Delegates attending the 2026 Forum on Global Human Rights Governance held in Beijing have warned that human rights around the world are increasingly undermined not only by outright violations but by the politicization of the very frameworks meant to protect them.
At a subforum of the 2026 Forum on Global Human Rights Governance, the Human Rights Implications of the Global Governance Initiative, Juan Carlos Moraga Duque, president of Chile Human Rights Without Borders, painted a stark picture of the current landscape, where human rights are too often weaponized rather than upheld.
"What we are seeing around the world – from Iran to Venezuela, Cuba and other countries in Latin America – shows how powerful states continue to violate human rights. It also reveals how some countries use human rights as a political instrument rather than a genuine commitment to human dignity," said Moraga Duque.
His critique resonated with other global participants, who see the existing system as ill-equipped for today's challenges.
Gerald Mbanda, researcher and publisher of Africa-China Review, argued that the deficit in global governance demands urgent structural reform.
"We have a great deficit of global governance. What we are looking at is to advocate for reform within the global governance system," said Mbanda.
It is against this backdrop of systemic unease that China's Global Governance Initiative, or GGI, has emerged as a focal point of discussion.
Muhammad Asif Noor, Executive Director of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, outlined what he sees as the initiative's core principles.
"This perspective is about equality, human rights, multilateralism and also people-centric governance and people's rights," said Noor.
The 2026 Forum on Global Human Rights Governance kicked off in Beijing on Thursday, focusing on joint development and shared human rights.
The two-day forum is themed "Joint Development, Shared Human Rights: The 40th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development and a New Vision for Global Human Rights Governance," attracting over 400 participants from over 100 countries and international organizations, including the United Nations.
The forum also released the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2026-2030), which outlines China's work to protect human rights in the next five years. The Chinese government implemented its fourth human rights action plan between 2021 and 2025.
The forum is jointly hosted by the Information Office of the State Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Delegates warn human rights being weaponized amid global turmoil
