Dear all, The NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education & Learning (NGO WG on HREL) is a group of NGOs in Geneva, principally in consultative status with the UN ECOSOC, and is part of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relations with the UN (CONGO). The principal objective is to ensure that NGOs participate in the global policy-making process on human rights education and learning within the UN institutions. The NGO WG on HREL would like to receive your comments on the following question. The UN Human Rights Council is currently reviewing the Special Procedures mandates. Along with it, the Special Procedures Branch of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is updating the Manual on the UN Special Procedures on Human Rights. The Manual was originally adopted at the 6th Annual Meeting of Special Procedures mandate-holders, in 1999, and is subject to periodic updates. This Manual is expected to be adopted as an updated version at the next annual meeting in 2007 in Geneva of mandate holders of the Special Procedures. And currently the Special Procedures Branch is preparing the draft update version. The Special Procedures Branch of OHCHR is calling upon NGOs for any suggestions and comments on this Manual. This Manual serves as a guide for mandate holders and as a reference material for all who are interested in the work of mandate holders of the Special Procedures. The NGO WG on HREL held a Workshop in September 2006 parallel to the 2nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. The Workshop focused on the question of mainstreaming human rights education and learning into the Special Procedures mechanisms. At the Workshop, NGOs were strongly encouraged by the representative of the Special Procedures Branch of OHCHR to make valuable inputs and suggestions to help finalise the draft updated Manual regarding the aspect of human rights education and learning. Mandates of the Special Procedures at present cover various themes including the right to education as well as country-oriented issues. For each mandate, an independent expert is assigned as a mandate holder. Since HRE is considered as essential to all themes and countries regarding human rights issues, the Manual should integrate relevant aspects of HRE to serve as "guide" to mandate holders. The whole text of the Manual is downloadable on the OHCHR website: http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/special/index.htm The NGO WG is now voluntarily collecting NGO inputs to gather into one document to submit to the Special Procedures Branch of OHCHR. By doing so, duplication of the same kind of NGO inputs can be avoided and the Special Procedures Branch will be able to deal effectively with the NGO inputs regarding human rights education and learning. If you wish to send any suggestion on the text of the Manual to integrate HRE, the WG will be happy to incorporate those inputs into its document, while you can certainly submit such inputs to the Special Procedures Branch of the OHCHR directly. The deadline announced by the OHCHR for such NGO comments/suggestions is 10 April 2007. Therefore for submission to the NGO WG on HREL: E-mail: < > Attn: Jean-David Ponci of OIDEL (Organisation internationale pour le droit à l'éducation et la liberté d'enseignement) Please write in the subject line of the email: HREL - UN SPECIAL PROCEDURES DEADLINE: 25 March 2007 Thank you all. Cordially yours, Kazunari Fujii Chair NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education & Learning Geneva ~~~~~~~~~~~ Kazunari Fujii SGI UN Liaison Office Geneva ======== Global Human Rights Education listserv ======= Send mail intended for the list to < >. Archives of the list can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/lists/hr-education/ **You are welcome to reprint, copy, archive, quote or re-post this item, but please retain the original and listserv source.
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