A/HRC/35/6 education in transforming victims of human rights abuses into human rights defenders. She stated that human rights education should enable learners — like Premalatha — to think critically and raise their awareness for inclusive solutions. It should therefore be engaging and relevant to the experience of the learners. 8. Cooperation of all actors at the local, national, regional and international levels was essential for promoting human rights education. The Deputy High Commissioner highlighted States’ obligations under international human rights law to provide and facilitate human rights education and training, as well as the important role played by other national actors, including national human rights institutions and civil society organizations. She also emphasized the value of multi-stakeholder initiatives and the need for support to national efforts by international human rights mechanisms and international cooperation in general. 9. An improved international reporting and monitoring system in the area of human rights education could encourage national implementation through the dissemination of good practice and expert advice. In that context, the Deputy High Commissioner drew attention to United Nations initiatives aimed at encouraging national action, such as the Decade for Human Rights Education and the World Programme for Human Rights Education. She also emphasized that human rights education was included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a specific target of Goal 4 on quality education. She called on all States to implement those initiatives nationally and praised the countries that were already pursuing human rights education programmes. 10. Human rights education fosters a common humanity beyond individual diversities. The Deputy High Commissioner noted that human rights education was vital to sustain social cohesion, promote inclusion and participation and ultimately prevent violence and conflict. She concluded that human rights education was an investment in the future, which could not be overlooked. B. Keynote address 11. The Director of the Division for Education 2030 Support and Coordination of UNESCO delivered the keynote address on behalf of the Director-General of UNESCO. He highlighted the fundamental role of education towards realizing all the Sustainable Development Goals and the particular focus that target 4.7 placed on the link between education and human rights. He stressed the need for human rights education to empower people to understand and claim their rights, as well as to prevent human rights violations, violence and conflict. 12. The Director highlighted the work of UNESCO in developing and monitoring norms and standards to foster the implementation of the right to education at country level, by building related capacities and collecting good practices, particularly on human rights education and the prevention of violent extremism through education. The 1960 UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education articulates the core elements of the right to education, while the 1974 UNESCO Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms enables the regular gathering of information on national progress achieved in the field of human rights education. He also mentioned the promotion of human rights education within the Global Citizenship Education programme in support of the Global Education First Initiative and, more recently, as an integral part of Sustainable Development Goal 4. The Director reiterated the commitment of UNESCO to cooperate with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and States to advance the human rights education agenda. 3