A/HRC/24/22
Article 55 of the Constitution of Ukraine enshrined the right of a person “to appeal for the
protection of his rights and freedoms to the relevant international judicial institutions or to
the relevant bodies of international organizations of which Ukraine is a member or
participant”. Ukraine has recognized the competence of the Human Rights Committee to
review individual complaints of its citizens on violations of their rights.
31.
The National Centre for Human Rights of Uzbekistan asserted that the protection of
human rights should include development and strengthening of religious tolerance, respect
and non-discrimination in relation to nationality and support and assistance to vulnerable
groups, such as children, women and disabled, ill and older persons. The tradition of
oriental hospitality, honesty and charity were supported by religious organizations. The
Centre supported respect for the languages, customs and culture of different nationalities
through 140 national cultural centres and special projects such as the Projects Foundation of
Culture and Art of Uzbekistan “Asrlar sadosi”, and “Bazar-Art”.
C.
United Nations agencies
32.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East (UNRWA) stated that traditional values could be practically applied in the promotion
and protection of human rights, particularly through human rights education. As the main
provider of primary education in its five fields of operations, with 691 elementary and
preparatory schools providing free basic education for nearly half a million Palestine
refugee children, UNRWA made significant efforts to defining an approach to human rights
education that addressed and incorporated traditional values.
33.
The UNRWA Policy on Education for Human Rights, Conflict Resolution and
Tolerance recognized the importance of a child’s cultural identity, language and values, and
the national values of the country in which the child is living or from which he or she
originates in accordance with article 29, paragraph 1 (c), of the Convention on the Rights of
the Child. Through reference to that Convention, it was possible to demonstrate how human
rights education and education on traditional values and related issues were
complementary, and not mutually exclusive.
D.
Academic institutions
34.
The Instituto de Ciencias para el Matrimonio y la Familia, Universidad Católica
Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, Peru, highlighted that situations such as higher rates of
addictions, lack of respect for authority or neglect of elders visibly denied human dignity
and respect and limited social development. That was rooted in the distortion of the concept
of family, which was the foundation and reflection of society and which helped individuals
to understand values and principles. Families founded on marriage played an important role
for joint protection and integration as well as care for the disabled and the elderly. For that
reason and to make beneficial progress, public policies with a family perspective should be
applied, especially within the realm of human rights.
35.
The institution of the family, and marriage between men and women and related
rights have been protected in international instruments, including article 16 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, article 1 of the Convention on Consent to Marriage,
Minimum Age for Marriage, and Registration on Marriage, Article 23 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 10 of the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Article 5 of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child. At the regional level, Article VI of the American Declaration of the Rights and
Duties of Man, Article 17 of the American Convention on Human Rights and Article 15 of
8
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents