Special Rapporteur on the right to education

Introduction

INTERVIEW - UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Vernor Munoz Villalobos. "Education is a Human Right, Not an Economic Good"

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education was defined by the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1998/33 of 17 April 1998 as follows:

"(i) To report on the status, throughout the world, of the progressive realization of the right to education, including access to primary education, and the difficulties encountered in the implementation of this right, taking into account information and comments received from Governments, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, other relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations;

"(ii) To promote, as appropriate, assistance to Governments in working out and adopting urgent plans of action, wherever they do not exist, to secure the progressive implementation, within a reasonable number of years, of the principle of compulsory primary education free of charge for all, bearing in mind, inter alia, levels of development, the magnitude of challenge and efforts by Governments;

"(iii) To take into account gender considerations, in particular the situation and needs of the girl child, and to promote the elimination of all forms of discrimination in education;

"(iv) To make his or her reports available to the Commission on the Status of Women whenever they concern the situation of women in the field of the right to education;

"(v) To develop a regular dialogue and discuss possible areas of collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and international organizations in the field of education, inter alia, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and United Nations Development Programme and with international financial institutions, such as the World Bank;

"(vi) To identify possible types and sources of financing for advisory services and technical cooperation in the field of access to primary education;

"(vii) To ensure, to the extent possible, coordination and complementarity with the work carried out in the framework of Sub-Commission resolution 1997/7, in particular the working paper on the right to education by Mr. Mustapha Mehedi."

In discharge of her/his mandate the Special Rapporteur :

• Undertakes country (see Country Visits);

• Transmits communications to States with regard to alleged violations of the right to education (See Individual Complaints) and

• Submits annual reports on thematic issues addressed and the activities carried out under the mandate to the annual session of the Commission on Human Rights (see Annual Reports).

Special Rapporteur :

Mr. Vernor MUÑOZ VILLALOBOS (Costa Rica) 2004