Pursuant to a suggestion of the World Conference, the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 49/184 of 23 December 1994, proclaimed the 10-year period beginning on 1 January 1995 the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, welcoming the Plan of Action for the Decade contained in the report of the Secretary-General.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights/Centre for Human Rights has developed a specific project, funded against the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation on the Field of Human Rights to implement some of the components of the Programme of Action.

Aims of the United Nations Decade for
Human Rights Education, 1995-2004: Human rights
education - lessons for life

•  assessing needs and formulating strategies

•  strengthening international programmes and capacities

•  strengthening regional programmes and capacities

•  strengthening national programmes and capacities

•  strengthening local programmes and capacities

•  coordinated development of materials for human rights education

•  strengthening the role of the mass media

•  global dissemination of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 85 - 92

Meetings that have taken place during this peroid of time:

•  An expert meeting on Guidelines for National Plan of Action for Human Rights Education was held in Geneva from 27 to 30 January 1997. (The meeting brought together 14 human rights education experts and practitioners from the five continents, and representatives from UNESCO and the Council of Europe.)

•  An expert meeting to revise the draft HC/CHR Training Manual on Human Rights Monitoring for United Nations Field Operations was held in Geneva, at the Palais des Nations, on March 11-12, 1997.

•  An expert meeting to review the draft HC/CHR Human Rights Manual for Judges and Lawyers was held in Geneva at the Palais des Nations, from 5 to 8 May 1997.

•  An expert meeting to review the draft OHCHR Human Rights Training Package for Prison Officials was held in Geneva at the Palais des Nations, from 9 to 12 March 1998.

The year 2004 is the final year of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education and is, therefore, set as the target date for achievement of generalized human rights education programmes through the implementation of State action plans. It is also the target date for the completion of a comprehensive collection of human rights education materials and their broad distribution throughout all Member States.

The national, regional and international structures and networks established under the Decade should continue to serve as permanent focal and contact points for international cooperation in the field of human rights education, and the High Commissioner and the Centre for Human Rights, in cooperation with UNESCO, should maintain, and make available upon request, a current roster of such organizations and focal points.

Human rights educational materials developed under the Decade should be subject to periodic review, supplementation and revision to take into account changing needs and realities, and should continue to be made available on the widest possible basis.   [UP]