UN and Council of Europe Actions Promote Human Rights Catechism
HUMAN RIGHTS, SOCIETY & CULTURE
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Recent actions taken by the United Nations Human Rights Council (“HRC”) and the Council of Europe in the field of human rights education (“HRE”) increase the likelihood that, within the next couple of decades, children and adults will be indoctrinated in a politically correct, ambiguous, and culturally relative human rights orthodoxy that promotes economic rights that can only be realized through massive wealth re- distribution and UN global governance.
On January 29, 2010, the HRC Advisory Committee adopted by consensus a Draft UN Declaration on human rights education and training (the “Draft Declaration”). At its thirteenth session, on March 25, 2010, the HRC considered the Draft Declaration and adopted a resolution creating an open-ended intergovernmental working group with the mandate of negotiating, finalizing and submitting a final version of the Draft Declaration to the HRC at its sixteenth session.
Key elements of the Draft Declaration include:
1. Human rights education and training comprises all educational, training, information and learning activities aimed at promoting a universal culture of human rights.
2. The right to human rights education and training is a fundamental right inherent in the dignity of the human person.
3. Among other things, the aims of human rights education are to
a. Raise awareness of human rights, including international, regional and national standards, principles, legislation and applicable guarantees; and
b. Pursue the realization of all human rights.
4. Human rights education and training is an ongoing process that begins at school or preschool age and that concerns all ages, all situations, and all parts of society.
5. The State has:
a. Primary responsibility in respect of the right to human rights education and training;
b. An obligation to achieve progressively the full realization of this right by all appropriate means, including particularly the adoption of legislative measures;
c. An obligation to incorporate universal standards in its legislation and to pursue actively policies to fulfil its commitments in the area of human rights education and training, through its institutions and officials;
d. An obligation to protect and implement human rights education and training, by setting out the legal framework for the action of other public or private entities, including schools and universities;
e. Responsibility for the initial and continuing professional training of its own officials, including judges, police officers, prison guards and all law enforcement officers and for ensuring adequate training for members of its armed forces and uniformed services, including in international humanitarian law and international criminal law.
6. The full implementation of human rights education and training requires complementary international, regional, national and local efforts, with a constant focus on coordination, coherence, synergies and interdependence.
7. The human rights treaty-monitoring bodies should adopt general comments on human rights education and training and systematically highlight human rights education and training in the list of issues submitted to States parties and in their concluding observations.
8. Human rights education and training should be given due prominence in the universal periodic review of the Human Rights Council and experts should be involved in assessing the progress made by countries in implementing HRE.
Meanwhile, on May 11, 2010, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers adopted the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education (the “Charter”).
The Charter defines “human rights education” as:
Education, training, awareness raising, information, practices and activities which aim, by equipping learners with knowledge, skills and understanding and developing their attitudes and behaviour, to empower learners to contribute to the building and defence of a universal culture of human rights in society, with a view to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Charter explains that, “an essential element of all education for democratic citizenship and human rights education is the promotion of social cohesion and intercultural dialogue and the valuing of diversity and equality.”
In an earlier article, this author described in detail the history and religious nature of HRE and, in another article, explained how the HRE movement is the vehicle for teaching a “Catechism of the Church of the United Nations.”
This religious nature of education for democratic citizenship and human rights education is evidenced by the Charter’s explanation that:
It is essential to develop knowledge, personal and social skills and understanding that reduce conflict, increase appreciation and understanding of the differences between faith and ethnic groups, build mutual respect for human dignity and shared values, encourage dialogue, and promote non-violence in the resolution of problems and disputes.
Throughout the history of the United States of America, civic education, including the teaching of fundamental rights guaranteed to Americans by the United States Constitution, has been an integral part of the educational experience of young people. The teaching of an ambiguous and arbitrary international human rights agenda that is formulated by UN and European officials and enforced by UN treaty body committees would be a poor substitute for civic education based on America’s founding documents and the lessons of the American experience.
Jim Kelly is the President of Solidarity Center for Law and Justice, P.C., a public interest civil and human rights law firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. The opinions expressed herein are his own.
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