Statement of the Chinese Delegation at Item 8 General Debate at the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council
(March 18)
Mr. Vice President,
China delivered a joint statement on behalf of a group of countries just now, reaffirming that non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states is a core principle enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and a basic norm governing international relations. We maintain that all sides should promote and protect human rights through genuine dialogue and cooperation, jointly promote international cooperation in the field of human rights and abandon politicization of human rights and interference in other countries internal affairs.
The principle of non-interference is not only an important principle of the UN Charter, but also the fundamental guarantee for safeguarding sovereignty and independence of all countries, and upholding international justice. Only by doing so, can we prevent politicization of human rights and ensure the smooth advancement of international cooperation on human rights; can we stop countries from bullying the weak and imposing their own will and model on others; and can we prevent human rights from being used as a pretext for military interventions.
We are deeply concerned that some countries challenged the principle of non-interference in their joint statement today. We have reason to worry that these countries are trying to justify interference in other countries' internal affairs and undermine their sovereignty on the excuse of human rights. This dangerous trend seriously breaches the UN Charter, the basic norms governing international relations, and the lofty goal of the promotion and protection of human rights. Certain countries are indulged in pointing fingers at others, while refusing to solve the grave human rights violations of their own and lift policies and measures which gravely infringe upon the human rights of people of other countries. We call on these countries to abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, immediately stop human rights violations in all forms, and halt manipulating human rights out of political purposes and interfering in other countries' internal affairs, and work with other countries in all seriousness to promote international human rights cooperation and make real efforts for global human rights cause.