China is consistently committed to conducting dialogues and exchanges on human rights so as to enhance understanding, narrow differences, learn from each other and make common progress, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang said.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Fifth Human Rights Seminar, jointly sponsored by China, Canada and Norway, in Lijiang, southwest China's Yunnan Province, from Dec. 9 to 10, Shen said the seminars have become a channel through which countries with different social systems and economic levels can exchange views on an equal footing.

Shen said China will make joint efforts with other countries to strengthen dialogues and exchanges based on equality and mutual respect, explore effective ways to promote and protect human rights, and contribute to world human rights development.

The seminars promote mutual understanding, and they reach consensus by exchanging views on social obligations, women's rights, judicial assistance and the protection of the human rights of prisoners.

Their consensus this time was as follows: The government, employers and employees should make more efforts to enable companies to shoulder social obligations in this era of globalization; to guarantee women's political and economic rights, eradicate violence against women and crack down on other crimes against them; all countries should carry out exchanges and cooperation in the field of legal assistance that guarantees all citizens equality before the law, and all countries should, through domestic laws, implement the prisoners' rights stipulated in international documents on human rights.

Regarding the seminar as open, candid, constructive and fruitful, the attendees also gave briefings on their policies, practices, achievements and challenges in the above fields, and called on the international community to actively participate in exchanges and cooperation to this end.

Besides the three sponsors, 15 other countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand, also attended the two-day seminar.

The First Human Rights Seminar was held in 1998 in Vancouver, Canada.

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