Proclamation of a Decade for Human Rights Education.
| Publisher | UN Commission on Human Rights |
| Author | UN Commission on Human Rights (50th sess. : 1994 : Geneva) |
| Publication Date | 4 March 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | E/CN.4/RES/1994/51 |
| Reference | 50 |
| Cite as | UN Commission on Human Rights, Proclamation of a Decade for Human Rights Education., 4 March 1994, E/CN.4/RES/1994/51, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3b00f0cf2c.html [accessed 23 October 2022] |
1994/51. Proclamation of a decade for human rights education
The Commission on Human Rights, Guided by the fundamental and universal principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Reaffirming article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, according to which "education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms", Bearing in mind the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (A/CONF.157/23) adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993, and in particular section D on human rights education, Recalling the provisions of other international human rights instruments, such as article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and article 29 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Further recalling its resolution 1993/56 of 9 March 1993, in which the Commission recommended that knowledge of human rights, both in its theoretical dimension and in its practical application, should be established as a priority in educational policies, Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 48/127 of 20 December 1993, in which the Assembly requested the Commission to consider proposals for a United Nations decade for human rights education, which should be incorporated by the Secretary-General into a plan of action for such a decade and submitted, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session with a view to the proclamation of a decade for human rights education, Convinced that human rights education is a priority in that it contributes to a concept of development consistent with the dignity of the human person which takes account of the various segments of society such as children, women, indigenous peoples, racial minorities and disabled persons, Aware that human rights education involves more than providing information to students but, rather, is a comprehensive life-long process by which people at all levels of development and in all strata of society learn respect for the dignity of others and the means and methods of ensuring that respect in all societies, Taking into account the efforts to promote human rights education made by educators and non-governmental organizations in all parts of the world, as well as by intergovernmental organizations, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Children's Fund, Convinced that individuals must come to know human rights as a comprehensive concept encompassing their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights,1. Requests the Economic and Social Council to request the General Assembly to proclaim the 10-year period beginning on 1 January 1995 as the decade for human rights education;
2. Requests the Secretary-General to consider the establishment of a voluntary fund for human rights education, with special provision for support of the human rights education activities of non-governmental organizations, to be administered by the secretariat of the United Nations Centre for Human Rights, as requested in General Assembly resolution 48/127 , paragraph 5;
3. Urges States to develop programmes and books for the teaching of human rights in primary and secondary education;
4. Also urges all Member States, the specialized agencies and the non-governmental organizations to develop plans of work and to consider allocating resources to contribute to the objectives of the decade for human rights education, taking into account the multi-ethnic character of many societies and the special needs of groups such as children, women, indigenous populations, minorities and disabled persons;
5. Further urges all Member States, the specialized agencies and the non-governmental organizations to provide technical and financial cooperation, including measures of support for human rights education programmes and the allocation of funds for the attainment of the objectives of the decade for human rights education;
6. Encourages the human rights monitoring bodies, in particular the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, to intensify their efforts in relation to the implementation by States parties of their possible treaty-based obligations regarding education and aspects of education linked to human rights;
7. Also encourages the monitoring bodies to consider requesting States parties to include in the reports called for under the respective human rights treaties, information relating to the context and scope of formal and informal human rights education;
8. Invites the chairpersons of the human rights monitoring bodies to reflect on how each committee could best contribute, within its global perspective, to the promotion of human rights education;
9. Encourages the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, acting in cooperation with Member States, the monitoring bodies, intergovernmental organizations, competent non-governmental organizations and other relevant organs, to include among his specific objectives a plan of action for the "United Nations decade for human rights education";
10. Invites the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session, through the Economic and Social Council, a plan of action incorporating any additional activities which might result from consultations with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Member States, bodies specializing in the field, governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and other appropriate bodies, as provided for in General Assembly resolution 48/127 , paragraph 4;
11. Decides to continue the consideration of this question at its fifty-first session under an appropriate agenda item.
56th meeting4 March 1994
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XI.]
