Promoting international cooperation on human rights education

On September 27 at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet, Head of the Vietnamese delegation, spoke at the International Seminar "Integrating human rights education into the education system: Sharing experiences and practical lessons".

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The event was co-organized by Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia and Italy within the framework of the 57th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The discussion was moderated by Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam in Geneva, with the participation of international experts and representatives.

Speaking at the seminar on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Decade of Human RightsEducation and the 20th anniversary of the World Programme on Human Rights Education (WPHRE) approved by the United Nations, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet emphasized that the international community has achieved many achievements in promoting human rights education, including the key task of bringing human rights education into the school system.

The Deputy Minister said that countries and international organizations have had a lot of experience and effective ways of spreading human rights education in the school system at all levels and the continuing education system, promoting the participation of children and students in building human rights curricula. Countries and international organizations have also made many efforts to promote international cooperation within the bilateral and multilateral frameworks on this issue. However, the sharing of experience and knowledge between countries still needs to be further promoted.

International seminar "Integrating human rights education into the education system: Sharing experiences and practical lessons".

Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet affirmed: Vietnam shares with other countries that human rights education is an effective tool to help people ensure their rights, increase respect and understanding in society, and that also contributes to the implementation of the right to education. Vietnam has also made efforts in this field, including the Project "Incorporating human rights education content into educational institutions in the national education system".

One of Vietnam's priorities during its term as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for 2023-2025 is to promote the right to education and human rights education. Therefore, Vietnam wishes to co-sponsor the Dialogue with other countries to create more forums for countries to share experiences and contribute to the preparation for the implementation of Phase 5 of the WPHRE Programme (2025-2029).

Also at the seminar, Dr. Le Xuan Tung, Senior Lecturer of the Institute of Human Rights, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, shared the implementation of Project 1309 on integrating human rights content into the education program in the national education system in Vietnam. Some outstanding results are: organizing human rights training courses for all teachers and lecturers in the national education system; compiling and publishing human rights education materials; building a human rights content framework for general education; integrating human rights content into general education programs from preschool to university; human rights education for leaders and managers throughout the political system through advanced political theory programs. He also emphasized the promotion of international cooperation on human rights education, in which the partnership between the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Australian Human Rights Commission stands out.

At the event, delegates from many countries shared their experiences in integrating human rights into education programs at all levels, with a special focus on education for girls, ethnic minority children and vulnerable groups. They also emphasized the important role of coordination between schools, families and society in promoting human rights education.

Coordinator for Human Rights Education and Training, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Ms. Elena Ippoliti, introduced a comprehensive approach to human rights education, based on five components: policy development, policy implementation measures, teaching and learning processes and tools, education and professional development of teachers and other education personnel, and the learning environment.

Concluding the Dialogue, Ambassador Mai Phan Dung said that the exchanges at the Dialogue contributed to identifying challenges and opportunities in integrating human rights education into national education systems, supporting countries to continue implementing the WPHRE Program.

The international seminar on “Integrating human rights education into the education system: Sharing experiences and practical lessons” is one of two signature initiatives of Vietnam within the framework of the 57th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council from September 9 to October 11, 2024; along with the Interregional Declaration on Immunization and Human Rights. These are some of the eight priorities that Vietnam will promote during its term as a member of the Human Rights Council from 2023 to 2025.

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Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/day-manh-hop-tac-quoc-te-ve-giao-duc-quyen-con-nguoi-205442.html