The first Sino-Australian Urban Community Construction and Human
Rights Development Symposium opened in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province yesterday, bringing
together nearly 50 experts, scholars and government representatives
from the two countries to discuss the relationship between urban
community development and human rights.
During the three-day conference, experts will exchange views on
how to develop democracy in urban communities and the community's
role in protecting human rights.
The meeting is being held jointly by the China Foundation for
Human Rights Development, the Australian Human Rights and Equal
Opportunity Commission, and the Information Office of the Jiangsu
provincial government.
Yang Zhengquan, executive vice chairman of the China Foundation
for Human Rights Development, said that the Chinese government has
given priority to the building of harmonious communities, which are
the foundations of a harmonious society.
There are many similarities between the construction of urban
communities and the development of human rights. The construction
of a community should put the people first and human rights
development is an important element of a community.
The community offers a platform for the development of human
rights and is an effective grassroots organization to protect human
rights.
"China will strengthen and expand exchanges and cooperation with
Australia, as well as other countries, on human rights issues,"
Yang added.
Vanessa Jackson, project manager of the Australian Human Rights
and Equal Opportunity Commission, said the Australian experts are
looking forward to the opportunity to hear how neighborhood
committees in Chinese cities are managing, and the progress they
have made.
"By working with each other, we could make some very important
advances in the protection and promotion of democracy and human
rights in our respective countries," Jackson said.
Experts attending the symposium said that with China's rapid
economic growth, many social problems, such as unemployment, a
widening income gap, inadequate education for children of migrant
workers and an ageing society, have emerged in recent years. They
believe neighborhood committees play important roles in helping to
solve these problems.
(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2006)