The Right
to Human Rights Education -A Compilation of Provisions of International and
Regional Instruments Dealing with Human Rights Education
September 2014 - The international community has expressed its
growing consensus on the fundamental role of human rights education in the
realization of human rights, understanding by "human rights
education" a learning process encompassing various dimensions:
- Knowledge and skills — learning about human rights
standards and mechanisms, as well as acquiring the skills to put them into
practice in daily life;
- Values, attitudes — developing values and reinforcing
attitudes which uphold human rights;
- Behaviour, action — encouraging action to defend and
promote human rights.
The consensus of the international community is evidenced by this
compilation, which contains texts or excerpts from international and regional
instruments and documents dealing with human rights education, as well as
general comments/recommendations of relevant bodies clarifying those
provisions, organized by organization in chronological order of adoption.
These instruments and documents include treaties, covenants, conventions and
protocols; charters; declarations; recommendations; decisions; resolutions;
principles; guidelines; rules; final documents; commitments; and conclusions or
joint communiqués of intergovernmental meetings, congresses and conferences.
Despite their different legal status, and the different fora in which they were
adopted which bear responsibility for their content, taken together these texts
outline the human rights education commitments made by States in the context of
international and regional intergovernmental forums, and provide the basis for
the right to human rights education.
The preparation of this compilation has been coordinated by the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on behalf of the International
Contact Group on Citizenship and Human Rights Education. The following
organizations have contributed: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; the
Commonwealth; the International Committee of the Red Cross; the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; the Council of Europe; the
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights; the League of Arab States; the
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights; the International
Labour Office; and the Organization of American States.
This project has also benefited from the research assistance of the Harvard
Graduate School of Education and the Center of Human Rights
Education at the University of Teacher Education Lucerne.
This compilation aims at further promoting human rights, and human rights
education in particular, by facilitating a number of initiatives, which might
include comparing national legislation and international commitments with a
view to bringing national laws into conformity with international standards;
designing, implementing and evaluating human rights education programmes in all
sectors in line with international commitments; and supporting overall advocacy
for human rights education.
Any
compilation of this nature will inevitably require updating. For information on
new international and regional instruments or documents, please consult the
websites of the organizations concerned.
List of contents
PART
I. UNITED NATIONS INSTRUMENTS AND DOCUMENTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION
- United
Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1994)
- Plan
of Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education,
1995-2004 (1996)
- Guidelines
for National Plans of Action for Human Rights Education (1997)
- World
Programme for Human Rights Education (2004)
- Plan
of Action for the first phase (2005-2007) of the World Programme for Human
Rights Education (2005)
- World
Programme for Human Rights Education (2005)
- World
Programme for Human Rights Education (2007)
- International
Year of Human Rights Learning (2007)
- Plan
of Action for the second phase (2010-2014) of the World Programme for
Human Rights Education (2010)
- World
Programme for Human Rights Education: adoption of the plan of action for
the second phase (2010)
- United
Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training (2011)
PART II:
OTHER UNITED NATIONS INSTRUMENTS AND DOCUMENTS
Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
A. TREATIES
- International
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965)
a) General
Recommendation V: Reporting by States parties (article 7) (1977)
b) General
Recommendation XIII on the training of law enforcement officials in the
protection of human rights (1993)
c) Guidelines
for the CERD-Specific document to be submitted by States parties under
article 9, paragraph 1, of the Convention (2007)
d) General
recommendation no. 35: Combating racist hate speech (2013)
- International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)
a) General
Comment No. 3: The nature of States parties' obligations (article 2,
para.1) (1990)
b) General
Comment No. 10: The role of national human rights institutions in the
protection of economic, social and cultural rights (1998)
c) General
Comment No. 11: Plans of action for primary education (article 14) (1999)
d) General
Comment No. 13: The right to education (article 13) (1999)
e) General
Comment No. 14: The right to the highest attainable standard of health
(article 12) (2000)
f) General
Comment No. 16: The equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all
economic, social and cultural rights (article 3) (2005)
g) General
Comment No. 19: The right to social security (article 19) (2007)
h) Guidelines
on treaty-specific documents to be submitted by States parties under
articles 16 and 17 (2008)
i) General
comment No. 21: Right of everyone to take part in cultural life (article
15, para. 1 (a), of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights) (2009)
- International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
a) General
Comment No. 20: Prohibition of torture or other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment (article 7) (1992)
b) General
Comment No. 28: The equality of rights between men and women (article 3)
(2000)
c) General
Comment No. 31: The Nature of the General Legal Obligation Imposed on
States Parties to the Covenant (2004)
- Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)
a) General Recommendation
No. 3: Education and public information programmes (1987)
b) General Recommendation
No. 6: Effective national machinery and publicity (1988)
- Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (1984)
- Optional
Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment (2002)
- Convention
on the Rights of the Child (1989)
a) General
Comment No. 1: The Aims of Education (article 29) (2001)
b) General
comment No. 5: General measures of implementation of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child (articles. 4, 42 and 44, para. 6) (2003)
c) Treaty-specific
guidelines regarding the form and content of periodic reports to be
submitted by States parties under article 44, paragraph 1 (b), of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (2010)
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on
the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (2000)
- Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement
of children in armed conflict (2000)
- International
Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and
Members of Their Families (1990)
- Harmonized
guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties,
including guidelines on a common core document and treaty-specific
documents (2006)
- Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006)
a) Guidelines
on treaty-specific document to be submitted by States parties under
article 35, paragraph 1, of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (2009)
- International
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
(2006)
B. DECLARATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS
- Declaration
of the Rights of the Child (1959)
- United
Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination (1963)
- Declaration
on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and
Understanding between Peoples (1965)
- Declaration
on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (1967)
- Final
Act of the International Conference on Human Rights (1968)
a) The
Proclamation of Teheran (1968)
b) Resolutions
adopted by the Conference (1968)
- Declaration
on Social Progress and Development (1969)
- Declaration
on the Rights of Disabled Persons (1975)
- Declaration
on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination
Based on Religion or Belief (1981)
- Declaration
on the Right to Development (1986)
- Development
of Public Information Activities in the Field of Human Rights (1988)
- Basic
Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials
(1990)
- Basic
Principles on the Role of Lawyers (1990)
- Guidelines
on the Role of Prosecutors (1990)
- United
Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (The Riyadh
Guidelines) (1990)
- United
Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non‑custodial Measures
(The Tokyo Rules) (1990)
- Declaration
on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and
Linguistic Minorities (1992)
- Declaration
on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (1992)
- Vienna
Declaration and Programme of Action (1993)
- Declaration
on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993)
- Declaration
on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of
Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms (1998)
- The
Right to Education (2008)
C. UNITED NATIONS SPECIALIZED AGENCIES
1) UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL,
SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (UNESCO)
a) Treaties
- UNESCO
Constitution (1945)
- Convention
Against Discrimination in Education (1960)
- Convention
on Technical and Vocational Education (1989)
b) Declarations, Recommendations and other Instruments
- Recommendation
against Discrimination in Education (1960)
- ILO/UNESCO
Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers (1966)
- Recommendation
concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and
Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
(1974)
- Recommendation
on the Development of Adult Education (1976)
- Declaration
on Race and Racial Prejudice (1978)
- Principles
of the Vienna International Congress on the Teaching of Human Rights
(1978)
- Declaration
on Fundamental Principles concerning the Contribution of the Mass
Media to Strengthening Peace and International Understanding, to the
Promotion of Human Rights and to Countering Racialism, Apartheid and
Incitement to War (1978)
- Malta
Recommendations on Human Rights Teaching, Information and
Documentation (1987)
- World
Declaration on Education for All (1990)
- World
Plan of Action on Education for Human Rights and Democracy
(The Montreal Declaration) (1993)
- Declaration
of the 44th session of the International Conference on Education (1994)
- Integrated
Framework of Action on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy
(1995)
- Declaration
of Principles on Tolerance (1995)
- Recommendation
concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel (1997)
- Declaration
on the Responsibilities of the Present Generation Towards Future
Generations (1997)
- World
Declaration on Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century: Vision and
Action (1998)
- The
Dakar Framework for Action (2000)
- Revised
Recommendation concerning Technical and Vocational Education (2001)
- UNESCO
Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001)
- Conclusions
and Recommendations of the 48th session of the International Conference on
Education (ICE) (2008)
- World
Conference on Education for Sustainable Development: Bonn Declaration
(2009)
2) INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION
(ILO)
a) Treaties
- Convention
concerning Paid Educational Leave (1974)
- Convention
concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries (1989)
- Convention
concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the
Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999)
- Convention
concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers (2011)
b) Declarations, Recommendations and other instruments
- Recommendation
concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the
Worst Forms of Child Labour (1990)
- Recommendation
concerning HIV and AIDS and the World of Work (2010)
- Recommendation
concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers (2011)
- Recommendation
concerning National Floors of Social Protection (2012)
D. INTERNATIONAL
HUMANITARIAN LAW
- Geneva
Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and
Sick in Armed Forces in the Field (1949)
- Geneva
Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded, Sick
and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea (1949)
- Geneva
Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (1949)
- Geneva
Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Times of
War (1949)
- Protocol
Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to
the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol
I) (1977)
- Protocol
Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to
the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts
(Protocol II) (1977)
PART III.
REGIONAL INSTRUMENTS
A. AFRICAN UNION
(Organization of African Unity)
- African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights “Banjul Charter”
(1981)
- African
Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990)
- Resolution
on the Promotion of Human Rights in Africa (1992)
- Resolution
on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1993)
- Resolution
on Human Rights Education (1993)
- Resolution
on the Promotion and the Respect of International Humanitarian Law and
Human and Peoples’ rights (1993)
- Resolution
on the Role of Lawyers and Judges in the Integration of the Charter and
the Enhancement of the Commission’s work in National and Sub-Regional
Systems (1996)
- Constitutive
Act of the African Union (2000)
- Declaration
on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance (2002)
- OAU/AU
Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa
(2002)
- Protocol
relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the
African Union (2002)
- Protocol
to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women
in Africa (2003)
- Pretoria
Declaration on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Africa (2004)
B. ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
(ASEAN)
- ASEAN
Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint (2009)
- ASEAN
Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (Terms of Reference) (2009)
- ASEAN
Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and
Children (Terms of Reference) (2009)
- ASEAN
Human Rights Declaration (2012)
C. COUNCIL OF EUROPE
- Committee
of Ministers Resolution (78) 41 on the Teaching of Human Rights (1978)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation No. R (79) 16 to Member States on the
Promotion of Human Rights Research in the Member States of the
Council of Europe (1979)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation No. R (81) 17 to Member States on Adult
Education Policy (1981)
- Committee
of Ministers Declaration on the Freedom of Expression and Information
(1982)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation No. R (83) 13 to Member States on the Role of
the Secondary School in Preparing Young People for Life (1983)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation No. R (84) 17 to Member States on Equality
between Women and Men in the Media (1984)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation No. R (84) 18 to Member States on the Training
of Teachers in Education for Intercultural Understanding, Notably in
a context of Migration (1984)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation No. R (85) 7 to Member States on Teaching and
Learning about Human Rights in Schools (1985)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation No. R (87) 3 to Member States on the European
Prison Rules (1987)
- Committee of Ministers Declaration on Equality of Women and Men
(1988)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation No. R (91) 16 to Members States on the
Training of Social Workers and Human Rights (1991)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation No. R (94) 12 to Member States on the
Independence, Efficiency and Role of Judges (1994)
- Framework
Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (1994)
- Parliamentary
Assembly Recommendation 1346 - on human rights education (1997)
- Final
Declaration and Action Plan of the Second Summit of Heads of State and
Government of the member States of the Council of Europe (1997)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation No. R (98) 15 to Member States on the Training
of Officials who first come into contact with Asylum Seekers, in
particular at Border Points (1998)
- Parliamentary
Assembly Recommendation 1401 - Education in the responsibilities of the
individual (1999)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation Rec (2002)12 to member states on education for
democratic citizenship (2002)
- Parliamentary
Assembly Recommendation 1682 – Education for Europe (2004)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation Rec (2000) 4 to member states on the European
Convention on Human Rights in university education and professional
training (2004)
- Declaration
and Action Plan of the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of
the member States of the Council of Europe (2005)
a)
Action Plan (2005)
- Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1849 - For the promotion of
a culture of democracy and human rights through teacher education (2008)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec (2011) 4 to member states on education
for global interdependence and solidarity (2011)
- Committee
of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec (2010) 7 to Member States on the
Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and
Human Rights Education (2010)
- Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of
Europe Resolution 332 -Education for democratic citizenship: tools for
cities (2011)
- Committee
of Members Recommendation CM/Rec (2012)13 to member States on ensuring
quality education (2012)
D. EUROPEAN UNION
- Resolution
of the European Parliament on Freedom of Education in the European
Community (1984)
- Resolution
of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member
States, Meeting Within the Council on the Fight against Racism and
Xenophobia (1990)
- Decision
No. 818/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council adopting the
third phase of the “Youth for Europe” programme (1995)
- Resolution
of the Council and of the Representatives of Member States’ Governments
meeting within the Council on the response of educational systems to the
problems of racism and xenophobia (1995)
- Council
Conclusions on a Strategy for Lifelong Learning (1996)
- Council
Conclusions on Local Community Development through Education and
Training (1997)
- Decision
No. 1686/98/EC of the European Parliament and the Council establishing the
Community action programme “European Voluntary Service for Young People”
(1998)
- Updated
European Union Guidelines on Promoting Compliance with
International Humanitarian Law (2009)
- Resolution
on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union (2009) –
effective implementation after the entry into force of the Treaty of
Lisbon (2010)
E. LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES
- Arab
Charter on Human Rights (2004)
- The
formulation of an Arab plan to foster the culture of human rights (2010)
a) The
Arab plan to foster the culture of human rights (2010)
F. ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND
COOPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE)
- Helsinki
Final Act (1975)
- Concluding
Document of the Madrid Meeting of Representatives of the Participating
States of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe
(1983)
- Concluding
Document of the Vienna Meeting of Representatives of the Participating
States of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe
(1989)
- Concluding
Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the
Human Dimension of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in
Europe (1990)
- Charter
of Paris for a New Europe (1990)
- Document
of the Moscow Meeting of the Conference on the Human
Dimension of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in
Europe (1991)
- Helsinki
Document: The Challenges of Change (Summit of the Heads of State
or Government (1992)
- Document
of the Fourth Meeting of the Council Conference on Security and
Co-operation in Europe and the New Europe - Our Security is
Indivisible (1993)
- Budapest
Summit Declaration: Towards a Genuine Partnership in a New Era (1994)
- The
Hague Recommendations regarding the Education Rights of National
Minorities and Explanatory Note (1996)
- Document
of the Ninth Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Bucharest (2001)
- Document
of the Tenth Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Porto (2002)
- Document
of the Eleventh Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Maastricht (2003)
- Document
of the Twelfth Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Sofia (2004)
- Document
of the Thirteenth Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Ljubljana (2005)
- Document
of the Fourteenth Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Brussels (2006)
- Document
of the Fifteenth Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Madrid (2007)
- Document
of the Sixteenth Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Helsinki (2008)
- Document
of the Seventeenth Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Athens (2009)
- Document
of the Eighteenth Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Vilnius (2011)
G. ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
- Charter
of the Organization of American States (1948)
- American
Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (1948)
- American
Convention on Human Rights “Pact of San José, Costa Rica” (1969)
- Additional
Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights “Protocol of San Salvador”
(1988)
- Inter-American
Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence
against Women “Conventión of Belém do Pará” (1994)
- Inter-American
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Persons with Disabilities (1999)
- Inter-American
Democratic Charter (2001)
- Statute
of the Inter-American Commission of Women (2008)
- Programs of the Organization of American States
a) Program
of Education for Peace in the Hemisphere (2000)
b) Inter-American
Program on Education for Democratic Values and Practices (2005)
PART IV.
OTHER INSTRUMENTS
A. COMMONWEALTH
- The
Lusaka Declaration of the Commonwealth on Racism and Racial Prejudice
(1979)
- The
Commonwealth Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment 2007-2015 (PAYE) (1998)
- The
Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality 2005-2015 (2004)
- The
17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers - Kuala Lumpur
Communiqué (2009)
- The
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting – CHOGM Communiqué (2009)
- The
18th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers - Mauritius
Communiqué (2012)
- The
Charter of the Commonwealth (2012)
B. LA FRANCOPHONIE
- Déclaration
de Bamako (2000)
a) Note
fixant les modalités pratiques de mise en œuvre des procédures du chapitre
5 de la Déclaration de Bamako (2001)
b) Programme
D’action De Bamako (2002)
- Prévention
des conflits et Sécurité humaine : Déclaration de Saint-Boniface (2006)
C. ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC COOPERATION (OIC)
- Charter
of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)
(1982)
- The
Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (1990)
- Covenant
on the Rights of the Child in Islam (2005)
- Rabat Declaration on Child’s Issues in the Member States of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (2005)
- Khartoum
Declaration Towards a Brighter Future for Our Children (2009)
- Tripoli
Declaration on Accelerating Early Childhood Development in the Islamic
World (2011)
- Statute
of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (2011)