UN Human Rights Treaties

Distr.
LIMITED
E/CN.4/1994/L.64
28 February 1994
ENGLISH
Original: SPANISH
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Fiftieth session
Agenda item 11
FURTHER PROMOTION AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND
FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF THE
PROGRAMME AND METHODS OF WORK OF THE COMMISSION
Argentina*, Bolivia*, Cameroon, Chile, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire,
Ecuador, El Salvador*, Guatemala*, Honduras*, Jordan*, Malawi,
Mauritius, Nicaragua*, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines*, Poland,
Portugal*, Romania, Senegal*, Uruguay, Venezuela:
draft resolution
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 adopted at
the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, Austria, on 25 June 1993, and in
particular section D on human rights education,
* In accordance with rule 69, paragraph 3 of the rules of procedure of
the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council.
GE.94-11641 (E)
E/CN.4/1994/L.64
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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 20 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
Further recalling 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 within a democratic society,
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 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 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 and education, with special provision for
support of the human rights education activities of non-governmental
E/CN.4/1994/L.64
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organizations, to be administered by the secretariat of the United Nations
Centre for Human Rights, as requested in paragraph 5 of General Assembly
resolution 48/127;
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
peoples, 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";
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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 paragraph 4 of
General Assembly resolution 48/127;
11. Decides to include in the agenda of its fifty-first session an item
entitled "Decade for human rights education".
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