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)