WINTER 2015NEWSLETTER

WORLD PROGRAM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION
PHASE TWO » SECURITY FORCES

United for Human Rights provided training on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to more than 10,000 police cadets in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, coinciding with Phase 2 of the UN World Program for Human Rights Education.

On December 10, 2004, at the close of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, the UN General Assembly announced the three-phase World Program for Human Rights Education to advance implementation of human rights education programs in all sectors of society.

Phase One (2005–09) emphasized implementation of human rights education in primary and secondary school systems.

Phase Two (2010–14) called for integrating human rights education into the higher education system and in the training of teachers and educators, civil servants, law enforcement officials and the military.

Phase Three (2015–19) will focus on journalists and other media professionals, with emphasis on education and training in equality and nondiscrimination. The program’s aim is combating stereotypes and violence; fostering respect for diversity; and promoting tolerance, intercultural and interreligious dialogue and social inclusion.

The rationale for the emphasis of the second phase is clear: Teachers and higher education institutions mentor tomorrow’s citizens and leaders. Moreover civil servants, law enforcement officials and military personnel carry a major responsibility for respecting and protecting the rights of others.

In furthering of this mandate, United for Human Rights has carried out programs to provide education and training in human rights to security forces in areas of the world facing major challenges. This has ranged from conducting human rights training for police cadets in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh to the training of military personnel through the Colombian National Army’s School of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.

At the conclusion of the second phase of the World Program for Human Rights Education in early 2015, every UN Member State will evaluate their implementation of this phase of the program and provide a report to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). OHCHR will then prepare a global report based on those national evaluation reports and submit it to the Human Rights Council, the highest United Nations human rights body.



MILESTONES IN HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION

  • 1995–2004: United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education.

  • 2005-09: Phase 1 of UN World Program for Human Rights Education focuses on human rights education in primary and secondary school systems.

  • 2010-14: Phase 2 emphasizes human rights education for higher education and training programs for teachers and educators, civil servants, law enforcement and military.

  • February 2012: UN General Assembly adopts United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training with the aim of “developing a universal culture of human rights, in which everyone is aware of their own rights and responsibilities in respect of the rights of others.”
  • Early 2015: UN Member States report to High Commissioner for Human Rights on their implementation of Phase 2.

  • 2015: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights provides global report to United Nations Human Rights Council.

  • 2015-19: Phase 3 of World Program focuses on media professionals and journalists, with emphasis on education and training in equality and non-discrimination.

HELP MAKE HUMAN RIGHTS A REALITY

Join the international human rights movement by becoming a member of United for Human Rights. UHR assists individuals, educators, organizations and governmental bodies in all parts of the world to raise awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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