On the basis of the contributions of all stakeholders, including Governments, international organizations, civil society, as well as children and youth, the Social Forum cast light on how the rights of children and youth can be protected and promoted through education, and how it can fulfil its transformative potential.

Outcome documents

• Report of the 2019 Social Forum A/HRC/43/63
• Illustrated report: The rights of children and youth through education
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Videos from the Forum

• Opening remarks (Video)
• Keynote panel: The transformative power of education for young people (Video)
• Panel 1: Reaching those being left behind and defending the right to education (Video)
• Panel 2: Education in conflict and emergencies (Video)
• Opening of Day 2 (Video)
• Panel 3: "Human rights education for youth and by youth: Experiences from different regions and the way forward" (Video)
• Panel 4: How education today can strengthen opportunities for the future (Video)
• Panel 5: Education as empowerment for children and youth (Video)
• Conversation on the way forward with the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights (Video)
• Closing remarks and musical performance (Video)

Background

Education is both a fundamental human right in itself, and an essential means by which children and youth are empowered to claim their rights and become agents of change for sustainable development. It serves as a powerful tool to break down cycles of exclusion, and will be central to the overall achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Yet today millions are excluded from education and the transformative opportunities that it generates. According to the UN data, more than half of children and adolescents are not meeting minimum literacy and numeracy standards, and deep disparities persist based on gender, location and other circumstances.

Moreover, global trends of increased conflict, situations of emergency, climate change and migration have profound implications. The gaps between the reality on the ground and the imperative to realize the right to education for all children and youth calls for a paradigm shift, with solutions aiming at reaching those being left behind while ensuring that education becomes 'fit for the future'.

Context of the 2019 Social Forum

The 2019 Social Forum took place on the 30th anniversary year of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and at a time that youth has become a priority for the United Nations. It was also aligned with International Youth Day 2019, which focused on transforming education to make it more inclusive and accessible for all youth. It is therefore a key opportunity for dialogue on promoting and protecting the rights of children and youth through education.

Side events

• List of Side Events
• Panel: "Promotion and protection of the rights of children and youth through innovation in education" - Centre International d'investissement
• Panel: "Education as tool of conflict prevention: Iraq and Syria case study" - Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Panel: "A Safe Space to Learn: Gamifying Human Rights Monitoring Skills" - OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
• Panel: "Access to Education and Education in Mother Tongue" - Association for Human Rights in Kurdistan of Iran-Geneva (KMMK-G)
• Film: A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education - Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Panel: "Implementing the next Plan of Action of the World Programme: Youth as ambassadors of Human Rights Education" - NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning
• Workshop: "Thinking like a child" - Children's Rights Information Network (CRIN) and Little Inventors
• Panel: "Youth role and peer education in enhancing children's rights" - Millennials Energy | [GT3]

Further information

• Human Rights Council resolution 38/17
• Concept Note of the 2019 Social Forum: English
• Programme of work of the 2019 Social Forum: English | Français | Español

• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Right to education: the implementation of the right to education and Sustainable Development Goal 4 in the context of the growth of private actors in education - Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education
• Human Rights Council resolution 41/17 The right to education: follow-up to Human Rights Council resolution 8/4
• The Abidjan Principles on the human rights obligations of States to provide public education and to regulate private involvement in education
• World Programme of Action for Youth
• World Programme for Human Rights Education
• United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training
• UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education