The Human Rights Council this morning held a high-level panel discussion on the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. The Council also concluded an interactive dialogue with the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.
Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that when the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training was adopted, all Member States had delivered a strong message: human rights education and training were a priority that should be pursued by the international community. The world was home to 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 15 and 24 - the largest youth population the planet had ever seen. They were digital natives: far more interconnected than any previous generation, with remarkable knowledge of world issues, and unprecedented capacity to mobilise their peers. It was this understanding that had prompted increasing commitment to human rights education for youth. Young people must be the protagonists in developing policies and programmes that affect them.
Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said that the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, adopted 10 years ago, reinforced the notion that education was a fundamental human right, a public good and a means to transform lives. With 1.8 billion youth globally impacted by the pandemic, there was a pressing need to ensure that human rights education served as a tool to build more equitable, sustainable and inclusive societies and economies that were resilient in the face of crisis.
Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, said that with the 1.8 billion young people in the world today being disproportionately impacted by some of the world's most complex global challenges, human rights education and training were more important than ever. Education was a fundamental human right; it was a global public good, and a public responsibility. Everyone should continuously listen to and work with young people to ensure they received the education they wanted and needed.
Simona Kustec, Minister for Education, Science and Sport of Slovenia, said that human rights related to education were coming from the so-called second generation of human rights from which the role of the State was supposed to work as an assistant for more rights. The development of a digital culture was extremely important for the universal respect of human rights; international organizations together with Member States should strengthen their cooperation in promoting this as a part of human rights education and wider democratic culture.
Leah Tanodra-Armamento, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, said that human rights education was a powerful tool to advance human rights. However, youth human rights education faced many challenges. She explained the strategy of the Commission, highlighting that they taught human rights duty-bearers to better protect, respect, and fulfil youth human rights and that they directly educated the youth on their rights and urged them to be proactive. If youth were to really be the hope of the future, the world needed to educate them now on human rights.
Vernor Muñoz Villalobos, Board Member of Universidad Estatal a Distancia de Costa Rica, said that human rights education was inherent to the right to education and at the same time was the basis for all human rights to be understood and practiced. What was education for? The fourth phase of the Global Human Rights Education Programme offered useful clues to answer that question, by reminding that human rights education contributed to the prevention of violence and conflict and was essential for sustainable development.
Irfaan Mangera, Youth Activism Programme Manager at the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, said that young people continued to be excluded from the economy and from positions of power. He chose to become a human rights educator because it was the space and the platform in which he could create the most change and impact and influence the lives of young people. His work was basically encouraging young people in South Africa to take charge, to organise themselves, to mobilise young people in their communities and develop a consciousness.
In the discussion, speakers stated that human rights education was an essential part of the realisation of human rights and they reiterated their firm commitment to continue advancing the human rights education agenda. Calls were made for all sectors of society to participate in human rights education and training to better understand and promote respect for the full range of human rights, and to empower them to exercise and defend these rights. Speakers stressed that human rights education was an effective way to fight against inequalities and exclusion and to propose responses to current challenges such as violent extremism. Calls were made for particular attention to be paid to the opportunities and challenges of online education.
Speaking in the discussion were: Burkina Faso on behalf of a group of countries, Brazil on behalf of a group of countries, European Union, Egypt on behalf of the group of Arab States, Costa Rica on behalf of a group of countries, Togo, Senegal, Libya, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Israel, Iraq, Egypt, United States, Nepal, Mauritius, Philippines, Morocco and Venezuela.
The following national human rights institutions took the floor: High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation and National Human Rights Commission India. The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: World Jewish Congress, Rencontre Africaine pour la defense des droits de l'homme, Amnesty International and Center for Global Nonkilling.
The Council also concluded its interactive dialogue with the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In the discussion, speakers said that the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on indigenous peoples had highlighted long-standing health disparities that were likely to remain in place without sustained action. Some speakers recognised the unique relationship that existed between indigenous and tribal peoples and their territories, and that the right to self-determination of indigenous peoples was closely related to the use and disposition of lands and territories.
Speaking in the discussion were the following non-governmental organizations: China Society for Human Rights Studies, Conselho Indigenista Missionário, Lutheran World Federation, Associazione Comunita Papa Giovanni XXIII, International Fellowship of Reconciliation, China Foundation for Human Rights Development and Association pour la défense des droits de l'homme et des revendications démocratiques/culturelles du people Azerbaidjanais-Iran.
The Council also concluded the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.
In the discussion, speakers considered that education was a cornerstone of the realisation of indigenous rights and recalled the importance of parents, civil society organizations and public authorities to work together during this crisis to ensure the full realization of the right to education for indigenous communities. Some speakers said that the COVID-19 pandemic had aggravated historical problems affecting indigenous communities, in particular the lack of access to drinking water, health services, medicines and land.
Speaking in the discussion were: Philippines, Belarus, Organization of American States, Pakistan and Chad.
The following non-governmental organizations took the floor: Conectas Direitos Humanos, Minority Rights Group, Franciscans International, Federatie van Nederlandse Verenigingen tot Integratie Van Homoseksualiteit, Conselho Indigenista Missionário, Right Livelihood Award Foundation, International Organization for the Right to Education and Freedom of Education, Center for Justice and International Law, Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales and Association pour la défense des droits de l'homme et des revendications démocratiques/culturelles du peuple Azerbaidjanais-Iran.
The webcast of the Human Rights Council meetings can be found here. All meeting summaries can be found here. Documents and reports related to the Human Rights Council's forty-eighth regular session can be found here.
The Human Rights Council will reconvene at 3 p.m. this afternoon for the panel discussion on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests, followed by the interactive dialogue on the Secretary-General's report on cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights.
Opening Statements
MICHELLE BACHELET, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that when they adopted the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, all United Nations Member States had delivered a strong message: human rights education and training were a priority that should be pursued by the international community and all States. Human rights education equipped individuals with knowledge, skills and attitudes that helped them identify, claim and defend human rights. Throughout history and across every region, profound social, economic, political and cultural changes had come about when young people had risen up collectively to uphold human rights. The world was home to 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 15 and 24 - the largest youth population the planet had ever seen. They were digital natives: far more interconnected than any previous generation, with remarkable knowledge of world issues, and unprecedented capacity to mobilise their peers - including members of marginalised communities and others in vulnerable situations. It was this understanding that had prompted, at all levels, increasing commitment to human rights education for youth.
In 2018, the United Nations Secretary-General's youth strategy made the entire United Nations system responsible for stepping up human rights education and training for youth. The Council had dedicated the fourth phase of work - from 2020 to 2024 - of its World Programme for Human Rights Education to young people. Human rights education was also part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a specific target of Goal 4 on quality education. Youth empowerment policies and dedicated bodies were increasingly being developed at the international, regional and national levels. Young people must be the protagonists in developing policies and programmes that affect them, Ms. Bachelet concluded.
STEFANIA GIANNINI, Assistant Director-General for Education at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said that the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, adopted 10 years ago, reinforced the notion that education was a fundamental human right, a public good and a means to transform lives. The COVID-19 crisis had exposed the world's interdependence and fragility to an unforeseen degree. With 1.8 billion youth globally impacted by the pandemic, there was a pressing need to ensure that human rights education served as a tool to build more equitable, sustainable and inclusive societies and economies that were resilient in the face of crisis. Youth were absolutely central actors of this change, not just beneficiaries. It was high time for all institutions to include young people as full-fledged partners of the decisions that would impact them, and their lives, the most.
JAYATHMA WICKRAMANAYAKE, United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, said that with the 1.8 billion young people in the world today being disproportionately impacted by some of the world's most complex global challenges, human rights education and training were more important than ever. Human rights education and training were at the heart of the United Nations system-wide Youth Strategy, Youth2030, which laid out a roadmap for the United Nations and partners working with and for young people. Education was a fundamental human right; it was a global public good, and a public responsibility. She had repeatedly heard from young people that their education was an area in their lives they attached the greatest importance to and raised great concern. Everyone should continuously listen to and work with young people to ensure they received the education they wanted and needed.
Statements by Panellists
SIMONA KUSTEC, Minister for Education, Science and Sport of Slovenia, said that human rights related to education came from the so-called second generation of human rights from which the role of the State was supposed to work as an assistant for more rights. The development of a digital culture was extremely important for the universal respect of human rights; international organizations together with Member States should strengthen their cooperation in promoting this as a part of human rights education and wider democratic culture. Everyone needed to join efforts strongly, they needed to cooperate, they needed to participate and they needed to decisively achieve education to be really transformative towards ensuring universal human rights to peace, justice, equality and sustainability.
LEAH TANODRA-ARMAMENTO, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, said that human rights education was a powerful tool to advance human rights in general, yet youth human rights education faced many challenges. She explained the strategy of the Commission on Human Rights, highlighting that they taught human rights duty-bearers to better protect, respect, and fulfil youth human rights, they directly educated the youth on their rights and urged them to be proactive, and they recognised that human rights education involved a whole-of-society approach. The greatest challenge was dispelling myths and misconceptions on human rights. She regretted that the pandemic had derailed human rights education. The Commissioner concluded by saying that if youth were to really be the hope of the future, the world needed to educate them now on human rights.
VERNOR MUÑOZ VILLALOBOS, Board Member of Universidad Estatal a Distancia de Costa Rica, said that human rights education was part of the right to education and at the same time was the basis for all human rights to be understood and practiced. What was education for? What did people want to educate themselves for? What was the meaning of education? The fourth phase of the Global Human Rights Education Programme offered useful clues to answer that question, by reminding that human rights education contributed to the prevention of violence and conflict and was essential for sustainable development. These hard times of the pandemic, despite everything, had allowed the world to achieve invaluable learning: today more than ever the world knew that what affected one person could affect everyone and that the best way to take care of ourselves was to protect all of us.
IRFAAN MANGERA, Youth Activism Programme Manager at the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, said that young people continued to be excluded from the economy and from positions of power. The damaging effects of this meant that young people were left hopeless and helpless in their communities and unable to find basic necessities to live a decent life. He chose to become a human rights educator because it was the space and the platform in which he could create the most change and impact, and influence the lives of young people. His work was basically encouraging young people in South Africa to take charge, to organise themselves, and to mobilise young people in their communities and develop a consciousness. Their model was to create youth clubs across communities in South Africa, where they could build a generation just like the Madiba generation of people who were committed to the change process and to development.
Discussion
Speakers said that human rights education was an essential part of the realisation of human rights, including the right to development, for the peoples of the world. They reiterated their firm commitment to continue advancing the human rights education agenda, which encompassed knowledge and skills, values, attitudes and behaviour, as well as action, nationally and internationally. Calls were made for all sectors of society to participate in human rights education and training to better understand and promote respect for the full range of human rights, and to empower them to exercise and defend these rights. Some speakers highlighted that education should be aimed at developing consciousness of the dignity of the human person, enable everyone to be full and useful participants in society, and promote mutual understanding between its various groups. Speakers stressed that human rights education was an effective way to fight against inequalities and exclusion and to propose responses to current challenges such as violent extremism.
Calls were also made for particular attention to be paid to the opportunities and challenges of online education. Speakers explained that the pandemic had brought challenges -- which particularly targeted religious and ethnic minorities -- to the fore with a renewed urgency. They emphasised the importance of a multidisciplinary educational approach to countering hate speech in a wide range of settings across all areas of society, the necessity to develop critical thinking and media literacy, as well as the need to boost public trust in institutions. Some speakers stressed the importance of giving due consideration to the national and regional specificities and the cultural and religious backgrounds of different countries in the efforts to educate and publicise the principles and standards of human rights. They said that the most effective way to implement the principle of the universality of human rights was to benefit from the diverse cultural richness of all countries in exchanging good practices to uphold the values and principles of human rights.
Concluding Remarks
SIMONA KUSTEC, Minister of Education, Science and Sports of Slovenia, said that human rights education must be the common goal of the international community. In Slovenia, human rights education was considered an imperative that was described and implemented in the constitutional law. Equal opportunities through education should be ensured and it was a State obligation, the Minister said. She called on everyone to share good practices in this area.
LEAH TANODRA-ARMAMENTO, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, said that the Commission on Human Rights aimed for States in the region to strengthen cooperation in human rights education based on international conventions and treaties. An evidence-based study was needed to promote human rights education in the context of the pandemic. Human rights education must be accessible to all, despite the barriers faced by some, and youth must be included in all human rights achievements.
VERNOR MUÑOZ VILLALOBOS, Board Member of Universidad Estatal a Distancia de Costa Rica, said that human rights learning must be included in the whole society and not only in the educational context. It was important to open up opportunities for people with disabilities to participate fully in education, he said.
IRFAAN MANGERA, Youth Activism Programme Manager at the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, said young people were looking for hope to make sense of the world and to learn more. The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation aimed to teach young people about human rights by visiting sites where serious violations had occurred in South Africa. There were great barriers that needed to be broken down in the area of human rights education and support for young people fighting for their rights, he said.
Interactive Dialogue with the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The interactive dialogue with the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples started on Tuesday, 28 September, and a summary can be found here.
Discussion
Speakers said that the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on indigenous peoples had highlighted long-standing health disparities that were likely to remain in place without sustained action. Indigenous communities had faced the sudden loss of livelihood, yet at the same time, many indigenous peoples had been exercising self-determination and devising successful responses to the pandemic. This showed that governments must consult meaningfully with indigenous communities and fully respect indigenous peoples' right to free, prior and informed consent in COVID recovery planning. Some speakers recognised the unique relationship that existed between indigenous and tribal peoples and their territories, and that the right to self-determination of indigenous peoples was closely related to the use and disposition of lands and territories. This generated specific obligations on the part of the States to adopt special measures to recognise, respect, protect and guarantee the right to communal property. Concerns were expressed that despite the negative impacts of megaprojects on the rights of indigenous people, extractive industries and agro-industries were not subject to curfews and emergency measures and continued to operate during the pandemic. Calls were made to renew the efforts of the Expert Mechanism to accompany the native peoples and communities that were resisting ethnocidal and colonisation policy.
Concluding Remarks
MEGAN DAVIS, Chair-Rapporteur of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, stressed the importance of recognising the right to self-determination of indigenous peoples and, by extension, ensuring their participation in the work of the United Nations, where their voice should be more formally expressed. Mechanisms already existed to ensure the participation of indigenous peoples at the State level. The concepts of prior agreement and informed consent were to be distinguished from the concept of self-determination. The Mechanism had published a report containing good practices and lessons learned in the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She recommended that States read this report to learn more about some of the issues related to land, reconciliation, and raising public awareness of the problems faced by indigenous peoples.
Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The interactive dialogue with José Francisco Cali Tzay, Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, started on Tuesday, 28 September and a summary can be found here.
Discussion
Speakers said that education was a cornerstone of the realisation of indigenous rights and recalled the importance of parents, civil society organizations and public authorities to work together during this crisis to ensure the full realisation of the right to education for indigenous communities. They highlighted the work of schools managed by these communities, which required the trust and support of public authorities. Some speakers regretted that the linguistic dimension of minority education was often misunderstood and that it was a consequence of the lack of proper understanding and implementation of international human rights obligations. Speakers said that the COVID-19 pandemic had aggravated historical problems affecting indigenous communities, in particular the lack of access to drinking water, health services, medicines and land. They called for the effective coordination between public authorities and indigenous communities so that policies took into account the particularities and specific needs of this population.
Concluding Remarks
JOSÉ FRANCISCO CALI TZAY, Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, said that he had taken into account the positive measures taken by States to protect indigenous peoples, but stressed that these measures needed to be effectively implemented. Furthermore, responses to the pandemic must take into account the specificities of indigenous peoples. He also mentioned that the principle of free and informed consent of indigenous peoples must be taken into account in all measures that affected them. Their knowledge and self-determination must be defended.
