A/HRC/12/36
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29. In addition to the input from the Canadian federal level, the Saskatchewan Human Rights
Commission, in a separate submission, recommended that the World Programme continue its
focus on the primary and secondary school systems, as they provide the greatest opportunity to
inform individuals of their human rights and responsibilities and create broad cultural change.
Although the World Programme has made significant advances during the first phase, it is clear
from its reports on national initiatives that many nations, including Canada, have not yet
responded adequately to the World Programme Plan of Action. The Commission further
suggested extending the World Programme to the post-secondary educational sector, particularly
with regard to teacher training. The non-formal sector, often the primary provider of human
rights education, should be given financial support. The second phase should focus on the
activities of duty bearers including police officers and government officials, and could combine a
general thematic emphasis on ways of integrating a human rights perspective into all public
education, services and actions, with a focus on pressing issues such as the situation of
vulnerable and impoverished children. The second phase could be undertaken for a period of 5
to 10 years.
30. The Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos of Mexico suggested focusing on the
university sector. In Mexico the study of human rights is not a priority theme in the majority of
university degrees at present. However, university students should know their rights and
responsibilities as an important element of democratic society. Teachers should constantly be
educated in human rights and an interdisciplinary human rights education programme should be
established. Certain topics should be privileged in human rights education, namely education for
peace, education for development and education for multiculturalism.
31. The Commission consultative des droits de l’homme of Luxembourg identified non-formal
education as a possible target sector. Teaching staff need to be motivated or obliged to follow
specific training on didactic principles that lead children to become conscious of social
phenomena and daily events linked to fundamental rights. Initial and continuing education of
teaching staff could be more accessible, for example through e-learning. Such non-formal
education would affect less-gifted young people, those refused by schools, members of
minorities, and groups of different age and origin. Human rights education should be of a
philosophical nature, less academic and more pragmatic, and should also be provided to police,
administrators, enterprises and other audiences.
32. Human rights education should sensitize people to social integration and should make
people aware of fundamental rights and responsibilities of minority groups. The current global
crisis, high housing prices, job insecurity, the employment crisis and excessive debt justify
reflection on socio-economic rights. Furthermore, child rights should not lose their priority status
as increasing poverty is also hampering the effective protection of children from physical and
psychological violations. Human rights training activities should sensitize to the rights and needs
of the elderly.
33. The detailed reflection from the Irish Human Rights Commission on the progress on
human rights education globally and in Ireland concluded that there was much yet to be done to
build on initiatives developed during the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education
and the World Programme and to secure increased support at national level for their continued
sustainability. It reported that by July 2008 only a small number of countries had completed
stage two of the World Programme Plan of Action and developed national action plans/strategies
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