Skip to main content
Navigation Blocks

Human Rights Education and Training

Select Select
Navigation Blocks

Human Rights Education and Training

(Adopted by the Human Rights Council, resolution 15/11, A/HRC/RES/15/11, 30 September 2010)

The Human Rights Council,

Reaffirming that States are duty-bound, as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and in other international human rights instruments, to ensure that education is aimed at strengthening the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 43/128 of 8 December 1988, by which the Assembly launched the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights, 59/113 A of 10 December 2004, 59/113 B of 14 July 2005 and 60/251 of 15 March 2006, in which the Assembly decided, inter alia, that the Council should promote human rights education and learning, Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/61 of 20 April 2005 and Subcommission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights resolution 2006/19 of 24 August 2006 on the World Programme for Human Rights Education, structured in consecutive phases,

Recalling also Council resolutions 6/9 and 6/24 of 28 September 2007, 9/12 of 24 September 2008, 10/3 of 25 March 2009 and 12/4 of 1 October 2009,

Recalling further that the World Programme is structured on an ongoing series of consecutive phases, intended as a comprehensive process, including formal and informal education and training, and that, in accordance with the World Programme, Member States should continue the implementation of human rights education in primary and secondary school systems, while taking the necessary measures to implement the World Programme according to its new focus on human rights education for higher education and on human rights training programmes for teachers and educators, civil servants, law enforcement officials and military personnel at all levels,

1. Takes notes with appreciation of the draft plan of action for the second phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education (2010-2014), [1] prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in consultation with Member States and in cooperation with relevant intergovernmental organizations, in particular the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and nongovernmental actors;

2. Adopts the plan of action for the second phase (2010-2014) of the World Programme for Human Rights Education;

3. Encourages all States and, where appropriate, relevant stakeholders to develop initiatives within the World Programme and, in particular, to implement, within their capabilities, the plan of action;

4. Requests the Office of the High Commissioner, in close cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, to promote the national implementation, as appropriate, of the plan of action, provide relevant technical assistance, when requested, and coordinate related international efforts;

5. Appeals to relevant organs, bodies or agencies of the United Nations system, as well as all other international and regional intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, within their respective mandates, to promote and provide technical assistance, when requested, for the national implementation of the plan of action;

6. Calls upon all existing national human rights institutions to assist in the implementation of human rights education programmes consistent with the plan of action;

7. Requests the Office of the High Commissioner and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to disseminate the plan of action widely among States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations;

8. Decides to follow up on the implementation of the World Programme under the same agenda item in 2012, and requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare, within existing resources, a progress report on the implementation of the World Programme and to submit it to the Council at its last session in 2012.


[1]  A/HRC/15/28.