The 2024 China-Central Asia Forum on Human Rights Development was held in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan from May 28 to 29. Sponsored by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development (CFHRD), the forum was titled "Building a Community with a Shared Future for China and Central Asia: A New Vision for Human Rights Development". Among the attendees were hundreds of officials, heads of research institutions, experts and scholars in the field of human rights from China and Central Asia countries.

Zuo Feng, vice president and secretary general of CFHRD, presided over the forum and delivered a speech. People from China and Central Asian countries have explored a path to development that suits their national conditions, recognizing that peaceful development doesn't come easy and human rights need to be fully protected when they advance their own modernization. Upholding the principle of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China and Central Asian countries should address risks and challenges together, Zuo said.

Zuo put forward four suggestions: 1. Lay a solid foundation for peace with the implementation of Global Security Initiative so as to protect people's basic human rights. 2. Strengthen the material foundation for promoting common development of human rights under the Belt and Road Initiative. 3. Make joint efforts to improve global human rights governance by implementing Global Civilization Initiative. 4. Gather wisdom and power to facilitate people-to-people connectivity by increasing civil exchanges on human rights.

"The increased cooperation between China and Central Asia is becoming an important factor to regional prosperity and development," said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan's China Studies Center.

Tillabaev Mirzatillo Alisherovich, the first deputy director of National Center for Human Rights of Uzbekistan, said that protecting and promoting human rights is an important part of social development in all countries. It needs to be done based on the national conditions and people's needs of each country. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t exist.

Experts from the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, the National Academy of Sciences  of Kyrgyzstan and other research institutions held discussions on common development and human rights protection, mutual learning among civilizations and human rights progress and other topics.