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National commitment supported by international co-operation is essential to foster human rights education, say participants in Strasbourg meeting
06 November 2007
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Strasbourg, 6 November 2007 – Committed, vigorous and concerted national action is essential to ensure proper integration and implementation of human rights education in the school system, participants in a two-day Regional European meeting in Strasbourg concluded today.
“The development of education for democratic citizenship and human rights should be seen as a priority in the best interest of all nations. It contributes positively to the effectiveness of the national education system as a whole, which in turn plays a fundamental role in economic, social and political development,” said Ibrahim Wani of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), one of the organizers of the event.
The participants noted the significance of promoting human rights education as a tool for ensuring peace and security. “Human rights education is an area widely recognised and accepted by governments and civil society as being instrumental to establishing and maintaining peaceful and democratic societies built on principles of respect for human rights,” said Kirsten Mla?ak of the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR.)
“The protection of Human Rights, democracy and the rule of law are the overall aims of our organisation,” said Ólöf Ólafsdóttir, Head of Department of School and Out-of-School Education of the Council of Europe. “Since our mandate is to promote these common values, it is clearly necessary to ensure that these values are properly understood and embraced – through education.”
Linda King, Chief of Section for the Promotion of Rights and Values in Education of the United Nations Economic Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said that many avenues were open for strengthening responsible and coordinated partnerships: “Today, there is a strong call to build enhanced partnerships where each and everyone participates to bring a unique contribution to the cause of human rights education.”
The organisers have invited education practitioners to make submissions for a Compendium of good practices in HRE in the school system, including citizenship education and education for mutual respect and understanding. The aim of this resource, currently under development, is to facilitate exchange of experiences and networking among relevant actors.
The UNESCO International Conference on Human Rights Education in October 2008, organised in the framework of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, will follow up on the recommendations of the Strasbourg meeting.
The Council of Europe also plans to host an inter-institutional meeting on teacher training in citizenship and human rights education in 2008.
The event meeting was organized jointly by the Council of Europe, OHCHR, UNESCO and OSCE/ODIHR. Over 200 experts from governments of the Council of Europe and OSCE member states, NGOs and other bodies attended the meeting.
“The development of education for democratic citizenship and human rights should be seen as a priority in the best interest of all nations. It contributes positively to the effectiveness of the national education system as a whole, which in turn plays a fundamental role in economic, social and political development,” said Ibrahim Wani of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), one of the organizers of the event.
The participants noted the significance of promoting human rights education as a tool for ensuring peace and security. “Human rights education is an area widely recognised and accepted by governments and civil society as being instrumental to establishing and maintaining peaceful and democratic societies built on principles of respect for human rights,” said Kirsten Mla?ak of the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR.)
“The protection of Human Rights, democracy and the rule of law are the overall aims of our organisation,” said Ólöf Ólafsdóttir, Head of Department of School and Out-of-School Education of the Council of Europe. “Since our mandate is to promote these common values, it is clearly necessary to ensure that these values are properly understood and embraced – through education.”
Linda King, Chief of Section for the Promotion of Rights and Values in Education of the United Nations Economic Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said that many avenues were open for strengthening responsible and coordinated partnerships: “Today, there is a strong call to build enhanced partnerships where each and everyone participates to bring a unique contribution to the cause of human rights education.”
The organisers have invited education practitioners to make submissions for a Compendium of good practices in HRE in the school system, including citizenship education and education for mutual respect and understanding. The aim of this resource, currently under development, is to facilitate exchange of experiences and networking among relevant actors.
The UNESCO International Conference on Human Rights Education in October 2008, organised in the framework of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, will follow up on the recommendations of the Strasbourg meeting.
The Council of Europe also plans to host an inter-institutional meeting on teacher training in citizenship and human rights education in 2008.
The event meeting was organized jointly by the Council of Europe, OHCHR, UNESCO and OSCE/ODIHR. Over 200 experts from governments of the Council of Europe and OSCE member states, NGOs and other bodies attended the meeting.