Legis

GE.17-04856(E)
Human Rights Council
Thirty-fifth session
6-23 June 2017
Agenda items 2 and 3
Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
Panel discussion on the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training: good practices and challenges
Summary report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Summary
The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 31/21. It provides a summary of the high-level panel discussion on the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training: good practices and challenges, held on 14 September 2016, during the thirty-third session of the Council. It contains a summary of the conclusions drawn from the panel discussion in relation to furthering human rights education and training in the light of the Declaration.
United Nations
A/HRC/35/6
General Assembly
Distr.: General
27 March 2017
Original: English
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I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 66/137 of 19 December 2011, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, highlighting the essential contribution of human rights education and training to the realization of all human rights.
2. Pursuant to its resolution 31/21, the Human Rights Council convened at its thirty-third session a high-level panel discussion to mark the fifth anniversary of the Declaration, entitled “The implementation of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training: good practices and challenges”, on 14 September 2016.1
3. The panel discussion was chaired by the President of the Human Rights Council, Choi Kyonglim, and moderated by Cristiana Carletti, Associate Professor of International Law, Roma Tre University and holder of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in International Law for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. The United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kate Gilmore, opened the discussion and Jordan Naidoo, Director of the Division of Education 2030 Support and Coordination of UNESCO, delivered the keynote address. The panellists were Sonia Marta Mora Escalante, Minister of Education of Costa Rica and President of the National Accreditation System of Higher Education; Flavia Piovesan, Secretary for Human Rights of the Ministry of Justice of Brazil; Driss El Yazami, Chair of the National Human Rights Council of Morocco; and Herman Deparice-Okomba, Executive Director of the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence, Montreal, Canada.
4. A segment of the documentary A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education was shown prior to the statements by the panellists. During the ensuing discussion, contributions were made by representatives of 23 States and the European Union, one international organization, two human rights institutions and four non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
II. Summary of the opening statement and keynote address
A. Opening statement
5. In her opening statement, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights recalled that the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training placed human rights education and training as core pillars in the global effort to realize all human rights for all. She stated that the adoption of the Declaration was part of a standard-setting process that began with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which tasked every individual and institution to promote respect for human rights through teaching and education. She highlighted a number of related issues.
6. Sustainable solutions to the current world human rights crises and chronic problems could only be found if the core values and choices of leadership and constituents were grounded in a shared understanding that each person was equally deserving of dignity, respect and justice. The transmission of these core and universal values was the task of human rights education, which contributed to broader human rights strategies to tackle current global challenges.
7. Human rights education should be contextualized to address specific realities and human rights problems faced by learners. The Deputy High Commissioner highlighted the experience of Premalatha, an Indian girl whose story is narrated in the documentary A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education, to stress the role of human rights
1 See http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/human-rights-council/regular-sessions/33rd-session/ watch/panel-discussion-on-human-rights-education-and-training-6th-meeting-33rd-regular-session-human-rights-council-/5126507934001.
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education in transforming victims of human rights abuses into human rights defenders. She stated that human rights education should enable learners — like Premalatha — to think critically and raise their awareness for inclusive solutions. It should therefore be engaging and relevant to the experience of the learners.
8. Cooperation of all actors at the local, national, regional and international levels was essential for promoting human rights education. The Deputy High Commissioner highlighted States’ obligations under international human rights law to provide and facilitate human rights education and training, as well as the important role played by other national actors, including national human rights institutions and civil society organizations. She also emphasized the value of multi-stakeholder initiatives and the need for support to national efforts by international human rights mechanisms and international cooperation in general.
9. An improved international reporting and monitoring system in the area of human rights education could encourage national implementation through the dissemination of good practice and expert advice. In that context, the Deputy High Commissioner drew attention to United Nations initiatives aimed at encouraging national action, such as the Decade for Human Rights Education and the World Programme for Human Rights Education. She also emphasized that human rights education was included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a specific target of Goal 4 on quality education. She called on all States to implement those initiatives nationally and praised the countries that were already pursuing human rights education programmes.
10. Human rights education fosters a common humanity beyond individual diversities. The Deputy High Commissioner noted that human rights education was vital to sustain social cohesion, promote inclusion and participation and ultimately prevent violence and conflict. She concluded that human rights education was an investment in the future, which could not be overlooked.
B. Keynote address
11. The Director of the Division for Education 2030 Support and Coordination of UNESCO delivered the keynote address on behalf of the Director-General of UNESCO. He highlighted the fundamental role of education towards realizing all the Sustainable Development Goals and the particular focus that target 4.7 placed on the link between education and human rights. He stressed the need for human rights education to empower people to understand and claim their rights, as well as to prevent human rights violations, violence and conflict.
12. The Director highlighted the work of UNESCO in developing and monitoring norms and standards to foster the implementation of the right to education at country level, by building related capacities and collecting good practices, particularly on human rights education and the prevention of violent extremism through education. The 1960 UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education articulates the core elements of the right to education, while the 1974 UNESCO Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms enables the regular gathering of information on national progress achieved in the field of human rights education. He also mentioned the promotion of human rights education within the Global Citizenship Education programme in support of the Global Education First Initiative and, more recently, as an integral part of Sustainable Development Goal 4. The Director reiterated the commitment of UNESCO to cooperate with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and States to advance the human rights education agenda.
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III. Contributions of the panellists
13. A segment of the documentary A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education2 was shown prior to the panellists’ interventions. The segment narrated the story of Premalatha, a girl from a village in Tamil Nadu, Southern India, who faced discrimination not only as a member of a lower caste, but also as a girl. Through a human rights education programme at her school, Premalatha gains confidence and starts viewing herself no longer as a victim, but as a human rights defender. The moderator highlighted three key messages of this story: (a) human rights education starts with the daily life of the learners, engaging them in a critical reflection on the human rights challenges they face; (b) human rights education is an empowering process that provides learners with the tools, knowledge and skills to address their human rights challenges; and (c) human rights education leads to action that is consistent with the basic principles of human rights to further promote and protect human rights. She considered that the human rights education programme in Premalatha’s school represented a good practice of cooperation between civil society, which delivered the programme, and governmental authorities, which allowed the programme to run in public schools.
14. In introducing the Minister of Education of Costa Rica, the moderator noted that Costa Rica had been advocating for human rights education at the international level by promoting the Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) and the World Programme for Human Rights Education (since 2005). In response to a question as to what motivated the country to drive those initiatives and what lessons could be shared from the experience, the Minister responded that Costa Rica’s leadership in the area of human rights education had its roots in its national tradition of peace based on respect for human rights. Moving away from the fictitious image of a homogenous State, Costa Rica had sought to develop an understanding of itself as a multi-ethnic and diverse State that promoted and exercised non-discrimination. She stated that that process went hand in hand with the human rights education actions taking place at both the national and international levels.
15. In Costa Rica, a human rights education network composed of government officials and representatives of the Defensoría de los Habitantes (Ombudsman’s Office), academic institutions and civil society was currently developing a national policy for human rights education, and the process had stimulated debates in the country on effective strategies and methodologies. The “Education For a New Citizenship” vision, which links citizenship with — among others — sustainable development, human rights, equality and social equity, guides the entire work of the Ministry of Education. Current areas of focus included combating discrimination against people of African descent and on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity. The 2015 Declaration of the Ministry of Public Education as a workplace free from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity guided educational reforms. In concluding her statement, the Minister called for a lively debate in the Human Rights Council on effective strategies for promoting human rights education and training.
16. Regarding the impact of the 2003 National Plan for Human Rights Education, developed by a committee composed of various national governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, the Secretary for Human Rights of the Ministry of Justice of Brazil stated that the right to human rights education was a right in itself that was enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 26), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (art. 13) and other international human rights treaties. She stated that the Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training provided a more precise formulation of that right and its implications. She added that human rights education played an important role in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for
2 The film includes two other segments that illustrate the impact of human rights training on law enforcement agencies in Australia and on women victims of violence in Turkey. Jointly produced by Human Rights Education Associates, Soka Gakkai International and OHCHR, A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Russian and Spanish from www.path-to-dignity.org/.
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Sustainable Development not only as part of Goal 4, but also as a necessary prerequisite for the achievement of all other goals.
17. The Secretary for Human Rights stressed the importance of the right to education — in its four dimensions — for the effective realization of all other human rights: (a) the availability of education programmes of sufficient quality; (b) the full accessibility of those programmes and of educational institutions; (c) the acceptability and cultural appropriateness of the educational programmes; and (d) the adaptability to social changes and to the needs of cultural and social diversity. The Government of Brazil drew upon these standards and principles in its own national human rights education policy. The 2003 National Plan for Human Rights Education focused on five thematic axes: basic education, higher education, non-formal education, education for justice and law enforcement professionals, and education and the media. The Government had implemented programmes and projects along all five axes and had drawn upon the lessons learned from those programmes to set out the National Guidelines for Human Rights Education, in 2012.
18. The Secretary for Human Rights highlighted other related projects, including the National Human Rights Education Prize, awarded to institutions that have implemented educational activities that promote a culture of human rights; the Human Rights Film Festival, an annual film festival addressing human rights issues, that is held in up to 1,000 cultural centres across all 27 states; and the National Pact with Universities for the Promotion of Respect for Diversity and a Culture of Peace and Human Rights, which promotes human rights as an academic discipline and a field of research by raising awareness among professionals and students and disseminating best practices in the promotion and protection of human rights. The Secretary for Human Rights concluded by stressing the need to embrace human rights education as a human right in itself and to adopt and implement that right as a means of empowerment and as a source of inspiration for social change. She defined human rights education as the antidote to a culture of human rights violations and violence against individuals.
19. Elaborating on the role of national human rights institutions in mobilizing the relevant public and private actors for human rights education and potentially coordinating relevant initiatives, the Chair of the National Human Rights Council of Morocco highlighted the significance of education and training for guaranteeing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. He said that if a country had educated citizens who knew what their rights were, that would be a step towards democracy. As to how national human rights institutions could ensure the implementation of human rights education and, more specifically, the role that the National Human Rights Council had played in the field of human rights education in the country, he said that the Council had played a catalytic role as it had been engaged in many human rights education activities targeting children and youth, such as the development of materials, citizen clubs and related networks. The Council was currently evaluating the impact of those efforts with a view to expanding their coverage to larger parts of society. It also hoped to use the Internet to promote human rights education for youth, particularly with a view to combating the radicalization of young people and preventing violent extremism.
20. The Chair also highlighted the work of the National Institute for Human Rights Education in promoting the mainstreaming of human rights education initiatives and mechanisms across the country. A household survey had been conducted by the National Human Rights Council to determine public perception and knowledge about human rights in order to contribute to a better understanding of the culture of human rights by Moroccan citizens and to support the development of more inclusive human rights education programmes. The results of the survey would be analysed to identify priorities for a national strategy on promoting and improving the quality of human rights education.
21. The Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (A/70/674) identifies human rights education and training as a strategy for preventing and addressing violent extremism. Regarding the experience of his organization in addressing the phenomenon, the Executive Director of the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence, Montreal, Canada, explained that the Centre worked with radicalized individuals and their families. Through that work, it was gleaned that the lack of human rights education was a central factor leading to radicalization. He stressed that the fight
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against extremism needed to target all forms of extremism and adopt a multidisciplinary approach that addressed the main causes, such as lack of empathy and the inability to think critically.
22. The Executive Director emphasized that human rights education and tolerance were the best response to radicalization and violent extremism. He mentioned the efforts of the Centre to develop critical thinking skills and reintegrate individuals who were drifting away from society and emphasized that those strategies would be of little use if they were implemented without a strong human rights component. He highlighted the need to motivate young people to participate in democratic life; to sensitize them to human rights, civil liberties and discrimination issues; to foster attitudes and behaviour of openness and respect for diversity; and to facilitate action against discriminatory practices.
IV. Summary of the discussion
23. During the ensuing discussion, contributions were made by representatives of Argentina, Australia, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Botswana, the Dominican Republic (on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), Ecuador, Greece, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco (on behalf of the International Organization of la Francophonie), Pakistan (on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation), Paraguay, Poland, Qatar, the Congo, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia (on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council), Slovenia, South Africa (on behalf of the African Group), Switzerland, Thailand, Timor-Leste (on behalf of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries) and Viet Nam, as well as the European Union.
24. Representatives of the Council of Europe and two human rights institutions, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and the Danish Institute for Human Rights, contributed to the discussion.
25. Representatives of the following NGOs also took the floor: American Association of Jurists (on behalf of eight NGOs), International Organization for the Right to Education and Freedom of Education (on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning), Norwegian Refugee Council and Soka Gakkai International (on behalf of HRE2020 Global Coalition for Human Rights Education).
A. General observations
26. Several delegates emphasized that human rights education was a prerequisite for realizing all human rights. Human rights embody a set of values that guarantee respect for dignity and equality for all, and can only be exercised and protected if all people know them. In that regard, delegates highlighted the value of the United Nations Declaration for Human Rights Education and Training in articulating that “everyone has the right to know, seek and receive information about all human rights and fundamental freedoms and … access to human rights education and training” (art. 1). They noted that the Declaration had played a very important role in highlighting the right to human rights education, and they welcomed the panel discussion as an excellent opportunity to reaffirm that right as well as the fundamental role of human rights education in the promotion, protection and effective realization of all human rights.
27. Human rights education is a lifelong process that concerns all ages and all parts of society at all levels. It develops the knowledge and skills of learners to promote, defend and apply human rights in their daily lives. Several delegates stressed the need for a sound methodology that was participatory, learner-centred, action-oriented and took into account different cultural contexts. A few delegates drew attention to the Declaration, which states that human rights education and training encompasses education about human rights, through human rights and for human rights, including learning and teaching in a way that respects the rights of both educators and learners (art. 2 (2)). The Declaration also called upon States to create a safe and enabling learning environment, in which the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all, including those engaged in the process, were fully protected (art. 7 (2)). Other delegates underlined the importance of evaluation, including the
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development of related indicators, to assess the impact of human rights education programmes and improve accountability and effectiveness.
B. Role of human rights education in tackling current global challenges
28. Many delegates pointed to the role of human rights education in tackling global challenges, including discrimination, violent extremism and conflict. Recent events, such as the movement of migrants and refugees, highlighted the value and relevance of the Declaration, and human rights education could be an integral solution to many human rights challenges facing humankind today. In particular, several delegates highlighted the role of human rights education in protecting groups in situations of vulnerability, including migrants and refugees, and stressed the need for human rights education to be made available to those most at risk, including migrants, refugees and particularly children and youth who were affected by conflict and natural disasters. For example, in response to the unprecedented movement of half a million migrants and refugees through Slovenia, in 2015, some 40,000 children in Slovenia received education on the rights of refugee children.
29. Several delegates emphasized the contribution of human rights education to the prevention of radicalization and violent extremism. Human rights education did not only teach about human rights instruments and their content, but it made people aware of how to promote, defend and apply human rights in their lives and in their interactions with others. Therefore, people who understood, appreciated and respected human rights were more likely to find peaceful solutions to an ongoing or potential conflict. In that regard, human rights education promoted tolerance, inclusion, participation and mutual acceptance, and hence reinforced understanding of the diversity of human societies. Moreover, human rights education fostered a culture of human rights and developed more inclusive, tolerant and peaceful societies, thus ultimately contributing to the promotion of global peace and security.
30. Some delegates highlighted specific national and regional initiatives to integrate human rights education in efforts to prevent violent extremism. For example, Switzerland adopted a Foreign Policy Action Plan for the Prevention of Violent Extremism, which is based on the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism and contains action points for human rights education and training. The European Union included human rights education in its Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy (2015-2019) with the aim of ensuring a comprehensive human rights approach to conflicts and crises. It would be willing to offer assistance to further that approach beyond the Union.
31. Several delegates mentioned that human rights training for media professionals and journalists played an important role in addressing the problem of radicalization. Media professionals could contribute to positively influencing youth who were at risk of being radicalized, especially in the light of the fact that the Internet and digital technologies were often used in the radicalization of youth. Not only should youth be taught about human rights principles, but they also needed to build their capacities to recognize manipulation. The private sector could play an important role in educating youth and in training media professionals.
C. Role of human rights education in achieving sustainable development
32. A large number of delegates considered the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a positive step towards the promotion and protection of all human rights, as it recognized the catalytic role of human rights education in achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals. Target 4.7, in particular, aims to ensure inclusive and equitable education and promote lifelong learning for all, highlighting the need for all students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda and, in particular, target 4.7, would further provide momentum for the implementation of the World Programme for Human Rights Education.
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33. Some delegates highlighted the need for human rights education and training programmes to be implemented within the context of the 2030 Agenda and for linkages to be built between human rights education programmes and the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure complementarity and coordination at all levels. The Minister of Education of Costa Rica urged States to ensure cooperation in order to improve the potential for innovative ideas and the achievement of the Goals, and stated that the Government of Costa Rica was committed to adopting an integrated approach to achieving the Goals so as to bring together the efforts of local and international actors. The Secretary for Human Rights of Brazil stated that human rights education was essential for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, which pledges to promote inclusive and just societies, and that international cooperation was a key element for fostering the necessary dialogue between global, regional and local spheres. The representative of the European Union stated that human rights education was key for development and crucial for building inclusive and participatory societies based on social justice and solidarity. The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions highlighted the key role that national human rights institutions could play in the monitoring and data-collection processes relating to target 4.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals.
D. National human rights education and training
34. Delegates drew attention to the significance of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training in reaffirming the duty of States to promote human rights education. The representatives of many States highlighted national human rights education initiatives and programmes, in particular in the context of the third phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education, which focuses on strengthening the implementation of human rights education in primary and secondary school systems and in higher education; human rights training for teachers and educators, civil servants, law enforcement officials and the military; and promoting human rights training of media professionals and journalists. They stressed the need for all States, together with the international community, to take full advantage of the third phase of the World Programme, and expressed their readiness to share national experiences and tools and to provide assistance.
35. The representatives of many States described their experiences in relation to national human rights education programmes and initiatives in primary and secondary schools. For example, the representatives of Ecuador, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Paraguay, the Congo, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, Thailand and Viet Nam mentioned that their Governments had included human rights education in their school systems. Paraguay had a National Human Rights Education Plan that outlined a nine-year strategy for transforming the public education system in the country. In Kyrgyzstan, human rights education started in preschool, with a programme called “Learning the Environment”, which provided all children with an “equal start in life” by teaching them about their human rights and responsibilities in interacting with their peers and with adults. This was followed by mandatory courses on human rights principles and protection mechanisms in secondary school. In Switzerland, education for sustainable development and human rights had been integrated into regional school curricula. Through the “Our Rights” project developed by the Government of Slovenia, which was based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, since 2005, more than 185,000 children in 26 countries had learned about their rights. Teaching materials of the project were now available in 22 languages.
36. Universities in Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Thailand and Viet Nam had also integrated human rights into their curricula as stand-alone courses and in courses on political science, law, humanities and civic values. In Kyrgyzstan, introductory training on human rights was mandatory for those pursuing careers in education. Pursuant to the National Education Act (1999), universities in Thailand had not only increased the number of human rights courses they offered to students, but had also established research centres on human rights. In the Russian Federation, a consortium of Russian institutions for higher learning, in collaboration with OHCHR, offered a Master’s programme on human rights.
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37. The representatives of several States, including Ecuador, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, the Congo, the Russian Federation and Qatar, highlighted the human rights training programmes for civil servants, law enforcement officials and the military. In Ecuador, human rights had been mainstreamed into the professional training of the entire public sector. Human rights were a core element of the mandatory training of civil servants in Greece: specialized training on intercultural issues was provided to civil servants dealing with third country nationals, police officers were trained on various human rights issues, including human trafficking, combating violence against women, racism, xenophobia, torture and the use of personal data, and border guards must undergo mandatory human rights training, particularly in the light of the recent migration crisis. In Indonesia, the fourth National Action Plan on Human Rights (2015-2019) had enabled the inclusion of human rights into the professional training of police and military officers. The new Constitution (2015) of the Congo guaranteed the human rights of groups in situations of vulnerability. The Government had implemented public-awareness programmes and developed a capacity-building programme for law enforcement officers on the human rights of those groups, including indigenous peoples. In Kyrgyzstan, human rights training was regularly delivered to law enforcement officials and the judiciary, as well as ministries and agencies directly involved in the promotion and protection of human rights.
38. With regard to human rights training of media professionals and journalists, delegates from a few States, including the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Thailand and Viet Nam, highlighted the importance of not only providing training on human rights issues, but also engaging media professionals and journalists in the implementation of human rights education programmes, particularly public-awareness campaigns. In Costa Rica, for example, the media played a pivotal role in successfully implementing a public-awareness campaign against bullying in schools.
39. Several delegates highlighted initiatives undertaken by their Governments in conducting research on human rights education and training and developing and disseminating related resources and materials. For example, Argentina established a human rights institution to develop and disseminate capacity-building tools, including human rights materials for children and youth; Poland created an online database of educational materials on democratization, human rights and civil society for use by students and educators; and the Regional Rights Resource Team in Australia provided policy advice, technical support and training services to Pacific Island countries in relation to human rights priorities and treaty reporting. The Resource Team had contributed to a steady shift towards a deeper culture of human rights in the Pacific and had supported the development of human rights advocates in governments and civil society. In Qatar, the Doha-based United Nations Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre provided human rights training and documentation activities in the Western Asia region for various actors, including civil servants, law enforcement agencies and national human rights institutions.
40. Delegates from Australia, Botswana, Thailand and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions drew attention to the important role of national human rights institutions in promoting effective policies and programmes on human rights education and training. National human rights institutions not only implemented related programmes, but also supported coordination and cooperation among various stakeholders, gave advice to parliamentarians and education authorities and monitored the implementation of human rights education. For example, the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation developed studies and resources, delivered lectures in schools and institutes of higher learning and organized competitions and conferences on various human rights issues; the Australian Human Rights Commission implemented human rights education programmes on anti-discrimination and the rights of minorities, thus contributing to the efforts of the Government to build a culture of peace; and the Ministry of Education of Denmark had invited the Danish Institute for Human Rights to engage as a key adviser on education reform, curricula development and human rights education. The Institute had documented the status of human rights education in the areas covered by the three phases of the World Programme for Human Rights Education and engaged in dialogue with the public authorities that resulted in the mainstreaming of human rights into the curriculum of Danish schools and in teacher training programmes. Some States, such as Honduras, Morocco and the Philippines, had benefited from the expertise and the independent and
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strategic role of national human rights institutions in implementing human rights education at the national level.
41. A number of delegates highlighted the challenges of implementing human rights education and training programmes and initiatives, including the lack of resources to implement, evaluate and report on programmes to the various international mechanisms. In response, the panellists highlighted the need for greater coordination among the various stakeholders, including national human rights institutions, civil society and international organizations. They also urged that national commitments to the importance of human rights education should be backed by the allocation of sufficient resources.
E. International and regional efforts to promote human rights education and training
42. Several delegates stressed that the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, the World Programme for Human Rights Education and other education-related global initiatives — culminating in target 4.7 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — reflected a growing consensus among the international community on the fundamental role of human rights education in the realization of all human rights. They highlighted the need for regional and international cooperation and assistance. Intergovernmental organizations, national human rights institutions, civil society and other relevant actors should collaborate closely in order to maximize resources, avoid duplication and ensure coherence in the implementation of human rights education programmes, particularly in the context of the World Programme. The NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning proposed to reinforce an existing institution with the aim of strengthening synergies among initiatives of the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations and governments.
43. A number of delegates highlighted the importance of systematically including information on national progress in the area of human rights education in reports to the United Nations human rights treaty bodies and in the context of the universal periodic review. They stressed the role of the treaty bodies, special procedures and the universal periodic review in encouraging and reviewing national human rights education and training efforts and in providing related advice. The important contribution of civil society to the work of those mechanisms in the area of human rights education was also highlighted.
44. Some delegates referred to regional instruments and initiatives relating to human rights education. The Council of Europe expressed its commitment to engage with the international community to share information and coordinate activities on human rights education, particularly in the framework of its Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education. The 2000 Bamako Declaration of the International Organization of la Francophonie is a joint commitment to promote and foster human rights, democracy and peace through related education and awareness-raising programmes. In particular, the Organization, in collaboration with the Francophone Association of National Human Rights Commissions, produced a number of resources, including a guide and an online course for teachers and educators in the context of its “Free Together” initiative, aimed at promoting a culture of human rights, peace and tolerance among youth. The representative of the European Union mentioned the work of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, which had recently launched a call for proposals amounting to more than €31 million to support civil society organizations working towards the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms worldwide, including through human rights education and training.
45. Some delegates commended the Platform for Human Rights Education and Training, a cross-regional group consisting of Brazil, Costa Rica, Italy, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, Slovenia, Switzerland and Thailand, on its work in promoting human rights education and training in the Human Rights Council. The work of OHCHR and UNESCO in supporting the national implementation of human rights education and training was also acknowledged.
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V. Conclusions
46. The high-level panel discussion provided an opportunity to take stock of human rights education and training efforts and to address related issues five years after the adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training.
47. The role of human rights education and training in realizing human rights was stressed by all the participants, and educators and trainers should adopt sound educational methodologies that are participatory, learner-centred, action-oriented and take into account cultural contexts.
48. Human rights education and training is an effective strategy for preventing and tackling current global challenges, including violent extremism and conflict, as it proposes solutions in line with human rights standards. The training of media professionals and youth are priorities in this regard.
49. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which specifically includes human rights education under target 4.7, provides a momentum for furthering human rights education, in line with the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training and other existing global frameworks for action, including the World Programme for Human Rights Education, coordinated by OHCHR, and the UNESCO Global Citizenship Education programme as well as other intergovernmental work relating to instruments, such as the 1974 UNESCO Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Cooperation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and international human rights treaties. Synergies in related work at the national and international levels need to be promoted.
50. Experiences shared during the panel discussion highlighted the value added of, and the need for, close collaboration and coordination among national actors, such as government agencies, national human rights institutions and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, academia, the media and the private sector.
51. In her concluding remarks, the moderator stated that the panel discussion highlighted the extraordinary advancement in human rights education and training since the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. She expressed appreciation for the commitment conveyed by all participants to strengthening the implementation of human rights education and training at the national, regional and international levels.