Human rights can only be achieved through an informed and continued demand by people for their protection. Human rights education promotes values, beliefs and attitudes that encourage all individuals to uphold their own rights and those of others. It develops an understanding of everyone’s common responsibility to make human rights a reality in each community.
Human rights education constitutes an essential contribution to the long-term prevention of human rights abuses and represents an important investment in the endeavour to achieve a just society in which all human rights of all persons are valued and respected.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights coordinates, among others, United Nations education and public information programmes in the field of human rights (General Assembly Resolution 48/141). This graphic summarizes human rights education milestones within the United Nations.
The work of the Office of the High Commissioner includes:
- Coordinating the World Programme for Human Rights Education
- Developing specialized human rights education and training materials and resources
- Building capacities and sharing good practice in the area of human rights education and training