Human Rights Education: Lesson for Life

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Human Rights Education: Lesson for Life

50 title

Human Rights Education: Lesson for Life

Basic information kit no.4
November 1998

Contents:

Foreword by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights*

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights calls upon every individual and every institution of society to promote respect for human rights and to strive for their universal and effective recognition. This call was reiterated during the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993 and given an institutional framework with the proclamation of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004).

During the Decade, Governments, international organizations, national institutions, non-governmental organizations, professional associations, all sectors of civil society and individuals are asked to establish partnerships and to concentrate their efforts on promoting a universal culture of human rights through human rights education, training and public information. The international Plan of Action for the Decade sets out detailed objectives for the international community: the assessment of needs and formulation of effective strategies; the building and strengthening of programmes and capacities for human rights education at the international, regional, national and local levels; the coordinated development of effective materials; the strengthening of the role and capacity of the mass media; and the global dissemination of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year, as we mark the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration, we should reaffirm our commitment and re-invigorate in practical ways the full realization of these objectives.

I have made human rights education one of my highest priorities, not only in the context of fulfilling my mandate to coordinate the implementation of the Plan of Action, but also because I firmly believe in the fundamental role of human rights education in empowering individuals to defend their rights and those of others. This empowerment can also make a critical contribution to the prevention of human rights violations.

The Decade for Human Rights Education provides us with an important common framework. It focuses on the development and strengthening of comprehensive, effective and sustainable educational programmes at the local, national, regional and international levels; national and local initiatives should be supported and encouraged by the international community.

The proclamation of the Decade reaffirms, as already stated in several international human rights instruments, that education in and for human rights is a right in itself, i.e. the right of all to learn about the rights and dignity of all and about means to ensure their respect. This should be our common commitment, since all organizations and individuals have a role to play in the organization of and participation in formal and non-formal human rights education programmes, at all levels of society.

The Decade, undoubtedly, constitutes a formidable challenge. I count on the support of all partners. I wish to encourage the cooperation of all institutions, organizations and individuals working for the purposes and principles on which the Decade is based. The Decade for Human Rights Education is our common project, and its success is entirely dependent on the contribution of each and everyone of us to this global effort.

Mary Robinson United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

* This text is a reproduction of the foreword by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the OHCHR publication "The United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004)".

Executive summary

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) both underline the cardinal importance of human rights education, training and public information - a crucial, enduring, and long-term contribution to preventing human rights abuses and an investment for achieving a just society. The World Conference on Human Rights reaffirmed in particular that "States are duty-bound [...] to ensure that education is aimed at strengthening the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms. [...] Education on human rights and the dissemination of proper information, both theoretical and practical, play an important role in the promotion and respect of human rights with regard to all individuals without distinction of any kind such as race, sex, language or religion, and this should be integrated in the education policies at the national as well as international levels.[...]" (VDPA, Part I.33).

In response to the appeal by the World Conference, the General Assembly proclaimed the period 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2004 the UN Decade for Human Rights Education. This initiative is aimed at promoting, encouraging and focusing human rights educational activities. A related Plan of Action for the Decade was welcomed by the Assembly, which requested the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to coordinate its implementation. 1998 marks the fourth year of this Decade; in the year 2000, a mid-term evaluation of progress made towards achieving the Decade's objectives is envisaged. However, some general trends are already evident.

As illustrated by this Information Kit, while related programmes are being implemented both internationally and nationally, the proclamation of the Decade has not yet been able to mobilize the level of concerted effort called for in the area of human rights education, training and public information - particularly in terms of human and financial resources. The commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has, however, encouraged more partners to undertake ad hoc or long-term educational initiatives.

It is imperative that efforts made at all levels in the context of the commemoration of the 50thAnniversary (establishment of networks, development of materials, elaboration of programmes) continue beyond 10 December 1998, as the Commission on Human Rights also stressed in its last resolution on the Decade (Res. 1998/45, included in this Information Kit). The success of the Decade will require in the coming years a stronger commitment to its objectives on the part of the international community and a strengthening of the partnership between governmental and non-governmental actors.

The next issue of the Information Kit will focus on human rights defenders. It is fitting that the anniversary year should acquire additional significance as the year in which the final text of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders was approved by the Commission on Human Rights and submitted to the General Assembly for adoption. In addition, on 10 December 1998, at the plenary meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the 50th Anniversary, the Secretary-General will award the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights, in public recognition of the valuable work of human rights defenders and of the international community's gratitude for their commitment to the ongoing work of making all human rights a reality for all people.

Mission statement

1998---Human Rights Year

Make human rights a reality worldwide
Prevent human rights violations
Build a global partnership for human rights
Make human rights, together with peace, democracy, and development the guiding principles of the twenty-first century

Guiding Ideas

2. HUMAN RIGHTS - THE COMMON LANGUAGE OF HUMANITY - building a universal culture of human rights and empowering people - human rights education at all levels and for all people - building a global partnership for human rights - promoting tolerance in the spirit of human rights worldwide.

3. WOMEN'S RIGHTS - THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL - women's rights are human rights - combating all forms of violence against women - full participation of women in development - promotion of gender equality - support to NGOs and grass-roots initiatives for the advancement of women's rights.

4. HUMAN RIGHTS, DEMOCRACY & DEVELOPMENT - SIGNPOSTS TO THE FUTURE - right to development - the human person is the central subject of development - elimination of poverty - institutions of democracy and the rule of law - a pluralist society - grass-roots participation.

5. CIVIL SOCIETY - THE DRIVING FORCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS - individual and collective responsibility for human rights - contribution by NGOs in the promotion and protection of all human rights - grass-roots human rights activities - human rights defenders.

6. HUMAN RIGHTS - ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES - decolonization - end of apartheid - strengthening of national human rights capacities - national human rights institutions - elimination of all human rights violations - combating all forms of racial discrimination and xenophobia - universal ratification of human rights instruments.

7. THE UNITED NATIONS - HUMAN RIGHTS IN ACTION - human rights in the field - technical cooperation and advisory services - human rights treaty bodies and thematic and country mechanisms - assistance to victims of human rights violations.

* The following list contains ideas which may be considered in the context of the proposed commemorative activities.

Calendar

note

CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES TO COMMEMORATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AS ENVISAGED BY VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANIZATIONS AND BODIES.

January 1998

9-10 January - International conference to assess the accomplishments and failures over the last 50 years in the promotion and protection of human rights , Leiden, The Netherlands (University of Leiden in cooperation with the Leiden Student Association Habeas Corpus).

February 1998

14 February - Conference: "Universal Human Rights in the Next Fifty Years", London, United Kingdom (University of London);
26 February - An International Court: The Challenge of Enforcing Human Rights, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA (Working Group on the International Criminal Court);
27 February - Congress: "Women's Rights are Human Rights" (contribution by the Government of Germany).

March 1998

16 March/24 April - Commission on Human Rights, Geneva, Switzerland:
- Commemoration during the 54th session of the Commission;
- 16 March - Forum: "Dialogue on Mainstreaming Human Rights in the UN" chaired by the Secretary- General (OHCHR);
- 20 March - Panel on Racial Discrimination (DPI in cooperation with OHCHR);
- 25 March - Round table of experts: "Benchmarks for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights" (OHCHR); - DPI human rights exhibition;
- 16 March/4 April - exhibition of lithographs on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, donated by the King of Spain, opened by the Secretary-General (Government of Spain contribution to the 50th Anniversary);
- 19 March - Concert of classical music by young artists - (Government of the Russian Federation contribution to the 50th Anniversary);
- 30 March/10 April - exhibition of paintings by Eduardo Kingman (Government of Ecuador contribution to the 50th Anniversary).

5 March- International Women's Day Event , New York, USA (DAW);

12 March - Conference to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Genocide Convention New York, USA (American Bar Association); Special postage stamp (Government of India contribution to the 50th Anniversary).

April 1998

28 April - Symposium: "The Linguistic Dimension of Human Rights and the Role of the UN, NGOs and UEA", United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland (Universala Esperanto-Asocio - UEA);

28 April/1 May - International Conference on African Women and Economic Development, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, UN Economic Commission for Africa (UN/ECA).

May 1998

3 May - World Press Freedom Day, on which the UNESCO/CANO World Press Freedom Award is made, will focus on Article 19 of the Universal Declaration (UNESCO);

4-8 May - Seminar on women in conflict situations, Monrovia, Liberia (African Centre for Democracy and Human Studies);

28-29 May - Symposium on Globalization and the Right to Development, Geneva, Switzerland (UNCTAD and OHCHR); Colloquium on Strengthening Human Rights Field Operations, Bonn, Germany (Government of Germany).

June 1998

7-9 June - Conference: "50 Years of Human Rights Violations - Palestine Dispossessed", Ramallah, Palestine (LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment);

22-24 June - Vienna Plus Five International NGO Forum, Canada (Human Rights Internet); 26 June - NGO Meeting on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights prior to XIIth World Conference on HIV/AIDS, Geneva, Switzerland (UNAIDS and OHCHR);

First discussion of new convention on intolerable forms of child labour (International Labour Conference), Geneva, Switzerland;

Panel on the promotion of public health and human rights, Geneva, Switzerland (UNAIDS).

July 1998

Commemoration in ECOSOC - debate on the contribution of United Nations agencies and programmes to the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, New York (OHCHR);

Special performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and a Symposium on Human Rights, Ottawa, Canada, (National Arts Centre of Canada);

Séminaire: "Démocratie et droits de l'homme dans le bassin méditerranéen", Université de Setiat, Maroc (Agence internationale pour le développement).

August 1998

2-6 August - Round-table: "Youth Rights are Human Rights" dedicated to the 50th Anniversary, in the context of the World Youth Forum of the UN System, Braga, Portugal;

Commemorative activities planned by Switzerland to coincide with the Fêtes de Genève (Government of Switzerland & OHCHR);

5-19 August - Fête d'excellence: academic, athletic, and cultural events held at multiple sites, in honour of the spirit of the UDHR, Geneva, Switzerland;

10-21 August - Exhibition: "Live Vision", Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland (Artists for Peace Association);

Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Geneva, Switzerland (OHCHR);

NGO Gathering, Geneva (International Service for Human Rights);

Panel on Refugees & Displaced Persons, Geneva, Switzerland (UNHCR); Conférence: "Lomé 2000: droits de l'homme et démocratie", Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (Agence internationale pour le développement).

September 1998

2-4 September - Conference: "Human Rights for Human Development", Yalta, Ukraine (UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe);

2-4 September - Colloquium: "IN OUR HANDS - The effectiveness of Human Rights Protection 50 Years after the Universal Declaration", Strasbourg, France (Council of Europe);

2-4 September - 7th European Human Rights Prize Award, Strasbourg, France (Council of Europe);

3 September - Inaugural Conference: "Human Rights and the duty to rescue", University of Manchester, United Kingdom (The School of Philosophical Studies);

Special meeting of UNESCO Executive Board devoted to the 50th Anniversary of the UDHR and adoption of a special resolution on the 50th Anniversary (UNESCO);

6-10 September - Conference on Human Rights Education and the Rights of the Child (Krityanand UNESCO Club, India);

Workshop on International Human Rights Instruments for the protection of the rights of women in Africa, The Gambia (African Centre for Democracy and Human Studies);

Panel on environmental rights, Geneva, Switzerland (ECE);

September/October - 5th Session of the International Committee of Bioethics: discussion day dedicated to the relationship between international law, human rights and constitutional law, in the field of bioethics.

October 1998

5-9 October - World Conference on Higher Education, Paris, France;

8 October - Conference: "The Universal Declaration and New Challenges for the Protection of Human Rights: The Greek Dimension", Athens, Greece (Human Rights Defence Centre);

14-16 October - Third International Conference on Human Rights, Warsaw, Poland (on the initiative of the Senate of the Republic of Poland);

14-17 October - Conference: "European Cities for Human Rights", Barcelona, Spain;

15-16 October - Conference: "Human Rights Agenda 21: Four Challenges for the Coming Century", New York, USA (Center for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University);

19 October - Panel: "Human Rights Education: Building a Universal Culture of Human Rights", Paris, France (UNESCO);

22-27 October - Second International Conference on Women in Africa, the African Disapora - Health & Human Rights, Indiana University, USA;

24 October - The Government of Belgium will be holding a "Human Rights Fair" for students aged 16-25 (tentative location: European Parliament premises);

Panel on the Rights of Women Migrant Workers (IMO);

Special edition of journal "Germany on Human Rights" (Oct./Dec. 1998) (Government of Germany);

Special series of stamps to be issued by the United Nations Postal Administration UNPA);

October / November - Colloque: "La complémentarité des droits de l'homme, mythe ou réalité", Paris, France (France Liberté, Fondation Danielle Mitterrand).

November 1998

7-8 November - Conference: "Human Rights, Faith and Culture", Canberra, Australia (Association for Baha'i Studies);

12 November - Germany will release a Human Rights Stamp;

20-22 November - Colloquium: "Les Droits de l'Homme à l'aube du Deuxième Millénaire: Universalité et Dialogue Interculturel", Taormine, Italy (Centre International de Recherches et d'Etudes Sociologiques, Pénales et Pénitentiaires);

25-27 November - International Conference on Human Rights Education in the Asia-Pacific Region, Osaka, Japan (HURIGHTS Osaka and IMADR Japan);

28 November / 5 December - Sports competition to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration (hosted by the Republic of Croatia);

Debate in the Third Committee of the General Assembly on the future of human rights in the context of the 50th Anniversary and the Five-Year Implementation Review of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (OHCHR);

Fifth National Meeting of Street Children, Brazil (National Movement of Street Boys and Children);

Special two-day seminar on the Right to Privacy (Government of Belgium in co-operation with universities, NGOs and UNIC);

Regional conference on Human Rights Education to be held by UNESCO in India.

December 1998

First week of December: a series of symposia in France will culminate in Paris with representatives of civil society;

7-8 December - Conference: "50 Years After - Achievements, Problems, Challenges", Paris, France (UNESCO and Government of France);

8 December - Panel: "Democracy, Development and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights", New York (OHCHR);

9 or 10 December - Concert by the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra to commemorate the 50thAnniversary of the Universal Declaration (organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia);

10 December - Special meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration, United Nations Headquarters, New York;

10 December - Launch of the new OHCHR website page comprising more than 250 language versions of the Universal Declaration (OHCHR);

10 December - Project entitled "The Challenge of Goodness" exposing Croatia's experience during the recent war to be shown on the Internet by the Republic of Croatia;

10 December - Exhibition on drafting and multimedia adoption of the Universal Declaration to be inaugurated in France by President Chirac;

10 December - Commemorative activities at the United Nations Office in Vienna and at the headquarters of the regional commissions (UNOV & OHCHR);

10 December - Conference: "50 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights", The Netherlands (School of Human Rights Research);

10 December - One-day ceremonial meeting to commemorate the 50th Anniversary (Krityanand UNESCO Club, India);

10 December - Campaign to publicize the UDHR in all national/local newspapers (OHCHR/UNESCO);

10 December - Campaign to publicize the UDHR in all national/local newspapers (India);

12-14 December - Three-day training programme on Human Rights for UNESCO Club members (Krityanand UNESCO Club, India);

A special session of the European Parliament will be held in the course of the month;

Week-long human rights activities (meetings, radio broadcasts, seminars) to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the UDHR, Philippines (Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates - PAHRA);

Panel: "The Rule of Law: the Shield for Human Rights", Vienna (CJCPB);

Concert: "Rock for Rights", Arrowhead Pond, Los Angeles, USA (Resource Development Consultants).

Dates to be determined

Panel on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights/Right to Development, Santiago, Chile (ECLAC);

Panel on the Right to Seek Asylum (UNHCR);

Panel on Ethics and Human Rights (site to be determined) (UNU);

Teleconference among UNIFEM field offices on Women's Rights and the UDHR (UNIFEM).

Ongoing projects

The Roosevelt Institute has launched a new 50th Anniversary Website (address: http://www.udhr50.org);

August / December 1998 - The Government of Belgium will hold a special educational campaign "Memorial Meetings: 1918-1948-1998" to mark the end of the First World War as well as the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration;

1998/1999 - University of Iowa's Global Focus: Human Rights 1998, a cross-disciplinary university programme of teaching, research and action dedicated to local activities commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the UDHR, Iowa, USA;

Travelling exhibition on children's rights organized by Soka Gakkai International in cooperation with UNICEF;

Travelling exhibition: "Towards a Century of Humanity - Human Rights in Today's World" (Soka Gakkai International). In the Netherlands from 2 to 13 June 1998; dates to be determined in Italy and Japan;

1998 declared "Human Rights Year" in the Philippines by the President;

1998 declared "Human Rights Year" in Russia by the President;

The Philippines declares 1998-2007 the "Human Rights Education Decade" for the Philippines.

HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION -
TOWARDS THE FULL REALIZATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

"Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace" (UDHR, Art. 26.2)

"The World Conference on Human Rights reaffirms that States are duty-bound [...] to ensure that education is aimed at strengthening the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms. [...] Education on human rights and the dissemination of proper information, both theoretical and practical, play an important role in the promotion and respect of human rights with regard to all individuals without distinction of any kind such as race, sex, language or religion, and this should be integrated in the education policies at the national as well as international levels.[...]"(VDPA, Part I.33).

INTRODUCTION

In proclaiming the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004), in December 1994, the General Assembly defined human rights education as "a life-long process by which people at all levels of development and in all strata of society learn respect for the dignity of others and the means and methods of ensuring that respect in all societies."(1) The Assembly called upon Governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, professional associations and all other sectors of civil society to concentrate their efforts, during the ten-year period 1995-2004, on promoting a universal culture of human rights through human rights education, training and public information.

The proclamation of the Decade represented not the beginning but the maturation of the global effort for human rights education; consistent with the provisions of Article One of the Charter, United Nations activities in the field of human rights have, for almost fifty years, been devoted to promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms. Specific human rights education obligations have been embodied in the main United Nations human rights instruments, ensuring the sound legal basis of the right to human rights education.(2) Thus, States have undertaken legal obligations, within the framework of international treaties, to provide not only education in general, but education in and for human rights in particular.

In addition, the United Nations has undertaken various initiatives for the promotion of human rights. In 1955, the General Assembly established the United Nations Programme of Advisory Services and Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights (formerly called "United Nations Programme of Advisory Services in the Field of Human Rights") which provides, at the request of Governments, assistance in the field of human rights including advisory services of experts, fellowships and scholarships, and seminars. Over the years, the services available under the Programme were increased and the latter was further strengthened in 1987 with the establishment of a related Voluntary Fund, for providing additional financial support to the Programme. Today, the Programme - administered by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) - is providing assistance for the building of local, national and regional human rights capacities. Programme components focus on the incorporation of international human rights standards into national laws and policies and on the establishment and strengthening of national infrastructures capable of promoting and protecting human rights. Such assistance takes the form of organization of training activities, provision of advisory services, support to national institutions and civil society, provision of information and documentation, and assessment of human rights needs within the country.

Another important initiative which has had an important impact on human rights education has been the World Public Information Campaign for Human Rights, launched on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the UDHR (1988). This ongoing campaign includes the publication and dissemination of human rights information and reference material, the organization of a fellowship and internship programme, commemorative events and external relations activities.

The role of human rights education was fully recognized by the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993. The Conference considered "human rights education, training and public information essential for the promotion and achievement of stable and harmonious relations among communities and for fostering mutual understanding, tolerance and peace."(3) It also suggested the proclamation of a United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education.

THE UN DECADE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION

As a result of these initiatives, promotional and preventive actions were added to the protection mechanisms that had been elaborated in the early years of the United Nations Human Rights Programme. These actions constitute important steps in recognizing the basic need for awareness and education as integral elements of the programme of activities of the United Nations in the field of human rights and as a contribution to the prevention of human rights violations. They gave impetus to the proclamation of the UN Decade for Human Rights Education.

The Decade covers the period beginning 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2004. A related international Plan of Action(4), which focuses on stimulating and supporting national and local activities and initiatives, is under implementation, and the High Commissioner for Human Rights has been called to coordinate and promote this process(5).

The objectives of the Plan of Action are: (a) Assessment of needs and formulation of effective strategies for the furtherance of human rights education; (b) Building and strengthening of programmes and capacities for human rights education at the international, regional, national and local levels; (c) Coordinated development of effective human rights education materials; (d) Strengthening of the role and capacity of the mass media in the furtherance of human rights education; (e) Global dissemination of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. All international, regional, national and local organizations and institutions - and all individuals - have a role to play in realizing these objectives(8).

At the international level, efforts have been made to put together scarce resources and to avoid duplication of effort. Various memoranda of understanding signed by OHCHR and UN Agencies, international organizations and institutions, including in the area of human rights education and training, and specific joint projects developed within the framework of the Decade with DPI and its UN Information Centres and Services worldwide, as well as initiatives with UNESCO and its National Commissions and with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), are examples of this effort. A second important area of work at the international level has been the provision of support to national and local capacities for human rights education, through the implementation of technical cooperation projects and the development of human rights education and public information material.

As a general trend, it is evident that the proclamation of the Decade has not yet mobilized the measure of collaborative effort called for in the area of human rights education, training and public information - particularly, in terms of human and financial resources - on the part of the international community. The commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, on the other hand, has encouraged more partners to undertake ad hoc or long-term educational initiatives.

In the following paragraphs, we will focus on comprehensive efforts being undertaken nationally and locally with the framework of the Decade, since activities of this kind are particularly crucial to the success of the Decade.

OHCHR and the Decade for Human Rights Education While maintaining its ongoing educational activities under its Technical Cooperation Programme and the World Public Information Campaign for Human Rights, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has been focusing its contribution to the Decade on the following areas: Development of training material for specific target groups (including the police, prison officials, primary and secondary school teachers, judges and lawyers, national and local NGOs, journalists, human rights monitors and parliamentarians; in addition, a Human Rights Trainers Guide, defining OHCHR's methodological approach to human rights training for professional groups, is being finalized); Development of a database on existing programmes, material and organizations for human rights education; Publication of human rights information and reference material, in particular, complementary documents to the above-mentioned Guidelines for national plans of action for human rights education: The Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004), a booklet compiled from the texts of the international Plan of Action for the Decade and of the Guidelines for national plans of action for human rights education; Human rights education and human rights treaties, a study including (a) a compilation of human rights education provisions in the main human rights treaties and in other documents (general comments, etc.) adopted by treaty bodies; (b) an assessment of the information - collected during a sample period - relating to human rights education contained in State party reports to the treaty bodies and the corresponding concluding observations and recommendations of treaty bodies; (c) suggestions for action on the part of treaty bodies in the light of the information gathered, as a further contribution to the Decade; The Right to Human Rights Education, a compilation of full texts of/excerpts from international instruments pertaining to human rights education; Human Rights Education Programming, a paper which includes ideas and suggestions for the implementation of targeted human rights education programmes regarding: (i) public awareness; (ii) the schooling sector; (iii) other priority groups, and a resource guide to assist in programme implementation. Development of the OHCHR website (address: www.unhchr.ch), which has become an important and widely used tool for the quick dissemination of comprehensive human rights information. Databases are being integrated into this website, enhancing its usefulness (e.g. the existing Treaty Bodies Database, as well as Human Rights News Database and Human Rights Documents Database to be launched in 1998) and links have been made with other relevant UN websites; Global dissemination of the UDHR, also within the framework of the UDHR 50thcommemoration (see the following section of this infokit).

NATIONAL EFFORTS WITHIN THE DECADE

At the national level, the Plan of Action provides for the establishment, on the initiative of Governments or other relevant institutions, of a national committee for human rights education. The Committee should include a broad coalition of governmental and non-governmental actors and should be responsible for developing and implementing a national plan of action for human rights education, with the support of regional and international organizations. The establishment of a publicly accessible national human rights resource and training centre for human rights education or the strengthening of existing centres, in support of the work of the national committee, should also be considered a priority issue.

In order to support national efforts, in January 1997 OHCHR convened in Geneva an expert meeting to develop guidelines for national plans of action for human rights education. The guidelines, which were published in October 1997 (UN Doc. A/52/469/Add.1) and are now being disseminated to all Governments and other interested institutions and organizations, include a set of principles for effective human rights education and a strategy to develop comprehensive (in terms of outreach), effective (in terms of educational strategies) and sustainable (in the long term) national plans of action for human rights education.

1. Establishing a national committee for human rights education, a coalition of representatives of appropriate governmental agencies, independent human rights national institutions, human rights institutes and non-governmental organizations with experience in human rights and human rights education, or with the potential to develop such programmes;
2. Conducting a baseline/needs assessment study on the state of human rights education in the country, including the areas where human rights challenges are greatest, the available level of support and the extent to which the basic elements of a national strategy are already in place;
3. Setting priorities and identifying groups in need of human rights education on the basis of the findings of the baseline study;
4. Developing the national plan including a comprehensive set of objectives, strategies and programmes for human rights education (networking support, institutional/organizational support, integration of human rights education into all levels of formal education, education of groups in need, a public awareness campaign, translation/production/revision of material, research and evaluation, legislative reform, etc.) and evaluation mechanisms;
5. Implementing the national plan;
6. Reviewing and revising the national plan, ideally involving self-evaluation and independent evaluations, to ensure effective responses to the needs identified by the baseline study.

Philippines

In France, a National Committee for Human Rights Education has been established jointly by the National Commission for UNESCO and the National Consultative Commission for Human Rights. It includes representatives from 11 relevant Ministries, namely Justice, Education, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Social Affairs, Interior, Culture, Youth, Humanitarian Action, etc. It is mandated to: (a) conduct a survey on past/current activities in the area of human rights education; (b) assess needs; (c) elaborate a plan of action. Four working groups have been constituted within the Committee to assess the state of human rights education in the following areas: primary and secondary schools; universities and higher education; adult education, including several professional groups (the police, the armed forces, judges, teachers, social workers, etc.); and activities undertaken by NGOs, associations and trade unions. Also, a national centre for information on and training in human rights, publicly accessible and which was provided with a broad range of human rights documentation, was inaugurated in November 1996.

In Uzbekistan, the National Centre for Human Rights has elaborated a national Plan of Action for human rights education and public information. Among the activities included in the Plan are initiatives which address high school and post-high school institutions and the Academy of the Ministry of Interior; seminars for various professional groups, for NGO leaders and on women's rights; translation and publication of UNESCO and OHCHR documents as well as international instruments; and other public information activities, such as the production of brochures, posters, TV shows, etc. This Plan is implemented with the support of the United Nations Development Programme, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Conrad Adenauer Fund.

In Tunisia, a National Commission for human rights education has been established comprising representatives from the Ministries of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Youth and Childhood, Women and the Family, Culture, Information, Health, Justice, Interior and Foreign Affairs, from the Higher Committee for Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and some non-governmental organizations and associations. A Human Rights Documentation, Publication, Research and Study Centre has also been established. The National Commission has prepared a report that includes information on all activities implemented throughout Tunisian society for the promotion of human rights. The wide diversity of activities reported includes: reform and strengthening of the programmes of civic education for primary and secondary schools; establishment of human rights chairs in law faculties and of a Department of Civic Education to assure the training of teachers and the coordination of human rights research; in-service training of teachers; integration of human rights in the curricula of the training of law enforcement agencies (police and prison officials), including the publication of a code of conduct for these agencies; sensitization of the general public through the media, and the publication and dissemination of human rights material; organization of seminars and support to human rights research; annual commemoration of 10 December through the awarding of a human rights prize, media events, school competitions and the organization of regional conferences on human rights issues; cooperation with international institutions and non-governmental organizations.

In 1995, Argentina designated a focal point for human rights education the National Direction for the Promotion of Human Rights within the Office of the Under-Secretary of Social and Human Rights of the Ministry of Interior. Through a project of technical cooperation established with OHCHR, this new office has carried out, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations, a series of important activities. These include: training courses in human rights for teachers for the establishment of a national network of teachers for human rights education; dissemination of human rights documents, such as the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child; establishment of a publicly accessible National Documentation Centre; preparation and dissemination of a bibliography on human rights education which has been distributed to all educational establishments, governmental and non-governmental agencies, libraries and international organizations; human rights training for police officials and trainers; workshops on human rights and the penitentiary system; human rights training for lawyers and other members of the legal profession; establishment of a series of agreements with provincial and national universities in order to carry out joint projects and production of a publication on human rights ("Facts and Rights").

As a general trend, it is worth noting that even if various activities have been undertaken up to now at the national level within the framework of the Decade, they vary considerably in scope, in the focus and identity of the actors involved. Comprehensive national plans of action for human rights education, developed with the involvement of various governmental and non-governmental partners in the country and targeting all sectors of society, have been adopted in only very few countries. In the majority of cases, human rights education programmes have focused on a specific sector (mainly the formal education system - primary and secondary schools) and public information campaigns have been targeted to respond to the most pressing problems in the countries concerned. In addition, ad hoc educational and public information initiatives are being currently undertaken within the framework of the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the UDHR. However, the full implementation of the international Plan of Action for the Decade at the national level will require a stronger commitment to human rights education on the part of all member States and a strengthening of the partnership between governmental and non-governmental actors.

CONCLUSION

Each individual and organization is central to United Nations activities for the promotion and protection of human rights, both as the subject of those rights and as the key actor in their realization. Accordingly, all partners are called upon to participate in education and public information efforts. For example, by participating in activities of human rights organizations and organizing public events in the community to raise awareness of human rights and of their violations, by making public opinion and institutions aware of the importance of the common framework of the Decade for Human Rights Education and by promoting its goals through the organization of educational programmes.

OHCHR welcomes information on human rights education programmes and materials, and the establishment of a direct dialogue with all interested organizations (providing them, for instance, with specialized human rights publications and documents), in order to expand the network of the Decade's partners. It is only through joint efforts that United Nations initiatives to promote human rights will succeed. In this sense, the Decade for Human Rights Education and the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights represent unique opportunities for strengthening the global partnership for human rights.

EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT
WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY - OHCHR

OHCHR Headquarters (Geneva)

OHCHR is facilitating, supporting and encouraging commemorative initiatives developed by all partners - Governments, UN Agencies and Programmes, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and national institutions. Queries raised by those partners are dealt with by the Office on a daily basis. The slogan "All Human Rights for All", and a specific logo, have been developed for all related activities. A special section of the OHCHR website (address: http://www.unhchr.ch) has been devoted to the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration: the provision, through this medium, of ideas and information on planned and ongoing commemorative activities throughout the world, is intended to encourage local, national, regional and international initiatives and to facilitate communication and cooperation among all partners. To facilitate information-sharing, OHCHR is also publishing a series of basic information kits entitled 1998 - 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which this is the fourth issue. To enhance partnership within the UN system, OHCHR has convened a 50thAnniversary inter-agency task force which has been meeting regularly since late 1997 to discuss individual or joint initiatives in this area. In addition, a specific OHCHR programme for the 50th Anniversary is being implemented, whose major components are: (a) a human rights education and public information campaign; (b) support to grass-roots initiatives (ACT project); (c) commemorative events.

a) Human rights education and public information campaign
Since December 1995, OHCHR has been conducting an extensive survey of existing language versions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and has encouraged several partners to produce new versions. As at August 1998, the Office had collected more than 215 national and local language versions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as some 60 additional versions (in pictorial, audio-visual and other formats). In the context of the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary, the Office is currently making available, as a result of the generous contribution by the Government of San Marino, all the language versions which have been collected (see relevant list in this information kit); the new OHCHR website page, featuring more than 250 versions, will be launched on 10 December 1998. This project is benefitting from the active involvement of the International Telecommunication Union, the Department of Public Information and its United Nations Information Centres and Services throughout the world, UNDP Offices as well as of several national and local non-governmental organizations which have generously placed their language skills at OHCHR's disposal.

In addition, UNESCO and OHCHR have implemented a joint project for the dissemination of the Universal Declaration in schools. Through this project, Ministers of Education have been provided with resource material (including material for producing posters for wide distribution to schools - a copy of the poster has been reproduced in A4 format in this information kit) as a means of assisting educational establishments to give human rights education a special focus during 1998.
OHCHR is also encouraging Governments to establish and implement national plans of action for human rights education and, in this regard, in collaboration with UNESCO, is disseminating the UN Guidelines for National Plans of Action for Human Rights Education (UN Doc. A/52/469/Add.1), developed to assist Member States in establishing and implementing such plans in a comprehensive (in terms of outreach), effective (in terms of educational strategies) and sustainable (in the long term) manner. In this regard, a letter signed by Mrs. Robinson - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - and Mr. Mayor - Director-General of UNESCO - has been sent to all Heads of Governments in September 1998, and copied to all relevant national partners.

In a cooperative effort with human rights education practitioners who were gathered at OHCHR (Geneva) in January 1997, OHCHR compiled the document "More than 50 ideas for commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights", a list of ideas intended to serve as inspiration for commemorating the anniversary; the document was published in Information Kit 1 on the 50th Anniversary of the UDHR. The preparation of this fourth issue of the Information Kits, focusing on human rights education, is also to be considered as a means of supporting information on educational activities by all interested partners. Finally, a core kit of OHCHR publications (a selected list is reproduced in this information kit) is being reprinted and disseminated, and new publications are being developed, also in cooperation with the Department of Public Information.

b) Support to grass-roots initiatives (ACT Project)
OHCHR has recently launched the pilot phase of the ACT Project (Assisting Communities Together) which is intended to empower organizations and individuals at the local level to undertake activities aimed at strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights in local communities. The ACT Project awards a limited number of small grants (maximum US$2,000 each) to selected applicants. The first phase of the project has been launched in countries which qualify for such assistance in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UNDP Resident Representatives, as well as OHCHR field offices, have been provided with ACT Project application material and have been asked to make the applications available as widely as possible. The first round of ACT Project grants will be awarded during the last quarter of 1998. Application material and a description of the Project (in English, French and Spanish) can be requested from OHCHR.

c) Commemorative events
OHCHR has organized, or supported the organization by partners, of many commemorative activities during the meetings of the principal United Nations bodies dealing with human rights. In some cases they have already taken place, while many others are scheduled for the period leading up to 10 December (Commission on Human Rights - March/April 1998; Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, August 1998; and the forthcoming General Assembly).

In the context of the foregoing, OHCHR organized the Forum "Dialogue on Mainstreaming Human Rights in the United Nations", which took place in Geneva on 16 March 1998, following the inaugural meeting of the Commission on Human Rights. The Forum was moderated by the Secretary-General, included the participation of Heads and senior officials of United Nations Agencies and Programmes and focused on the steps which have been taken, and those envisaged, to place human rights on the agenda of the United nations system-wide. Other past events and activities included round tables and panels, as well as human rights exhibitions and cultural events sponsored by several Member States.

The General Assembly is scheduled to hold a special plenary meeting on 10 December 1998 to mark the 50th Anniversary: among the various planned events, the Secretary-General will award the 1998 United Nations Human Rights Prize to individuals or organizations who have made a significant contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights.

In addition to the aforementioned events, panels are being organized to contribute to the international debate on fundamental human rights issues. Most panels are being hosted by partner agencies, programmes and departments in the United Nations system. Some are also being hosted by Governments, non-governmental organizations or private institutions. The panels are offering an opportunity to outstanding international personalities to engage in a human rights dialogue.

OHCHR field presences

OHCHR field presences are also working with national and local partners, in particular in the human rights education and public information area, with a focus on the 50thAnniversary commemoration. OHCHR colleagues from some field presences have highlighted the following activities:

Cambodia
Contact: ETI Unit, OHCHR Cambodia Office, # 18, Street 400, P.O. Box 108, Phnom Penh. Tel: (855-23) 362585/797, Fax: (855-23) 720030.

OHCHR-Cambodia Office is continuing its highly diversified human rights education and training programmes targeted at key sectors and constituencies: members of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, police and commune leaders, teachers, monks, medical officers, prison officials, trade unionists, and the staff and key contacts of non-governmental organizations. The Cambodia Office also continues to distribute an impressive amount (roughly ten thousand documents per month) of human rights information material including international conventions and declarations, the Cambodian Constitution and laws, and material targeting specific issues or audiences. Certain education and training projects, such as the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces human rights awareness programme, are organized bilaterally between the relevant government ministry or department and the Cambodia Office. Even more common, however, is a trilateral approach between the relevant government ministry or department, a Cambodian NGO partner and the Cambodia Office of the High Commissioner. In most instances a train-the-trainers approach is utilized.

The major developments for 1998 in the area of human rights education are:
(1) the revision of education and training curricula to include more information on women's and children's rights issues, and training upgrades for trainers to facilitate utilization of the new curricula material;
(2) upgraded law training for the staff and key contacts of the major Cambodian human rights NGO's;
(3) organizing and conducting basic human rights education programmes in the former Khmer Rouge controlled zones that have recently come under the control of the Royal Government.

Croatia
Contact: Head of Office, OHCHR Croatia, Ilica 207, Bldg. A, 10000 Zagreb. Tel: (385-1) 3780441, Fax: (385-1) 3780174.

In March 1998, OHCHR Croatia began plans for the commemoration of the Anniversary. The office developed a series of suggestions for the commemoration adapted to the Croatian reality, which are now being tested through consultations with national NGOs, social activists, artists, etc. In addition, the Office has offered assistance to the Government in the implementation of the governmental plan for the commemoration and has encouraged other organizations and institutions (such as the Justice and Peace Commissions and parishes of Croatia) to be actively involved in the commemoration programme. In April 1998, over 50 representatives of Croatian NGOs were invited to attend a meeting to discuss a nationwide approach to the commemoration. The meeting was co-organized by OHCHR Croatia and the UNHCR Mission to the Republic of Croatia. This meeting was to mark the beginning of a cycle of monthly meetings focusing on a coordinated effort directed towards human rights education and promotion nationwide.

El Salvador
Contact: OHCHR Technical Cooperation Project Office, 3 Calle Poniente 4746 y Pasaje 1, Colonia Escalon, San Salvador. Tel: (503) 2641291/2636403, Fax: (503) 2641292/2636360.

OHCHR is acting as secretariat for a special Committee for the commemoration of the 50thAnniversary comprising all UN Agencies and Programmes represented in the country, and which has been meeting since February 1998. A list of activities to be implemented jointly, according to the specific competence of each agency, has been developed and includes:

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

OHCHR Belgrade is primarily concerned with facilitating the linkage in the context of initiatives being taken at international, national and NGO levels. OHCHR offered assistance to the projected governmental committee that will devise a public approach to the Anniversary and to any commemorative or public education efforts (for example, courses undertaken by the University of Belgrade). In addition, OHCHR is working with the "Ad Hoc Alliance for celebration of 50 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," an informal association of domestic NGOs, in particular in the area of dissemination of information on the UN and international education initiatives and on international human rights standards. The Ad Hoc Alliance prepared a programme of public education initiatives, organized on a subject-per-month basis which began in March 1998, including publication of material, media campaigns, public actions, and performances.

An important focus for the office is public information which includes the publication and distribution of a series of informational brochures, in the local language, describing basic human rights in practical and simple terms, on the basis of a similar effort undertaken by NGOs in Croatia. A basic distribution network has already been put into place. The Office is distributing translations of the reports of the Special Rapporteur, material prepared by OHCHR, the UN and other organizations and is gathering and distributing human rights education material already translated and/or prepared in other parts of the region.

Mongolia
Contact: National Coordinator, OHCHR, c/o UNDP Office, Ulaanbaator. Tel: (976-1) 326458, Fax: (976-1) 321676.

OHCHR-Mongolia is organizing one-week training courses on universal human rights standards and reporting procedures to existing mechanisms, to be conducted in cooperation with the Mongolian Center for Human Rights Education (MCHRE) in five regional centres; the objective is to target community workers and representatives of civil society, on the basis of a jointly prepared programme. It is also organizing, in concert with the MCHRE, a series of short-term seminars in selected prisons for both the prison staff and prisoners and publication of training packages for distribution among other central and provincial prisons. The Office will conduct a one-week workshop for the members of the newly established Mongolian Human Rights Commission on the international law of human rights, the preparation and submission of reports to treaty bodies, and a three-day workshop for government officials, academics as well as the NGO community on the status and activities of that Commission.

In addition, the Office is providing advisory services to the School of Law at the National University and to private law schools for the development of human rights curricula. The expected result of this exercise will be to set in motion the drafting and publishing of a human rights law university text book.

Occupied Palestinian Territories
Contact: Amin Mekki Medani, Chief Technical Advisor, 75/55 Halabi Street, Rimal, Gaza, c/o P.O. Box 51359, 95912 Jerusalem. Tel: (972-7) 827 021, Fax: (972-7) 827 321.

OHCHR Gaza has been focusing on the following areas:

Formal Education

Training activities

Human rights awareness and public information

EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY BY UN AGENCIES, PROGRAMMES AND DEPARTMENTS OF THE UN SECRETARIAT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION (DPI)

Within the framework of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004), the Department of Public Information (DPI) is undertaking a wide range of activities to raise public awareness of human rights issues. This year, the question of human rights education is of particular importance since the international community is commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and promoting awareness of the significance of this document and of the legal instruments and action it has developed. Activities and products at Headquarters, in Geneva and at United Nations Information Centres and Services will highlight past United Nations achievements in the field of human rights while pointing to the challenges requiring international action.

Bearing in mind the UDHR 50th Anniversary slogan "All Human Rights for All" and the United Nations' efforts to mainstream human rights into all aspects of UN work, the Department's multi-media campaign already includes the following elements:

Print material

Radio
A series of UN Radio feature programmes and public service announcements (PSAs) will focus on the articles of the Universal Declaration. Themes illustrating various articles will help to convey a better understanding of the Universal Declaration;
UN Radio will also conduct interviews with celebrities, public figures and UN officials who are involved in human rights;
UN Radio will schedule a live broadcast with the High Commissioner for Human Rights;

Television
Television and photo coverage were given to all events relating to the launching of the 50th Anniversary at Headquarters (10 December 1997), including meetings, statements and press conferences;
Video material is being updated to reflect the 50th Anniversary. Some of this material is already available to broadcast media. A compilation of video material will be made available during the anniversary period. This includes basic TV spots drawing attention to the anniversary, for use by television stations around the world;
Human rights will be consistently featured during 1998 as a major theme in DPI video productions, namely the "UN in Action" news magazine series (seen on CNN World Report) and "World Chronicle";
Production is under way for a DPI feature documentary on the historical background of the Universal Declaration, to be released in the course of 1998;
Requests from the media for archival photo material are being processed as received;

Press coverage
Press coverage will be given to all inter-governmental meetings and special ceremonies concerned with the observance of the 50th anniversary. Media briefings and press coverage will be provided for all Headquarters briefings and press conferences convened by the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other high-ranking Secretariat officials concerned with human rights issues, as well as Governments, in commemoration of the event;

Internet
DPI print products and materials, press releases and United Nations documents are distributed electronically by DPI to its network of Information Centres and Services and specialized media lists, and are posted on the United Nations website at the following address: http://www.un.org; The United Nations CyberSchoolBus, the DPI interactive educational Internet service, has been offering a special curriculum on human rights since March 1998;

Library displays
The Dag Hammarskjold Library's bibliography "United Nations: 1945-1998", Part VIII, will address human rights. It was scheduled for completion by 31 March 1998; The DHL branch libraries will display newly acquired booklets on human rights, including those on the Universal Declaration;
The Dag Hammarskjold Library has notified the system of depository libraries of the inauguration of the 50th anniversary, requesting them to organize exhibits, displays or other activities;

Briefings
The weekly DPI-NGO briefings will focus on linking human rights and other thematic issues throughout the period of the 50th anniversary; The Visitors Service and Public Inquiries will highlight the 50th anniversary throughout 1998. The Speakers' Bureau will continue to arrange for UN officials to speak on human rights, in order to meet the increasing demand from schools, universities and NGOs for speakers on this subject.

[Note: OHCHR has received an impressive number of contributions to this Information Kit from UN Information Centres and Services around the world as well as from the international network of DPI. The information presented has been summarized and included in the 1998 report of the Secretary- General to the 53rd session of the General Assembly on the UN Decade for Human Rights Education. A complete list of UN Information Centres and Services can be requested from DPI or can be found on the United Nations website).

Contact:
Department of Public Information - New York, Development and Human Rights Section, United Nations Headquarters, NY 10017, USA.
Tel: (1-212) 9634475, Fax: (1-212) 9631186, Website: http://www.un.org

UNAIDS
In 1996-1997, UNAIDS distinguished four cross-cutting themes in the planning of its work: young people; human rights; gender; and the greater involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA). These themes will continue to be the priorities of UNAIDS in 1998-1999. UNAIDS will continue to work with and through its co-sponsors; namely, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank and WHO.

A key component of the UNAIDS work plan for 1998-1999 incorporates the advocacy and promotion of human rights as a tool for the protection of human dignity, the reduction of vulnerability to infection and of the financial, social and personal impact of HIV/AIDS. UNAIDS will continue to work on strengthening capacities at national, regional and international levels to integrate HIV/AIDS and human rights, especially by buttressing the efforts of Governments and civil society. More specifically, support will be provided to national and regional networks on human rights, ethics and law and through the implementation and adaptation of the International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights. UNAIDS will continue to provide technical support to and work with people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) in building their capacity, creating databases which can be used for influencing policy and legislation relating to HIV/AIDS and creating awareness within civil society and Governments on the need to work with PLWAs as resource persons in HIV/AIDS programmes. UNAIDS will also continue to identify and promote best practices at national, regional and international levels and strengthen regional and local technical resource networks. To help coordinate such a multi-faceted response, UNAIDS will establish a Reference Group on HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, Ethics and Law.

International Guidelines on Human Rights and HIV/AIDS:
In 1996, UNAIDS and the then UN Centre for Human Rights jointly convened the Second International Consultation on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, which brought together 35 experts in the field. The Consultation adopted the International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, which translate international human rights norms into practical measures to be taken in the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The report of these consultations has been revised and issued as a joint publication of UNAIDS and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (HR/PUB/98/1), and is distributed jointly by these institutions. In 1997, UNAIDS provided technical and financial support to the International Council of AIDS Service Organisations to produce an NGO Summary and Advocate's Guide to the International Guidelines. This material has been widely distributed in English, French and Spanish.

In 1998, UNAIDS will prepare, in consultation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, a handbook for parliamentarians and legislators on the Guidelines. Training for parliamentarians and representatives of civil society in Eastern Europe / the Commonwealth of Independent States, based on the Guidelines, will be undertaken in 1998-1999. UNAIDS will also prepare a similar handbook for national AIDS programme managers and policy makers; pilot workshops will be undertaken in four countries to develop national strategic plans on human rights and HIV/AIDS. In addition, a workshop on the Guidelines for governmental representatives and National Programmes Managers will be held at the 12th World Conference on AIDS.

World AIDS Campaign:
The theme of the 1997 World AIDS Campaign was "Children Living in a World with AIDS." The focus was on every person under the age of 18 years, in line with the definition of 'child' set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The guiding principles for the 1997 World AIDS Campaign were in keeping with those set forth in the Convention, and in the 1996-2000 UNAIDS Strategic Plan. For the 1997 World AIDS Campaign, UNAIDS and its co-sponsors produced and disseminated written and visual material and coordinated and contributed to activities globally, leading up to World AIDS Day on 1 December. Mention should be made of UNAIDS collaboration with the François-Xavier Bagnoud Centre for Health and Human Rights / Harvard School of Public Health (a partner organization in the 1997 World AIDS Campaign) which resulted in the development of "Guidelines for Training on Children: HIV/AIDS, Health and Rights". These Guidelines were prepared for the Regional Conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa.

In 1998, the Campaign is " Force for Change: WORLD AIDS Campaign is with Young People". UNAIDS activities in relation to adolescents will, in consequence, continue to be guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Also, in 1998, the theme day of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child will focus on children, young people and HIV/AIDS; UNAIDS will provide technical support to the Committee in this regard. Related UNAIDS activities will include the preparation and field testing of a model country report under the Convention on the Rights of the Child addressing HIV/AIDS issues.

Training, education and dissemination of information:
Education and dissemination of information through the UNAIDS Best Practices Collection, including information relating to HIV/AIDS and human rights, is a UNAIDS priority. Material is disseminated by the UNAIDS Information Centre at headquarters, UNAIDS staff and focal points in the field, co-sponsors and national and regional networks on human rights, ethics and law.

In 1996, UNAIDS published the "UNAIDS Guide to the United Nations Human Rights Machinery" for AIDS service organizations, people living with HIV/AIDS and others working in the field of HIV/AIDS and human rights. In 1998-1999, UNAIDS will publish a survey of HIV-related human rights activities at country level undertaken by Human Rights Internet, in conjunction with research papers, case studies, background papers and legislative policy-option papers on topics relating to HIV and human rights, ethics and law.

The UNAIDS website has a page devoted to human rights, providing information as well as links to relevant material.

In 1998, UNAIDS will conduct a training workshop on HIV/AIDS and human rights, ethics and law for legal professionals in Eastern Europe.

UN Commission on Human Rights:
In 1998, UNAIDS and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights jointly convened two meetings to address HIV-related human rights issues and, in particular, the promotion and implementation of the International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights. The meetings were for delegates to the 54th session of the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, one for State delegates and another for NGO representatives.

12th World Conference on AIDS 1998:
On 26 June 1998, prior to the 12th World Conference on AIDS, UNAIDS and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights jointly convened a workshop for representatives of human rights and HIV-related non-governmental organizations. The workshop will identify ways in which these groups may promote a joint human rights agenda, and disseminate and promote the International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights. UNAIDS will provide technical support to other human rights-related activities throughout the conference.

Contact:
UNAIDS, 20 Av. Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
Tel: (41-22) 7914675/4811, Fax: (41-22) 7914165/4741, Website: http://www.unaids.org

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)
UNDP is planning a number of internal, as well as external, workshops and seminars on human rights and human development throughout 1998. At the global level, this includes a joint symposium by OHCHR and UNDP in October to discuss and exchange experiences on their interdependence and inter-relationship and their significance for sound and sustainable human development. Participants will include member States, UN agencies, NGO's, civil society representation, academics, etc. At the regional level, a workshop is scheduled on Values and Governance in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and a human rights conference for Yalta, Ukraine (September 1998).

At the country level, the global sub-programme on Human Rights Strengthening (HURIS), will be initiated. HURIS will assist countries in building governmental and non-governmental capacities to protect and promote human rights in accordance with their international treaty commitments.

The UNDP Policy Paper "Integrating Human Rights with Sustainable Human Development" was released in February, presenting its policy strategy for an integrated approach to sustainable human development and human rights. The document outlines three areas for UNDP action: providing support for capacity-building institutions of governance in the area of human rights; developing a human rights approach to sustainable human development; and contributing to the human rights dialogue and UN conference follow-up.

Contact:
UNDP European Office at Geneva, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Tel: (41-22) 9799543, Fax: (41-22) 9799001, Website: http://www.undp.org

UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (UNESCO)
On the basis of its mandate "to ... further universal respect of justice, for the rule of law and for human rights and fundamental freedoms ... " UNESCO is playing an active role in promoting human rights education. It is a major priority of the UNESCO Plan of Action for the celebration of the UDHR 50th Anniversary, endorsed by the UNESCO General Conference in November 1997.

Conciliating the long-term objectives of human rights education - a preventive means of reducing human rights violations and abuses through the realization of a universal culture of human rights - with a one-year celebration, is a challenge. A UNESCO objective for commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the UDHR is, therefore, to build a momentum for human rights education intended to give a new impetus to future action at international, regional and national levels undertaken within the framework of the UN Decade on Human Rights Education (1995 - 2004). In keeping with this overall objective, the following lines of actions are mainly being implemented in 1998, either in close co-operation with OHCHR or, for some, as joint activities:

assessment and reinforcement of regional and national capacities in human rights education. In 1998/1999, UNESCO is organizing 3 regional conferences on human rights education, one each in Africa, the Arab World, and Asia. In October 1998, at UNESCO Headquarters (Paris), a panel discussion on "Human Rights Education - Building a Universal Culture of Human Rights" will explore the current situation of human rights education from a regional perspective;

publication of new manuals and training material on human rights, including a manual for primary and secondary schools, and one for university level; translation of existing material into a number of national languages;

promotion of research in the field of human rights, through: (i) the reinforcement of national capacities (network of UNESCO chairs on education for human rights, democracy and peace and network of human rights research and training institutes); and (ii) the exploration and promotion of new concepts of international human rights law, such as the "Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights" and the "Declaration on the Responsibilities of Present Generations towards Future Generations" (both adopted by the UNESCO General Conference in November 1997).

UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)
The connection between refugee movements and violations of human rights is undeniable. Violations of the human rights of individuals constitute one of the principle causes of refugee movements, as well as a significant impediment to durable solutions to refugee problems. In recognition of this link, UNHCR is undertaking a significant number of activities involving human rights education, public information and training.

UNHCR, in accordance with its mandate, promotes accession to, and supervises the application of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and the 1967 Protocol. In addition, it is also involved in the promotion of accession to the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

With regard to particular activities in the areas of human rights education and public information, UNHCR is developing, for example, programmes for refugee schools and community groups that provide a training in life skills for conflict resolutions, peace-building and responsible civil behaviour. A current pilot project in Kenyan refugee camps in this regard will be extended to other countries in the region. The various activities incorporated in this project are characterized by efforts to balance education about rights with due attention to duties and obligations towards others, a formulation identified in earlier human rights education projects as being of central importance.

Another initiative is UNHCR's ongoing Tolerance Education Project in Kyrgyzstan which involves the development and provision to primary schools of picture story books dealing with the themes of prejudice and non-violent conflict resolution. This is complemented by the provision of teachers' guidebooks and workshops. With prevention as its ultimate objective, the programme aims to encourage a greater tolerance towards different ethnic groups and, concurrently, to promote and develop the skills needed for the attainment of non-violent solutions to conflicts. It is intended that this project will, eventually, be transferred to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Education.

UNHCR, together with other international agencies, is also working to promote, inter alia, the concepts of civil society and human rights with the objective of preventing forced displacement within other countries of the CIS. In cooperation with the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), for example, UNHCR recently organised a regional seminar in the CIS on the right to freedom of movement and to the choice of a place of residence. Additionally, UNHCR, together with the Council of Europe, is looking into promotional activities in this region relating to the development of national NGO legislation: Azerbaijan is a case in point.

As one element of its response to the growing problem of children in armed conflict, UNHCR is developing radio programmes in conflict regions, aimed at reaffirming the civil and human values of the society concerned, promoting dialogue on how to restore these values and highlighting the unacceptability of under-age recruitment. The radio programmes will be presented as a series in order to exert pressure on combatants to stop using child soldiers.

In the specific context of the commemorative events for the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a kit of basic educational material to promote peace, conflict resolution and human rights, will be designed for refugee schools.

UNHCR also places considerable emphasis on human rights training, both within and outside the organization. In an effort to increase awareness amongst UNHCR staff of the important linkages between refugee law and the human rights regime and to encourage greater knowledge and use of human rights mechanisms in the protection of refugees, a series of human rights awareness briefings for selected staff at UNHCR Headquarters is being introduced this year, as well as a speakers series on human rights topics. Another important step was the publication on the initiative of UNHCR and in cooperation with several international and non-governmental organizations, of an NGO Manual on International and Regional Instruments Concerning Refugees and Human Rights, designed primarily for use by NGOs and human rights defenders in the countries of the CIS. This manual is the first in a series, the objective of which is to promote and facilitate NGO involvement in the implementation of and follow-up to the CIS Conference and Programme of Action (1996). It is intended to serve both as a guide and a resource tool, by providing information on existing international and/or European instruments concerning refugees and human rights and on how to utilize the provisions of these instruments, as well as on how to advocate the rights of forcibly displaced persons, to provide input into governmental and inter-governmental debates and policies, and to develop networking with other organizations.

Additionally, due to the special protection requirements of refugee children and women, a number of the organisation's training activities are intended to identify and address the particular needs of these two groups. "Action for the Rights of the Children", for example, a joint UNHCR-International Save the Children Alliance project, will encompass the preparation of a number of training modules on legal principles and standards on the protection of refugee children and critical protection issues, such as education and the prevention of recruitment of child soldiers, and the subsequent field-bases training for UNHCR and implementing partners' staff based on the modules. Similarly, a guide on "The Human Rights of Children and Women: Awareness Training for Adult Refugees", drawing on previous field experiences, is being launched to help UNHCR field offices and NGOs organize training activities in this area.
This overview of UNHCR's initiatives in the areas of human rights education, training and public information is far from comprehensive. It is intended, rather, to provide a brief illustration of UNHCR's expanding activities in an area that is of pivotal importance to the effective protection and assistance of refugees.

Contact:
UNHCR, 94 rue de Montbrillant, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland.
Tel: (41-22) 7398111, Fax: (41-22) 7397377, website: http://www.unhcr.ch

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
UNICEF supports a wide diversity of activities which contribute to human rights education both within and outside the school system.

Within the school system, UNICEF believes that human rights education is not only about what is taught in the classroom, but also about how it is taught and the nature of the structure, organization and management of education. UNICEF has supported a number of special publications for teachers to assist them in teaching human/children's rights. These include education for peace, non-violence education and education for life-skills. Considerable emphasis is placed on the training of teachers, as they themselves must be committed to teaching with a rights perspective; a UNICEF objective is to help teachers understand the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its implications for the daily lives of children, as well as the responsibilities that teachers have towards children as their mentors and protectors. Beyond curricula and teacher-training, education must be structured and organized so that it is child-centred and "approachable" from the standpoint of parents and communities. School democracy and the active participation of children themselves in the decisions that affect them are a critical element of human rights education. UNICEF supports the child's active involvement in the organization and management of the school environment and encourages teaching methods that are inter-active and participatory.

Outside the school system, in virtually all countries, UNICEF supports public information campaigns to promote awareness of human rights and, in particular, the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Such efforts are undertaken in close cooperation with Governments, the media, non-governmental organizations, professional groups, and organizations comprising children themselves.

UNICEF's recent publication, the "Implementation Handbook for the Convention on the Rights of the Child", is a comprehensive tool for all those involved in promoting the human rights of children. Not only does it contain an article-by-article analysis of the interpretations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, but it also articulates the relevant linkages with other human rights treaties. It makes an important contribution to sensitizing Governments, NGOs and other professionals to the promotion and protection of human rights.

Contact:
UNICEF, 5-7 av. de la Paix, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Tel: (41-22) 9095111, Fax: (41-22) 9095111, website: http://www.unicef.org

UN VOLUNTEERS (UNV)
In addition to its regular development and humanitarian relief work, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme has become increasingly involved in United Nations operations for human rights, democracy and peace-building. UNV is particularly interested in grass-roots, participatory approaches so as to increase awareness of rights issues among vulnerable populations, contributing, as a result, to the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) commitment to promote respect for human rights in order to ensure sustainability in human development. As the volunteer arm of the United Nations and working throughout the UN system, UNV recruits professional, experienced and committed volunteers to assist Governments, the United Nations and specialized agencies, as well as the NGO community, to fulfill various and wide-ranging human rights activities. UN Volunteers have contributed to human rights protection and promotion since the 1980s and part of this work has been undertaken in connection with human rights education activities at the grass roots. While the human rights dimension of UN Volunteers' activities in the field is fairly broad and encompasses democratization, humanitarian relief, good governance, empowerment of disadvantaged groups, etc., the examples given below focus specifically on activities concerning human rights promotion.

Special Publication:
To pay tribute to the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as to capture the diversity of experiences of UN Volunteers working in human rights education, promotion, awareness-raising and other related activities, UNV is presently in the process of producing a publication to be launched this year. The publication will place special emphasis on: what UNVs have learned while serving in the field; how they have helped to educate people concerning human rights; and how the volunteers view their activities in the context of working towards the establishment of a universal culture of respect for human rights.

Guatemala:
Since 1994, 221 UNVs have served in the UN Human Rights Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) as Human Rights Monitors, Indigenous Rights Monitors, and Human Rights Promotion and Education personnel; there are currently a total of 114 UNVs helping to verify respect for the Peace Accords (1996). These include: the agreement on human rights; the agreement on the resettlement of population groups uprooted by the armed conflict; the agreement on social and economic aspects and the agrarian situation, the agreement on the identity and rights of indigenous peoples, and the agreement on the strengthening of civilian power and on the role of the armed forces in a democratic society. The UNVs' functions include verification, good offices, advisory services and public information. Recruited from 25 countries, these UNVs range from 25 to 59 years of age; more than half are women. They include lawyers, sociologists, social workers, refugee workers, anthropologists and psychologists.

An important feature of this work is that it is the first time use of 20 indigenous professionals drawn from ethnic groups in Guatemala and elsewhere in Latin America, who were specifically assigned as UNVs to verify the implementation of the agreement on the identity and rights of indigenous groups of Guatemalans. Human rights education is conducted on the basis of seminars, workshops and training courses for community leaders, local authorities, teachers and civil society organizations. One aspect of these education efforts is the production of radio programmes helping to raise general awareness of human rights. National UNVs will reinforce the Mission's efforts to keep Guatemalans in the most remote areas abreast of the progress of the peace process in the country. Rwanda: Since the beginning of 1995, UNV has become closely associated with the Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda (HRFOR), with as many as 80 UN Volunteer Specialists being outposted in teams to places such as Gisenyi, Gikongoro, Cyangugu, Kibuye and Gitarama as well as Kigali. The main tasks of these UNVs include monitoring the human rights situation, promoting confidence and peace-building in order to facilitate the return and reintegration of internally displaced persons and refugees, providing information on human rights and undertaking human rights education activities. Education activities have also focused on showing videos on women's human rights, using theatre groups to promote reintegration, and organizing human rights seminars for local officials.

Burundi:
A UNV Human Rights Specialist assisted the head of the then UN Centre for Human Rights in Bujumbura during 1995. The UNV Specialist's duties included identifying associations and persons active in the field of human rights, assisting in the identification of groups in rural areas conducting civic education courses in human rights, organizing human rights training in schools and establishing contact with Government authorities. Currently, 2 UNV Specialists - other posts are to be filled this year - support the work of the Human Rights Field Operation in Burundi, verifying and reporting on human rights violations and overseeing civic education programmes.

Cambodia:
In the 1990s, UNV Specialists were recruited to work with the then UN Centre for Human Rights in Cambodia to assist in the establishment of Human Rights offices at the provincial level and served as Provincial Liaison and Support Officers in the Siem Reap, Kampong Cham, and Battambang provinces. At present, 10 UNV Human Rights Specialists recruited from 5 countries are working with OHCHR in Cambodia. In the Battambang province, a UNV Specialist has opened a new office and organized human rights seminars and workshops for more than 1,500 military and police staff. In the Phnom Penh office, ongoing activities include monitoring prisons, investigating human rights abuses, monitoring the legislation process, and examining draft laws for their compatibility with international human rights standards. UNV human rights activities are supported by generous contributions from several donors.

Angola:
UNVs were fielded to Angola in the spring of 1998 as Human Rights Observers. As part of the UN Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA), 26 UN Volunteers will serve under the auspices of OHCHR to assist in building long-term stability, democratic development, and rehabilitation in the country after years of armed conflict. Their activities will include monitoring and reporting on human rights developments, establishing contacts with local authorities, local NGOs and individuals, providing them with support on human rights issues. In addition, the objective of UN Volunteers' work in the field operation is to identify solutions to the daily problems faced by the local population in order to prevent further human rights violations. As a means to this end, education, training and dissemination of information will be part of the activities to be undertaken.

Peru:
As part of UNV's pro-active programming in Preventive/Curative Development, the organization is about to start a co-operative project with the Peruvian Government supporting the capacity-building of the Peruvian Ombudsman's Office. The project will involve supporting the expansion of the Ombudsman's Office (Lima) to five additional regional offices to strengthen human rights work in the small cities and rural areas of Peru. Twelve national UNVs will work in helping to establish the regional offices with a mandate to promote the role of the Ombudsman and human rights. These Volunteers will build relations with local people, community-based organizations and individuals in need of protection. They will organize workshops and disseminate information on the role of human rights in society.

Contact:
United Nations Volunteers Programme, Postfach 260 111, 53153 Bonn, Germany.
Tel: (49-228) 8152000, Fax: (49-228) 8152001, website: http://www.unv.org

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
More relevant today than ever before, the right to health has yet to receive the full attention it deserves and to be brought from the sidelines into the mainstream of human rights promotion and protection. WHO's primary function is to promote and protect health, which is recognized as a fundamental human right in its constitution, and is protected under international law. In its fullest expression, the right to health encompasses and is dependent on the enjoyment of many other human rights, including the right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being, the rights to adequate food, clothing and housing, the right to education and to access to information, to work and to just and favourable conditions of work, as well as the protection of the right to physical security and other civil and political rights. In effect, everyone has the right to live and work in environments where known health risks are controlled, and as health is the full enjoyment of other human rights, so is enjoyment of all other human rights necessary for the realization of the highest attainable standard of health.

The coming years will witness WHO's increasingly prominent role in the human rights sector, in conjunction with its many intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. WHO's 50th Anniversary will be commemorated in 1998, the year in which the global community is commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. WHO's 50th Anniversary events will include "health as a human right" as one of the ten themes to be emphasized and the two anniversaries will therefore be coordinated.

Under the auspices of the Senior Adviser on Health Policy in Development, WHO's focal point for human rights, the Organization will undertake the following activities in 1998:

EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY BY OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT

Revival of the "Human Rights Update"
The Human Rights Unit's Newsletter: a tool for the dissemination of information on developments relating to the promotion of Human Rights, particularly concerning activities within Commonwealth countries. The Newsletter will focus on various themes and on the activities of the Secretariat in the area of human rights.
Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary:
The Commonwealth Secretariat intends to initiate a dialogue which will focus on some of the major provisions of the UDHR including: the rights to information; participation in government; economic and social rights; and specifically human rights education. The provisional dates are 31 August - 4 September 1998 at Durham, UK.
National workshop on the training of trainers of Prison Officials in Human Rights, Yaounde, Cameroon, 23-26 March 1998
This is a workshop aimed at training trainers of prison officials to ensure the incorporation of human rights training in the long term, within the training curricula of prison officials, ultimately leading to the more humane treatment of prisoners.
National Workshop for the training of Human Rights Trainers, 21-24 April 1998. Maputo, Mozambique:
The workshop is intended to train a group of Human Rights trainers who will, in time, train others in the country.
Asian Regional Workshop on Mechanisms for Implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 17-21 May 1998, Dhaka, Bangladesh:
This workshop targets national institutions and government departments responsible for the welfare of children, etc. It is intended to assist member Governments to put in place mechanisms for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE

A regional colloquy was organized at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg from 2 to 4 September 1998 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to review progress made at the European level following the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights. Entitled "In Our Hands - The Effectiveness of Human Rights Protection 50 years after the Universal Declaration", the colloquy brought together representatives of Governments, national institutions, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as well as independent institutes active in the human rights field, and included a "stock-taking" in relation to implementation of both the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, as well as the recommendations of the interregional meeting held in Strasbourg in January 1993 ("Human Rights at the Dawn of the 21st Century"). It focused on lessons to be learned and attempt to find ways and means of resolving outstanding problems on a joint basis. Among the six issues on which discussions focused was the question of effective programmes in the field of human rights information, education and training.

In the course of the year leading up to the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), support will be given to various initiatives being conducted by different partners of the Council of Europe working in the field of human rights information, education and training. Projects are currently under way, for example, in co-operation with the NGO Ecole Instrument de Paix, to organize a number of training seminars to introduce teachers and education trainers to legal instruments for the protection of human rights and to provide suggestions on the use of these instruments as human rights education tools in schools. Similarly, in co-operation with the office of UNHCR in Turkey a project is under way to translate into Turkish Council of Europe publications focusing on the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights relative to the protection of refugees and asylum seekers. This project is intended to complement the efforts to promote human rights awareness in Turkey within the framework of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the UDHR. Such programmes will cover the full range of human rights, with activities envisaged in the field of civil and political, economic and social rights, the protection of national minorities, equality between women and men and the fight against racism and intolerance.
A major, new, comprehensive programme "Police and Human Rights 1997-2000" was inaugurated on 10 December 1997 and should become operational in the immediate future. A basic premise of the programme is that training alone will not suffice; rather, it must be accompanied by other, more widely focused efforts if human rights awareness is to take root. Three core initiatives constitute the new programme: building a communications network with police services in every member State of the Council of Europe; support for and development of training activities; and measuring of performance and progress in human rights within the police. To set police forces a common goal, a week - including 4 November 2000 (50th Anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights) - will be designated as "police and human rights week": the opportunity for police officers in all member States to demonstrate to the public the efforts they are making to ensure that their service respects and protects human rights. December 10th will be regarded by a number of police services as a particularly opportune occasion for launching specific activities in the human rights field.
Efforts will continue to be made to meet the demand, in 1998, for increased availability, and in a wider diversity of languages, of education and training material produced in recent years - for example, the human rights education video film for the age group 13-18 years, "Stand Up NOW for Human Rights!" and its accompanying support pack of human rights posters for the police, as well as material to promote awareness of social rights within Europe.

ORGANISATION FOR SECURITY AND CO-OPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE)
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) were mandated to participate fully in human rights education by the following OSCE ministerial conference decisions:

At the CSCE Conference on the Human Dimension of the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) in Moscow, in October 1991, the participating States:

Affirm(ed) that human rights education is fundamental and that it is therefore essential that their citizens are educated on human rights and fundamental freedoms ();
Recognize(ed) that effective human rights education contributes to combatting intolerance, religious, racial and ethnic prejudice and hatred, including against Roma, xenophobia and anti-Semitism;
Will encourage their competent authorities responsible for education programs to design effective human rights related curricula and courses for students at all levels, particularly students of law, administration and social sciences as well as those attending military, police and public service schools;
Will encourage organisations and educational establishments to co-operate in drawing up and exchanging human rights programs at the national as well as the international level; (articles 42.1-42.5)

serve as an institutional framework for sharing and exchanging information on available technical assistance, expertise and national and international programs; to facilitate co-operation in training and education in disciplines relevant to democratic institutions; to work closely with other institutions active in the field of democratic institutions-building and human rights ();

Activities organized in this framework include the convening of seminars with all 54 participating States, as well as numerous NGOs and experts, on themes such as: Tolerance; Migrant Workers; the Free Media; Early Warning and Preventive Diplomacy; Local Democracy; Freedom of Association and NGOs; the Rule of Law and Freedom of Religion. The 1997 seminars were on Election Administration (April) and Women's Participation in the Society (October). Assessment missions on developing human rights education in the Central Asian Republics, several human rights courses, and a round table on the mechanisms and institutions for human rights have also been carried out.

As of 1998, ODIHR will only hold one seminar per year. In May 1998, OSCE/ODIHR, in close cooperation with UNDP, the Council of Europe, the Polish Ombudsman's Office and OHCHR, organized a Human Dimension seminar on the Ombudsman and human rights protection institutions which involved discussion on various issues including the preparation of national human rights education plans. This was a contribution to the UN Decade for Human Rights Education and two anniversaries: the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 10th Anniversary of the Polish Ombudsman's Office which was the first to be established in Eastern Europe and the CIS.

Geographically, ODIHR will focus its future education programme primarily on Central Asia, the Caucasus as well as countries in conflict situations. The multiphase education programme for Central Asia is carried out with the cooperation of Birmingham University in Britain and the Danish Centre for Human Rights.

Contact:
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights - OSCE, Krucza 36/Wspolna 6, 00-522 Warsaw 53, Poland.
Tel: (48-22) 6257040, Fax: (48-22) 6254357, Website: http://www.osce.org

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has established an Inter-American Programme for a comprehensive approach to Human Rights, emphasizing three areas:

Education and Training in Human Rights:

Contact:
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (OAS), 1889 F St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20006, USA.
Tel: (1-202) 458-6002, Fax: (1-202) 458-3992, Website: http://www.cidh.org

EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY BY NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTES

AFRICAN CENTRE FOR DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS STUDIES

Contact:
African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies - Kairaba Avenue, K.S.M.D., The Gambia.
Tel: (220) 394525, Fax: (220) 394962, Email: acdhrs@Commit.gm

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (AI)
In the context of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration, Amnesty International has taken action to: Invite people worldwide to make a personal pledge to the principles defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Work on behalf of human rights defenders who have been targets of human rights abuses due to their efforts to uphold the rights outlined in the Universal Declaration. It is in the context of this effort that AI established Get Up, Sign Up! Under this campaign individuals are asked to sign a text committing them to making a personal effort to uphold the principles of the Universal Declaration. The signatures collected are touring the world in 1998. Members of AI in more than one hundred countries are taking the Get Up, Sign Up! initiative to their respective countries. Each country is hosting an event in support of the Universal Declaration where signatures for the Get Up, Sign Up!campaign will be collected. For example, AI France has despatched a bus throughout France and Belgium to collect signatures and to provide people with educational material in regard to the Universal Declaration. Each person who signs onto Get Up, Sign Up! will be given a copy of the Universal Declaration with suggestions as to how they might help human rights defenders. People may also join the Get Up, Sign Up!campaign through the AI website.

Contact:
Amnesty International - 1 Easton Street, London, United Kingdom, WC1X 8DJ.
Tel: (44-171) 4135500, Fax: (44-171) 9561157.
Website: http://www.amnesty.excite.com, Email: amnestyis@gn.apc.org
or amnesty-is@mcr1.geonet.de

ARAB INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (AIHR)
The Arab Institute for Human Rights is initiating activities to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration. These actions are to be implemented in cooperation with the Arab Lawyers Union, the Arab Organization of Human Rights and other Arab and African national and regional organizations as well as with international bodies.

Proposals to Parliaments, Governments and Municipalities:
Parliaments:
Creation of parliamentary groups for the promotion and protection of human rights in accordance with the Recommendation of the Inter-parliamentary Council (London, 9 September 1998);
Governments:
1.Accession to non-ratified human rights instruments;
2. Creation of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights such as Ombudsmen or National Commissions for the promotion and protection of human rights;
3. Creation of national committees for human rights education;
4. Inclusion of human rights in university programmes, particularly in faculties of law;
5. Inclusion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in primary and secondary school programmes;
6. Republication and distribution of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for children (edited by the AIHR);
7. The setting up of human rights libraries in secondary schools and institutions of higher learning;
8. Encouragement for the creation of human rights students' clubs;
9. The release of special stamps dedicated to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
10. Media coverage of special programmes and places dedicated to human rights; Municipalities:
1. Inauguration of "10 December 1948" streets in capitals, main cities and towns.
Proposals to regional inter-governmental organizations:
The Arab League Education, Culture and Sciences Organisation:
1. To convene an Arab Ministers of Education conference "For the Promotion of a Human Rights Culture".

Conferences:

Research Projects:
"Rights of the Press in the Arab Countries";

Training courses:
1. Workshop-conference: "Methods and Tools for teaching the Universal Declaration of Human Rights";
2. Training course on Human Rights education addressing professors of schools of higher learning;
3. Human rights training course for Arab journalists;
4. National human rights training course in Libya;
5. National human rights training course in Koweït;
6. IXth annual Arab human rights training course "Anabtaoui IX;"
7. Human rights training course for Arab Trade Unionists;

Creation of infrastructures and institutions:
1. Creation of an "Arab Fund for Human Rights Education;"
2. Creation of a regional structure for coordinating human rights organizations;
3. Creation of national structures for coordinating human rights organizations;
4. Development of the regional network of committees of human rights education within national human rights non-governmental organizations;

Cultural instruments:
1. Publication of a special issue of the Arab Review of Human Rights dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
2. Publication of a special issue of Assahifa dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
3. Production of a film about human rights;
4. The issue of posters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
5. Publication of a compilation of Arab proverbs and citations relating to human rights;
6. Publication of human rights education guidebooks;
Competitions and awards:
1. Award for the best university work on human rights;
2. Award of excellence for media covering of human rights issues;
3. Arab primary schools' art competition (drawing);
4. Arab high schools' art competition (painting);
5. Award for "poetry for human rights;"
6. Arab competition for the best theatre work on human rights;
7. Competition for sculpture depicting a human rights theme;
Campaign of solidarity with oppressed peoples:
Urge the United Nations Organization and all States to respect the Rights of Peoples to Peace, Freedom and Justice;
Miscellaneous:
1. Development and production of pins;
2. Organization of sports competitions and cultural and artistic manifestations commemorating 10 December.
Contact:
Arab Institute for Human Rights - 10, Rue Ibn Massoud (Via rue El Moez), El Manzah, 1004 Tunis.
Tel: (216 1) 767 889/767 003, Fax: (216 1) 750 911. Email: AIHR@GN.APC.ORG
ASIAN REGIONAL RESOURCE CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION (ARRC)
1. Training:
ARRC will conduct the Training of Trainers (TOT) on a subregional basis and a special Training Course for teachers in Human Rights Education Curriculum Building:
- South Asian TOT for NGO Activists, May 21-25, Kathmandu, Nepal;
- Indo-China Peace Education and Human Rights TOT workshop, September 21-26 Phnom Penh, Cambodia;
- Special regional training on curriculum building: integrating human rights education into formal education, November, Thailand.
2. Publications:
- Second publication of New Directory of Human Rights Education in Asia and the Pacific Region, October 1998;
- Updated lists of Human Rights Education Material in the Region, December 1998.
3. Campaign in Support of the UN Decade for Human Rights Education -UNDHRE: - Regional visual arts competition for children on the CRC: culminating activity in October 1998, Thailand;
- First National Consultation of HRE organizations in Cambodia, September 1998;
- To co-organize, with Forum-Asia, the National Consultation of Thailand, UNDHRE National Plan of Action, June 1998.
4. Documentation Centre:
The ARRC quarterly bulletin entitled "ARRC Post" frequently publishes a special feature on the Human Rights Education initiatives of individuals and organizations advocating Human Rights Education in the region.
5. Further Initiatives:
- Will continue to collect and disseminate information on HRE material;
- ARRC homepage in the making;
- Promotion of the networking of HRE experts in the region.
Contact:
Asian Regional Resource Center For Human Rights Education (ARRC) - 494 Ladprao 101 Road, Klongchan, Bangkapi, Bangkok 10240, Thailand. Postal Address: PO Box 26, Bungthonglang,10242 Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: (66-2) 3779357; 3702701, Fax: (66-2) 7312216. Email: acfodbkk@ksc15.th.com
ASOCIACION LATINOAMERICANA PARA LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS (ALDHU)
ALDHU organizes human rights education and training programmes for various target groups in Latin America and the Caribbean, namely:
1. The armed forces, prison officials, security forces, the police:
ALDHU is implementing a five-year human rights training programme for the armed forces in Ecuador, Paraguay and Chile; a nine-year training programme for the police in Ecuador and relevant workshops involving police and citizen representatives; recently, a training programme for prison officials;
2. Members of the legal profession (magistrates, judges, attorneys, law students and others):
Training programmes are carried out in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Ecuador; a training programme on the gender dimension for female judges and lawyers in Ecuador and Bolivia and a reform project for criminal law systems have also been developed;
3. Indigenous communities:
ALDHU has developed the "Protection of Amazon" Programme which includes: socio-cultural empowerment, capacity-building for bilingual human rights education, development of media and research facilities, organization strengthening, environmental protection and sustainable development research.
ALDHU has a page which is released in newspapers in more than 8 countries and on the Internet, and the organization has signed an institutional agreement with the Latin American Press Association; in addition, ALDHU is involved in the implementation of an academic course on Security and Democracy.
Contact:
Asociacion Latinamericana Para los Derechos Humanos (ALDHU) - Rumipamba 862 y Av. República, Apartado 17-07-9296, Quito, Ecuador.
Tel: (593-2) 433991 or 433890, Fax: (593-2) 445921.

CAIRO INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS STUDIES (CIHRS)
Collaboration with UNESCO:
CIHRS has contributed to the UNESCO preliminary draft of the "Manual for Human Rights Education" and is planning to hold two workshops to evaluate this draft at the request of UNESCO;
"Human Rights Education and Religious Tolerance": at the invitation of UNESCO, Bahey El-Din Hassan, CIHRS' Director, will give a presentation on this theme on 19 October 1998 within a UNESCO panel on "Human Rights Education: Building a Universal Culture of Human Rights".

Human Rights Training:
CIHRS' second annual Regional Arab Training Course will focus, this year, on "Monitoring the Implementation of Economic and Social Rights". It will be attended by participants from several Arab human rights NGOs;
The 5th annual Summer Educational Course on Human Rights for university students: a two-month course.

Human Rights Education Research Projects:
A research project entitled "Evaluation of al Azhar's (religious education) Curricula from a Human Rights Perspective" has been undertaken. This work commenced in 1996 and is scheduled to be completed by mid 1998;
CIHRS will issue, this year, a reference text for teachers and school students entitled "The Egyptians' Wisdom," a review of the social and cultural history of Egypt with particular emphasis on the need to nourish the spirit of RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE and acceptance of the other.

Consultation, Dissemination and Promotion:
CIHRS provides consultations on human rights training courses for:
1. regional institutions such as the Arab Institute for Human Rights and the Middle East Council of Churches;
2. Egyptian institutions such as human rights NGOs, churches and development NGOs as well as the Sudanese Human Rights Organization;
CIHRS offers lectures to churches, developmental and human rights NGOs, where it distributes, free of charge, hundreds of copies of its handbook "An Introduction to Understanding the Human Rights System";
The Cinema Club for Human Rights offers a monthly film presentation which is open to the public. Every session usually concludes with a discussion of the film from a human rights perspective;
CIHRS continues to publish articles on human rights education in its periodical journal "Rawaq Arabi" and its bulletin "Sawasiah."

Women's Rights Education:
Following the translation into Arabic of the "Manual on Women's Rights" by the Center for Women's Global Leadership, CIHRS will hold two Arab regional workshops to train trainers;
CIHRS will organize a workshop to review the results and recommendations of its study on human rights education with special emphasis on CEDAW and CRC in Egyptian law schools;
CIHRS is exploring proposed activities (training, research and competitions) for students and teaching staff on CEDAW and CRC.

Contact:
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies - P.O. Box 117 (Maglis El-Shaab), Cairo, Egypt. Tel: (20- 2) 3533715 or 3551112, Fax: (20-2) 3554200. Email: CIHRS@idsc.gov.eg
CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION (CHRF)
Annual International Human Rights Training Programme (IHRTP): this will take place from June 21 - July 10, 1998 at John Abbott College, Ste-Anne de-Bellevue (Québec);
Regional Programmes:
Asia - Women Migrant Workers:
- a session on training for labour attachés (Manila, Philippines, 28-29 May 1998);
- a workshop by migrant workers' organizations on the International Labour Organization (Manila, Philippines, November 1998);
Central and Eastern Europe - Refugees and Migration:
- a workshop on interaction between government structures and NGOs on forced migration issues in Southern Russia (Stavropol, Russia, September 1998);
- a training session for trainers developing human rights education programmes for adults in the non-formal sector (Kyiv, Russia, November 1998);
Africa - Women's Rights:
- a week of activities on Women's Rights in Africa, bringing together representatives of Canadian and African women's rights organizations (Montréal-Québec-Ottawa, Canada, June 1998);
- a panel discussion on the implementation of women's rights in Africa prepared and presented by the African organizations taking part in the week of activities (Montréal-Québec, Canada, June 1998);
Programmes by National Institutions:
- a regional training session for official human rights institutions (Tagaytay, Philippines, 8-13 February 1998);
- a round table discussion involving Canadian governmental and non-governmental organizations, entitled: "Working with National Human Rights Institutions Overseas: The Role of Canadian Expertise and Resources" (Ottawa, Canada, 5-6 March 1998);
- a training for trainers session organized jointly with the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas Ham) in order to draft human rights training programmes for the army, the police, religious leaders, educators and NGOs (Jakarta, Indonesia, 12-19 May 1998);
50th Anniversary Conferences - Canada
- The Internet and Human Rights (Montréal, Canada, 17-19 September 1998)
Contact:
Canadian Human Rights Foundation - 1425 René-Lévesque Blvd. West, Suite 307, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3G 1T7
Tel: (1-514) 9540382, Fax: (1-514) 9540659. Email: chrf@vir.com
COMISION DE DERECHOS HUMANOS DE EL SALVADOR (CDHES)
This non-governmental organization is active in three main areas: assistance to victims of torture, legal assistance - including investigations on human rights violations - and human rights education in connection with which, in 1992, the organization initiated a programme for human rights promotion, education and training: this has led to the development of a country-wide network of more than 500 human rights trainers. Among the main activities of CDHES for 1998/1999 are:
- the training of trainers;
- promoting special events for the 50th Anniversary (namely, the "Crusade for Human Rights Education" in the squares of the main cities of El Salvador);
- organizing basic human rights courses for community leaders, local authorities, university students and members of gay organizations;
- coordinating courses targeted at detainees and prison personnel.
Contact:
Comisión de Derechos Humanos de El Salvador (CDHES), Urbanización La Esperanza, Pasaje 1, n.119, San Salvador, El Salvador
Tel. and Fax: (503) 2259906, 2250086 and 2260404.
DONETSK HUMAN RIGHTS SCHOOL (DHRS)
At present DHRS is involved in the following activities:
jointly with the Department of Education of Donetsk Regional State Administration: DHRS is laying the groundwork for a large-scale experiment with respect to civic education in schools and universities;
the preparation of a series of television programmes on the regional television channel on human rights and civic education; in addition, DHRS envisages a special programme devoted to the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10th December 1998;
for September 1998, DHRS is organizing the IV International Summer School "Education - for Human Rights". DHRS has already received applications for the summer school from potential participants representing 10 CIS and Eastern European countries;
the convening of a scientific conference devoted to the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Contact:
Donetsk Human Rights School - 96 Artema Str., Donetsk, Ukraine 340050.
Tel. and Fax: (380-622) 37 56 88.
EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL (EI)
The activities of EI are focused on education; more specifically, on the right of all children to receive free and compulsory education as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the right of teachers and education workers to freedom of association. The continuing focus of EI's work in the field of Human Rights is on:
Child Labour:
Best practices in 13 countries have been fully researched and material developed for use in mobilizing teachers and their organizations to work towards ending child labour. EI considers education to be a critical component in the elimination of child labour. EI is also one of the sponsor organization's for the Global March against Child Labour and participates in the trade union task force for the elimination of child labour;
Indigenous Educators:
Three forums (in the Latin American, Asia Pacific, North American and Caribbean regions) have been held with indigenous educators to facilitate addressing their concerns in regard to education. EI has also participated in the Working Group on Indigenous Populations and will have a delegation at the Working Group in 1998 as the theme is education;
Racism, Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia:
A conference on "Democratic Societies: Living and Learning Together" was held in Bled, Slovenia in November of 1997. This offered the opportunity for teacher leaders from countries in Central and Eastern Europe to participate in discussions concerning the rights of minorities in education. Representatives from each country developed plans for programmes which would be carried out by the teachers' unions. A follow-up conference scheduled for the year 2000 will evaluate the progress made in each country and develop further work plans. Also following the 1997 conference was a meeting held with representatives of the teachers' unions of Serbia (ATUESCPY), and Kosovo (SPASHK). During this meeting, a letter demanding the re-opening of schools in Kosovo was drafted for transmission to President Milosevic and Dr. Rugova;
Women and Human Rights:
Following the UN Fourth World Conference for Women (Beijing, 1995), EI began a series of training workshops for women to address the political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights of women and girls. Training materials were developed on various topics including that of the Education and Training of Women and Girls;
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
EI has worked with primary and secondary school teachers in this region to facilitate the re-establishment of education unions and to encourage these unions to be active in debates on educational reform. EI is of the opinion that schools play a critical role in educating people as to the rights of and respect for different ethnic groups in society;
EI Calendar and Publications:
EI produces a calendar annually on a special theme. In 1997 the theme was "Children's Rights" while this year's theme is "the Right to Equality of Treatment". EI publications frequently carry articles on human rights issues. In addition to this, materials for human rights training for teachers and their unions have been developed. EI publications and material relating to human rights may also be accessed via their website (http://www.ei-ie.org). They encourage members to provide them with information on current activities for the promotion of schools in the context of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration.
Contact:
Education International - 155, boulevard Emile-Jacqmains (8), Brussels, Belgium, 1210.
Tel: (32-2) 2240611, Fax: (32-2) 2240606. Website: http://www.education.unesco.org/ei - Email: educint@infoboard.be
FOODFIRST INFORMATION AND ACTION NETWORK (FIAN)
FIAN, as a human rights organisation, has made human rights education and the promotion of a universal culture of human rights its mandate. In 1998, the FIAN International Secretariat intends to participate in the following events concerning human rights:
- A basic human rights seminar with CBOs (Uttar Pradesh and Rajastan, India);
- Two human rights education seminars with NGOs in October (Luknow, India and Bangladesh);
- Promotion of a human rights education curriculum with lawyers and universities (FIAN - Tamilnadu);
- Meeting to install FIAN (Goiania, Brasil).
Contact:
FoodFirst Information and Action Network (FIAN) - P.O. Box 10 22 43, Heidelberg, Germany 69012.
Tel: (49-6221) 830620, Fax: (49-6221) 830 545, Email: FIAN-IS@OLN.comlink.aoc.org
FOUNDATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE (FHRI)
During 1998, FHRI envisages, inter alia, the implementation of the following programmes and activities in the field of human rights education:
Paralegal training: the objective is to empower community leaders at the grass roots with basic knowledge in human rights and the law. In 1998, this training will extend to two new districts of Uganda, namely Masindi and Luweero; further, FHRI will continue to provide support services to its trained paralegals;
Publications: in 1998, FHRI will publish three issues of "The Human Rights Dateline", two issues of "The Defender" and two issues of "The Prisons Update";
Radio Programme: for utilization of the media as a tool for educating the general populace about human rights. During 1998, FHRI will offer a total of 56 broadcasts of fifteen minutes each in both English and Luaganda on the National Radio;
Drama: designed to increase awareness and knowledge of human rights issues by the public, it has proven to be a very effective tool in adult education. In 1994, FHRI commissioned a locally known drama group, the Bakayimbira Drama Actors, to produce the play "The Police Sergeant". This is a twentieth century drama that epitomizes the UDHR and provides various scenarios depicting the social and political controversies and difficulties of observing human rights in a modern African state. In 1998, FHRI will continue to have this play screened on national television. In addition, FHRI intends to contract a local troupe to write another play depicting prison conditions and the rights of prisoners;
Conflict resolution: this was devised to contribute to the peace-making process in the Great Lakes region and to educate the masses about the need for peace. In 1998, FHRI envisages the holding of a regional conference for creating a culture of universal observance of human rights and fostering peace in the Great Lakes region;
Human Rights and Democracy Resource Center: designed to be a focal point for the production and dissemination of human rights information in Uganda, the Resource Center will, in 1993, establish a website and add relevant human rights reference material to its current stock;
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB): the objective is to provide free counselling, legal advice, as well as guidance and referral services to victims of human rights abuse. In 1998, FHRI will continue to provide legal aid services to the marginalized sections of the community. Legal Aid Camps will be put in place to assist those who cannot easily access CAB offices in Kampala. In addition, CAB services will be extended to detainees in police cells and army detention centres;
Penal Reform: this was developed to provide a platform for advocacy for the improvement of prison conditions and the reform of penal laws in Uganda. During 1998, the Penal Reform Project Co-ordinator will visit penal institutions throughout Uganda regularly and train prison staff in community service and the standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners. FHRI also intends to spearhead the ongoing public education campaign on Community Service as an alternative to Custodial Sentences. FHRI will continue to sit on the National Committee for Community Service in Uganda;
Legal Resources Programme: this was developed to empower the people of Uganda by assisting them to identify and utilize effective avenues of legal and quasi-legal redress for human rights violations;
Judicial Officers Training Initiative (JOTI): this programme will provide specialized training for judges, magistrates, prosecutors, police officials and selected legal practitioners in the area of human rights and constitutional law. This is intended to accelerate the judicial process and to ensure that the decisions arrived at on substantive human rights issues reflect courage, candour and independence. The resultant clear and cogent decisions should provide helpful guidance to citizens, government officials and relevant governmental mechanisms; Constitutional Rights Litigation Unit (CRLU): a programme developed to advance the goals of greater accountability in Government, greater independence of the judiciary and greater respect for human rights and constitutionalism in Uganda. In 1998, this programme will scrutinize issues of a constitutional nature and will underpin the regional conference to introduce the concept of public interest litigation to all stake holders, (May 1998):
Human Rights Monitoring Project: this is designed to monitor human rights observance by the state and all its organs nationwide. Its findings will be published and disseminated in an annual human rights report to be produced in January of each year. It is expected that this report will enhance awareness of human rights and lead to the subsequent development of practical and coordinated strategies for the realization of these rights;
Public Lectures and Networking: during this year FHRI will present papers intended to promote human rights education in the context of public lectures, workshops and seminars. In 1998, FHRI envisages increased collaboration with other individuals, organizations, government departments and the media with a view to enhancing public understanding of current human rights concerns and issues.
Contact:
Foundation for Human Rights Initiative - Plot 77 Makerere Hill Road, P.O. Box 11027, Kampala, Uganda.
Tel: (256-41) 530095, Fax: (256-41) 540561, Email: FHRI@Starcom.co.ug
FRANKLIN AND ELEANOR ROOSEVELT INSTITUTE
The Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute has initiated a major national campaign to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At the centre of this education and advocacy campaign is a national human rights Action Agenda that the Institute successfully negotiated with the participation of a diverse group of organizations drawn from a broad cross-section of civil society. The campaign theme - IN YOUR HANDS - echoes Eleanor Roosevelt's belief that "the destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities."
The coalition has established an interactive website for the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Universal Declaration. The site offers information, news, a calendar of activities, and opportunities for advocacy throughout the anniversary year. An interactive, historical overview of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is provided for educators, organizers, activists and students. The site also profiles each member of the coalition and provides a web link. A human rights education section, complete with document library, adds to the site's extensive resources.
The coalition has also prepared a community action guide called "In Your Hands" for the anniversary. The guide offers 'fifty actions for the fiftieth' - based on the coalition's action agenda. These activities, aimed at ending human rights violations, can be undertaken by local chapters of national organizations, by schools, churches and other community groups. The booklet will be distributed to community organizations throughout the United States. Other resources include a National Human Rights Speakers' Bureau and email lists for news and action alerts (open to subscribers throughout the world).
Contact:
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute - 801 Second Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY, 10017, USA.
Tel: (1-212) 907 1332, Fax: (1-212) 682 9185. Website: http://www.udhr50.org
HONG KONG HUMAN RIGHTS MONITOR
The following initiatives have been undertaken by the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor:
The launching, in 1998, of the world's first Chinese language database of human rights treaties on the Internet: The Monitor is developing the world's first Chinese language database of human rights treaties on the Internet in response to the need of Chinese readers worldwide for easy access to such information. The database will include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and more than a hundred other international and regional human rights treaties or instruments in both elaborate and simplified Chinese forms;
UN human rights teaching guide in Chinese made available to all schools in Hong Kong: The elaborate Chinese character version of the UN booklet "Teaching Human Rights: Practical Activities for Primary and Secondary Schools", jointly printed by The Monitor and Amnesty International Hong Kong Section, will be distributed to all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. The Monitor will publish human rights booklets on different topics (racial discrimination, freedom of association, police power) to promote human rights education in Hong Kong. In addition, Chinese booklets previously published by the Monitor ("What are Human Rights", "The ABC on Freedom of Demonstration", "The Rule of Law and You", etc.) will be updated and reprinted as soon as possible;
Commemoration seminars: The Monitor will hold a series of seminars for both the public and activists to promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Contact:
Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor - Room 104, First Floor, Corn Yan Centre, 3 Jupiter Street, North Point, Hong Kong.
Tel: (852) 28114488, Fax: (852) 28026012, Email: : HKHRM@HKNET.COM, Website: http://MEMBERS.HKNET.COM/~HKHRM
HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION CENTRE OF CHARLES UNIVERSITY
The Human Rights Education Centre of Charles University plans to undertake and pursue the following initiatives:
- chairing and developing the long-term educational project: "Education for the culture of Human Relations in the Multiethnic Society of Central and Eastern Europe;
- a project: "Education for Human Rights in Secondary Schools for the Police;"
- jointly with the Foundation HUMANITAS-PROFES, publication of the human rights education workbook for secondary and primary school teachers "First Steps;" a copy of the manual "The History of the Jews in the Czech Republic" will also be included;
- the Foundation HUMANITAS-PROFES, in collaboration with several Romany NGOs, will develop a project for improving the approach of Roma Children to education;
- the in-service training of teachers for human rights education; in April (15-17), the Human Rights Education workshop for the headmasters and principals of secondary schools;
- organizing, jointly with the co-operating organization abroad for students from secondary schools, the "International Festival of Tolerance"(in Terezín, a former concentration camp, 30 April /4 May);
- participating as authors in the civic education textbooks project (May 1998).
Contact:
Human Rights Education Centre of Charles University - Revolucini 26, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic.
Tel: (420-2) 2324147 or 24811417, Fax: (420-2) 24811239.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (HRW)
The 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the 20th Anniversary of Human Rights Watch, provide a special platform for the activities associated with the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival (HRWIFF) in 1998. In 1998, the HRWIFF will be held from June 12th to 25th at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater in New York. The main themes for this year's festival will be determined by many of the issues on which the different departments of Human Rights Watch are focusing. As in previous years, HRW staff will be invited to speak following the film screening pertaining to their region or focus. The New York festival will also host a retrospective focusing on the work of Iranian Filmmaker, Dariush Mehrjui, in November 1998. In addition to the New York festival, the HRWIFF will travel to various North American and European centres. The HRIWFF will also offer 13 hours of programming to be broadcast nationally within the U.S. as a co-presentation with Free Speech TV (a national programming service to bring progressive ideas and perspectives to diverse communities throughout the U.S.) and PBS (the Public Broadcasting System within the U.S.) in November and December of this year. The series is tentatively titled "Just Solutions: Campaigning for Human Rights." Abroad, the HRWIFF is establishing a collaborative project for programming documentary and fiction films from past festivals with Internews Serbia (a satellite channel in Serbia) and RAI Sat 1 (the new arts television Satellite channel in Italy), to develop a tailored showcase of HRWIFF films from the past two years for possible broadcast during 1998. The success of the aforementioned HRWIFF film presentations stimulated HRW, in conjunction with the Center for Children and Technology, to develop a proposal to include the HRWIFF in the high school curriculum.
Contact:
Human Rights Watch International Film Festival (HRWIFF) - Human Rights Watch - 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor, New York, NY, 10118, United States of America.
Tel: (1-212) 216 1264, Fax: (1-212) 736 1300. Website: http://www.hrw.org
HURIGHTS OSAKA
The Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center, or HURIGHTS OSAKA, has adopted a regional (Asia-Pacific) programme for commemorating the UN Decade for Human Rights Education. As a means of promoting the Decade, HURIGHTS OSAKA intends to make the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the focus of 1998. It will be conducting the following activities:
- promoting the 50th Anniversary of the UDHR in its newsletters (FOCUS Asia-Pacific, HURIGHTS OSAKA) and other publications;
- sub-regional workshops (Southeast, South and Northeast Asia) on human rights education in schools in Asia;
- a regional workshop to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of UDHR in Osaka, Japan;
- preparation of two publications on the Asian experience in developing human rights education as a component of the school programme;
- dissemination of the book "Human Rights in Asian Cultures - Continuity and Change," a research report endorsing the UN Decade for Human Rights Education. It was published by HURIGHTS OSAKA in December 1997;
- an international meeting and a symposium to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of UDHR in November in Osaka, Japan in cooperation with IMADR-JC, the Buraku Liberation League, the Central Committee on UDHR and other human rights NGOs.
Contact:
HURIGHTS Osaka - Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center - 1-2-1-1500 Benten, Minato-ku, Osaka, Japan, 522.
Tel: (81-6) 5773578, Fax: (81-6) 5773583. Email: QQ4C-FJMT@asahi-net.or.jp
INFORMAL SECTOR SERVICE CENTRE (INSEC)
INSEC has developed forums for discussing human rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The inclusion of a discussion involving persons from differing social strata was considered useful for a review of the Universal Declaration as a means of assessing how people view the impact of the Universal Declaration on and its relevance to their lives. The discussion is expected to facilitate the development of strategies for the effective implementation of the provisions of the Universal Declaration. In addition, this forum would prove useful in examining the degree to which States have adhered to their international commitments. These forums would be implemented at the grass roots, national and international levels. INSEC has also devised a separate programme on Thematic Discussions which are intended to foster interactions between grass-roots activists, professionals and experts in related fields.
Contact:
Informal Sector Service Centre - P.O. Box 2726, Kalanki, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Tel: (997-1) 2270770 or 278770, Fax: (997-1) 270551. Email: insec@mos.com.np
INSTITUT INTERNATIONAL DES DROITS DE L'HOMME
The International Institute of Human Rights is organizing its 29th annual Study Session in international and comparative human rights law (Strasbourg, 6-31 July 1998). The theme for this year's session is: "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights - 50 years on: achievements and prospects for the XXIst century." Parallel to the Study Session, the International Centre for Teaching Human Rights at the University Level (CIEDHU) offers university professors, assistant professors and researchers an intensive study programme which is designed to help them develop specialized research and teaching in the field of human rights in their universities or centres. In addition, a two-week Human Rights Pedagogical Training Session is offered to "train the trainers"(Strasbourg, 13-24 July 1998).
Contact:
Institut International des Droits des l'Homme - 2, allée Zaepfel, 67000, Strasbourg, France. Tel: (33- 388) 458445, Fax: (33-388) 458450.
INSTITUTO PERUANO DE EDUCACION EN DERECHOS HUMANOS Y LA PAZ (IPEDEHP)
The Institute participates in two important networks for human rights education at the national level: it is a founding member of the Red Peruana de Educación en Derechos Humanos - an entity comprising several national organizations - and a member of the National Board of Directors of the Coordinatora Nacional de Derechos Humanos del Perú. The following are some of the activities for 1998:
- developing information material for teachers including the text of the Universal Declaration - and organizing activities in schools;
- training of 300 trainers, who are participating in a community-level campaign on the 50th Anniversary (this project is being carried out in cooperation with the Ombudsman's Office);
- a national campaign on the 50th Anniversary targeting the youth in particular through such activities such as concerts, the production of a CD, essay and painting competitions, etc.
Contact:
Instituto Peruano de Educación en Derechos Humanos y la Paz (IPEDEPH), Santo Domingo144, Jesus Maria, Lima 11, Perú.
Tel. and Fax: (51-1) 4633064 and 4606759.
INTER-AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS
The Inter-American Institute of Human Rights is undertaking, in 1998, a wide diversity of human rights education, training and public information activities. The activities, conducted in the Caribbean and Latin American regions, include the Annual "Curso Interdisciplinario en Derechos Humanos" (June 1998), regional courses on human rights (Caribbean, June 1998, and Andean Region, November 1998), training courses for various targets (the police, the armed forces, NGOs and indigenous communities), conferences and seminars. A special training programme for legal professionals, "Apoyo a la Administración de Justicia en América Latina", is also taking place this year. In addition, the Institute publishes a newsletter, information material, various human rights publications and education tools.
Contact:
Inter-American Institute of Human Rights - Apartado Postal 10081, San Jose, Costa Rica, 1000.
Tel: (506) 2340404 or 2340405, Fax: (506) 2340955. Website: http://www.iidh.id.cr
INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM (IMADR)
IMADR attaches great importance to human rights education in its overall activities which include the promotion of the rights of persons subjected to racism or discrimination, and for the creation of a human rights culture. In 1998, IMADR plans to carry out the following activities relevant to human rights education:
Conference in Japan:
IMADR and its Japan committee will host a conference from November 25th to 27th in Japan. The goal of this conference is to promote both the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education and the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Proposed themes for the conference include: how to proceed with national plans of action for human rights education; promotion of human rights education for the police and armed forces; promotion of human rights education at the grass roots level; promotion of human rights education in schools as well as in the private sector and the media;
Other meetings:
The seventh annual Human Rights Seminar is to be held in June 1998 in Osaka, Japan, on the theme of: "Promoting the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education and the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;"
Publications:
It is anticipated that two publications will be available in 1998: 1) Volume 12 of the IMADR-JC annual publication "Human Rights and the World Today" entitled "Toward the Promotion of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education as well as the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (in Japanese only) and 2) "Trafficking in Women in Asia: from Recognition to Response - A Reference Manual for Public Officials and Private Citizens."
Cooperative Activities with Other Organizations:
In cooperation with the Central Conference for the Joint Struggle of Buraku Liberation, IMADR-JC will call for the public contribution of posters and catchwords to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. IMADR-JC also collaborates with the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center on the Regional Human Rights Education Programme. Also, a series of workshops will be held in Asia at the sub-regional and regional levels between March and October 1998.
Contact:
International Movement against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism, 3-5-11 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 106.
Tel: (81-3) 35867447, Fax: (81-3) 35867462. Email: imadrun@iprolink.ch
LAW - THE PALESTINIAN SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
In the context of commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, LAW-The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment - is organizing a cultural competition for Palestinian artists as a means of strengthening the awareness and development of Palestinian cultural rights. The objectives of the contest, as explained by LAW, are to encourage the preservation and development of Palestinian culture, record the Palestinian national and historical experience through cultural expression, and promote human rights values in the Palestinian community. Palestinian artists will be asked to submit works of art recording some aspect of the Palestinian experience over the past 50 years in any of the following five fields: the performing arts; music; literature; sculpture and painting. The artists' works will be judged by an independent panel of five Palestinian cultural experts, and awards will be given to the five best in each category. All entries will be displayed during an international conference which LAW is organizing for June 1998.
Contact:
LAW - the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment - PO Box 20873, Jerusalem, via Israel.
Tel: (972-2) 5812364 or 5824559, Fax: (972-2) 5811072. Email: lawe@netvision.net, Website: http://www.birzeit.edu/lawe

MARANGOPOULOS FOUNDATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights has published a book entitled "Equality and Development: Fifty Years of U.N. Contribution to their Evolution", a compilation of the proceedings of an international conference on the "UN and Human Rights, Development and Equality", co-organized with the University of Athens, held in Athens from 11-12 December 1995 and which will be updated to January 1998. Other undertakings of the Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights include:
- "Aspects of Academic Freedom," an international colloquy co-organized with the University of Paris-Sud (Paris, autumn 1998);
- "New Technologies, Crime and Human Rights," an international colloquy (Athens, autumn 1998);
- "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Contemporary Perspectives," a colloquy (Athens, early to mid December 1998).
Contact:
Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights - 1 rue Lycavittou, Athens, Greece 106 72. Tel: (301) 3637455, Fax: (301) 3622454.
MEMORIAL - INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL AND EDUCATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND CHARITY SOCIETY
Activities for 1998 include:
- a weekly radio programme: "Democracy, liberty and human rights" (Radio "Russia");
- developing a series of international seminars and conferences on the history of the development of the interaction between the totalitarian regimes of the countries of Eastern Europe (Russia - Poland, Russia - Germany are examples);
- the Museum and Library: inclusion of material on the theme: Human Rights: yesterday, today, tomorrow;
- introducing thematic seminars on the situation of human rights in the former USSR.
Contact:
Memorial - International Historical and Educational Human Rights and Charity Society - Maly Karetnyi Pereulok 12, Moscow, Russia, 103051.
Tel: (7-95) 2991180, Fax: (7-95) 9732094.
MILAN SIMECKA FOUNDATION
Activities for 1998 include:
- human rights education for both basic and secondary school teachers - 10 training workshops;
- human rights education for secondary school students - 6 training workshops;
- introduction of a human rights education component into a University course - 6 training workshops;
- a series of articles on human rights - in both national and regional media.
Contact:
Milan Simecka Foundation - Hviezdoslavovo n8m. 17, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Tel/ Fax: (42 7) 5333 552, Email: msf@mbox.bts.sk
NORWEGIAN HUMAN RIGHTS HOUSE
At the Norwegian Human Rights House "Dugnad 98" is in session. "Dugnad 98" was established in 1995, in the context of the commemorative activities for the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Thirty NGOs have been working together with governmental institutions on activities associated with the anniversary and the UN Decade for Human Rights Education:
- All schools are asked to take part in the commemoration by focusing on Human Rights in their work this year;
- Through the Minister of Education and in co-operation with partners in "Dugnad 98", a package of general information and suggestions is sent to all schools in the country;
- Many of the organizations will offer courses on human rights for teachers;
- Material, such as books, is being produced for use both this year and later;
- On December 10th there will be an opening ceremony for a festival to be held from December 10-13. Throughout the country, at schools, kindergartens and wherever people are at work, they will be invited to stop work and take part in the ceremony;
- During the festival discussions, concerts, presentations of children's and artists' works, marches, exhibitions, etc. will be organized.
Contact:
The Norwegian Human Rights House - Urtegata 50, 0187, Oslo, Norway.
Tel: (47) 22571220, Fax: (47) 22570088, Email: nhrh@online.no
OPEN EDUCATION CENTRE
1. National activities include:
- Preparation of a Human Rights Manual for High Schools;
- Organization of Olympic Games in a Human Rights Regional Competition (October/November) and National Competition (December);
- Organization of a National Debate Competition on Human Rights (November/December);
- National Human Rights Youth Festival (8-10 December), with the participation of young people from Macedonia and Romania;
- Minting a commemorative coin, National Commission for UNESCO;
- Publishing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Civic Education - Human Rights in small Bulgarian towns - this is a programme concerning comprehensive civic and human rights education in the small Bulgarian towns and cities which are now thought to have been neglected in the different educational campaigns;
- National Seminar - The Right to Health - a basic Human Right (Sofia, April 1998).
2. International activities include:
- Debating for Human Rights - International seminar for teachers under the bursary scheme of the Council of Europe (24-28 May);
- Intercultural Education and Human Rights - international seminar for teachers under the bursary scheme of the Council of Europe (28 May/ 1 June);
- A Balkan Meeting on the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Human Rights and the Fight against Violence in Schools (Sofia, 8-12 June 1998);
- Meeting of the Board of the International Center for Teaching Human Rights, Democracy and a Culture of Peace (18-22 June);
- Summer University course on Human Rights and a Culture of Peace - 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Intercultural Education and Building a Culture of Peace (11-19 July);
- International Meeting "Sites for Citizenship" - under the auspices of the Council of Europe (16-20 September);
- Fourth International Conference under the auspices of UNESCO and the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science - 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Development of School Democracy (16-20 September).
Contact:
Open Education Centre - 31 Dobromir Hriz Street, Sofia 1124, Bulgaria.
Tel/ Fax: (359-2) 9433715 or 9461083. Email: OSFOEM@BGCICT.ACD.BG
PHILIPPINE ALLIANCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES (PAHRA)
During the 6th National Congress of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), one of the major resolutions was to initiate, participate in, and support campaigns celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. All the member organizations of the alliance are preparing for a nationally coordinated campaign for the commemoration.
- International campaign to uphold universality especially in the Asian region, where tendencies towards "Asian values"- oriented rights are being spread by Asian governments;
- Community-based human rights courses are being undertaken in the light of the UN Decade for Human Rights Education. Particular targets are the indigenous peoples of the Philippines, the urban poor vulnerable to sudden evictions, and internally displaced families due to militarization;
- Local policy advocacy work of PAHRA hopes to effect the full institutionalization of human rights education in schools and universities throughout the Philippines.
Contact: Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates - Rm. 403 FMSG Building, Balete Drive cor. 3rd Street, New Manila 1112, Quezon City, Philippines.
Tel: (63-2) 7217814, 7273886 loc.20, Fax: (63- 2) 7217814, Email: pahra@info.com.ph
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION INSTITUTE FOR TURKEY AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Conferences:
- preparations for a comprehensive conference on issues, problems and the level of development of human rights in Turkey including human rights education (10-11 December 1998);
- conference on NGOs and Human Rights Education (September 1998).
Participation and support to governmental agencies and institutions for:
- preparing and conducting human rights education seminars for the education of educators. The existing programme will be implemented on a continuing basis in 1998 for public servants in different ministries;
- effecting the panel discussion on human rights education for high schools and human rights in the family and in schools (15 January 1998);
- radio and television programmes on human rights education;
- education curricula that will include human rights as a course for primary and secondary schools, and the programmes developed for human rights educators by the Ministry of Education.
Publications:
- three handbooks are scheduled for publication in 1998: "Democratisation and Human Rights" by Gencay Saylan; "Political Rights" by Oya Citci; and "The Rights of the Child" by Oya Citci.
Contact:
Public Administration Institute for Turkey and the Middle East - 1 Numarah Cadde No.8, 06100 Yücctepe, Ankara, Turkey.
Tel: (90-312) 231 7360, Fax: (90-312) 231 38 81.
RAOUL WALLENBERG INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law plans to implement and pursue the following initiatives:
- continuation of its academic programmes for the dissemination of human rights standards and democratic values in developing countries, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). In 1998, several national and sub-regional seminars, courses and workshops are scheduled for different countries;
- in collaboration with SIDA, developing advanced academic training programmes in human rights, normally for 25-30 senior officials and academics. In 1998, a course of this kind will run for 5 weeks in Lund with participants from developing countries worldwide. Similar courses of 3-5 weeks duration will also be organized for participants on an individual country basis. Another annual course is focusing on the equal status and human rights of women;
- jointly with the Institute, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers (in the Kluwer Law International) have started two series of publications: each volume of "The Raoul Wallenberg Institute Guides" is a thematic guide to documents on human rights in a particular field. Volumes on human rights and health, and on minority rights are scheduled for publication in 1998. In "The Raoul Wallenberg Institute Guides" series, studies are published on subjects related to the Institute's activities, including a compilation of international human rights instruments. Additional volumes are being compiled for 1998;
- the Institute has started to publish "General Comments or Recommendations adopted by United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies;"
- continuing support to academic law libraries in Africa and Asia: 16 institutions have received donations of books, periodicals and documents on public international law, with the main emphasis on human rights and humanitarian law. More academic institutions in developing countries will be included in this project in 1998. A similar project has also been initiated for criminal justice institutions in developing countries. In 1998, eight institutions will be provided with human rights material relevant to their activities.
Contact:
Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law - P.O. Box 1155, 22105 Lund, Sweden.
Tel: (46 46) 222 1270, Fax: (46 46) 222 1222, Email: secretariat@rwi.lu.se, Website: http:// www.ldc.lu.se/raoul/
TAVOLA DELLA PACE
Tavola della Pace, in close collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre in Italy and the National Coordinating Committee of Local Authorities for Peace, has decided to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by promoting a "National Human Rights Education Campaign." This initiative will involve hundreds of organizations, local and academic institutions and will be put into effect throughout Italy from 10 December 1997 to 10 December 1998 with the following objectives:
- promote an extensive educational campaign throughout the country mainly focused on a more widespread understanding of human rights among the youth and a deeper commitment to uphold those rights;
- extend the network of permanent organizations and institutions at national level concerned with education in and the promotion of peace and human rights;
- promote the inclusion of a peace and human rights education component in the school syllabus at all levels and on a permanent basis;
- strengthen Italy's commitment to promote and defend human rights, within and outside the country and urge the creation of appropriate National Human Rights institutions as encouraged by the UN.
Programme:
Programme initiatives undertaken during Human Rights Year include:
- setting up a secretariat within the Tavola della Pace intended to:
  - successfully activate educational initiatives in all the Town Councils on the theme of peace and human rights;
  - organize a national archive for coordinating and documenting all the initiatives to be carried out in the course of the year;
  - collaborate in distributing material on themes of peace and human rights and the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary;
  - organize the effective cooperation and the exchange of information and documents on a regular basis with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (New York-Geneva), the University of Padua Research and Training Centre on the rights of the individual and of peoples, the United Nations Information Centre in Rome and all other national, European and world institutions involved in the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
- September/November 1998: organization of an "International Forum for a Human Rights Culture and Policy" -Perugia;
- September/November 1998: organization of a National Human Rights meeting in Assisi - presentation of projects developed by schools;
- November 1998: National exhibition of books and videos on human rights and peace- Perugia;
- December 1998: commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Presentation of projects on the theme of Human Rights Year for implementation by schools and other organizations;
- organization of a competition for students with the focus on Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
- dissemination of the proposal "An act of peace in each school" in all schools for the protection of human rights;
- dissemination of the following publications:
  - Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
  - International Covenants on Human Rights;
  - Final declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Human Rights Conference in Vienna;
  - Textbook for students at the primary, secondary and high school levels;
  - An Atlas of Hope (pinpointing the major problems of our time and the organizations involved in promoting human rights in the world);
  - 13 educational charts emphasizing problems linked to the globalization of the economy and to social and economic rights in particular.
Contact:
Tavola della Pace - Via della Viola, 1, 06100 Perugia.
Tel: (39-075) 5736890, Fax: (39-075) 572 1234, Email: mpace@krenet.it, Website: http://www.krenet.it/a/mpace
UNION INTERAFRICAINE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME
L'Union Interafricaine des Droits de l'Homme dispose de deux programmes en matière d' éducation:
- Le premier s'adresse a 7 régions et est essentiellement axé sur des séminaires de formation et d'éducation relatifs aux thèmes spécifiques à chaque région;
- Le deuxième propose l'introduction de l'enseignement des droits de l'être humain dans les programmes éducatifs scolaires.
Contact: Union Interafricaine des Droits de l'Homme - 01 BP 1346 Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso.
Tel: (226) 316145, Fax: (226) 316144.

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Adopted and proclaimed by
General Assembly resolution
217 A (III) of 10 December 1948

Preamble
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now, therefore,
The General Assembly,
Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
Article I
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
Article 5
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
Article 7
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Article 8
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Article 9
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Article 10
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
Article 11
Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
Article 12
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Article 13
Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.
Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
Article 14
Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 15
Everyone has the right to a nationality.
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
Article 16
Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
Article 17
Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Article 18
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article 20
Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
Article 21
Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.
The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
Article 22
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
Article 23
Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article 24
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
Article 25
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
Article 26
Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
Article 27
Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
Article 28
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
Article 29
Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 30
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

UNITED NATIONS DECADE
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION

Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/45
(Adopted without a vote at the 52nd meeting of
the Commission on Human Rights, April 17, 1998)

Guided by the Charter of the UnitedNations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Reaffirming article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in accordance with which education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Recalling the provisions of other international human rights instruments, including article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, that reflect the aims of the aforementioned article,

Taking into account Commission on Human Rights resolution1993/56 of 9March 1993, in which the Commission recommended that knowledge of human rights, both in its theoretical dimension and its practical application, should be established as a priority in education policies,

Believing that each woman, man and child, to realize their full human potential, must be made aware of all their human rights, civil, cultural, economic, political and social,

Believing also that human rights education constitutes an important vehicle for the elimination of gender-based discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities through the promotion and protection of the human rights of women,

Convinced that human rights education should involve more than the provision of information and should constitute a comprehensive life-long process by which people at all levels of development and in all societies learn respect for the dignity of others and the means and methods of ensuring that respect in all societies,

Convinced also that human rights education and information contribute to a concept of development consistent with the dignity of women and men of all ages that takes into account particularly vulnerable segments of society such as children, youth, older persons, indigenous people, minorities, rural and urban poor, migrant workers, refugees, persons with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome infection and disabled persons,

Bearing in mind the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (A/CONF.157/23) adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, in particular Part II, paragraphs 78 to 82 thereof,

Recalling the responsibility of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Human Rights to coordinate relevant UnitedNations education and public information programmes in the field of human rights,

Recalling also GeneralAssembly resolution49/184 of 23 December1994 by which the Assembly proclaimed the 10-year period beginning on 1 January 1995 the UnitedNations Decade for Human Rights Education, welcomed the Plan of Action for the Decade, as contained in the report of the Secretary-General (A/49/261-E/1994/110/Add.1, annex), and requested the UnitedNations HighCommissioner for Human Rights to coordinate the implementation of the Plan of Action,

Noting GeneralAssembly resolution 52/127 of 12 December 1997 by which the Assembly urged all Governments to contribute further to the implementation of the Plan of Action, in particular by establishing, in accordance with national conditions, broadly representative national committees for human rights education responsible for the development of comprehensive, effective and sustainable national plans of action for human rights education and information,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General to the GeneralAssembly on the implementation of the Plan of Action for the UnitedNations Decade on Human Rights Education (A/52/469 and Add.1);

2. Welcomes the steps taken by Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to implement the Plan of Action, and to develop public information activities in the field of human rights, as indicated in the report of the Secretary-General;

3. Urges all Governments to contribute further to the implementation of the Plan of Action, in particular by establishing, in accordance with national conditions, broadly representative national committees for human rights education responsible for the development of comprehensive, effective and sustainable national plans of action for human rights education and information, taking into consideration the guidelines for national plans of action for human rights education, contained in the report of the Secretary-General (A/52/469/Add.1);

4. Also urges Governments to encourage, support and involve national and local non-governmental and community-based organizations in the implementation of their national plans of action;

5. Requests the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Human Rights to accelerate, within existing resources, the implementation of the Plan of Action and, in particular, to encourage and facilitate the establishment of national plans of action for human rights education in Member States in accordance with national conditions;

6. Encourages the Office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to support national capacities for human rights education and information through its technical cooperation programme in the field of human rights, including the organization of training courses and the development of targeted training materials for professional audiences, as well as the dissemination of human rights information materials as a component of technical cooperation projects;

7. Requests human rights monitoring bodies to consider adopting a general comment on human rights education, and to place emphasis when examining reports of States parties, on obligations of States parties in the area of human rights education and information and to reflect this emphasis in their concluding observations;

8. Invites the specialized agencies and relevant UnitedNations programmes and funds to contribute, within their respective spheres of competence, to the implementation of the Plan of Action and to cooperate closely with the Office of the High Commissioner in that regard;

9. Urges the relevant organs, bodies and agencies of the UnitedNations system, all human rights bodies of the UnitedNations system, as well as the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Refugees, to provide training in the human rights of women for all UnitedNations personnel and officials;

10. Calls upon international, regional and national non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations, in particular those concerned with women, labour, development, food, housing, education, health care and the environment, as well as all other social justice groups, human rights advocates, educators, religious organizations and the media, to undertake specific activities of formal, non-formal and informal education, including cultural events, alone and in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner, in implementing the Plan of Action;

11. Encourages Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to undertake human rights education and information initiatives as a contribution to the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to continue this work, in accordance with the Plan of Action, for the duration of the Decade;

12. Requests the Office of the High Commissioner, to consider appropriate ways and means, including the possibility of establishing a voluntary fund, to support human rights education activities, including those undertaken by non-governmental organizations;

13. Decides to continue consideration of the question of human rights education at its fifty-fifth session under the same agenda item, in connection with the question of public information activities in the field of human rights, including the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights.

FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF
THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OFHUMAN RIGHTS

Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/56
(Adopted without a vote at the 52nd meeting
of the Commission on Human Rights April 17, 1998)

The Commission on Human Rights,

Recalling that the Charter of the UnitedNations reaffirms the faith of the UnitedNations in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small,

Recognizing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations as well as the source of inspiration and a basis of subsequent progress in the field of human rights,

Concerned that human rights and fundamental freedoms are not fully and universally respected and continue to be violated in all parts of the world, and that people still suffer misery and are deprived of the full enjoyment of their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, and that some peoples still lack the full enjoyment of their right of self-determination,

Stressing the necessity for further national efforts as well as enhanced international cooperation, with a view to fully realizing all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the need to promote greater awareness of the rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in other international human rights instruments,

Reaffirming that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, and that the international community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing, and with the same emphasis,

Reaffirming also the need to ensure full implementation of the human rights of women and the girl child as an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Reaffirming further the need for the international community to continue to review and assess the progress made in the field of human rights since the adoption of the Declaration and to identify obstacles and ways in which they can be overcome,

Mindful that everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can be fully realized,

Recalling the decision by the General Assembly to convene a plenary meeting on 10December 1998 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Declares solemnly its commitment to the fulfilment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations and as a source of inspiration for the further promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms - political, economic, social, civil and cultural - including the right to development.

COMPREHENSIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF
AND FOLLOW-UP TO THE VIENNA DECLARATION
AND PROGRAMME OF ACTION

Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/78
(Adopted without a vote at the 58th meeting of
the Commission on Human Rights, April 22, 1998)

The Commission on Human Rights,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 48/121 of 20 December 1993, in which the Assembly endorsed the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, held at Vienna from 14 to 25June 1993, as well as subsequent resolutions of the Assembly and of the Commission on this matter, in particular General Assembly resolution 52/148 of 12 December 1997,

Considering that the promotion of universal respect for and observance of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all is one of the basic purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and one of the main priorities of the Organization,

Reaffirming that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated,

Convinced that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action has to be translated into effective action by States, the competent United Nations organs and organizations and other organizations concerned, including non-governmental organizations,

Recalling part II, paragraph 100, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action concerning the five-year review of progress made in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, to be carried out in 1998, in which the World Conference on Human Rights, interalia, requested the Secretary-General to invite, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all States and all organs and agencies of the United Nations system related to human rights to report to him on the progress made in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,

Recalling also that regional and, as appropriate, national human rights institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations, may present their views to the Secretary-General on the progress made in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, and that special attention should be paid to assessing the progress towards the goal of universal ratification of international human rights treaties and protocols adopted within the framework of the United Nations,

Bearing in mind that the five-year implementation review of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action provides an opportunity to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, review and assess progress made in human rights protection since the adoption of the Universal Declaration and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, and consider ways and means to further develop the United Nations human rights programme to meet current and future challenges,

Recognizing that the interdependence of democracy, development and respect for human rights, as stated in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, requires a comprehensive and integrated approach to the promotion and protection of human rights and that adequate inter-agency cooperation and coordination are essential in order to ensure such a fully integrated approach throughout the United Nations system,

Welcoming the fact that the call of the World Conference on Human Rights for a United Nations system-wide approach to human rights issues has been reflected in the recommendations of major international conferences organized by the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields,

Noting the ongoing efforts to ensure a coordinated follow-up to major international conferences in the economic, social and related fields, as most recently addressed in Economic and Social Council resolution 1997/61 of 25July1997 on the integrated and coordinated implementation and follow-up of the major United Nations conferences and summits,

Recalling that each year the Economic and Social Council shall carry out, within the framework of its coordination segment, a review of cross-cutting themes common to major international conferences and/or contribute to an overall review of the implementation of the programme of action of a United Nations conference, in accordance with agreed conclusions1995/1 of the Economic and Social Council,

Recalling Economic and Social Council decision 1998/208 of 6February1998 to devote the coordination segment of the Council at its substantive session of 1998 to the question of the coordinated follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,

Noting General Assembly resolution 52/148 in which the Assembly, interalia, decided to review at its fifty-third session, as foreseen in partII, paragraph 100, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the progress made in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the interim report of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the five-year review of the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (E/CN.4/1998/104);

2. Welcomes the contributions made so far by Governments, UnitedNations bodies and organizations and other organizations, and calls upon the High Commissioner to make these and subsequent contributions available to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session;

3. Reaffirms the importance of the promotion of universal respect for and observance and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, as expressed in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

4. Calls upon all States to take further action with a view to the full realization of all human rights for all in the light of the recommendations of the Conference;

5. Recognizes that the international community should devise ways and means to remove current obstacles and meet the challenges to the full realization of all human rights and to prevent the continuation of human rights violations resulting therefrom throughout the world;

6. Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the General Assembly, and other organs and bodies of the United Nations system related to human rights to take further action with a view to the full implementation of all the recommendations of the Conference;

7. Welcomes the decision of the General Assembly to review at its fifty-third session, as foreseen in part II, paragraph 100, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the progress made in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

8. Recalls that, in accordance with part II, paragraph 100, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the High Commissioner has invited Governments and United Nations agencies and programmes related to human rights to provide reports on the progress made in the implementation of the recommendations adopted by the World Conference, and has invited regional and, as appropriate, national human rights institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations, to present their views in this regard;

9. Welcomes with appreciation the preparations and contributions made so far for the five-year implementation review of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and calls upon all States to contribute actively to this process;

10. Encourages once again regional and national human rights institutions as well as non-governmental organizations to present, on that occasion, their views on the progress made in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

11. Welcomes Economic and Social Council decision 1998/208 to devote the coordination segment of the Council at its substantive session of 1998 to the question of the coordinated follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, as part of the five-year review foreseen in part II, paragraph 100, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, and calls upon all United Nations programmes and agencies to participate actively in this process;

12. Underlines the need to give particular attention to the human rights of women and the girl child in the five-year review of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, taking into account that gender mainstreaming is a key strategy for achieving equality between women and men and the full enjoyment of all human rights by women;

13. Emphasizes the important role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the system of the United Nations human rights organs, as defined in General Assembly resolution 48/141, including her role in the process of analysis of the functioning of the United Nations human rights machinery and its adaptation to current and future needs;

14. Requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to coordinate the human rights promotion and protection activities throughout the United Nations system, as set out in General Assembly resolution 48/141, including through a permanent dialogue with the United Nations programmes and agencies whose activities deal with human rights;

15. Invites the Administrative Committee on Coordination to continue to discuss the implications of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action for the United Nations system, with the participation of the High Commissioner, in particular in the context of the 1998 five-year review;

16. Urges all States and the United Nations system to give widespread publicity to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, in particular in the context of the public information and human rights education activities for the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including through training programmes, human rights education and public information, in order to promote increased awareness of all human rights and fundamental freedoms;

17. Decides to continue the consideration of this question at its fifty-fifth session.

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Human Rights Education: Lesson for Life

Human Rights Education: Lesson for Life

Basic information kit no.4 November 1998

EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY BY UN AGENCIES, PROGRAMMES AND DEPARTMENTS OF THE UN SECRETARIAT

EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY BY OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY BY NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTES

Basic information kit no.4
November 1998