Austria has sent 48 young professionals -- Europe's largest national team -- to compete at the 48th WorldSkills Competition, which is being held from Tuesday to Sunday in Shanghai.
The Austrian competitors hail from a wide range of trades, from railway work and cement masonry to hairdressing and baking. All delegation members for this year's competition are under 22.
"In Austria the topic 'skills and competition' is very important. And so we say ok, let's send a big team because we want to produce motivators for the next generation. And what's [a better] motivator than the guy who competed in a WorldSkills competitionn," said Jurgen Kraft, head of Team Austria.
Although Austria last topped the gold medal table nearly three decades ago, the country is aiming for a comeback performance with this year's delegation.
"The chances of winning the most gold medals from all countries -- to be honest not that high, it's always China on top. But we are trying to be the best European country competing there," said Tarik Begeta, a member of the team.
Held every two years, the WorldSkills Competition is the world's largest international gathering of skilled professionals. This year's event will feature 64 skills, including seven new categories such as software testing and unmanned aerial systems. It has brought together about 1,400 competitors from nearly 70 countries and regions.
The competition covers six major skill areas, including manufacturing and engineering technology, information and communication technology, construction and building technology, transportation and logistics, creative arts and fashion, and social and personal services.
Austria sends Europe's biggest team to WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai
Human rights action plans must roll out in diverse, context-specific pathways according to the needs of each country, experts stressed at a side event on Tuesday held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva during the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Titled "Diverse Pathways of National Human Rights Action Plans," the event convened researchers, scholars, and civil society representatives from multiple countries to hold in-depth discussions on the formulation and execution of national human rights strategies.
Participants reached a broad consensus on the need to deepen international dialogue and mutual learning to jointly advance the healthy development of the global human rights endeavor.
At the event, Chinese experts provided a systematic overview of China's National Human Rights Action Plan, which was released in June this year.
Mao Junxiang, executive director of the Human Rights Center at Central South University in central China's Changsha City, highlighted that the action plan is closely aligned with the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development. He outlined five defining characteristics of the plan, noting that it is grounded in reality, people-centered, keeps pace with the times, maintains a global vision, and focuses on action. Mao noted that this approach has enabled China to forge a distinct path of human rights development centered on strategic planning and concrete implementation.
Li Juan, a Chinese researcher at the same center, focused on the protection of digital rights. She introduced China's tangible achievements in bridging the digital divide through robust network infrastructure, leveraging digital and intelligent technologies to empower public services, healthcare, education, and livelihoods, and establishing sound ethical frameworks for artificial intelligence.
A representative from the China Ethnic Minorities' Association for External Exchanges detailed the country's practices in forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, promoting common prosperity and development and safeguarding the equal rights of all ethnic groups.
International comparison and theoretical reflection were another key focus of the event. Peter Herrmann, a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, pointed out existing shortcomings in some European countries regarding the protection of immigrants' rights and basic social welfare.
Meanwhile, Efe Can Gurcan, a Turkish scholar and researcher at the Human Rights Center of Central South University, drew upon the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action to compare the different pathways of human rights governance between China and the United States, elaborating on how diverse cultural and political contexts shape human rights practices.
UN side event highlights diverse pathways for national human rights plans
