[hr-education] Monitoring the application of the UNDHRET and HRE

2012-07-10 10:00:32

Dear List Members,

Thank you very much for the very interesting contributions during the second week of our on-line forum on the UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training (UNDHRET). We encourage you to continue to share what is currently happening in relation to the adoption of the UNDHRET in your countries and your suggested strategies for using the UNDHRET as a tool for HRE advocacy and implementation.

As of this week (9-15 July), we will start our third and final discussion thread: how can the application of the UNDHRET be monitored nationally and internationally, and what are other possible next steps to promote HRE?

Although the UNDHRET does not specifically mention monitoring & evaluation of ongoing efforts in HRE, it does stipulate in Article 13.2: "States are encouraged to include, where appropriate, information on the measures that they have adopted in the field of human rights education and training in their reports to relevant human rights mechanisms." Moreover, the final article of the Declaration reads: "States should take appropriate measures to ensure the effective implementation of and follow-up to the present Declaration and make the necessary resources available in this regard." (Article 14).

* How, in your experience, can the implementation of HRE programmes be monitored nationally and internationally?
* Is "mainstreaming HRE" in the UN treaty body reporting system and/or the Universal Periodic Review a viable monitoring mechanism? (Several List Members already mentioned the possibility of addressing efforts in HRE when reviewing state human rights performance in the Universal Periodic Review.) If so, how would civil society organisations have to go about doing this? And how do recent regional mechanisms like the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education and the 'San Salvador Protocol' in the Americas fit into such an approach?
* Given that a lack of resources is often a challenge for non-governmental organisations and others involved in HRE, would it, for example, make sense to advocate for a voluntary fund for HRE to which states can make contributions?
* What other ideas and suggestions do you have to ensure implementation and follow up?

We encourage you to continue to share your experience and thoughts, both on this week's topic on monitoring implementation and follow-up as well as on the previous two discussion topics.

Best wishes,

List moderators
Steven Courchesne
Frank Elbers
Felisa Tibbitts
Katryn Vandever