Uncategorized
To promote healthy development of global human rights cause
By He Yin, People’s Daily
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) recently concluded its 52nd session in Geneva, Switzerland.
During the session, the Chinese delegation comprehensively promoted China’s human rights philosophy and approaches, and called for joint efforts to advance healthy development of global human rights, which was broadly welcomed and supported by representatives attending the session.
China champions international cooperation on human rights, opposes politicizing human rights issues, and steers global human rights governance toward greater fairness, justice, equity and inclusiveness with concrete actions. The country has made important contributions to the development of global human rights.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action. The values, purposes and principles of the two documents, which hold all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, are a common aspiration of mankind.
Speaking on behalf of over 70 countries at the 52nd session of the UNHRC, China made important proposals on further implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On behalf of nearly 80 countries, it called for strengthening international cooperation and revitalizing the spirit of the Declaration and promoting high-quality development.
The speech is of positive significance for global efforts to better promote and protect human rights, enhance and improve global human rights governance. It reflects the strong aspiration of the international community, especially the vast developing world.
China pursues a people-centered vision on human rights. Putting emphasis on the people is the distinguishing feature of the Chinese path of human rights protection.
China has brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty, built a moderately prosperous society in all respects and is pursuing modernization of common prosperity for all.
For the Chinese government, the biggest human right is the happiness of the 1.4 billion Chinese people. Meeting their immediate interests is what all its endeavors are about. The 1.4 billion people have been deeply involved in the development of human rights, and have benefited the most in this process. They now have a growing sense of fulfillment, happiness and security.
Under the constitutional principle that “The state shall respect and protect human rights”, China has constantly developed the whole-process people’s democracy, advanced law-based governance and enhanced legal protection of human rights, to uphold social fairness and justice. The Chinese people now enjoy fuller and more extensive and comprehensive democratic rights.
Rui Lourido, Chairman of Portuguese think tank Observatory for China, believes that China has truly made human rights a part of the Chinese people’s life.
The historic achievements of China in human rights protection fully prove that respecting and safeguarding human rights must be based on recognizing the universality of human rights and the commitment to a path of human rights development that suits the realities of each country.
Countries vary from one another in historical background, cultural heritage, national conditions and needs of the people. There is no one-size-fits-all model in the protection of human rights. Blindly copying the model of others would be ill-fitted for one’s own conditions, and imposing one’s model upon others would entail endless troubles. The right of all countries to independently choose one’s own path of human rights development should be respected.
Tom Zwart, director of the Cross-cultural Human Rights Center, Utrecht University, noted that the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind proposed by China respects cultural diversity and promotes mutual learning among civilizations, which is conducive to placing human rights issues in a new and sustainable international context.
No country is qualified to act as the judge on human rights, and human rights should not be used as a pretext for meddling in other countries’ internal affairs or holding back other countries’ development.
Since 2019, the United States has gathered a group of countries for four times to smear China on human rights issues, which were firmly opposed by the vast majority of countries and all ended in failure.
Nearly 100 countries have voiced understanding and support of China’s just position at UNHRC sessions, opposing politicization of human rights issues and double standard, and opposing using human rights issues as a pretext to interfere in China’s internal affairs. It fully indicates that the international society has fair judgments.
What’s urgent for the countries that smear China on human rights issues is to take practical actions to resolve their own severe human rights problems and reflect upon the human rights disasters they have created for other countries.
At the 52nd session of the UNHRC, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Michael Fakhri said that some countries today would only focus on unilateral coercive measures, which almost always resulted in human rights violations and weakened the ability of countries hit by those measures to respond to food crises.
UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures Alena Douhan expressed her concerns in a statement, noting that U.S. unilateral coercive measures like prohibiting entry into the United States and freezing any assets with a United States connection violate basic human rights of individuals and entities concerned including labor rights and freedom of movement.
In a world fraught with various global issues, the international human rights cause is confronted with severe challenges. China is ready to work with all parties to promote the common values of humanity, namely, peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, launch human rights exchanges and cooperation based on equality and mutual respect, take an active part in global human rights governance, promote all-round development of the human rights cause and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
By Fabian Apechihin
The 2026 Constitution Amendment Bill has moved to the state level following its consideration by the National Assembly, paving the way for state legislatures to consider the proposed amendments.
The development comes amid renewed attention on constitutional reform and ongoing discussions over proposed changes to Nigeria’s governing framework.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over allegations surrounding borrowing by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
House spokesperson Akin Rotimi Agbese, speaking in an interview with Channels Television, rejected claims that Wike had undertaken borrowing without the knowledge or approval of the National Assembly.
Agbese said the FCT minister could not independently create a sovereign borrowing obligation, stressing that public borrowing is subject to constitutional, statutory and administrative procedures.
“Wike has committed no infraction in borrowings. There is no basis for the allegation that he has been borrowing money behind the back of the National Assembly,” Agbese said.
He explained that borrowing to finance infrastructure was not unlawful where the required approvals and procedures had been followed.
“Borrowing for infrastructure development is not unlawful in itself, provided the prescribed approvals and procedures are followed,” he added.
The House spokesperson further argued that an increase in the FCT’s debt profile should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of illegal borrowing, citing the scale of infrastructure projects being undertaken in Abuja under Wike.
According to Agbese, the key issue is whether the appropriate approvals were obtained for specific borrowing transactions, rather than simply whether the FCT’s overall debt profile has increased.
The comments come as scrutiny continues over public borrowing, infrastructure financing and the legal procedures governing government debt at both the federal and sub-national levels.
By Fabian Apechihin
The 2026 Constitution Amendment Bill has moved to the state level following its consideration by the National Assembly, paving the way for state legislatures to consider the proposed amendments.
The development comes amid renewed attention on constitutional reform and ongoing discussions over proposed changes to Nigeria’s governing framework.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over allegations surrounding borrowing by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
House spokesperson Akin Rotimi Agbese, speaking in an interview with Channels Television, rejected claims that Wike had undertaken borrowing without the knowledge or approval of the National Assembly.
Agbese said the FCT minister could not independently create a sovereign borrowing obligation, stressing that public borrowing is subject to constitutional, statutory and administrative procedures.
“Wike has committed no infraction in borrowings. There is no basis for the allegation that he has been borrowing money behind the back of the National Assembly,” Agbese said.
He explained that borrowing to finance infrastructure was not unlawful where the required approvals and procedures had been followed.
“Borrowing for infrastructure development is not unlawful in itself, provided the prescribed approvals and procedures are followed,” he added.
The House spokesperson further argued that an increase in the FCT’s debt profile should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of illegal borrowing, citing the scale of infrastructure projects being undertaken in Abuja under Wike.
According to Agbese, the key issue is whether the appropriate approvals were obtained for specific borrowing transactions, rather than simply whether the FCT’s overall debt profile has increased.
The comments come as scrutiny continues over public borrowing, infrastructure financing and the legal procedures governing government debt at both the federal and sub-national levels.
By Fabian Apechihin
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed its intention to contest the 2027 presidential election despite the decision of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The party said Wike’s decision was personal and did not alter its position to participate in the presidential election with its candidate, Senator Sandy Onor. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, made the clarification on Wednesday.
According to the party, a recent conversation between Wike and Onor should not be interpreted as a political negotiation between the minister and the PDP.
“He told Nigerians that Sandy is his friend. And they only had a friendly discussion within the umbrella of friendship. So, that is just a personal discussion between him and his friend,” Mohammed said.
He added that Wike’s support for Tinubu did not prevent the PDP from fielding candidates for the presidential, governorship and legislative elections.
Wike had earlier clarified that his support in 2027 was specifically for Tinubu’s presidential re-election and did not amount to an agreement that the PDP would withdraw from other electoral contests. He also said he never promised that the PDP would abandon its candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
“I said I will support the President from day one. I never told Mr President I will join APC,” Wike said.
The minister also maintained that his proposed Rainbow Coalition was not an arrangement with the All Progressives Congress (APC), but rather a platform through which politicians from different parties could mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election.
The issue has generated disagreement with some APC governors, who have expressed concern about a political arrangement that could affect the party’s candidates at other levels.
APC Progressive Governors’ Forum Chairman, Hope Uzodinma, said the governors would not support any alliance or arrangement that could weaken the APC or adversely affect its candidates.
Meanwhile, APC presidential campaign council spokesperson Ima Niboro has urged Wike and APC governors to end their public exchanges and concentrate on political mobilisation.
“When I said tone down the rhetoric, I do not mean stop working. Stop talking, go and work,” Niboro said.
He urged political leaders to strengthen their grassroots structures and engage directly with voters rather than continue exchanging statements in the media.
“All this shouting is not taking anybody anywhere. Go and work. Go and establish your authority on your political base,” he said.
2026 Constitution Amendment Bill Moves to States
2026 Constitution Amendment Bill Moves to States
2027: PDP Insists on Presidential Contest Despite Wike’s Support for Tinubu
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