Chapter 4 The Relationship between Human Rights and Development: An Analysis of Chinese Scholars’ Perspectives and the Practice of the Chinese Government
In: The Right to DevelopmentSearch for other papers by Zhang Wei in
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Abstract
With the changes in development of the concept of human rights, thinking concerning the relationship between human rights and development is becoming deeper and deeper. Against this background, the authors profoundly realize that both recognizing economic development as the first priority as some developing countries do, and considering human rights to be the most important thing as most developed countries do, are unilateral and harmful to social progress. Human rights and development are interdependent and mutually promotional. This chapter introduces the three main viewpoints of the relationship between human rights and development. Based on the changes in attitudes of the UN and China to the relationship between human rights and development, this chapter holds that although it is great progress for the Chinese government to understand that human rights and development are interdependent, there are still many difficulties in realizing their mutually beneficial relationship in reality. These difficulties are due to the lack of professionals who enjoy a good understanding of the rules of social development and are capable of practicing human rights theories. Therefore, the authors suggest that the promotion of human rights education is instrumental in the development and progress of human society.