21/20 Progress report on the implementation of the World Programme for Human Rights Education - Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

GE.5 See www.coe.int/pestalozzi. 2-14483

Human Rights Council Twenty-first session

Agenda items 2 and 3 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner

for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the

High Commissioner and the Secretary-General

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,

political, economic, social and cultural rights,

including the right to development

Progress report on the implementation of the World Programme for Human Rights Education

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Summary

Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 15/11, the present report provides an overview of national human rights education initiatives in the higher education sector and for teachers and educators, civil servants, law enforcement officials and the military, as reported by Governments and national human rights institutions from 45 countries in the context of the second phase (2010-2014) of the World Programme for Human Rights Education. It further highlights activities carried out by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and other intergovernmental organizations in support of national efforts. It concludes with recommendations for further action.

Contents Paragraphs Page

I. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1–3. The Ministry of Defence of Serbia has trained its officials and those of the army on the national security and defence strategies, both of which stress the observance of human rights. It has also held trainings on gender perspective in security sector reform and prohibiting discrimination of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population. At the 3

II. National initiatives reported by Governments and national human rights institutions ........................................................................... 6–2. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, the Comprehensive Policy on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law of the Ministry of National Defence establishes human rights training as a strategic objective. In May 2009, the School of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law of the National Army was established to train members of the armed forces and, in some cases, the police. More than 100,000 members of the armed forces have been trained through its courses. In 2010 and 2011, curricular human rights training was imparted to some 460,000 participants, while 318,000 benefited from extracurricular training activities. 5 3

A. National focal points, strategies and plans of action ...................................... 8–www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/edc/What/ICCCoE_EN.asp. 4

B. Higher education ............................................................................................ 15–. National human rights institutions have also contributed to promoting human rights education in higher education. The National Human Rights Commission helped to establish a human rights cell at the University of Djibouti. The National Advisory Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Algeria and the Office of the Human 5

C. Teachers and educators .................................................................................. 21–8. Some States mentioned related policies. For example, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security of the Republic of Korea included human rights as an element 6 7

D. Civil servants ................................................................................................. 27–2. In France, the 2008 Charter for the Promotion of Equality in the Civil Service affirms the values guiding civil service: equality, secularism, neutrality, impartiality and non-discrimination. In 2011, awareness-raising took place for all ministries on the theme of professional equality between men and women in the civil service. Themes for the 2012 in- service training include the role of values in public service, rights and duties of civil servants, codes of conduct and the principles of neutrality and non-discrimination. As regards local government officials, France reported on the coordination, by the French National Commission for UNESCO, of the French network of the International Coalition of 4 8

E Law enforcement officials ............................................................................. 35–7. The Chilean Prison Service reported on the mandatory human rights training course for its future officers, including on international human rights protection systems applicable to penitentiary work. The Prison Service is redesigning training programmes for its officers at the Prison Service College, with greater emphasis on prisoners’ rights. In France, the National School of Prison Administration provides initial training for penitentiary personnel, aiming to ensure respect for human rights in French facilities. It manages, with the universities of Pau and Bordeaux, a two-year master’s degree in enforcement of sentencing law and human rights. Together with the National Department for the Administration of Prisons, it cooperates with international counterparts on training penitentiary personnel. 8 10

F. Military .......................................................................................................... 49–1. With regard to training policies, human rights training has been incorporated into the Czech Armed Forces in keeping with the Concept of Education in the Czech Armed Forces: Construction and Development of Military Education 2006-2011, which describes the human rights training principles and expected knowledge and skills at all levels of service. A 2007 order by the Minister of Defence stated that human rights training must be included in all the programming documents relating to training in the armed forces. At the University of Defence, human rights protection is incorporated into compulsory subjects including law, security and defence law, and international humanitarian law. 5 13

III. Activities at the international level ......................................................................... 56–69 14

A. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ............ 56–65 14

B. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ................ 66 16

C. Other intergovernmental organizations .......................................................... 67–69 16

IV. Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 70–See www.ag.gov.au/humanrightseducation. 1 17

Annex

List of respondents ........................................................................................................................... 18

I. Introduction

1. The General Assembly, in resolution 59/113 A, launched the World Programme for Human Rights Education as a global initiative to advance the implementation of human rights education programmes in all sectors, structured in consecutive phases. The first phase (2005-2009) focused on integrating human rights education in primary and secondary school systems.

2. In its resolution 12/4, the Human Rights Council focused the second phase (2010-2014) on human rights education in higher education and human rights training for teachers and educators, civil servants, law enforcement officials and military personnel. Pursuant to its mandate, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) prepared a draft plan of action (A/HRC/15/28) containing practical guidance for national implementation by Governments and other stakeholders.

3. In its resolution 15/11, the Human Rights Council adopted the above-mentioned plan of action and encouraged States to implement it. It recalled that Member States should also continue the implementation of human rights education in their school systems, as begun during the first phase, and requested OHCHR to prepare a progress report on the World Programme for submission in 2012.

4. In the present report, OHCHR outlines a range of national initiatives undertaken from January 2010 to May 2012 to implement human rights education in the above-mentioned sectors, as reported by Governments and national human rights institutions. It also describes related activities undertaken by OHCHR and other intergovernmental organizations from July 2011 to May 2012. International initiatives undertaken before July 2011 are included in the report of the Secretary-General on follow-up to the International Year of Human Rights Learning (A/66/225).

5. An important development that took place in the past year is the adoption by the General Assembly, in its resolution 66/137, of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, which constitutes a new normative reference for the international community.

II. National initiatives reported by Governments and national human rights institutions

6. In February 2012, OHCHR circulated a note verbale inviting Member States to submit information on overall national strategies for implementing the plan of action for the second phase of the World Programme, and specific initiatives undertaken with regard to higher education, teachers and educators, civil servants, law enforcement officials and the military. As at 31 May 2012, information had been received from 34 Governments, including Member States’ replies to a September 2011 letter from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. In February 2012, OHCHR also requested input from national human rights institutions on their related activities, in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 15/11. As at 31 May 2012, 14 institutions had provided information. The list of respondents is found in the annex to the present report.

7. Reference is made herein to 45 countries; the material is organized thematically according to the target sectors of the second phase. Information from correspondence received after 31 May 2012 has not been included. While containing illustrative examples, the present report does not reflect all initiatives taking place worldwide. Furthermore, the information received has not been independently verified. Details of referenced national

initiatives can be found in the correspondence received by OHCHR, available on the web page dedicated to the World Programme, where a summary of information received on human rights education in the primary and secondary school systems and other areas beyond the second phase is also available.3 See www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/act.htm.

A. National focal points, strategies and plans of action

8. Various institutions have been designated to coordinate human rights education initiatives at the national level, depending on national institutional settings. For example, the Presidential Commission for Coordinating Executive Policy in the Field of Human Rights ensures the follow-up of the World Programme in Guatemala, while in Spain this role is played by the Office of the Deputy General for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. In Australia, the Human Rights Policy Branch of the Attorney-General’s Department is responsible for a comprehensive range of human rights education activities. Two governmental agencies, the Discrimination Ombudsman and the Living History Forum, are tasked with enhancing human rights awareness in Sweden. In Switzerland, key institutions supported by the Government are the Service against Racism and the Foundation for Education and Development.7. Many countries include international human rights law in the training of their public servants, sometimes as a mandatory component (such as the Republic of Korea and Sweden). Basic human rights content is systematically included in the mandatory training for all civil servants in Slovenia, upon entry into service, and for senior managers in public administration. Dedicated institutions where human rights training is provided to State employees are, for example, the Central Officials Training Institute, the Judicial Research and Training Institute, and the Statistical Training Institute (Republic of Korea). The Civil Service Commission under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan is responsible for the professional training of central and local Government officials concerning ethical conduct and their rights and duties as public servants. Citizens Advice Bureau officials in Mauritius have also received human rights training. Divisions within ministries of education coordinate human rights education initiatives in Argentina (Office of the Under-Secretary for Equity and Education Standards), Georgia (General Education Development Division) and Thailand (Monitoring Committee of the World Programme for Human Rights Education, based in the Bureau of International Cooperation).

9. The first recommendation made in the World Programme plan of action was to review the status of human rights education, for example through a national baseline study. The Irish Human Rights Commission conducted in 2011 a comprehensive study giving an overview of human rights education in Ireland to provide a foundation for the development of a national action plan on human rights education.1. General vocational training for employees of State administration and Government service, programmed annually by the Human Resource Management Service of the Government of Serbia, introduces civil servants to notions of equal opportunities for all and gender equality, to the laws on civil servants and on the prohibition of discrimination, and to the Code of Conduct for Civil Servants. With UNICEF support, the Ministry of Health improved education of medical staff working with children and families in health institutions and focused on protecting children from abuse and neglect. The World Bank supported a project for training medical workers in the field of patients’ rights. In Slovenia, a governmental working group, comprising representatives of the ministries in charge of higher education, the public sector and foreign affairs, was tasked with mapping existing initiatives and gaps, and defining an implementation plan with possible measures for improving human rights education in the focus areas of the second phase.

10. The National Institute for Study and Action for Development in Education, under the Ministry of Education in Senegal, reported on a 2005 study of the situation concerning human rights education in the formal and non-formal education systems. Since 2008, efforts have been made to develop and pilot a plan of action for integrating human rights education into the Senegalese curricula for formal and informal education and related didactical tools, and to train education sector actors and ensure evaluation. The Swiss university network is mandated to carry out a national baseline study. Kyrgyzstan mentions a future study on human rights education to inform the development of new legislation and related steps.

11. Fewer States reported on existing overall strategies or plans of action for human rights education, often developed through collaborative efforts. For example, the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia, assisted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), formulated the National Plan of Action in the Area of Human Rights Education (2012-2015), which details activities for implementation concerning teachers and

1 See www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/programme/secondphase/

nationalinitiatives.htm. 2 See www.globaleducation.ch. 3 See www.ihrc.ie/publications/list/human-rights-education-in-ireland-an-overview.

students. Developed with the support of OHCHR, the Colombian National Plan for Human Rights Education was launched in November 2009, followed by a decree institutionalizing the structures required to implement it. It was published and disseminated among Government institutions, civil servants, academic institutions and civil society organizations.6. In some countries, human rights training is a formal requirement for penitentiary staff. In Switzerland, for example, basic training of prison officials includes instruction on international human rights instruments and standards. In Monaco, draft guidelines define the duties and obligations of prison staff and appropriate training, taking into account the European Prison Rules. Training provided by the Educational Institute of the Prison Service in the Czech Republic reflects current applicable legal standards. In Germany, applicable United Nations and Council of Europe standards guide training programmes for prison officials and staff of psychiatric institutions. Malta has plans of action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and a plan of action promoting education for all. Japan’s Basic Plan for Human Rights Education and Encouragement, amended in 2011, includes training for public officials.

12. In Australia, human rights education is the centrepiece of the Human Rights Framework implemented by the Attorney-General’s Department since 2010.0. The Ministry of National Defence of Chile reports that the army, navy and air force include human rights content in training their members. The same is true in Colombia and the Republic of Korea, where human rights training has intensified in the armed forces since the 2008 Regulation on Human Rights Education in the Military. The Council for Human Rights Education in the Military convenes annual consultations on textbooks and training for the Ministry of National Defence in the Republic of Korea. In Azerbaijan, weekly humanitarian law lessons are taught to the armed forces in military units, formations and in special educational institutions. The Ministry of Defence of Armenia disseminates human rights information throughout the military to eliminate racial discrimination and xenophobia. It aims to build a culture of respect for human rights as a responsibility of all Australians. In the Sudan, the Advisory Council for Human Rights under the Ministry of Justice has begun developing a national strategy on human rights education. Spain referred to its Strategic Plan for Citizenship and Integration 2011-2014. Switzerland’s National Plan for Education for Sustainable Development (2007-2014)6 comprises human rights and focuses on teacher training, supported by the Swiss Conference of Rectors of Universities of Teacher Education.

13. The National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria has a human rights education unit coordinating with various ministries, departments, agencies and civil society organizations on the National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Nigeria. It also carries out public awareness and training activities for students and teachers at all levels, the military, civil servants, legislators, the private sector, oil and extractive industries, health-care workers and young people, among others.

14. The National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea recommended in January 2012 that the Ministry of Justice should incorporate suggestions from the World Programme plan of action into the Human Rights National Action Plan, which is the basis for the National Human Rights Policy (2012-2016). In its own three-year plan for human rights promotion (2012-2014), the Commission plans to strengthen human rights education for selected target groups, revise school curricula, standardize teaching plans and make use of mass media.

B. Higher education

15. Several countries, including the Czech Republic, France, New Zealand, the Russian Federation and Slovenia, recalled the academic freedom enjoyed by their higher education institutions. Spain’s Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport is mapping the situation in the Spanish university system to identify areas for action. According to Spanish legislation, the design of new curricula follows the principle that respect and promotion of human rights should be encouraged in any professional activity.

16. Human rights are taught as an individual subject or as part of other related subjects, in particular law (in, for example, Azerbaijan, France, Ireland, Japan, Mauritius, the Republic of Moldova, Switzerland and the Sudan), political science (at, for example, institutes of political studies in France), international relations (Azerbaijan and Switzerland) and sustainable development (Switzerland), but also humanities/liberal arts (Japan) and at technical higher education institutions (Romania). In Germany, human rights education

4 The plan is available from

www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/programme/secondphase/nationalinitiatives.htm. 5 See www.ag.gov.au/humanrightsframework. 6 See www.edk.ch/dyn/12097.php.

occurs in social sciences, humanities, philosophy, theology and health sciences. Georgian institutions teach subjects covering human rights protection and civic education. At Russian higher educational institutions, students are required to develop an understanding of the need to respect human rights in their professional lives. The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Moldova requested higher education institutions to have a framework course on human rights as an optional course in the social and humanistic component of the curricula. Extracurricular human rights activities are organized in cooperation with civil society.

17. Human rights research and graduate training are carried out in various Australian universities, including the Australian Centre for Human Rights Education (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) and the Centre for Human Rights Education (Curtin University of Technology). Swiss higher education institutions award master’s or doctoral

degrees in human rights, such as at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, and the University of Zurich Competence Center for Human Rights. In Spain, master’s degree programmes in human rights can be found at, for example, the University of Granada (master’s degree in culture of peace, conflicts, education and human rights). A Human Rights Chair exists at the University of Oran in Algeria. German university departments focusing on human rights education are the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in Human Rights Education at Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg or the Chair in Human Rights and Human Rights Policies at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. In Germany, apart from formal instruction, seminars are often held on human rights themes and the theory and practice of human rights education. German higher institutions take part in international law competitions and engage in human rights research. Several German higher education institutions are also members of the Global Compact.

18. Human rights departments exist in numerous Russian higher education institutions, including the Moscow State Pedagogical University and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Perm State Pedagogical University and the Education Workers’ Academy for Training and Continuous

Development offer courses and seminars on the theory of and methods for teaching human rights in schools, while similar courses have been held in other regions of the country. OHCHR supported the establishment of an international master’s degree in human rights in 2009 by a group of Russian universities, assisted by an inter-institutional resource centre at the People’s Friendship University of Russia.

19. While few countries referred to specific higher education policies for human rights education, several references were made to provisions for protecting rights within universities. Ecuador’s current Higher Education Act (adopted in 2010) guarantees the right to higher education and promotes universal access with no discrimination. In Australia, measures in place to protect the rights of domestic and international students and staff include the Higher Education Support Act 2003, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 and the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000. The Code of Academic Ethics of the University of Montenegro defines rules for human rights protection. In accordance with the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany and other provisions, higher education institutions are committed to human rights and to ensuring the freedom of teaching, learning and research within a framework based on democratic principles.

Rights Procurator of Guatemala collaborate with universities on conferences and workshops and support human rights courses. The Office also has an internship agreement with the University of San Carlos. The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia has organized human rights awareness programmes for Malaysian students in polytechnic institutes and at public universities, including the National University of Malaysia. The National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea created a local pool of specialized personnel in universities throughout the Republic of Korea and 10 universities now have their own human rights research departments. Human rights curricula are increasingly provided within disciplines educating future teachers, lawyers and social workers. Universities in the Republic of Korea have hosted international academic symposia, panel discussions and seminars on human rights.

C. Teachers and educators

21. Specific legal provisions and regulations exist in some countries to govern human rights teacher training. In Sweden, the 2009 Education Act and the national curriculum stipulate that everyone who works in schools is obliged to promote respect for human rights. In France, initial training for teachers is subject to a decree that integrates human rights values and specifies the professional competences required of teachers as public officials, acting ethically and responsibly and promoting equality and non-discrimination. All Slovenian teachers receive human rights training before obtaining their licence, and candidates to be head teachers must take human rights courses. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of Korea has included human rights content in the revised standard curricula for qualification training, which is required to qualify for the posts of head teacher, deputy head teacher and teacher. The Ministry also encourages municipal educational offices to create their own human rights programmes for teaching personnel under their jurisdiction. In Japan, specialist and technical training in social education, including human rights, is offered to social education specialists, including librarians, pursuant to the Social Education Act.

22. In-service training incorporating human rights is usually voluntary in France and Slovenia. In Monaco, in-service training promotes teaching methods encouraging student participation. In Estonia, subjects related to human rights are a priority in teachers’ vocational and in-service training. In the Republic of Moldova, the Institute of Education Sciences undertook to revise in 2011 all in-service training programmes to include human rights education, with special attention paid to teaching staff dealing with children having special educational needs. Distance-learning courses are planned for 2012 on gender equality, children’s rights and other issues. The Ministry of Education of the Sudan is training teachers and educators in human rights issues, such as children’s rights and corporal punishment. The Italian ministers of education, university and research and of equal opportunities jointly issued a paper to all Italian schools to raise the awareness of teachers and head teachers of gender diversity.

23. The Ministry of Education of Jordan referred to integrating human rights into the curriculum of education sector employees and a 2010 training course held in Amman, which aimed at setting the concept of education in human rights and citizenship in the Jordanian context, promoting it in schools and enabling participants to integrate the concepts into the curricula. In Azerbaijan, 998 teachers participated in training courses for teaching life-skills-based education during the academic year 2009-2010. Various teaching aids and methodological tools have been developed, such as a textbook for teachers and a guide for students on the subject of human trafficking.

24. Training activities and projects are often developed in cooperation with national or international entities. For example, the National Directorate for Professional Development

under the Ministry of Education of Ecuador works with the non-governmental organization Fundación Esquel. The Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia implements projects in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development and others, in the context of which four civic education textbooks were developed for students and teachers and a training programme for teachers of civic education is taking place throughout Georgia. The Montenegro Bureau for Education Services has conducted seminars for primary and secondary schools on the neglect and abuse of children and young people. The Ministry of Education and Sports, in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Montenegro, has implemented a project on schools without violence, which includes training of mentors.

25. Several national human rights institutions reported on the provision of teacher training, sometimes in collaboration with the relevant ministries. The Estonian Institute for Human Rights implements in-service training with the Ministry of Education and Research. The Romanian Institute for Human Rights partners with the Ministry of Education, Research, Youth and Sports in running human rights training for both teachers/educators and pupils. Every other year, they hold a national competition for didactic creativity focusing on, among other things, developing supplementary human rights training material for secondary education. The National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea has provided three online programmes to help teachers’ self-study on human rights. The Office of the Human Rights Procurator of Guatemala delivered to the Ministry of Education educational modules on human rights training methodology in primary schools and also developed certificate-based courses for teachers. The Office also promotes specialized human rights and education methodology courses for teachers. The National Human Rights Commission of Djibouti mentioned a human rights educators network, seeking to reinforce the capacity of teaching staff in human rights knowledge and appropriate teaching methodologies.

26. Human rights education for educators is not limited to teacher training. National teacher competitions for good teaching practices in civic education have been held every other year in Bulgaria since 2003. The German Institute for Human Rights and the Free University Berlin collaborate to professionalize human rights education in work with children and young people, social work, social education and others. German universities of applied sciences, which train social workers and youth or child-care workers, make intercultural education, tolerance and education against discrimination a fixed part of the curriculum. In Berlin, three universities of applied sciences jointly offer a master’s degree in social work as a human rights profession.

D. Civil servants

of the mandatory training for civil servants when it drew up guidelines on education and training for civil servants for 2010-2011. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden noted measures taken to expand human rights training for public officials as a result of Sweden’s two national action plans for human rights. In Japan, relevant ministries and agencies are required to ensure training for public officers, as provided in the 2002 Basic Plan for Human Rights Education and Encouragement, and amended in 2011 by the Act for the Promotion of Human Rights Education and Encouragement. The National Personnel Authority offers a human rights curriculum in various training programmes for national public officers and instructs each ministry and agency to improve its human rights training. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds human rights seminars and lectures for new recruits and current officials, as does the Local Autonomy College.

29. The Human Rights Public Sector Education Programme in Australia enables public-sector officials to understand human rights obligations, strengthens their capacity to develop policies, programmes and legislation consistent with human rights and guides administrative decision makers on relevant human rights issues. The 2011 general human rights training programme for the Australian public sector involved 706 public-sector officials from 35 departments and was delivered in partnership with the Australian Centre for Human Rights Education and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. A human rights e-learning module will be disseminated among 200,000 public servants throughout Australia. The programme’s resources include a guide to human rights for Australian public servants and human rights guidance sheets.7 Romania’s National Agency of Civil Servants has provided training in the principles of non-discrimination and equal opportunities to 12,. Several countries reported that military personnel received training in international human rights and humanitarian law. Institutions offering human rights training include the Estonian National Defence College, the Sudan Military College, the National Defence Academy of the Ministry of Defence of Japan, the Australian Defence Force Academy and the National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies in Chile. The Lebanese Army and the Directorate-General of Public Security have also taken steps in this regard. 3 civil servants. The Ecuadorian National Institute of Higher Education, with the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Worship, has delivered an initial course on human rights for civil servants, which reached 30 civil servants from several State institutions, including the armed forces.

30. Croatia has included human rights training courses in specialized university curricula for public and civil servants. In Switzerland, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs offers a two-day human rights course to staff and interns of the federal administration. A two-week intensive course on human rights and gender issues is an integral part of the training for the personnel of the Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding, whom Switzerland deploys to international peace missions.

Cities against Racism. The Ministry of Justice of Japan holds human rights leadership training seminars for officials engaged in human rights awareness-raising activities in prefectures and municipalities. A handbook on human rights in municipal activities has been produced in Sweden. The Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, Public Administration and Local Self-Government of Serbia trained local government employees in international standards for the protection of minority rights.

33. Several national human rights institutions reported on training activities for civil servants. Notably, the Irish Human Rights Commission has delivered training to approximately 400 officials in the framework of its Human Rights Education and Training Project for the Civil and Public Service since 2010. It has produced and distributed 7,000 copies of a reference human rights guide for the civil and public service, a training website with various human rights resources,See www.ihrc.ie/training. an online learning video on human rights for the civil and public service and other materials. Information is delivered in non-legalistic terms and training sessions include discussion groups, human rights activities, case studies and practical exercises.

34. The Romanian Institute for Human Rights holds courses in human rights and the administration of justice for personnel of the Ministry of Administration and Interior. The Office of the Human Rights Procurator of Guatemala offers courses to civil servants on human rights and leadership skills. The Office of the Ombudsman of Panama carried out workshops, short courses and longer certificate-based training courses on topics such as ethics and democratic values, human rights protection mechanisms, the right to health and the use of force, for civil servants and law enforcement officials. The National Human Rights Commission of Djibouti participates in training for civil servants of various ministries. The National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea has developed six cybereducation courses for the human rights education of civil servants.

E. Law enforcement officials

35. Several countries reported on policies, guidelines and frameworks concerning human rights training of law enforcement officials and indicated institutional responsibilities for such training. For example, the Constitution of Ecuador states that national police officers have to be trained in democracy and human rights to be able to carry out their functions; human rights instructors are active in Ecuador’s 24 provinces. Human rights principles are enshrined in the Australian Federal Police Code of Conduct and in training given to its members. In the Czech Republic, the police education system is based on the 2001 strategy of life-long compulsory education of members and staff of the police and the Ministry of the Interior, which includes human rights training and is delivered by the Human Rights and Professional Ethics Centre of the Police College, in cooperation with governmental and non-governmental agencies, and the Police Academy.

36. In Switzerland, passing a human rights and ethics examination is a prerequisite for becoming a police officer. The Swiss Police Institute is preparing a reference manual for the federal professional exam on human rights and professional ethics. A training module on intercultural competence and diversity has been introduced at the canton and city levels. In France, initial training for police and the gendarmerie involves a module on the code of conduct, fundamental rights and communication techniques. In-service training – in particular the preparation for a professional examination to achieve the grade of police brigadier – also includes human rights.

37. German law enforcement personnel receive regular in-service training in which international human rights law plays an integral part, in particular the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials. The Ministry of Justice of Japan includes human rights protection and issues of trafficking in human beings in training programmes for the Immigration Bureau officers. The main pillar of the basic codes of professional ethics for the police in Japan is respect for human rights. Newly recruited police officers attend related lectures.

38. In Mauritius, human rights is essential in training police and prisons officers. In Monaco, the training of recruits to the Police Academy includes a programme on respect for human rights and physical integrity of human beings in all circumstances. The Human Rights Section in the Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities of Lebanon aims to prevent human rights violations by Internal Security Forces officials in Lebanon and raise awareness of human rights concepts through training; a working group recently drafted, in consultation with OHCHR, a code of conduct for the Internal Security Forces.

39. The Human Rights Department of the Chilean National Police was established in 2011 to promote international standards for the police. Since 2012, the International Committee of the Red Cross has supported the police in integrating international human rights standards for policing into their training programmes, including training of trainers. The Ecuadorian police’s comprehensive continuing professional development programme is delivered by 126 human rights trainers from the Human Rights Department of the National Police’s National Directorate for Education. The programme reaches the entire police force, with 600 officers trained weekly.

40. Human rights have been part of regular in-service training curricula in the National Police Agency and Ministry of Justice in the Republic of Korea since 2003. At the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, human rights are a subject in the curriculum for correctional officers, border guards and the police. The Algerian Police Academy provides human rights training to law enforcement agents of the National Security Directorate and the gendarmerie nationale.

41. A training centre within the Ministry of Justice of Serbia conducts regular human rights training programmes for security service employees and judicial wardens and has expanded to training trainers and heads of penal institutions and departments. The Centre for Specialized Training and Professional Development of the Ministry of the Interior has organized seminars on preventing harassment in the workplace. Training for police officers on the treatment of juveniles is mandatory. The Ministry has also implemented training programmes on human trafficking, in cooperation with United Nations agencies. In the Sudan, the Training Department of the Ministry of Justice and the Advisory Council for Human Rights provide training on administration of justice to police and security officers, among others. The syllabuses of police and security colleges include human rights law.

42. Reported recurring themes covered by initial and in-service training are human rights in policing, applicable international and regional human rights law, use of force and firearms, rules on detention and treatment of prisoners, torture, non-discrimination, trafficking, professional ethics and intercultural competence. Croatia’s Police Academy offers a compulsory subject entitled “Police authorities and human rights”. The curricula of police academies in Azerbaijan and Slovenia include human rights as a stand-alone subject. In Azerbaijan, a teaching aid on police and human rights was prepared by the pedagogical staff of the Police Academy with OHCHR assistance. In Bulgaria, the Academy of the Ministry of the Interior teaches human rights to staff as part of the initial and in-service professional training. Human rights training is mandatory for all Ministry staff officially authorized to carry a firearm. A separate distance-learning course on police close to society is also available to the Ministry staff.

43. According to Colombia’s Directorate for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, the educational system of the national police aims to build a culture of respect for human rights, which are mainstreamed into training programmes for the police force. E-learning for the police includes a human rights course and a certificate-based course in pedagogy for teaching human rights. In Australia, training for all police before deployment on overseas missions includes human rights training delivered also through United Nations e-learning modules.

44. National human rights institutions actively promote human rights training of law enforcement officials. For instance, the Office of the Human Rights Procurator of Guatemala supports training at the Police Academy, facilitates workshops in police stations and supports courses for police officers seeking promotion. The National Advisory Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Algeria has a permanent subcommission devoted to public information campaigns and training, including for law enforcement officials. The New Zealand Human Rights Commission has embedded human rights within induction, training and competency assessments undertaken by the New Zealand police. In 2010 and 2011, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia conducted awareness-raising workshops for police, prison and immigration officials. In 2011, the Office of the Ombudsman in Panama trained in human rights 1,See www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/index.htm. 33 individuals, including law enforcement officials, penitentiary staff and civil servants. In Nigeria, the Human Rights Commission has organized human rights workshops for police and prison services aimed at improving their level of compliance with human rights standards in their duties. It has also worked on integrating human rights into the training curriculum of law enforcement agents, for whom it developed a training manual on women’s and children’s

rights.

45. The National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea has produced human rights materials, including guides to human rights for the police and for prison officials. Since 2011, the Commission has organized 89 special classes on human rights for over 8,000 police officials and provided 24 special courses within the Korea Police Investigation Academy, the Police Training Institute and the Korean National Police University. The Commission has also disseminated textbooks for law enforcement officials on investigation and human rights and security and human rights. In Djibouti, the National Human Rights Commission has developed two juridical guides on gender-based violence and organized trainings for the gendarmerie, the police, the military and prison staff.

48. The training system for prison officials in the College of Justice of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences includes three years of professional higher education, vocational education and in-service training, all of which tackle human rights. Pre-service human rights training is compulsory. The Prisons Department of the Ministry of Justice carries out evaluation and impact assessments with regard to institutionalized human rights training. The code of ethics governing prison officials incorporates human rights standards. In the Ministry of Justice of Bulgaria, officials from the Chief Directorate “Execution of Judgments” are trained in, for example, the prevention of torture and use of force. Japanese correctional personnel attend lectures on the human rights of inmates. The Ministry of Justice in Algeria, responsible for penitentiary establishments, has developed a human rights training programme. The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia is drafting, with the Prison Department, a human rights curriculum for prison officials.

F. Military

Military Academy, the subject “right of defence and international humanitarian law” partly deals with human rights issues. Military personnel from the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovenia and Switzerland are acquainted with human rights issues before their international deployment in peace missions. The human rights strategies and policies of the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces in Ecuador are coordinated the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. A human rights training curriculum is being developed.

54. Among the national human rights institutions carrying out human rights training for military personnel are the Office of the Human Rights Procurator of Guatemala and the National Human Rights Commission in Djibouti. In the framework of the “Human Rights Month” declared by the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan in 2011, and based on the provisions of the National Action Plan on Human Rights Protection, seminars on human rights law were conducted for staff of the military prosecution office and the military tribunal.

55. Teaching tools include a Swiss interactive DVD on human rights that includes practical case studies, used by Swiss military personnel. In Armenia, a course on human rights for the military is conducted on the basis of a manual on human rights and fundamental freedoms, with a chapter on the rights of ethnic and linguistic minorities in the army.

III. Activities at the international level

A. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

1. Global coordination of the World Programme

56. During the reporting period, OHCHR ensured global coordination of the World Programme. Following the adoption of the plan of action, OHCHR promoted its dissemination by reaching out, in October 2010, through the Global Human Rights Education listserv maintained by Human Rights Education Associates, to more than 10,000 individuals and organizations engaged in human rights education worldwide. In September 2011, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights addressed letters to all Permanent Representatives of Member States to encourage the national implementation of the World Programme.

57. OHCHR frequently interacted with many actors, such as Governments, United Nations entities, intergovernmental and civil society organizations, providing information, publications, advice and other support and participating in relevant events such as, at the international level, various parallel events during the sessions of the Human Rights Council and the annual meetings of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

58. OHCHR and UNESCO developed a booklet containing the plan of action for the second phase accompanied by a short introduction highlighting its main elements. It will be published in 2012 and disseminated electronically, among other means.

2. Information sharing, tools and resources

59. OHCHR promoted sharing of information on human rights education initiatives at various levels through several activities, including a dedicated section of the OHCHR website.9 OHCHR expanded the World Programme web pages (in English, French and

Spanish) that provide, among other things, information on national initiatives related to human rights education and the text of national plans and strategies.

60. OHCHR developed and disseminated human rights training materials and methodologies based on good practice,Available from www.ohchr.org/EN/PublicationsResources/Pages/TrainingEducation.aspx. 11 See http://hre.ohchr.org/hret/intro.aspx. 12 Available from www2.ohchr.org/english/ohchrreport2011/web_version/ohchr_report2011_web/index.html. including the 2011 OHCHR/Equitas handbook Evaluating Human Rights Training Activities: A Handbook for Human Rights Educators

and a forthcoming OHCHR/UNESCO self-assessment guide for Governments concerning human rights education in the school system. OHCHR is updating its 1999 publication The Right to Human Rights Education, in which it compiled provisions on human rights education adopted by Governments in the context of various intergovernmental mechanisms, to serve as an advocacy tool. OHCHR is also producing, together with two non-governmental organizations, A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education, a film documenting the positive impact of human rights education on people’s

lives. As at May 2012, the film was at the post-production phase; its launch is expected in September 2012.

61. OHCHR manages a publicly accessible Resource Collection on Human Rights Education and Training, a section of the OHCHR Library comprising more than 3,100 materials from around the world. The OHCHR online Database on Human Rights Education and Training provides information on around 300 regularly updated training programmes worldwide and more than 1,100 training and education institutions.11 OHCHR maintained an educational focus on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the Office hosts a collection of more than 350 related items (printed, audiovisual and commemorative materials) and a web page containing various resources, including 384 translations into national and local languages and dialects.

3. Supporting national capacity and civil society initiatives

62. OHCHR headquarters and field presences regularly support national capacity for human rights education and training through the provision of methodological and expert advice, in addition to the organization of training courses, workshops and other events on a broad variety of human rights topics and for many audiences. Details on OHCHR education activities are available in OHCHR Report 2011.12

63. Examples of international activities include the Human Rights Orientation Programme for Diplomats, implemented jointly with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research in Geneva and New York, to enhance Government officials’ understanding of the United Nations human rights protection system; workshops for educators belonging to governmental and non-governmental organizations on evaluation of human rights training, co-organized with Equitas; cooperation with the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union in developing human rights training materials for European Union border guards; and efforts to strengthen national capacity for human rights training of military, police and other staff deployed to peace missions.

64. OHCHR regularly responds to human rights education queries from Government and civil society entities and provides methodological advice, reference services and other guidance. OHCHR grants, publications and the participation of specialized OHCHR staff have supported international and regional human rights education activities organized by other actors.

65. The Assisting Communities Together Project is a joint initiative of OHCHR and UNDP awarding, since 1998, small grants to national and local civil society organizations in support of grass-roots human rights education initiatives in selected countries.13 In 2011-2012, the grants supported activities countering discrimination; a total of 28 OHCHR and 20 UNDP grants were awarded in Cameroon, Cape Verde, the Central African Republic, Ecuador, Iraq, Kosovo, Mauritania, the Republic of Moldova, Senegal, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Uganda and Uruguay. Under the eighth phase of the project (2012-2013), OHCHR and UNDP expect to award grants in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Republic of Moldova, the Sudan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Tunisia.

B. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

66. As part of its education mandate, UNESCO promotes and supports national implementation of the World Programme by its member States, also through joint initiatives with OHCHR as mentioned above. It has developed materials to assist its member States to integrate education for peace and human rights in school systems, such as Contemporary Issues in Human Rights Education (June 2011). Another example is a short film Education for Human Rights… Young People Talking, produced in 2011 in cooperation with the national commissions for UNESCO and national coordinators of the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network from Albania, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, the Dominican Republic, France, Indonesia, Lebanon and Uganda. The film showcases schoolchildren’s key concerns from a human rights education perspective,

touching upon issues related to gender, violence, peace and diversity, among others.

C. Other intergovernmental organizations

67. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR) has promoted human rights education and the World Programme in the OSCE area. It has organized national and regional events in Central Asia to present human rights education approaches in the school system and to assist States in integrating human rights into their formal curricula. ODIHR has also been developing guidelines for human rights education in the secondary school system, for law enforcement officials and for public health professionals, containing methodological guidance for quality human rights education.

68. The Council of Europe14 supports human rights education and the World Programme in Europe; in 2010 its 47 member States adopted, by recommendation CM/Rec(2010)7, the Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education, whose implementation will be reviewed in late 2012. The Council’s numerous materials include

the “Charter for All”, presenting the document in a language accessible to young people, and a revised version of Compass: A manual on human rights education with young people. Among the Council’s many training activities are the Pestalozzi Programme,15 which develops competencies of education practitioners, and human rights training offered to judges, prison staff of national human rights institutions and other professional groups. Human rights education is also mainstreamed in the Council’s youth policy.

69. Upon the initiative of the Council of Europe, the International Contact Group on Citizenship and Human Rights Education was set up in 2011 with a view to ensuring close cooperation among relevant regional and international initiatives. It brings together OHCHR, UNESCO, OSCE/ODIHR, the European Commission, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, the Organization of American States and the Council of Europe. Its first meeting was held in Strasbourg, France, in March 2012.

IV. Conclusions

70. With regard to the 45 countries considered and the information received, the analysis undertaken reveals that significant efforts are taking place worldwide

towards integrating human rights education into education and training for all the

focus sectors of the World Programme’s second phase (2010-2014) and beyond. The

report contains numerous examples of specific training initiatives promoting human

rights standards and developed through collaborative and complementary efforts by

Governments, national human rights institutions, academic institutions and

international actors. While some national initiatives appear to have been inspired by

the World Programme’s global framework, in other cases existing practices emerged

independently from it. Irrespective of this, they nevertheless show increasing

commitment by States to advancing human rights education in all sectors. In

particular, a comparison with a human rights education survey undertaken by

OHCHR in 2000 (A/55/360) provides grounds for identifying an increasing trend in

terms of the institutionalization of human rights education and training. The

application of sound educational methodologies based on good practice and assessed

through continuing evaluation, in addition to regular cooperation, networking and

information sharing among all actors, represent key strategies to ensure the

effectiveness of these educational efforts.

71. Given the many target sectors and various authorities and other actors involved at the national level, coherent national implementation of human rights

education may present a challenge, giving priority to ad hoc initiatives. The

formulation of national implementation strategies building on needs assessment and

including a monitoring and evaluation process, as proposed in the World

Programme’s plan of action, is strongly encouraged to maximize the long-term impact

of human rights education towards the full realization of human rights.

Annex

List of respondents

A. Governments

Albania

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Azerbaijan

Bulgaria

Colombia

Czech Republic

Chile

Estonia

France

Georgia

Germany

Guatemala

Italy

Japan

Jordan

Kyrgyzstan

Lebanon

Malta

Mauritius

Monaco

Montenegro

Republic of Moldova

Romania

Russian Federation

Senegal

Serbia

Slovenia

Spain

Sudan

Sweden

Switzerland

Thailand

B. National human rights institutions

Algeria

Colombia

Croatia

Djibouti

Ecuador

Great Britain

Guatemala

Ireland

Malaysia

New Zealand

Nigeria

Panama

Republic of Korea

Romania