36/24 Midterm progress report on the implementation of the third phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education - Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

GE.17-10929(E)



Human Rights Council Thirty-sixth session

11-29 September 2017

Items 2 and 3 of the provisional agenda

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

Midterm progress report on the implementation of the third phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education

Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights

Summary

Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 27/12, the present report provides an

overview of action undertaken at the national level as of January 2015 in the context of the

third phase (2015-2019) of the World Programme for Human Rights Education. The

present report summarizes information received from 20 States and 18 national human

rights institutions from a total of 36 countries and draws some conclusions for furthering

human rights education and training.

United Nations A/HRC/36/24

I. Introduction

1. In its resolution 59/113A, the General Assembly proclaimed the World Programme

for Human Rights Education as a global initiative to advance the implementation of human

rights education programmes in all sectors. The World Programme is structured in

consecutive phases, with each phase focusing on specific sectors. The first phase (2005-

2009) focused on integrating human rights education in primary and secondary school

systems, and the second phase (2010-2014) on human rights education in higher education

and human rights training for teachers, educators, civil servants, law enforcement officials

and military personnel. Evaluations of the first and second phases were conducted in 2010

and 2015, respectively.

2. In its resolution 24/15, the Human Rights Council decided to focus the third phase

(2015-2019) of the World Programme on strengthening implementation of the first two

phases and promoting human rights training for media professionals and journalists. It

requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

(OHCHR) to prepare a related plan of action (A/HRC/27/28), which contains practical

guidance for national implementation. In its resolution 27/12, the Human Rights Council

adopted the plan of action, encouraged States to implement it and requested OHCHR to

submit to its thirty-sixth session a midterm progress report on the implementation of the

third phase.

3. In January and February 2017 respectively, OHCHR sent notes verbales to States

and letters to national human rights institutions inviting them to submit relevant

information. By 18 May 2017, 20 Governments and 18 national human rights institutions

from 36 countries had responded (see annex).1

4. The present report provides an overview of reported national action undertaken as of

January 2015. It is organized according to the structure of the plan of action for the third

phase of the World Programme: the first part presents action undertaken to strengthen

implementation of human rights education and training in the focus sectors of the first two

phases and the second part highlights action taken to promote human rights training for

media professionals and journalists. Finally, conclusions for further implementation are set

out.

II. Action at the national level to strengthen implementation of the first two phases of the World Programme

A. National strategies and plans of action

5. A number of States reported on their overall strategies or plans of action for human

rights education. The politica plurinacional de derechos humanos 2015-2020 in the

Plurinational State of Bolivia was built on the achievements of the plan plurinacional de

educación en derechos humanos 2009-2013, developed by the Ministry of Education in

coordination with the Ministry of Justice and the Defensor del Pueblo and with technical

support from OHCHR. In Finland, the 2017 national action plan on fundamental and human

rights, whose drafting benefited from the advice of the Finnish Human Rights Centre,

included a section on human rights education as one of four main topics. Italy highlighted a

national plan of action, approved by presidential decree in 2016, addressing children’s

rights and aimed at improving the quality of education and teacher training. Namibia

reported that the 2015-2016 implementation framework of the national human rights action

plan included activities designed to integrate human rights into all levels of education.

1 Submissions will be available on the OHCHR website at

www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Education/Training/WPHRE/ThirdPhase/Pages/ProgressReport3rdPhase.a

spx.

6. In 2017, the Defensor del Pueblo of Argentina started elaborating and implementing

a human rights education programme targeting all levels of the education system, teachers,

administrators and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In 2016, Guatemala involved

civil society organizations in a review of its national human rights education policy (2006-

2015) aiming to integrate human rights education into all levels of education and into the

training of civil servants. The review identified the need to prioritize the human rights

training of civil servants, to be addressed in the forthcoming 2018 human rights policy.

Honduras reported on a comprehensive human rights education programme involving

training-of-trainers courses, follow-up evaluations and development of teaching materials.

In 2015-2016, the programme reached more than 23,000 individuals, including students,

civil servants, law enforcement officers, military officials, prisoners, the private sector, civil

society organizations, and media professionals. In Uruguay, a national plan for human

rights education, elaborated through a broad consultative process and covering primary,

secondary and higher education and vocational training, was approved in 2016; its

implementation will be evaluated in 2018.

B. Primary and secondary school systems

Policies and related implementation measures

7. Some respondents highlighted policies and legal frameworks that promote the

integration of human rights education into their school systems. In Slovenia, the law that

covers primary and secondary education contains objectives on human rights education,

which has also been a priority of its foreign affairs strategy since 2015. Poland reported that

in connection with the 2016 structural reform of its education system, the Ministry of

National Education had developed new core curricula, which articulated the development

of respect for human rights as a key objective and specified content for human rights

education. Italy highlighted legislation for school reform adopted in 2015 that aims to

promote the right to education and improve the quality of education, including through the

teaching of human rights values. In Chile, the educational reform that has been taking place

since 2014 provided an occasion to integrate human rights education into the curricula,

particularly through Law 20911 of 2016 establishing the citizenship education plan. The

plan reintroduced, as a compulsory subject, civic and citizenship education in schools and

related pre-service and in-service teacher training nationwide, as a joint project with a

number of universities. Related themes include intercultural education, particularly with

regard to indigenous peoples and migrants, a gender focus to combat stereotypes and

prejudices and inclusive strategies in respect of people with disabilities.

8. In Germany, education for human rights, tolerance and democratic citizenship are

regarded as core values articulated in federal legislation: each Land sets out which subjects

have a special focus on human rights and provides schools with the relevant materials and

textbooks. The standing conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of

the Länder has also repeatedly highlighted the importance of human rights education and

initiated corresponding ordinances and decrees at the Land level. Namibia referred to laws

and national frameworks that promote human rights education and a conducive, safe

learning environment in schools; these include the 2015 education bill, the 2015 Child Care

and Protection Act, the national safe schools framework and the 2016 integrated school

health programme. Serbia highlighted its 2020 strategy for the development of education

and the Law on the Foundations of the Education System, which provide a framework for

quality education that is inclusive and non-discriminatory and integrates human rights

education. In 2015, Mexico revised its guide to elaborating and issuing operational rules for

education sector programmes to include gender and human rights principles and in the

context of ongoing educational reform, reviewed the subject of civic and ethical education

in terms of content, methodology and textbooks for human rights and gender equality

themes. In 2016 those themes were also included in various subjects for secondary

education.

9. The Danish Institute for Human Rights reported that in 2016, human rights were

incorporated into the objectives of higher secondary schools in Denmark through a new

bill, which emphasizes that all upper secondary school programmes, as well as general,

commercial, technical and higher preparatory examination programmes, must develop and

improve knowledge of and respect for human rights. It also highlighted a governmental

action plan to prevent and combat bullying among children and a new bill implemented in

2017 extending protection against bullying amongst children and youth. As a result of a

survey on human rights education in secondary vocational schools, the Netherlands adopted

a decree on the examination and qualification requirements of vocational education,

requiring them to integrate human rights into their curricula as of 2016. The National

Human Rights Commission of Korea noted that the growth in human rights education

efforts in 2016 could be partially attributed to an amendment to the Act on the Welfare of

Persons with Disabilities concerning mandatory training on the rights of persons with

disabilities. The Plurinational State of Bolivia highlighted a series of laws supporting

human rights education.

10. In Guatemala, a study conducted by the Procuraduría in 2015 found that human

rights were missing from the education system. In 2016, a technical group composed of the

Procuraduría, the International Institute for Social Reconciliation, the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP), OHCHR, the United Nations Educational, Scientific

and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the human rights office of the Guatemalan

Archbishopric, in cooperation with civil society organizations, presented a plan to the

Ministry of Education for strengthening the citizenship education subject. The plan includes

teaching guides on themes such as historical memory, multiculturality and human rights,

which will be piloted in 2017 with 1,200 teachers. The Procuraduría also provided

information on related programmes reported by the Ministry of Education, including the

national strategy of citizenship education, consisting of teacher training, the development of

teaching materials, monitoring and evaluation.

Teaching and learning processes and tools

11. Several States indicated that human rights were being taught in primary and

secondary schools. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a course entitled “Democracy and human

rights” was introduced as an extracurricular subject in primary and secondary schools. In

the secondary schools of the Russian Federation, courses on social studies and history

included modules on human rights principles, legal norms and effective mechanisms for

human rights protection. They aim to develop students’ skills for critical analysis of

situations involving human rights and engage them in a constructive dialogue on finding

solutions to disputes. Serbia introduced a new curriculum with a subject on civic education

and human rights and empowered teachers to integrate human rights education into all

aspects of a student’s learning. The Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan

highlighted an educational programme for secondary school students, with the support of

the Ministry of Education, focusing on the rights of the child through a peer-to-peer

approach, whereby students are trained to conduct human rights briefings for lower level

classes. In Argentina, human rights were included as a transversal content in various

subjects in primary schools and more specifically within the ethical and citizenship

education subject in secondary schools; the Defensor del Pueblo highlighted various

projects, including La defensoría en la educación, in which secondary school students

discuss issues such as gender equality and discrimination, and a secondary school campaign

on human trafficking.

12. States also highlighted the work of their respective Ministries of Education to revise

the national curricula. In Namibia, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture revised the

national life skills curriculum, which integrates human rights education and covers issues

such as respect for diversity and religious freedom. In Germany, human rights education

measures were included in reforms of the framework curricula and guidelines. In Qatar, the

Ministry of Education and Higher Education ensured the integration of the principles of

human rights, women’s rights, children’s rights and international humanitarian law into the

national curricula. The Finnish Human Rights Centre reported that human rights education

was integrated into the new curriculum on basic education. In the framework of a

memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education, the Afghanistan

Independent Human Rights Commission supported the Ministry in integrating human rights

education into school curricula at all levels. In Honduras, during 2015-2016 an agreement

between the Secretaría de Derechos Humanos, Justicia, Gubernación y Decentralización

and the Secretaría de Educación prompted the revision of the national basic curriculum to

include human rights, also in relation to the objective of preventing violence in schools.

The Danish Institute for Human Rights noted the 2016 report of the then Minister for

Children, Education and Gender Equality, which outlined recommendations for an

improved pedagogical curriculum for day-care facilities based on the provisions of the

Convention on the Rights of the Child.

13. Action was also taken to review school curricula in response to societal

developments, such as in the context of the movement of migrants and refugees. In

Germany, in response to the large number of refugees who had entered the country in the

previous two years, migrant organizations and textbook publishers adopted a joint

declaration on the depiction of cultural diversity, integration and migration in educational

media, including textbooks. Serbia is finalizing a manual for schools, together with a

related teacher-training programme, to establish support mechanisms for migrant and

refugee children. Slovenia has developed and disseminated 40,000 copies of a worksheet

entitled “Children refugees” to raise awareness of the rights of the child refugee. Through

the “Our rights” project, since 2005 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has supported human

rights education for about 190,000 children in 26 countries.

14. Some States have implemented specific initiatives. In Serbia, a capacity-building

programme for interministerial commissions includes key human rights principles related to

respecting the rights of the child, the prevention of discrimination and violence, and

ensuring the participation of students in decision-making processes. Ten pilot schools

participated in the programme and created school action plans for the improvement of the

rights of the child. In Ecuador, the Defensor del Pueblo developed, in the context of an

agreement with the Ministry of Education related to its “student participation” programme,

a manual for promoting human rights among adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age.

In Italy in 2015, the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research signed a

memorandum of understanding with Cittadinanzattiva, a civil society organization that

promotes civic participation, to implement human rights and civic education programmes.

In Argentina in 2015, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights published Yo me juego por

mis derechos, a playful guide for children and adolescents supporting human rights learning

and also available online. Qatar noted the programmes of its Ministry of Culture, Arts and

Heritage aimed at promoting human rights education.

15. Some respondents reported on research and knowledge-sharing efforts. Serbia

conducted research on gender-based violence in schools to identify prevention and

intervention strategies. The Finnish Human Rights Centre noted its 2012 national baseline

study on human rights education and training, which continues to guide its related work. In

Hungary, the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights established a task force

in 2015 consisting of the heads of various institutions, who meet at least once a year to

share experiences in the area of human rights education, particularly for children and youth.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea organizes an annual human rights

education council for schools, which brings together human rights education officers from

the Ministry of Education and 17 provincial and metropolitan city education offices to share

good practices and identify opportunities for cooperation. The Commission conducted a

study of human rights-related courses in 300 universities and presented the findings,

together with recommendations, to the education council; it also established six human

rights education centres throughout the country. In Mexico, materials were developed to

carry out surveys on school life, also addressing gender and human rights issues. In 2016,

educational institutions carried out a survey on human rights education in secondary

schools. The National Council for Human Rights of Egypt organized, together with the

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), a number of training activities for teachers,

including workshops to share experiences.

Education and professional development of teachers and other personnel

16. Several respondents noted that human rights have been integrated into teacher

training. Poland highlighted training programmes and activities for teachers of the Ministry

of National Education aimed at strengthening knowledge of human rights and skills to

deliver human rights education. The Ministry also developed, together with the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs, an e-learning course for teachers on global education, with a specific

module devoted to participation and human rights issues. In Israel, the Ministry of

Education implemented a number of training programmes for teachers aimed at increasing

knowledge of human rights, equality, tolerance and coexistence among students, as well as

how to deal with racism and effectively use human rights education materials. Germany

reported that most of the Länder have taken special measures to integrate human rights

education into in-service training for teachers. Higher education institutions also received

federal support to develop innovative concepts for teacher training courses and to improve

their quality, including by integrating issues related to diversity and inclusive education in

the context of its growing refugee population. Uruguay implemented various projects to

promote human rights education for teachers and educators; in 2016, education authorities

approved a document entitled “Basics and orientation of the 2017 proposal”, which

concerns training for all teachers and educators in the country and includes human rights as

a main axis, together with diversity and sexual education, for all related programming.

17. Respondents highlighted specific initiatives for teachers and educators. The

Defensor del Pueblo of Ecuador developed a human rights teacher-training programme to

equip teachers with the relevant methodological skills, as well as the capacity to identify

human rights vulnerabilities through their work and refer related cases to the Defensor.

Around 140 teachers from different regions participated in this two-phase programme,

which consisted of a face-to-face course followed by a distance-learning module to

reinforce learning through reflection and application. Bosnia and Herzegovina, through its

network of educators known as CIVITAS, trained 37,170 teachers to teach democracy and

human rights using interactive methodology. The Human Rights Commission of Uganda

highlighted its training for teachers on human rights, children’s rights, the right to education

and the human rights of groups in vulnerable situations. Serbia noted that teacher training

includes subjects such as equality and respect for diversity and that a newly established

master’s programme at the Universities of Belgrade and Kragujevac on education policy

includes such topics. It also noted a number of human rights training programmes for

teachers, including the project on education for children’s rights implemented by the Centre

for Children’s Rights in Užice that trains teachers on children’s rights and related topics.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea conducted a number of eight-day human

rights training programmes for teachers and educators, whose graduates formed a pool of

human rights trainers. It also held a workshop for teachers, educators, textbook authors and

local government officials on developing human rights-friendly textbooks, based on

research it had conducted in 2015 on how discrimination and human rights violations were

portrayed in school textbooks. Monaco reported that its teachers were trained in France,

where human rights education modules were available. Mexico highlighted a wealth of

human rights education activities for school personnel, including, in 2015, training of more

than 160,000 teaching, administrative and managerial staff of the Secretaría de Educación

Pública on issues such as gender equality, gender violence, discrimination and sexual

harassment and human rights. In the context of the professional development programme

for teachers, in 2015-2016 more than 60,000 teachers and other school personnel, including

inspectors and supervisors, participated in training programmes on gender equality, human

rights, intercultural education and eradication of violence. The Programa nacional de

convivencia escolar, implemented in the context of the national policy for schools free from

bullying, promoted human rights training for school personnel and the development of

related material. In Argentina, at its National Institute for Teacher Training, the Ministry of

Education and Sports created a new advanced specialization in education and human rights

for teachers at all education levels, as a joint project with the Ministry of Justice and

Human Rights.

18. Many respondents described action taken to produce and disseminate resources and

materials to support teacher training and professional development. The Danish Institute for

Human Rights highlighted its collaboration with teacher-training colleges to develop an

elective course on teaching human rights, so far implemented in two colleges. In the United

Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Equality and Human Rights

Commission produced an education resource for secondary schools entitled “Equal rights,

equal respect”, which consists of lesson plans, videos and other training resources for

teachers. Serbia worked with UNICEF to develop and translate a kit of 14 professional

manuals on inclusive education, based on respect for human rights, with a focus on the

rights of the child and students with disabilities. It also developed teacher training manuals

on the rights of the child and the prevention of gender-based violence in schools, and a web

platform that houses resources to support teachers. The Netherlands Institute of Human

Rights is developing a toolbox for teaching human rights in schools, in collaboration with

human rights and educational organizations, to be launched in 2017. In 2016, the Finnish

Human Rights Centre prioritized the development of human rights education materials for

teachers and civil servants, including material on the new national core curricula and a

lecture series on human rights issues and mechanisms targeting teachers, journalists and

civil servants. In Hungary, the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights

developed a thematic children’s rights media platform, with a wide range of informational

and teaching materials to be used by both teachers and parents. The National Human Rights

Commission of Korea developed and disseminated human rights education material,

including textbooks, training materials, e-learning courses and other online resources, for

teachers and educators; it also made an effort to ensure that some of those materials were

accessible for people with disabilities.

19. Some States reported that respect for human rights is included in the accreditation

processes and codes of conduct for teachers. In Serbia, for instance, standards for the

teaching profession, adopted in 2011, highlight the responsibility of teachers to practise

human rights values in their teaching and to promote human rights education. The Institute

for the Improvement of Education, responsible for the accreditation of professional

development programmes, also recently approved eight programmes on human rights

education.

The learning environment

20. Efforts also took place through extracurricular programmes fostering learning

environments conducive to human rights education. In German schools, students have

opportunities to participate actively in decision-making, which encourages them to practise

human rights in their daily lives. In Uganda, the Human Rights Commission supported

human rights and peace clubs in secondary schools, which conduct human rights education

activities through drama shows, debates, music, community outreach and radio talk shows.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea signed memorandums of understanding

with various provincial and metropolitan city education offices to create human rights-

friendly schools, promote safe learning environments and implement joint human rights

education programmes. It also organized human rights educational activities for athletic

clubs to promote a human rights-friendly sports culture in schools. The Slovak National

Centre for Human Rights organized human rights educational activities in primary and

secondary schools and delivered training within its education project for Roma

communities to raise awareness of issues regarding non-discrimination, the labour laws and

human trafficking. The National Council for Human Rights of Egypt organized, in

coordination with the Ministry of Education, a number of educational activities, including

human rights games for children. In Israel, the Ministry of Education celebrates Human

Rights Day annually, focusing on a different human rights issue each year, and a relevant

curriculum and teaching material are developed in both Arabic and Hebrew.

21. Poland highlighted a project aimed at creating space for dialogue between young

Poles and Israelis through educational activities combating anti-Semitism, racism and

intolerance. Israel facilitated exchanges between Jewish and Arab students through a

number of programmes, such as “Living together”, in which Jewish and Arab students

jointly planned and participated in educational activities on tolerance and understanding;

and Ya salam, which included joint Hebrew and Arabic classes in both Jewish and Arab

schools for students to learn about each other’s language and culture. The Russian

Federation reported extracurricular activities that allow for interaction between students and

law enforcement officials on legal topics. In Hungary, the Office of the Commissioner for

Fundamental Rights worked with the Council of Europe European Youth Centre to train

youth and youth educators in human rights, including the rights of minority children and

combating online hate speech. In Serbia, all reception centres that register migrant and

refugee children have established corners for children with educational activities and

psychosocial support for children and youth. In Uruguay, various human rights education

projects targeted children and youth outside the formal education system, for instance in

community centres.

C. Higher education

22. Several respondents reported that human rights were regularly taught in many

universities, either as stand-alone courses or integrated into courses on political science,

law, history, humanities, philosophy, psychology, theology, social and medical sciences

and education. In Slovenia, students at the Universities of Ljubljana and Maribor take

courses on human rights protection and human rights education in a number of departments

and staff at Maribor University receive training on human rights. Serbia noted that students

of psychology at Belgrade University take several courses on inclusive education and

student-oriented teaching. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission

worked closely with the Ministry of Higher Education and universities to implement 51

memorandums of understanding that it signed with universities and higher education

institutes during the second phase of the World Programme, to integrate human rights into

higher education courses and curricula. The Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan

highlighted courses on human rights and gender taught at universities and noted that it had

published a compilation of university lectures on human rights. In Mexico in 2015, the

National Pedagogical University included human rights themes in the curricula concerning

indigenous education and educational psychology and in some specializations. The Open

and Distance Learning University includes, as permanent features of all curricula,

programmes and materials on gender equality, human rights and the eradication of

violence.

23. The Finnish Human Rights Centre conducted a training course on human rights

education for youth instructors in partnership with Haaga-Helia University and delivered

guest lectures on human rights education at Helsinki and Oulu Universities. In Chile, the

National Institute for Human Rights and the Red de Equipos de Educación en Derechos

Humanos, through a formal agreement between the Ministry of Education and National

Institute (2016-2020), developed, through a participatory process, a basic human rights

education course building on nationwide academic expertise. In Nicaragua in 2015, the

Procuraduría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos organized human rights

sensitization activities for more than 800 university students. In 2016, with the support of

university students, the Procuraduría also organized lectures, workshops, conferences and

forums for the general public, reaching more than 9,000 individuals.

24. Some universities have specific departments for human rights and human rights

education, and offer master’s and doctorate programmes in human rights. Turkey named 12

universities that have human rights departments, 6 with human rights master’s degrees, and

1 (Hacettepe University) offering a doctorate in human rights. The Commissioner for

Human Rights of Azerbaijan highlighted the establishment of the UNESCO Chair of

Human Rights and Information Law at Baku State University. In the Russian Federation, a

consortium of higher-learning institutions, in collaboration with OHCHR, offered a

master’s programme in human rights; in 2016, 92 students in six graduating classes

completed this degree. Universities in Germany offer master’s degrees in international

human rights, humanitarian law, genocide studies, peace and conflict research and social

work as a human rights profession. In Uruguay, a new academic unit dedicated to human

rights was created in 2016 at the University of the Republic, the country’s public university.

In Guatemala, the General Commission for the Study of Human Rights, composed of

academic authorities, professors, students and the Procuraduría, was created in 2016 at the

University of San Carlos to promote human rights studies within the university. In

Argentina, various universities have included human rights in both graduate and

postgraduate studies: for example, the University of Buenos Aires created a human rights

centre within the Law Faculty to give impetus to human rights education for legal

professionals and the National University of Lanús developed a compulsory transversal

seminar for all its students on justice and human rights.

25. Some higher education institutions conduct research on human rights education and

facilitate networking. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea concluded an

agreement with 12 universities to provide support in setting up research centres on human

rights education and building networks for knowledge-sharing. Together with UNESCO

and the Arab Organization for Human Rights, the National Council for Human Rights of

Egypt developed guidelines for education on democracy for youth, which includes sections

on human rights and gender equality. Training on implementing the guidelines will be

organized both within and outside educational institutions in collaboration with the

Ministry of Higher Education, national specialized councils, UNESCO and civil society

organizations. In Mexico in 2015, the Secretaría de Educación Pública developed

methodological tools to facilitate the inclusion of gender and human rights perspectives in

graduate programmes in social sciences, humanities and medical sciences and postgraduate

programmes in social sciences and humanities. In Azerbaijan, the Commissioner for

Human Rights established a human rights education network that provided information on

human rights mechanisms and organized lectures and seminars on human rights. In

Germany, some Länder have special programmes for human rights education with

university departments serving as advisers. The Netherlands Institute of Human Rights

reported collaboration between Dutch and Flemish universities to integrate human rights

education into social work curricula. A network is currently being established to share good

practices and actively advocate at various universities for a human rights-based approach to

social work.

26. Extracurricular human rights education efforts targeting university students were

also reported, such as a nationwide competition organized by the Russian Federation in

2016 on the content and methodology of legal education, or a series of prizes awarded to

law students by the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights in Hungary. The

Association of Lawyers of Russia and OHCHR also developed educational games to

increase the knowledge and skills of teachers, university lecturers, civil servants and law

enforcement officials for the protection of human rights. In India, the National Human

Rights Commission organized internship programmes for university students to increase

their knowledge of human rights issues and the work of the Commission. Similarly, the

National Human Rights Commission of Korea runs internship programmes for law students

at the 12 universities with which it has signed related agreements. The Office of the

Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary highlighted the internship programme it

has run since 2009 in collaboration with partner law schools, which allows law students to

experience at first-hand the human rights work of the Office and apply their knowledge

through specific tasks carried out under the mentorship of staff members.

27. In the context of the movement of migrants and refugees, all the Länder in Germany

have made efforts to facilitate access to higher education for refugees and there are several

student initiatives supporting their integration, in line with the human rights commitments

of the German academic world. Several universities are also conducting research on the

integration of refugees. In Slovenia, the strategy for the internationalization of Slovenian

higher education (2016-2020) guided the work of the Centre for Mobility and European

Educational and Training Programmes, an affiliated entity of the Ministry of Education,

which in 2016 organized training courses for 52 staff members of four universities on

cultural differences, stereotyped thinking, cross-cultural communication and conflict

resolution across cultures.

D. Civil servants

28. With regard to human rights training for civil servants, the Defensor del Pueblo of

Ecuador has worked since 2014 on developing a sound methodology, based on learner-

centred, participatory and experiential approaches, which has been condensed in policy

guidelines, promoted through internal staff training and explained in methodological guides

such as Vivo mis derechos! Manual de implementación para facilitadores y facilitadoras.

Building on this work, in 2015-2016 through various educational activities the Defensor

reached more than 36,000 individuals, particularly civil servants and civil society

organizations. In Uruguay, the National Office of the Civil Service and the Secretaría de

Derechos Humanos of the Presidency of the Republic signed an agreement in 2016 to

strengthen the capacity of public administration officials in human rights; in that context, a

course on human rights in public policies is planned for 2017, with the technical support of

MERCOSUR. The Netherlands Institute of Human Rights supported human rights training

of professionals working in the social domain, including municipal officials, by producing

educational materials on the protection of human rights at the local level and by delivering

training on the application of human rights in various contexts. Honduras highlighted a

pilot project in 2016 addressing drivers of public transport in Tegucigalpa and

Comayagüela, identified as a priority target audience among the various target audiences of

its large training programme for civil servants, owing to their regular contact with members

of the public and particularly groups in situations of vulnerability. The project, which

received a positive evaluation, will develop into a wider programme in 2017. The National

Human Rights Commission of Korea conducted a study on human rights education in 64

training institutes for civil servants and teachers. In Argentina, the Ministry of Justice and

Human Rights created a “human rights school”, which offers educational activities

organized jointly with local and community associations to tackle community needs, and a

distance learning “campus” with courses on human rights issues, including pedagogy,

sexual diversity, interculturality and migration.

29. In Nicaragua, in 2015 the Procuraduría organized human rights seminars and

courses for over 4,000 civil servants, including staff from the Ministries of Education,

Health, the Family, the Interior and Labour, the Public Ministry, municipalities, the

Nicaraguan Aqueduct and Sewer Company, the National Police, the Nicaraguan army and

the Supreme Court of Justice. The Procuraduría also supported pre-service training in

human rights of students of police and military academies. In Morocco, the Ministry of

Justice and Freedoms strengthened through training the capacity of judicial staff

responsible for dealing with women and children victims of violence and trafficking and the

Ministère de la réforme de l’Administration et de la fonction publique organized human

rights training for officials from the Ministries of the Interior, Health and Transportation

and its own officials, including on gender equality in cooperation with the United Nations

Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The Procuraduría of

Guatemala reported that from 2008 to 2015, the Government carried out a series of

training-of-trainers programmes on human rights issues for staff of the School of

Penitentiary Studies, the Police Academy, the Ministry of Public Health and Social

Assistance and the School of Judicial Studies; in 2016, around 2,000 civil servants

participated in human rights courses.

30. In Slovenia, all training activities organized by the judicial training centre of the

Ministry of Justice for judges, State prosecutors, State attorneys and other judicial

personnel include lectures on the protection of human rights, which is also the main topic of

specific training events. In the framework of the Council of Europe European Programme

for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals, the centre developed an e-learning

course and organized training events on labour rights for judges and senior judicial

advisers. In the Russian Federation, civil servants, judiciary and law enforcement officials

regularly take advanced training courses on human rights and related international

mechanisms. Turkey reported on at least 22 training activities for the judiciary in 2015-

2016 focusing on human rights and similar efforts for staff working in education, pedagogy,

psychology and sociology. The National Human Rights Commission of India organized

several human rights training programmes for civil servants, including one jointly with the

Indian Law Institute in New Delhi for district-level judicial officers. The Office of the

Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary highlighted its long-standing

cooperation with the Hungarian Association of Administrative Judges to train judges on a

wide range of human rights issues and legal practices applied by the relevant courts. In

Egypt, the National Council for Human Rights provided human rights training to jurists and

staff of the Ministry of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, including in relation to managing

parliamentary elections.

E. Law enforcement officials

31. Most respondents mentioned that human rights are included in the training of law

enforcement officials. In Italy, the Ministry of the Interior signed a memorandum of

understanding with the National Authority for Childhood and Adolescence to promote

related training activities for police officers and national police at all levels are trained in

human rights issues and international humanitarian law, as well as in investigation

techniques on child abuse, domestic violence, gender violence and discriminatory acts.

Turkey reported that police chiefs and officers working in the Ministry of the Interior

General Directorate of Security, receive human rights training. In addition, the Turkish

National Police Academy and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of

the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe signed a memorandum of

understanding in 2016 and are implementing a set of training programmes to address hate

crime. In Slovenia, both police officers and employees of the Ministry of Interior

participate in human rights training courses.

32. In Morocco, human rights training is included in both pre-service and in-service

training for the Gendarmerie Royale and is reinforced by other measures, such as thematic

training sessions, dissemination of relevant documentation, including the 2015 charte

d’ethique et de conduite and other guidance, and regular inspections. In 2016, the Direction

générale de la sûreté nationale reviewed its pre-service human rights training programme

for the police with a view to upgrading it and continued its in-service human rights training

programme accompanied by the dissemination of human rights policy guidance. Other

security forces and in particular the Forces Auxiliares, take human rights courses focusing

on the tactical and technical aspects of human rights in policing, as well as thematic

courses, organized in cooperation with relevant organizations, such as the International

Organization for Migration (IOM), with regard to human trafficking. In Poland, human

rights content is integrated into every step of police training, including basic training,

university training, specialist courses and in-service training, in addition to thematic

programmes, such as on combating hate crimes and discrimination, preventing the abuse of

power by the police and promoting equality. In Azerbaijan, the Commissioner for Human

Rights reported close cooperation on human rights training with the Police Academy. The

Netherlands Institute of Human Rights noted that while the Dutch Police Academy did not

have modules specifically focused on human rights, many education programmes for

aspiring police officers often addressed human rights issues, such as the human rights of

migrants or victims of human trafficking. The Anne Frank Foundation also provided human

rights training courses for police and municipal officials.

33. Several submissions included reports on the human rights training of prison

officials. The Human Rights Commission of Uganda delivered human rights training for the

Police Force, the People’s Defence Force, the prisons service and the Internal Security

Organisation, with a focus on human rights standards relevant to the work of those

agencies, including safeguards during arrest and detention, principles governing the use of

force and the prohibition of torture. The Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan

reported that staff of the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice, including medical

staff, were trained in human rights. In Turkey, prison officials and members of the

gendarmerie regularly undergo human rights training and have the opportunity to

participate in related conferences. In Israel, human rights are a component of the general

training for prison officials and are also imparted through stand-alone courses given to

officers and wardens. The Procuraduría of Guatemala highlighted a number of human rights

training courses for members of the security forces under the Ministry of Interior and staff

of the penitentiary system in cooperation with academic institutions, governmental agencies

and civil society organizations.

34. To address the increasing movement of migrants and refugees, several countries are

providing human rights training to border and coastguards, often in collaboration with

international organizations. Turkey provided training programmes in collaboration with

IOM for all officers in the Coastguard on the human rights of migrants and refugees and the

protection of groups in vulnerable situations. In Israel, personnel of the Population,

Immigration and Border Authority receive a four-week course on refugees and asylum

seekers, which includes human rights topics. The course was developed jointly with the

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Hebrew

Immigrant Aid Society and the United States of America Department of Homeland

Security. In Egypt, the National Council for Human Rights delivered training courses to

police and immigration officers on human rights and the social and psychological impact of

human trafficking.

F. Military

35. Human rights training for the military was reported by several countries. In Italy,

human rights protection issues are part of compulsory pre-service and in-service training of

army personnel. The Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan conducted training

activities for military units and institutions of the Ministries of Defence, Internal Affairs

and Emergency Situations, as well as within military academies. Serbia, with the support of

UNDP, organized training on gender equality and integrated human rights education for

cadets in the Military Academy. In Poland, the Ministry of National Defence places special

emphasis on providing training in human rights and international humanitarian law,

particularly in relation to armed conflict, protection of civilians and refugee law. In Israel,

training activities for the military focus on human rights, the law of armed conflict, arrest

and detention practices and legal obligations towards civilians. The Afghanistan

Independent Human Rights Commission, in the framework of a memorandum of

understanding signed in 2016 with the Ministry of Defence and the Afghan National

Defence University, provided training on international human rights and humanitarian law

to professors and students of the university and will prioritize the integration of

international human rights law into the curriculum of the university. In the Republic of

Korea, which has recently experienced an increase in the number of shootings and suicides

in the military, the Human Rights Commission organized training for officers in the army,

navy and air force to promote a culture of human rights within the military. The

Procuraduría of Guatemala organized a large number of training courses for military

personnel, governmental departments, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the

Institute for Education for Sustainable Development and the Centre for Research, Training

and Support to Women.

III. Action at the national level to promote human rights training of media professionals and journalists

36. Various respondents reported on human rights training of media professionals and

journalists. Germany highlighted training programmes on the role of the media in

promoting transparency, freedom of expression and access to information, and on human

rights reporting and journalism ethics, and supported the media in adopting professional

ethical guidelines. In Mexico, the National Human Rights Commission ran a programme on

violations of the human rights of journalists and human rights defenders, building on

national legislation. As well as dealing with specific cases, the Commission worked with

national academic and professional institutions, including the National Press Commission,

national and local authorities and NGOs, to implement preventive action, including training

and related activities targeting journalists, civil servants, university professors and students,

legal professionals, law enforcement officials and the public. Since 2015, the Defensor del

Pueblo of Ecuador has developed a methodology for analysing media work and human

rights implications through an international seminar involving around 30 media

professionals and relevant staff of the national human rights institution. The methodology

was then adapted for use in Ecuador. It also organized with UNHCR the campaign Inspiras

dignidad, including a series of training courses for media professionals and journalists

throughout the country; the courses, focusing on combating discrimination and violence,

used participatory methodologies and the analysis of case studies and media products.

37. The Ministry of Culture of Slovenia supported the Slovene Association of

Journalists in providing training on, among other issues, journalism ethics and reporting on

groups in vulnerable situations, including women victims of violence. For 2017, Morocco

planned a training course for media professionals in partnership with the Ministry of

Justice, UNESCO and the Council of Europe. Qatar, through its Doha Centre for Media

Freedom, supported journalists and media organizations that had been subject to

mistreatment because of their professional activities. This included training on security and

safety issues for journalists working in areas of conflict or where the right to freedom of

opinion and expression has been threatened. The Danish Institute for Human Rights

conducted a mapping of human rights training for journalists in Denmark and met with the

Danish Union of Journalists to discuss the issue.

38. Some respondents reported on training programmes at university level. In Argentina,

some universities offered graduate and postgraduate courses in communications and human

rights, as well as seminars and other initiatives for journalists in cooperation with NGOs

and governmental authorities. In Morocco, human rights modules were included in the

curricula of both the basic and master’s degrees of the Institut supérieur de l’information et

de la communication, which trains media professionals.

39. Some respondents had developed relevant training materials. For example, the

National Human Rights Commission of Korea developed textbooks and session plans for

media professionals and journalists, including the 2016 “Guide to journalism and human

rights”, and related training activities. Since 2010, the Commission has also organized an

annual human rights conference for journalists to raise awareness of their role in promoting

and protecting human rights.

40. Some respondents reported initiatives focused on fostering dialogue and cooperation

between the media and other actors. In the Philippines, the Commission on Human Rights

signed a memorandum of understanding with the Movie and Television Review and

Classification Board to develop human rights training for media professionals. As a start,

the Commission organized a focus group discussion with media professionals and

representatives of academia, NGOs and governmental agencies to identify priorities and

foster the sharing of good practices. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights

Commission and the Human Rights Commissioner of Azerbaijan organized conferences to

promote dialogue between national and international journalists, university professors and

national and local government officials on issues related to freedom of expression and the

human rights challenges faced by media professionals. In Morocco in 2012, the Ministry of

Communication launched a dialogue with professional media associations and a broad

coalition of national human rights NGOs on communication and public information, and

engaged in a process to improve legislation concerning freedom of opinion and expression.

41. Some respondents highlighted the need to sensitize journalists to human rights

considerations in reporting on issues concerning groups in situations of vulnerability. The

Office for Human and Minority Rights in Serbia supported 59 civil society organizations in

implementing national anti-discrimination policies through projects targeting media

companies and journalists involved in reporting on human rights and specific social groups.

The Ministry of Culture and Information also supported projects to train journalists from

the local media in reporting on the human rights of people with disabilities and improve

professional and ethical standards in reporting on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender

communities. In addition, the Association of Journalists in Serbia organized a course, in

cooperation with UNICEF, on supporting the inclusion in education of children from

groups in situations of vulnerability through media coverage. Germany supported 270

community media outlets in 20 countries in strengthening freedom of expression and access

to information for groups in vulnerable situations, trained 1,400 individuals to become

citizen journalists and supported training programmes on local university campuses

focusing on human rights for journalists working in rural areas.

42. On refugees and migrants, in Greece the Secretariat General for Media and

Communications organized training activities for the media and communications services

on the rights of refugees, including on the protection of the rights of refugee children in the

media. Slovenia highlighted the work of the Peace Institute, an NGO that provides briefings

for journalists on the human rights of refugees and migrants. In Hungary, the Office of the

Commissioner for Fundamental Rights worked with the Council of Europe European Youth

Centre to train young journalists on human rights, including the rights of refugees and

asylum seekers, through an international seminar entitled “Diversity voices.” Furthermore,

Germany supported media projects for people living in refugee camps to enable them to

access digital community platforms to share information, news and educational content.

43. Training activities also addressed gender equality. In 2016, for example, the

Secretariat General for Media and Communications of Greece signed a memorandum of

cooperation with the Research Centre for Gender Equality to jointly promote gender

equality in the media, particularly through a survey of sexist stereotypes in the Greek

media, the development of a manual for media professionals addressing fair representation

and the inclusion of women and men in their reporting and media content, and the delivery

of training activities for related professionals in non-discrimination and equality. Another

thematic area mentioned by respondents was respect for human rights in the coverage of

conflict The Doha Centre for Media Freedom in Qatar trained journalists working in

conflict areas and Germany supported 181 media organizations in 10 countries in reporting

in a more local-sensitive manner in relation to conflicts and crises.

IV. Conclusions

44. The information summarized in the present report reveals that in some

countries significant efforts have taken place since 2015 in the area of human rights

education and training, whether or not as part of a strategy developed in the specific

context of the World Programme for Human Rights Education.

45. A number of positive developments can be identified. For instance,

comprehensive sectorial strategies in human rights education in the school system

were adopted where action, often in the context of educational reforms, went beyond

curriculum development to address education policies, human rights training for

teachers and other education personnel and the development of extracurricular

activities and research. Furthermore, some human rights training efforts were

implemented as part of broader strategies to tackle human rights issues in specific

contexts, with some common thematic focuses (such as migration, gender and

diversity) and utilizing learner-centred and participatory methodologies. Cooperation

between national actors — government entities, national human rights institutions,

civil society organizations and academia — and between those and regional and

international organizations, appears to be a regular and promising feature.

46. Challenges that surfaced from the responses included, particularly with regard

to the training of professional groups, the implementation of ad hoc training

initiatives vis-à-vis overall strategies and inadequate evaluation and follow-up of

training processes. In addition, human rights training of media professionals and

journalists appears to be less developed in comparison with more “traditional” target

audiences, such as law enforcement officials; in that regard, respondents mentioned

particularly the lack of national policies and identified responsible agencies.

47. At the midterm point of the third phase of the World Programme, it is

important to learn from and build on the good practices highlighted above and to

continue using its plan of action (A/HRC/27/28) as methodological guidance and a

benchmark to support stocktaking and further action.

Annex

List of respondents

Governments National human rights institutions

Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Afghanistan

Bosnia and Herzegovina Argentina

Chile Azerbaijan

Egypt Denmark

Germany Ecuador

Greece Egypt

Honduras Finland

Israel Guatemala

Italy Hungary

Mexico India

Monaco Mexico

Morocco Netherlands

Namibia Nicaragua

Poland Philippines

Qatar Republic of Korea

Russian Federation Slovakia

Serbia Uganda

Slovenia United Kingdom of Great Britain

and Northern Ireland

Turkey

Uruguay