A/HRC/22/18 on the policy of Turkey with regard to the northern part of the island. 34 While there are some press freedom “laws” in the northern part, the de facto authorities are allegedly hostile to the independent press and journalists can be arrested, put on trial and sentenced under the unjust actions section of the “Criminal Code”.35 G. Right to education 42. According to article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to education.36 Education should be directed to the full development of the human personality and the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; it should promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and it should further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. Furthermore, parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that is given to their children. 43. Turkish Cypriot students still face a lack of access to European Union exchange and educational programmes owing to the non-recognition by Cyprus of the universities in the northern part of the island. The framework of a scholarship scheme for the Turkish Cypriot community was set up by the European Commission under the European Union aid programme in order to compensate for the lack of mobility that would be offered by the Erasmus programme. The scheme allows Turkish Cypriot students and teachers to spend one year abroad at a university or higher education institution in the European Union, and the level of funding is far higher than that for Erasmus. In the academic year 2011/12, a total number of 92 students and teachers participated in the scheme; in the current academic year, 28 undergraduate students and teachers were awarded a scholarship. The European Commission is in contact with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus in order to finalize the call for applications as the 2013/14 scholarship programme will offer the Turkish Cypriots the option of studying at universities in the southern part of the island.37 44. During its thirty-ninth session on 15–17 November 2012, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) adopted a resolution on the situation in Cyprus, which inter alia invites OIC member States “to encourage cooperation with the Turkish Cypriot universities, including the exchange of students and academicians”.38 45. In its concluding observations of 15 June 2012 (CRC/C/CYP/CO/3-4), the Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed its concern that Cypriot Turkish-speaking children continue to have limited access to education, beyond the restricted context of language lessons, in their native language. The Committee urged the State party to take measures to allocate resources for ensuring that Turkish Cypriot children are provided with the option of receiving bilingual education, including in their mother tongue (paras. 44–45). Furthermore, the report of the Secretary-General (S/2012/507, para. 17) noted that there were no new developments regarding the establishment of a Turkish language primary school in Limassol. 34 35 36 37 38 14 See A/HRC/19/22, para. 39. See www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2012/cyprus. See also International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, arts. 13 and 14, and Convention on the Rights of the Child, arts. 28 and 29. Information received from the Task Force for the Turkish Cypriot Community, Directorate-General for Enlargement, European Commission. Resolution No. 6/39-POL on the situation in Cyprus, para. 5. Available in document OIC/CFM39/2012/POL/RES.