and development are the primary basic human rights;second,the judicial protection of human rights is a bottom-line guarantee;third,the protection of human rights aims to achieve equal rights.Today,judges quote the theory of human rights in judicial judgments from time to time,evidencing that human rights have a practical function in judicial adjudication activities,and in practice this is mainly manifested in declaring righteous values and strengthening arguments with the values and ideas related to human rights,using the provisions concerning human rights in the Constitution to interpret the constitutionality,and using the principles of human rights to interpret blurred rules and rank the importance of different rights.