A/HRC/12/36
page 12
43. The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights recommended that the second
phase address the main trends of societal development, modern challenges and threats to human
rights, in particular globalization; increasing poverty; the world financial and economic crisis
and its negative impact on human rights; migration; growth of racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance; and threats to environmental rights. The second phase
should be focused on education for society as a whole about economic and social rights, as well
as the rights of migrants and refugees, environmental rights, especially the right to a safe natural
environment, water, and safe food. Activities in the second phase should encourage the media to
inform about human rights and freedoms. Human rights courses should be incorporated into the
curriculum of higher educational institutions.
IV. RESPONSES FROM UNITED NATIONS BODIES AND SPECIALIZED
AGENCIES, INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND REGIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS
44. The United Nations Children’s Fund underlined that there is still considerable work to be
done in the integration of human rights education into primary and secondary levels, and that the
rationale of focusing human rights education efforts on children remains as relevant for the
second phase as it was for the first. At the same time, the realization of human rights requires
more public awareness than can be delivered by targeting educational institutions and systems
alone. The second phase should, therefore, target a broader sector. Regarding a theme, one
possibility might be to focus on the rights of women and children, given that both the
Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women celebrate major anniversaries at the end of this year.
45. The United Nations Population Fund suggested that the second phase focus on the rights of
indigenous persons and of persons with disabilities as these two groups continued to face
marginalization and discrimination despite progress in the legislative and judicial spheres.
Building on the momentum generated by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples and by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, focusing
on indigenous and disability issues would contribute to increasing visibility and fulfilling the
needs and rights of these groups. Strengthening education systems at all levels - from primary to
tertiary education - is key to ensuring equal opportunities for these two groups.
46. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) advised
focusing the second phase on the general public, education authorities and educational personnel
as well as governmental agencies in order to promote the right to safe and quality education for
all children and adolescents, especially those affected by displacement and stateless children.
UNHCR encouraged the inclusion of the right to education in the second phase as many children
and adolescents are still denied this fundamental right. Advocacy on education as a human right
is strongly needed to facilitate access to formal and non-formal education and to improve
retention in schools of many vulnerable groups around the world suffering from very poor living
conditions, conflict or displacement. UNHCR also proposed that the second phase focus on the
necessity of promoting safe learning environments that must be violence- and exploitation-free
to facilitate access to and deliver quality education.
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents