A deal was signed yesterday that promises to help China's efforts to raise its standards of human rights.

The memorandum of understanding is aimed at helping China implement recommendations on economic, social and cultural rights.

Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang and visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour attended the signing ceremony.

According to the agreement, the cooperation program between the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and China will include projects to assist the country find alternative penalty measures to imprisonment; help the country revise its Criminal Procedure Law, Lawyers Law and other related laws and regulations, officials said.

It would also assist the incorporation of human rights education into the curricula of primary and secondary schools, universities and the education of public servants.

Before the memorandum was signed, Shen briefed Arbour on progress made by China in the protection and promotion of human rights and the country's international exchanges on issues concerning human rights.

Shen said as a country with a population of 1.3 billion, China mainly relies on its own strengths to promote human rights and social development but it is also eager to learn beneficial international experiences.

He said China will continue its "technical cooperation" with the OHCHR in the principles of "mutual respect, equal consultation and practicality."

Arbour said she appreciated China's progress in human rights development and the excellent cooperation between the two parties, expressing that the OHCHR wishes to be engaged in more active and constructive cooperation with China under the framework of the memorandum.

The parties also exchanged views on the reform of the human rights sector of the UN and other issues.

On Tuesday, Arbour attended the opening ceremony of the 13th Workshop on Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Beijing.

"There are major opportunities for the human rights cause in the Asia-Pacific region, which stands at a historic juncture of development,” State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said in his opening speech.

Tang called on all UN member states in the region to follow the principles of mutual respect and equality, to prioritize the development of economic, social, cultural rights and to keep their cultural tradition and values, while learning from the experiences of others.

Co-sponsored by the Chinese government and the OHCHR, the four-day event, which ends on September 2, is being attended by representatives from 37 countries in the region, and international organizations.

(China Daily September 1, 2005)