BY XUE HONGTAO

The Beijing Forum on Human Rights held on April 21, 2008.

  The first Beijing Forum on Human Rights was held in Beijing from April 21-23 and the theme of this forum is "development, security and human rights." This Forum was organized by the China Society for Human Rights Studies , and more than 110 officials, scholars and researchers from 31 countries and international organizations attended the human rights forum.

  Luo Haocai, president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said at the opening ceremony that China has achieved tremendous progress in human rights over the past thirty years. "Chinese people's civil rights and political rights are fully protected. The country values not only the protection of individual human rights, but also collective human rights, which is an important reason for China's stability, social harmony and people's overall freedom." 

 Wang Chen, the newly-appointed minister of the State Council Information Office, said at the opening of the Forum, "Political democracy at the primary level has made headway, with steady progress in the democratic systems of elections, decision making, management and oversight."

  Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze is the director-general of the United Nations office in Geneva. He said, "In the past 30 years, China has made notable(significant) achievements in the protection and promotion of people's political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights. This is obvious in the eyes of any outside human rights observers."