General Assembly Session 59 meeting 70

The President

This morning, on the occasion of Human Rights Day, the General Assembly will, in accordance with its resolution 58/181 of 22 December 2003, dedicate plenary meeting to reviewing the achievements of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, 1995-2004.

Today we are commemorating an event that was a milestone in the history of humanity: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its preamble enshrines the legitimate and fundamental inherent rights of every human being as a common standard to be achieved by all peoples and nations. This year, in accordance with our decision last year, the commemoration of this Day will be dedicated to human rights education. It was also agreed that we would hold a plenary meeting to mark the end of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, 1995-2004, and that we would consider initiatives aimed at enhancing such education.

Indeed, it is essential that we educate and heighten the awareness of people with regard to human rights-related issues in order to promote respect, equality, cooperation and understanding among individuals and nations. That, of course, is a long process that, like any kind of education, can be spread out over an entire lifetime.

By proclaiming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 56 years ago in its resolution 217A (III), the General Assembly was also highlighting the fundamental role played by education in the realization of those rights. In its preamble, the Declaration declares 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".

It is in keeping with that appeal that the United Nations has redoubled its efforts to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

First of all, by establishing legal machinery in the main United Nations organs concerned, we have pledged to guarantee within our respective countries basic education, but also education about and promoting human rights. Also within the Organization -- in the General Assembly, in the Commission on Human Rights or at many international meetings -- we have unceasingly recalled the importance of such education. Thus, at the World Conference on Human Rights, held at Vienna in 1993, it was recognized that

"human rights education, training and public information [are] essential for the promotion and achievement of stable and harmonious relations among communities and for fostering mutual understanding, tolerance and peace". (A/CONF.157/23, para. 78)

The Conference also called upon all States and institutions

"to include human rights, humanitarian law, democracy and rule of law as subjects in the curricula of all learning institutions in formal and non-formal settings". (ibid., para. 79)

Finally, we have adopted various international programmes of action, such as the World Programme for Human Rights Education and the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, 1995-2004, whose Plan of Action and related guidelines encourage the development and implementation of comprehensive, effective and lasting strategies for human rights education at the national level.

Therefore, today we are commemorating the end of the Decade for Human Rights Education. When the General Assembly launched that programme 10 years ago, it urged governmental and non-governmental educational agencies, in operative paragraph 6 of its resolution 49/184,

"to intensify their efforts to establish and implement programmes of human rights education, as recommended in the Plan of Action, in particular by preparing and implementing national plans for human rights education".

According to a general assessment, the programme of the Decade had, by its midpoint, served as a catalyst by causing Governments to respond, even though much remained to be done. It is more necessary than ever, however, to improve cooperation between governmental and non-governmental actors, working in a spirit of mutual respect.

The year 2004 showed an increase of governmental activities in human rights education. However, some Governments mentioned that human rights education will remain a priority in their countries, since specific issues have not been dealt with. On the whole, the Decade was considered to be a positive mechanism that had put human rights education on the agenda as a priority issue, helped to increase public awareness of that matter and provided a framework for international cooperation in this area.

Both the proposed World Programme for Human Rights Education and the draft plan of action for its first phase, to extend from 2005 to 2007, are before us for consideration and adoption. Their endorsement by our Assembly is important for many reasons. It will reaffirm that human rights education remains a priority for the entire international community, provide a common framework for action to all relevant actors, promote support for existing programmes, provide an incentive for the development of new ones, and enhance cooperation at all levels.

Nevertheless, it is obvious that initiatives such as the closing Decade and the proposed World Programme can have an effective impact only if national and local actors use them as mobilization tools.

In opening this plenary meeting, I would like to appeal to everyone to join efforts to make human rights education a reality in our societies and a focus of our discussions in future years. Effective human rights education -- which enhances respect, equality, cooperation and understanding, thereby preventing human rights abuses and conflicts -- remains one of the best contributions to the achievement of a peaceful world.

I now call on the Deputy Secretary-General.

The Deputy Secretary-General

Every year, Human Rights Day provides us with an opportunity to review the progress we have made since the inception of the United Nations in meeting the Charter objective of encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.

I think we can all agree that we have made some impressive progress. Today, largely thanks to the United Nations, a global system of human rights law is now in place. But this Human Rights Day is also an occasion to remember persisting human rights abuses around the world and to point to the enormous efforts still needed to make human rights a reality for all. It is an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the essential strategy of human rights education.

Human rights education is an indispensable tool for ensuring that every individual enjoys a life of dignity; for public officials to give effect to the human rights commitments of the State; and for society as a whole to develop and nurture a culture of human rights, which is a prerequisite for harmonious and peaceful development. Human rights education covers many facets: learning our rights; learning mechanisms for their protection; developing skills for using those rights in our daily lives; and reinforcing behaviour aimed at defending and promoting them. In other words, human rights education is a people-centred and action-oriented process.

Today, as we mark the end of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, the General Assembly will look at possible future initiatives for the enhancement of human rights education worldwide. It will consider, in particular, the launch of a World Programme for Human Rights Education, to start on 1 January 2005.

For its first three years, the Programme would focus on the integration of human rights education within the primary and secondary school systems. The General Assembly has before it a draft plan of action for that first phase, prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, in close consultation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, as well as governmental and non-governmental experts and practitioners.

The draft plan draws on principles and frameworks derived from several international human rights instruments. It recognizes that the integration of human rights education into the primary and secondary school systems is a complex process requiring action on several fronts, all equally important and mutually reinforcing. Those would include developing and adopting coherent educational policies, legislation and strategies that reflect human rights principles, as well as measures to implement those policies, with the involvement of all stakeholders; ensuring that all teaching and learning processes and tools incorporate human rights principles; promoting a learning environment in which human rights are respected and upheld and in which students, teachers and parents practise human rights and solidarity in daily life; and providing the teaching profession and school leadership with the knowledge and skills needed to facilitate the learning and practice of human rights in schools.

On this Human Rights Day, I join the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in paying tribute to the many human rights educators and human rights defenders around the world who contribute day to day to building a universal culture of human rights. Those men and women do so in formal and informal settings, in small and large communities, and very often in the face of difficulties and danger. They do so both through the development of educational initiatives and by setting an example with their own human rights conduct. They should serve as an inspiration to all of us. Human rights are our common heritage and their realization depends on the contribution that each one of us is willing to make.

The President

I call on the representative of Australia to introduce draft resolution A/59/L.43.

Mr. Choi (Australia)

The Vienna World Conference on Human Rights in 1993 endorsed the view that human rights education was essential to the promotion and achievement of stable, harmonious relations among communities and to fostering understanding, tolerance and peace. There is now broad consensus that human rights education makes a fundamental contribution to the realization of human rights and to the long-term prevention of human rights abuses.

2004 marks the end of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education. The Decade has been an invaluable period in which many States have succeeded in bringing the need for human rights education to the forefront of human rights agendas. The Decade has increased awareness of the importance of human rights education and provided a framework for international action. It has facilitated the work of those already engaged in human rights education and encouraged others to develop relevant programmes. However, more needs to be done. Further follow-up action is necessary to build on the results of the Decade.

It is with those important goals in mind that Australia and the sponsors of today's draft resolution are introducing the draft text contained in document A/59/L.43, entitled "World Programme for Human Rights Education". The draft resolution seeks to build on the achievements of the Decade by proclaiming the World Programme for Human Rights Education, to begin on 1 January 2005. The World Programme, which incorporates targeted and shorter phases, will lend itself to a more structured approach to human rights education, including more responsive management, coordination, review and refinement.

The first phase of the Programme, which was drafted jointly by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, focuses on a plan of action for human rights education in the primary and secondary school systems. It seeks to provide a common collective framework for action by all the relevant actors and aims to support existing human rights education programmes, highlight successful practices, and provide an incentive to develop new programmes.

The draft resolution notes with appreciation the draft plan of action, seeks Governments' views on it and recommends its early adoption by the General Assembly. We urge all Governments to move quickly to support the early adoption of the plan of action.

In addition to the sponsors listed in document A/59/L.43, the following countries have indicated that they, too, wish to co-sponsor the text: Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Uruguay.

It is particularly relevant and appropriate that we are taking action on this draft resolution on Human Rights Day during a plenary meeting to mark the end of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education. Resolutions on human rights education have traditionally had strong support from the international community, reflecting the importance that is attached to maintaining an appropriate international framework for human rights education. It is our firm hope and expectation that it will again be adopted with broad support from the General Assembly.

Mr. Van den Berg (Netherlands)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The candidate countries Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Croatia; the countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro; and the European Free Trade Association country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

At the ceremony of the laying of the cornerstone of this building, a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, together with a copy of the United Nations Charter, was deposited inside that cornerstone. It was an act symbolizing that human rights is one of the core foundations of the United Nations. President Truman said at that ceremony:

"The Charter plainly makes respect for human rights by nations a matter of international concern. The Member nations have learned from bitter experience that regard for human rights is indispensable to political, economic, and social progress. They have learned that disregard of human rights is the beginning of tyranny and, too often, the beginning of war."

That message is as relevant today as it was 55 years ago at the ceremony of the laying of the cornerstone. The promotion and protection of all human rights is and should be a legitimate concern of the international community.

When our predecessors proclaimed the Universal Declaration, they did so with several purposes in mind. One was that every individual and every organ of society, keeping the Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive, by teaching and education, to promote respect for those rights and freedoms. Human rights education is thus clearly a primary purpose of the Declaration. The Declaration is a text meant to tell people about their inherent rights. It is therefore appropriate that, today on Human Rights Day, 56 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration, we address the issue of human rights education.

Human rights education is essential to the achievement of stable and harmonious relations among communities and to fostering mutual understanding, tolerance and peace. It is essential to the promotion and protection as well as the full enjoyment of all human rights and establishing the rule of law. In a world in which everybody knows his or her rights, and in which Governments are held accountable for their actions, the chances for human rights to prevail will significantly improve.

When we proclaimed the Decade for Human Rights Education, ten years ago, we did so with article 26 of the Universal Declaration in mind:

"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 is perhaps fitting that that paragraph was proposed by a representative of the World Jewish Congress. Total neglect of that principle led to the horrors and barbarism of the Second World War. Human rights education is an indispensable element in any strategy to prevent racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, intolerance and Islamophobia. When we commemorate, in a few months, the liberation of the concentration camps, let us remember where disregard and contempt for human rights have led to in our past. In present days, the scourge of anti-Semitism is still spreading its venom. Only by teaching tolerance, respect and mutual understanding will we be able to overcome hatred and bigotry. Only by inspiring faith in the dignity and worth of the human person and will we be able to foster universal respect for human rights. Human rights education is a key to changing attitudes and behaviour and to promoting tolerance and respect for diversity in societies.

We have come to the end of the Decade for Human Rights Education. The European Union welcomes the achievements of the Decade. Human rights education now figures prominently on our agendas. Awareness has been raised of the need for human rights education. A framework for international cooperation in that area has been provided for. Many activities have been developed at the local and national levels. School curriculums and textbooks have been revised to eliminate stereotypes and reflect human rights principles. Human rights courses and master's degree programmes have been developed. The training of law enforcement personnel in the field of human rights has been provided.

Yet many challenges remain. We still have a long way to go. We need to collect and disseminate good practices. We need to better facilitate the exchange of expertise at the national and regional levels. We need to further develop educational materials, and resources for human rights education are often too scarce.

The European Union attaches great importance to efforts at the national and regional levels to promote human rights education. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in Vienna this year on human rights education and training focused on consolidating ongoing efforts to promote human-rights education and training in the OSCE region and gave recommendations on how to improve the quality of human rights education and training.

The European Union strongly supports the Human Rights Education Youth Programme of the Council of Europe. We welcome its focus on the indivisibility and interdependence of human rights and fundamental freedoms. We commend the Council for its manual on human rights education, directed at making human rights education accessible and useful to educators, teachers and trainers.

The European Union welcomes the proclamation today of the World Programme for Human Rights Education and commends in particular the Governments of Australia and Costa Rica for their efforts in that field. We encourage Member States to review the draft plan of action for the first phase of the World Programme with a view to its early adoption and implementation.

The European Union is particularly pleased to see the focus of the first phase of the World Programme on the primary and secondary school systems. As the Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulates in its article 29 (d), the education of children shall be directed to

"[t]he preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin".

The European Union would like to express its hope that the World Programme will lead to significant and visible activities at the national and local levels. We can proclaim decades, adopt programmes of action and draft resolutions as much as we want, but if they do not result in concrete activities or lead to improvement on the ground, all our efforts will have been entirely in vain.

The European Union welcomes the leading role of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the field of human rights education. The role of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in developing training material, supporting national efforts through technical cooperation and facilitating information-sharing is indispensable. The contribution of UNESCO, including through its partnership activities with teaching and research institutions and its relations with the media, is of equal importance.

Today is Human Rights Day. We commemorate the adoption 56 years ago in Paris by we, the peoples of the United Nations, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. Still, gross violations of human rights continue to occur all over the world and today, as on any other day as well, our thoughts should be with the victims, those who are being killed, oppressed or imprisoned.

When we deposited the Universal Declaration in that cornerstone, what did we actually do? Did we really build our United Nations on the foundations of human rights, or did we just safely bury the Declaration in a place where nobody could find it? Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertie Ramcharan warned the Commission on Human Rights earlier this year, saying:

"If you ever dilute the protection role of the Commission, history's judgement will be harsh. For it is the people who suffer when there is silence in the face of atrocities".

And his words are relevant not only for the Commission, but for the entire United Nations system.

So let us teach, let us train, let us educate and let us learn. Let us create a culture of human rights where the threshold to knowing about our human rights is law and the rule of law prospers. But let us also never forget our duty to speak out for the victims and let us never fail to remember our obligation to promote and protect human rights.

Mr. Rock (Canada)

I am delighted to speak today not only on behalf of Canada, but also on behalf of the members of the Human Security Network (HSN), which include Austria, Chile, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Mali, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Thailand and South Africa as an observer. I will abbreviate my remarks on this rostrum, but I will circulate the full text of the agreed statement.

It is a particular honour to speak today as we observe Human Rights Day. This debate provides a welcome opportunity to reaffirm both our solid commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and our sincere belief in the fundamental importance of human rights education to the promotion and protection of human security in every sense of those words. We believe that human rights education is an essential tool for the prevention of both human rights abuses and, indeed, of conflict more generally.

Like many of my colleagues, I often have the pleasure of accompanying visitors to this wonderful building, where we visit sites of interest. Just a few yards away, there is the depiction of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on a wall, and there are few places in this building that visitors find more moving. The simple power of that Declaration, of the direct language, of those plain words spelling out human rights continues to impress and to reflect important principles in which we all so deeply believe. What could be more obvious, more attractive or of greater long-term value than acting early in the lives of children to start them thinking about their own rights as individuals, the rights of others as individuals and the collective responsibility we all share to respect each other's dignity and entitlement as human beings?

It is surely in that way, through education, by promoting and advocating the rights in which we so deeply believe -- the rights that we celebrate today -- that we can lay the groundwork for a world where there is mutual understanding, respect and peace. Human rights education is a powerful and indispensable measure in the fight that we must all wage against discrimination, against intolerance and against racism.

In 2002, when Austria held the chairmanship of the Human Security Network, it made human rights education a thematic priority for the Network. Since then, we have taken several concrete steps in that regard. Most notably, the Human Security Network has developed a manual on human rights education that is now being used by human rights educators and students around the world to assist in raising awareness and improving basic understanding of human rights.

In the Graz Declaration, Network members agreed to advance human rights training programmes held locally, nationally and regionally, and to support an increase in the number of human rights educators at the national level. Most importantly, perhaps, the Graz Declaration stressed the need for the overall coordination of all efforts concerning United Nations education and public information programmes with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Mr. Rock (Canada)

We believe that human rights education is a lifelong undertaking. Under the coordination of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and with the particular support of Costa Rica, the administrators of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education developed important new programming and, most importantly, built a concrete foundation upon which work on human rights education can continue to develop. In that regard, we take this opportunity to welcome the proclamation of the World Programme for Human Rights Education, scheduled to begin on 1 January 2005. The draft plan of action for the first phase of the Programme has been jointly prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. We encourage States to carefully review its recommendations for human rights education in the primary and secondary school systems with a view to their adoption and implementation as soon as possible.

Lastly, the members of the Human Security Network reaffirm their support for the continued commitment by the United Nations to promote human rights and human rights education.

The President

I give the floor to the representative of Chile, who will speak on behalf of the Community of Democracies.

Mr. Rehren (Chile)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Convening Group of the Community of Democracies, comprised of the Czech Republic, India, the Republic of Korea, Mali, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, the United States of America and Chile.

First of all, I wish to read out a statement issued by the Convening Group of the Community of Democracies on the occasion of Human Rights Day.

"The Convening Group of the Community of Democracies joins in the celebration of Human Rights Day on 10 December 2004. The principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are the cornerstone of a peaceful, secure and prosperous world. These values, which constitute a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, are central to democratic governance and are best protected by Governments that are fully committed to the rule of law.

"The Community of Democracies recognizes the fundamental importance of all human rights and the reinforcing mutual effects of and interdependence among peace, development, democracy and human rights. In both the Warsaw Declaration and the 2002 Seoul Plan of Action, Community of Democracies countries have committed themselves to strengthening the development of democratic institutions throughout the world and to promoting and protecting all human rights, as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On Human Rights Day, these Community of Democracy nations commend all nations that have worked hard to build democracies and to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms. They recommit themselves to the development of democracy domestically and the promotion of democracy regionally and globally in order to adhere to the principles laid out in that important Declaration." (A/59/598, annex)

I would also like to inform the General Assembly that the text of this statement has been issued today in Geneva, in the capitals of the countries of the Convening Group and in the capitals of other participants in the Community of Democracies. It also has been published as United Nations document A/59/598.

Mr. Baykadamov (Kazakhstan)

Mr. President, allow me to extend to you and to the entire General Assembly our congratulations on the occasion of Human Rights Day. Through the annual observance of this occasion, the international community is becoming more and more convinced of the increasing attention paid by people everywhere to human rights as a precondition of their lives in freedom and to this important legacy of civilization, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We have just concluded the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, one of the major and important programmes sponsored by the United Nations. For Kazakhstan, as for other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Decade coincided with the period of consolidation of our national independence and State sovereignty and the reform of our social, economic and political system. During those years, the way of life and the outlook of many of our citizens underwent radical change. Their own experience has convinced them of the advantages of a free economy, the rule of law and democracy.

Reforms initiated by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan have already borne fruit. Thanks to those reforms, the process of developing a self-regulating, open and democratic society in Kazakhstan has become irreversible. The State is currently carrying out a step-by-step democratization of society and is trying to instil in its citizens a culture of respect for human rights. A reform of the judiciary, proposed by the head of State, is being implemented, providing for the introduction of a jury system, and an indefinite moratorium on the death penalty has been put into effect. Realizing that human rights should first become an integral part of the culture of any society, we did not force the process of their universal acceptance; instead, we chose to gradually raise awareness about human rights among the population.

Kazakhstan's accession to fundamental international human rights instruments adopted under the auspices of the United Nations has facilitated that effort. Our country has become a party to the International Covenants on Human Rights and is completing the process of their ratification. Kazakhstan has already assumed its reporting obligations under those instruments, and a National Interdepartmental Commission on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law has been established. The Commission monitors implementation of the United Nations recommendations on human rights and promotes awareness of international human rights treaties.

In addition, a broad-based educational campaign is targeting public servants. Principles and norms established in United Nations human rights conventions have been integrated into Kazakhstan's legislation. The State entitles everyone to know his or her rights, thus reaffirming the right to human rights education, as enshrined in the constitution of our country.

Kazakhstan is fulfilling one of the most important requirements introduced by the General Assembly concerning the circulation of the texts of international human rights treaties. These are published as separate editions and posted on the official web sites of governmental bodies. A State strategy is now in place to make a human rights course a part of school and university curricula.

Kazakhstan fully supports the provision in the fifth preambular paragraph of draft resolution A/59/L.43, that human rights education is a long-term and lifelong process. We are convinced that respect for the dignity of every person can be ensured only through continued educational activities throughout the entire lives of people. In this context, we support the work in the area of human rights education performed by the regional office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Central Asia.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have become reliable partners of our State in their informal work in the area of human rights education. Thanks to their experience in this area, Kazakhstan's NGOs have developed the country's first concept of civic education. Today, educational activities are being carried out by Government bodies and national human rights institutions in partnership with non-governmental organizations.

The Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman is actively involved in the process of human rights education. A major international conference on human rights education was held in November of 2004, with the participation of the national Ombudsman. The participants in the conference made an unbiased assessment of Kazakhstan's efforts to implement the goals of the Decade that has just concluded and presented recommendations on the ways to improve the quality of that education and make it systematic. An interdepartmental body on education, with the participation of non-governmental organizations, and a human rights education centre under our commissioner for human rights are being set up.

Human rights education is a process that is ongoing at many levels. Such education can become a reliable mechanism for preventing discrimination based on sex, language or religion. Today, Kazakhstan is taking every possible step to provide its population with information and knowledge about the nature and values of human rights and about ways to protect them.

The country is undergoing an active process of political modernization of our society, as the head of State pursues a policy of decentralizing public administration through the division of responsibilities among the various levels of power. A national commission on democracy and civil society was established in November of 2004. A few days ago, some important events took place, signalling a new stage of political reforms in Kazakhstan: decrees were signed on phased elections of the heads of local governments and on broader human rights protection powers of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman has now been given power to request a review of court decisions, institute criminal proceedings or seek other ways to ensure accountability and initiate parliamentary hearings.

The Decade that is now over has become for Kazakhstan a decade characterized by the first informed decisions on human rights education. The objective of these efforts, supported by the United Nations and national non-governmental organizations, is to build a State characterized by the rule of law, with human rights as its highest value. The work to develop human rights education in our country has not been completed. Kazakhstan will move ahead to promote the rule of law in society through improved human rights education.

We support the draft plan of action for the first phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education and we will do everything possible to implement it in our country.

Mr. Xie Bohua (China)

It is of special significance for the General Assembly to discuss human rights education today, on Human Rights Day.

The Chinese delegation has taken note of the evaluation report on the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education submitted by the High Commissioner for Human Rights (E/CN.4/2004/93) and the draft plan of action for the first phase (2005-2007) of the proposed World Programme for Human Rights Education (A/59/525) and would like to make the following observations on the question of human rights education.

First, we highly value the achievements of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) and its Plan of Action. Thanks to the untiring efforts during the Decade to promote human rights education, the United Nations has enhanced worldwide respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, fostered understanding, tolerance and friendship among different racial, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups and nations, and facilitated people-centred sustainable development and social justice. Over the past ten years, the international community has become increasingly aware of the important role of human rights education as one of the fundamental ways to achieve human rights. Comprehensive, effective and sustainable strategies on human rights education have been formulated and implemented at the national level, bearing in mind each country's specific conditions.

Secondly, we support the proclamation and implementation by the United Nations of the proposed World Programme for Human Rights Education. As the High Commissioner rightly pointed out in her evaluation report, there have been both achievements and shortcomings in the Decade. Building on the experiences of the Decade, the United Nations should further promote the development of human rights education throughout the world. In accordance with the relevant resolution of the Commission on Human Rights, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have jointly prepared the draft plan of action for the first phase (2005-2007) of the proposed World Programme for Human Rights Education. We appreciate the efforts made by the OHCHR and UNESCO and will study in detail the draft plan of action.

Thirdly, we believe that the following principles should guide us in the promotion of human rights education. First of all, human rights education needs to take full account of the historical traditions and social context of the country concerned and to encourage and fully develop positive cultural traditions, respect diversity and fight discrimination. Secondly, human rights education should cover a wide spectrum of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the right to development, with a view to seeking a balanced development of all human rights. Thirdly, national Governments bear the primary responsibility for human rights education, while the international community has the obligation to provide necessary assistance and guidance. Fourthly, human rights education is a long-term, multidimensional endeavour, and continuous and unremitting efforts are therefore needed to widely disseminate the concept of human rights so that it can take hold in society.

Human rights education assumes special significance for the Chinese Government, as China is the most populous country in the world. In the context of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, the Chinese Government has, during the past ten years, conducted a wide array of educational activities in the field of human rights education in the light of China's specific conditions.

At the national level, a five-year legal literacy plan has been developed and put in place in an effort to raise awareness among Chinese citizens of the Constitution, democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

In China's school systems, international human rights instruments have been taken into account in designing and teaching human rights education curricula, focusing on a rights-based approach to the rule of law and the dissemination of the basic concept of human rights.

At the international level, in addition to bilateral cooperation, human rights education has been incorporated into the framework of technical cooperation between China and OHCHR, under which a series of programmes were undertaken.

Today, as Chinese citizens are increasingly aware of their rights, the concept of human rights is taking root in China. The Chinese Government is ready to join the United Nations and all other countries to build upon the achievements of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education and to further human rights education at both the national and the international levels with a view to promoting a culture of human rights.

Mr. Wenaweser (Liechtenstein)

Perhaps even more so than other areas of United Nations activities, the area of human rights is marked by a significant gap between standards and implementation: On the one hand, we can proudly look back at very impressive achievements in setting human rights standards over the past few decades. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose adoption we commemorate today, was a major achievement in itself and the source of inspiration for developing the core human rights instruments elaborated thereafter.

On the negative side, we still live in a world where human rights violations are commonplace and are committed in all regions of the world. While the struggle to uphold respect for human rights has always been difficult, recent trends to justify the curtailing of human rights, inter alia in the context of fighting terrorism have rendered the task even more difficult.

Human rights education, to which today's commemoration is dedicated, can play a significant part in reducing the gap in implementing human rights standards. Indeed, only if human rights are known, understood and taught, can human rights also be practised. The Decade on Human Rights Education, which followed up on an important provision of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights itself, has had a strong catalytic effect in helping individuals worldwide understand human rights and to claim and apply them in their daily lives.

Particular efforts should be directed to the sensitization of professionals. In the social field and in education, professionals act as multipliers because they are able to reach many people. In other areas, such as law enforcement, training in human rights is essential in order to prevent human rights violations and promote understanding and awareness of human rights. Liechtenstein has only recently adopted a new school curriculum, in which human rights constitute one of the core principles and has begun holding human rights information sessions in different departments of its national administration.

The Decade was a good beginning and a point of departure for the work ahead. Clearly, we still have a long way to go. Sharing of best practices and exchange of expertise are essential tools in further advancing our efforts in the field of human rights education. Regional cooperation seems to be an especially useful tool in achieving those goals, and we commend the efforts that have been undertaken in the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe. In that connection special reference should be made to the Human Rights Youth Education Programme adopted by the Council of Europe.

We warmly welcome the adoption of the World Programme for Human Rights Education on the occasion of Human Rights Day -- today -- and express our gratitude to the Governments of Australia and Costa Rica for their work on that project. Our authorities will review the draft plan of action for the first phase of the World Programme, and we hope that numerous other States will do the same.

Human rights education can thus make a significant contribution to bridging the implementation gap in the field of human rights if States are committed to a long-term engagement in that respect and if reliable funding is provided. However, we must also take other measures to make human rights a reality and to ensure that legal commitments are translated into the daily enjoyment of human rights by people worldwide.

One indispensable change concerns our intergovernmental work. There can be no doubt that the way in which we tackle human rights, both in the Commission on Human Rights -- the principal human rights body of the United Nations -- and in the Third Committee of the Assembly, requires radical overhaul. The current debates and discussion on human rights are very often politically charged and complicated, but at the same time often concern issues other than human rights. This must not be the case. Only in changing the approach to our own human rights work can we ensure that human rights issues are placed at the core of the United Nations agenda and treated as a truly cross-cutting issue.

We therefore welcome the strong emphasis that the report of the Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change places on the area of human rights in general, as well as the fact that the Panel has agreed on bold suggestions as to the restructuring of United Nations work in that area. We do not think that the relevant recommendations offer a magical solution to all the problems that we have to discuss -- nor were they intended to do so -- but we certainly believe that they offer an excellent point of departure for the creative and innovative measures that are needed to reinvigorate the human rights machinery of the United Nations.

Mrs. Tomar (India)

This year, International Human Rights Day commemorates the fifty-sixth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the eleventh anniversary of the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. We focus our attention today on the theme of human rights education.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, through its article 26, provides the foundation for human rights education. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action acknowledged human rights education as an important pillar for the promotion and protection of human rights. Human rights education, training and public information have been recognized as essential for the promotion and achievement of stable and harmonious relations among communities and for fostering mutual understanding, tolerance and peace.

The General Assembly, which proclaimed the first United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education by its resolution 49/184, affirmed that human rights education should involve more than the provision of information and that it should constitute a comprehensive life-long process of instilling respect for the dignity of others in everyone.

Education for all, elimination of illiteracy and wide-spread dissemination of information on human rights, combined with targeted human rights education for key groups such as the armed forces, police, judges, lawyers, trade union leaders and non-governmental organizations are indispensable elements of any effective strategy to promote human rights. The Vienna Declaration, recognizing that aspect, called upon States to pay special attention to developing specific national programmes and strategies for ensuring the widest human rights education. It also called for the proclamation of a United Nations decade for human rights education, in order to promote, encourage and focus those educational activities.

While the importance of human rights education is widely accepted, action is still wanting in most areas. Human rights continue to be perceived through the behaviourist prism of condemnation and punishment rather than promotion. Human rights education offers considerable scope for bringing the international community together in a collective endeavour. Therefore, it needs to be taken up as a priority activity.

The Secretary-General's note (A/59/525) presents to Member States for their consideration a draft plan of action for the first phase of the proposed world programme for human rights education. We shall study the draft plan of action carefully.

Meanwhile, the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, referenced in the Secretary-General's report, provides reflections on the achievements and shortcomings of the Decade that has just been completed. We agree that one of the significant achievements of the Decade is that it has put human rights education on the agenda. It has helped to increase awareness of the need for human rights education and provided a framework for international cooperation in that area. Several shortcomings and challenges have been identified in the report, including the need for developing appropriate methodologies for human rights education, developing effective coordination mechanisms and frameworks for human rights education at all levels and -- very importantly -- the lack of human and financial resources to implement human rights education programmes, as well as the lack of political will on the part of the responsible authorities.

The relationship between democracy and human rights is well established. We believe that a sound democratic tradition that promotes respect for pluralism, diversity and tolerance goes a long way in ensuring the success of our efforts in human rights education. Democratic institutions and people's participation in the political and developmental processes through those institutions would guarantee the success of such efforts.

Our own national experience bears that out. In India, the idea of human rights is embodied in the Constitution, which was adopted in 1950 soon after India's independence. The Constitution promotes and protects the human rights of the people of India. Thus far, human rights education has been integrated into diverse subjects at different stages of education through India's education policy.

However, recognizing the need for further action in that area, the Government of India established an Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee, under the chairmanship of the Home Secretary. The Committee adopted a national action plan for human rights education, which was drawn up in cooperation with the National Human Rights Commission, an autonomous institution mandated to promote human rights literacy and awareness under the Protection of Human Rights Act of 1993. The Committee also oversees implementation of the Action Plan, which consists of strategies for raising awareness about human rights, promoting social empowerment through attitudinal change and sensitizing specific target groups such as students, law enforcement officials, justice system officials and parliamentarians. Specific time-bound action plans have been drawn up for raising public awareness, for promoting human rights education in educational institutions at various levels, for sensitization programmes for Government officials and parliamentarians, and for training for officials in law enforcement and the administration of justice.

The Government has undertaken several initiatives in the secondary and higher education sector, including the introduction of courses in human rights education in 26 universities; the establishment of a curriculum revision committee to revise textbooks; the development of a number of training modules for teachers and educators in English, Hindi and regional languages by the National Council for Teacher Education; the provision of financial assistance by the University Grants Commission to universities and colleges for the development of specific courses in human rights; and the establishment of a special body to play the nodal role in the promotion of human rights education through distance education. In India, the subject of human rights has been introduced as a part of school curriculum in all 18 official languages.

Furthering human rights education is a multi-institutional task. In India, the work of the Government, both in the states and at the national level, is supported by the active involvement and participation of the National Human Rights Commission. We have also enlisted the active involvement of non-governmental organizations, human rights research and training institutions, grassroots organizations, voluntary social organizations, professional associations and other active civil society organizations in this national endeavour.

My delegation is a sponsor of draft resolution A/59/L.43 entitled, "World Programme for Human Rights Education". We would like to thank the main sponsor, Australia, for their efforts in presenting the draft resolution. The resolution will ensure that the work started in the first decade on human rights education will gather further momentum in the second decade. Our sponsorship of the draft resolution is a demonstration of the importance that India attaches to that subject.

The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action noted that resource constraints and institutional inadequacies may impede the immediate realization of the objectives set out. In his message for Human Rights Day 2000, during the midterm review of the Decade, the Secretary-General noted that there was

"a long way to go. Only a few countries have developed effective national strategies for human rights education. There is a big gap between the promises made under the Decade and the resources actually committed".

We agree with the Secretary General's comment that

"Human rights education is much more than a lesson in schools or a theme for a day; it is a process to equip people with the tools they need to live lives of security and dignity".

Security and dignity cannot be achieved on empty stomachs, where situations of extreme poverty, hunger and deprivation become the primary concern. Strengthened international cooperation for poverty eradication remains a key ingredient for promoting and protecting human rights, and for promoting human rights education.

Mr. Diarra (Mali)

Resolution 58/181 of 22 December 2003 invites States to develop comprehensive, participatory and sustainable strategies for human rights education, and to make knowledge of human rights a main objective of their education policies. That resolution, adopted one year before the end of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, has shown that our efforts in that area must not be limited in terms of time. That is why the General Assembly has decided to hold this plenary meeting not just to take stock of the Decade, but also to consider activities that could be undertaken in the future.

The gains made in the human rights area have multiplied during this Decade now coming to a close. Indeed, best practices for governance in the political, economic and social spheres have spread to all continents and regions of the world. Democratic processes are taking root in Africa in a lasting way. Regional legal instruments in the area of human rights in general, and the rights of women and children and migrants in particular, have further strengthened the international legal arsenal that we have had since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provided us, in 1948, with a foundation.

Despite those gains, however, we must recognize that serious violations of fundamental rights persist, especially in situations of conflict. Examples abound. They range from the denial of economic, social, civil and political rights to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, including sexist violence; they range from trafficking in human beings, including children, to the pure and simple deprivation of the right to life.

Faced with that situation, my delegation believes that the international community has two significant tools for ensuring respect for human rights where they are violated on a massive scale.

One of those tools is the use of punishment to deal with serious human rights violations. In that respect, my delegation is pleased by the entry into force of the Rome Statute. That instrument acts as a strong deterrent because of the imprescriptible nature of Government action.

However, the effects of punishment are limited as it affects only the perpetrator of the crime, or at most his or her accomplices. Moreover, punishment affects only human rights violations that are criminal in nature. For instance, punishment is not imposed on those who, intentionally or otherwise, deprive a person or group of persons of economic, social, civil or political rights.

That is why my delegation feels that the tool of punishment must be accompanied by another tool which has much greater scope: education and raising public awareness about best practices in the area of human rights.

The second tool covers all aspects of human rights. Moreover, it has the advantage of being preventive. It concerns persons who should be able to enjoy rights but who are often simply unaware of their existence. It equally concerns persons who should allow others to exercise their right but who do not understand how to do so or who themselves actively abuse the rights of others.

This process will take a long time. It will take place through the inclusion of the topic of human rights in formal and informal educational curricula and through public awareness campaigns such as that set out in the draft action plan for 2005 to 2007, a new World Programme for human rights education, which will be launched in January 2005 by the United Nations. The Government of Mali will study that draft with a view toward implementing it. My delegation is also a sponsor of draft resolution A/59/L.43, initiated by Australia and Costa Rica.

The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, which was adopted in Nairobi in June 1981, stipulates in article 25 that all its States parties have the duty to promote and ensure, by means of education and the dissemination of information, respect for rights and freedoms. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child of July 1990 calls, in article 11, paragraph 2, for children's education that encourages respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The African protocol on women's rights adopted in Maputo in July 2003, in article 12, paragraph e, calls upon States to integrate the gender dimension and to provide education in human rights at all levels of teaching, including in teacher's training programmes. These efforts in theoretical education must be accompanied by the establishment of practical mechanisms for evaluation and the ongoing adoption of programmes.

Mali, above and beyond the integration of human rights into education as a part of teaching programmes, has set up practical mechanisms for a better understanding of human rights. This includes the National Consultative Commission on human rights, and the position of national mediator, as well as the National Committee for equal access to State media. Moreover, Mali hosts three of the six cities in Africa participating in the programme to implement human rights education in schools.

In addition, our Democratic Question Time is a unique programme that gives citizens an opportunity to pose questions to the executive branch of the Government on the day of the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This process addresses every category of grievances related to violations of individual and collective human rights.

My country supports the values and principles promoted by the Human Security Network and the Community of Democracies. That is why we endorse the statements made on behalf of these bodies by the representatives of Canada and Chile.

To conclude, my delegation would like to pay tribute to the People's Movement for Human Rights Education for its unconditional commitment to education on human rights.