A/HRC/15/28 31. Introducing human rights education in higher education institutions implies that they strive to be places where human rights are lived and practised. To this end, it is essential to ensure that educational objectives, practices and the organization of higher education institutions are consistent with human rights principles, through, inter alia, the following strategies: (a) Developing explicit and shared policy statements, such as charters on the rights and responsibilities of students and teaching personnel; codes of conduct for higher education institutions free of violence, sexual abuse, harassment and corporal punishment, including procedures for resolving conflicts and dealing with violence; non-discrimination policies including admissions, scholarships, advancement, promotion, special programmes, eligibility and opportunities; (b) For teaching personnel, ensuring that they not only have an explicit mandate from the leadership concerning human rights education, but also opportunities for developing and implementing innovative good practices in human rights education; (c) Adopting policies that protect and respect the human rights of all who teach in institutions of higher learning as well as support staff of these institutions (e.g. librarians, archivists, research assistants, administrators); (d) Ensuring that students enjoy freedom of expression and participation in decision-making, organizing their own activities and representing, mediating and advocating their interests; (e) Strengthening the more general role of higher education institutions in public awareness-raising about human rights, also through the organization of special events such as festivals, conferences, exhibitions as a collaborative effort with youth groups, civil society and local government etc.; (f) Facilitating the implementation of extra-curricular student projects and service in the community on human rights issues, such as for example the establishment of clinics providing free legal advice or the performance of internships with human rights nongovernmental organizations or other civil society actors. (e) Education and professional development of higher education teaching personnel 32. Teaching personnel have a major responsibility to transmit human rights values, skills, attitudes, motivation and practices, both in the performance of their professional responsibilities and in their function as role-models. To this end, the recognition of and respect for their professional status, as well as the provision of adequate human rights training, are essential. 33. Strategies to address human rights education in the education and professional development of higher education teaching personnel include: (a) Developing pre-service and in-service training curricula on human rights education, including the following elements: (i) Knowledge and understanding of human rights, their universality, indivisibility and interdependence and of protection mechanisms; (ii) Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary human rights perspectives; (iii) Educational theories underlying human rights education, including links between formal, non-formal and informal education; 15