A/HRC/35/6 Sustainable Development not only as part of Goal 4, but also as a necessary prerequisite for the achievement of all other goals. 17. The Secretary for Human Rights stressed the importance of the right to education — in its four dimensions — for the effective realization of all other human rights: (a) the availability of education programmes of sufficient quality; (b) the full accessibility of those programmes and of educational institutions; (c) the acceptability and cultural appropriateness of the educational programmes; and (d) the adaptability to social changes and to the needs of cultural and social diversity. The Government of Brazil drew upon these standards and principles in its own national human rights education policy. The 2003 National Plan for Human Rights Education focused on five thematic axes: basic education, higher education, non-formal education, education for justice and law enforcement professionals, and education and the media. The Government had implemented programmes and projects along all five axes and had drawn upon the lessons learned from those programmes to set out the National Guidelines for Human Rights Education, in 2012. 18. The Secretary for Human Rights highlighted other related projects, including the National Human Rights Education Prize, awarded to institutions that have implemented educational activities that promote a culture of human rights; the Human Rights Film Festival, an annual film festival addressing human rights issues, that is held in up to 1,000 cultural centres across all 27 states; and the National Pact with Universities for the Promotion of Respect for Diversity and a Culture of Peace and Human Rights, which promotes human rights as an academic discipline and a field of research by raising awareness among professionals and students and disseminating best practices in the promotion and protection of human rights. The Secretary for Human Rights concluded by stressing the need to embrace human rights education as a human right in itself and to adopt and implement that right as a means of empowerment and as a source of inspiration for social change. She defined human rights education as the antidote to a culture of human rights violations and violence against individuals. 19. Elaborating on the role of national human rights institutions in mobilizing the relevant public and private actors for human rights education and potentially coordinating relevant initiatives, the Chair of the National Human Rights Council of Morocco highlighted the significance of education and training for guaranteeing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. He said that if a country had educated citizens who knew what their rights were, that would be a step towards democracy. As to how national human rights institutions could ensure the implementation of human rights education and, more specifically, the role that the National Human Rights Council had played in the field of human rights education in the country, he said that the Council had played a catalytic role as it had been engaged in many human rights education activities targeting children and youth, such as the development of materials, citizen clubs and related networks. The Council was currently evaluating the impact of those efforts with a view to expanding their coverage to larger parts of society. It also hoped to use the Internet to promote human rights education for youth, particularly with a view to combating the radicalization of young people and preventing violent extremism. 20. The Chair also highlighted the work of the National Institute for Human Rights Education in promoting the mainstreaming of human rights education initiatives and mechanisms across the country. A household survey had been conducted by the National Human Rights Council to determine public perception and knowledge about human rights in order to contribute to a better understanding of the culture of human rights by Moroccan citizens and to support the development of more inclusive human rights education programmes. The results of the survey would be analysed to identify priorities for a national strategy on promoting and improving the quality of human rights education. 21. The Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (A/70/674) identifies human rights education and training as a strategy for preventing and addressing violent extremism. Regarding the experience of his organization in addressing the phenomenon, the Executive Director of the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence, Montreal, Canada, explained that the Centre worked with radicalized individuals and their families. Through that work, it was gleaned that the lack of human rights education was a central factor leading to radicalization. He stressed that the fight 5

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