GENEVA - A senior Chinese diplomat on Wednesday said that in order to promote and protect human rights, all countries should join hands to build a community of a shared future for human beings, to work together for the realization of peace, development and win-win cooperation for all.

Ma Zhaoxu, head of the Chinese mission to the United Nations in Geneva, delivered a joint statement on behalf of a cross-regional group of 140 countries during a high-level meeting of the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday.

"Countries should foster partnership characterized by mutual respect, promote and protect human rights through dialogue and cooperation," he said.

He said that each state is entitled to independently choose its path for development and social system, and the efforts and achievements of each state in promoting and protecting human rights should be respected.

The diplomat added that politicization of the human rights agenda should be avoided, and countries should be committed to multilateralism, not unilateralism, in addressing global challenges.

"All countries should work together like passengers in the same boat," he said.

He said all countries should enhance human rights capacity building through concrete and effective cooperation, and all aspects of human rights shall be treated on an equal basis.

"There is no such thing as a superior or inferior civilization. Different civilizations should respect each other, draw on each other to achieve common progress," Ma said, adding that diversity of civilizations should not be a source of global conflict. Rather, it should be an engine driving the advance of human civilizations, he said.

A solid foundation

He also highlighted the importance of sustained development in the human rights fields, saying that all countries should effectively implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which provides a solid foundation for the promotion and protection of all human rights.

Jorge Valero, permanent representative of Venezuela to the UN in Geneva, said that on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, Venezuela is pleased by this important initiative by China. "The NAM fully agrees that the international community must carry out efforts to build a shared future for humanity, namely a common, open and inclusive world of lasting peace, security and prosperity," he said.

Muhammad Aamar Aftab Qureshi, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan in Geneva, described Ma's remarks as "timely and brilliant", adding the most impressive point in the statement is the idea of building a community of shared future for human beings.

"We need to live with each other peacefully, we need to respect each other's diversity. We need to pursue our own objectives and our own goals according to our own social values and our own situations. This is of vital importance in order to achieve global peace in today's world," he said.

"Giving the challenges the world is facing and the efforts we need to take together, we should be grateful for China to bring up this great idea," he said.