China makes remarkable progress in protecting children's rights, experts say

GENEVA, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- China has made remarkable progress in protecting children's rights, a UN human rights consultant has said.

The UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group conducted its fourth review of China's human rights record on Tuesday.

"Since the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, China has seen a remarkable evolution in the protection of children's rights," said David Lopez, a human rights consultant from the International Association for Human Rights and Social Development (AIDHDES).

On health, China has made tremendous efforts to improve medical care and child health, including expanding health care coverage and implementing vaccination programmes, he said during a side event titled "Human Rights Protection for the Next Generation: Paying Attention to the Rights of Children and Adolescents" on Tuesday in Geneva.

Zhu Jingfang, a researcher at the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE), highlighted the insufficient protection of children and adolescents' human rights in many countries.

Chinese social organizations have been actively engaged in safeguarding the rights of children and adolescents and are open to collaborating with international counterparts to advance the enforcement of relevant international treaties and public engagement, she said.

Zhang Yong, deputy secretary-general of the China Federation of Internet Societies, emphasized the global consensus on the importance of online protection for minors. He said China has prioritized online protection for minors and has made significant strides in this area in recent years.

Yuan Xingyu, director of the China Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture, shared insights on the positive outcomes of boarding education in Xizang in safeguarding the rights of Tibetan children, drawing from personal experience.

Boarding education, he said, offers equitable and high-quality educational opportunities for Tibetan children, serving as an effective means for them to develop into talented individuals and broaden their horizons.

He dismissed as unjust and detrimental to the children the negative portrayal of Xizang's boarding education by certain western media outlets.

Wang Feifei, deputy chief of Liaison Division of the International Cooperation Department of the China Family Planning Association (CFPA), highlighted China's significant achievements in protecting the rights of adolescents in recent years.

She noted the increasing active involvement of young people in the design, implementation, training, monitoring, and evaluation of adolescent health projects, signifying their growing participation throughout the entire process.