Declaration of Principles on Human Rights Education
Issued by the Cairo Conference, 28 – 30 November 2006

As part of the efforts exerted to implement the UN World Programme for Human Rights Education, the Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement has convened a conference in Cairo from 28 to 30 November 2006.  It brought together more than 120 participants including Arab and international experts, representatives of national, regional and international institutions, as well as national associations working in the field of education in Egypt and Arab countries. The conference aimed to develop an Egyptian National plan of action for human rights education as well as benefit from and enhance the efforts intended to promote human rights culture in the Arab region.  Throughout the conference sessions, the participants sought to develop a local perspective on how to implement the World Programme, as well as a general framework for a plan of action to serve as a platform for executive plans to be developed in Egypt and the Arab region.
In light of the conference discussions, interventions revolved around local needs and challenges, the roles to be played by various governmental and non-governmental actors; and out of the commitment to the universal human rights principles stipulated in the International Bill of Right; also driven by the urgent need to play an active role in contributing to the application of the World Programme for Human Rights Education, participants agreed on this Declaration.
First: The Context

The participants have acknowledged the urgent need to working together to build a human rights culture in the Arab Region. This was based on the belief that promoting human rights culture will contribute to enhancing equality and stop human rights violations, as these rights constitute the foundation of a just and democratic society.

The participants unanimously agreed that human rights education is closely connected to the human rights situation in societies, which is in turn a reflection of local, national and international situation where power is not for democracy, but rather for dictatorship and hegemony. This situation seriously hampers the progress of human rights education programmes.

The participants welcomed initiatives made by national institutions in Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Yemen to apply programmes for human rights education. They asserted that such initiatives as a whole make a rich experience, which can help in developing future programmes.

The participants expressed the utmost importance of the political will and the respect for the principle of partnership among various parties, in order to ensure the development of an effective strategy for a successful implementation of the World Programme for Human Rights Education.

Second: Principles and Obligations

The participants have affirmed their commitment to the definition of human rights education as included in the World Programme, i.e. "…education, training and information aiming at building a universal culture of human rights through the sharing of knowledge, imparting of skills and moulding of attitudes directed to: the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; the full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity; the promotion of understanding, tolerance, gender equality and friendship among all nations, indigenous peoples and racial, national, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups; the enabling of all persons to participate effectively in a free and democratic society governed by the rule of law; the building and maintenance of peace; the promotion of people-centered sustainable development and social justice.”

The participants affirmed the adoption of the World Programme for Human Rights Education as a reference framework which not only requires the development of educational curricula, but also of policies, and medium and long-term plans and programmes, as well as making available of human and material resources necessary for the implementation of such plans.

The participants emphasized the importance of working toward respect for the principle of universality of human rights and their indivisibility, including civil, economic, social and cultural rights, and the right to development, the right to self-determination, and other rights stipulated in international instruments.

The participants affirmed the commitment to work for achieving gender equality based on the principle that women's rights are integral part of human rights.

The participants emphasized the importance of working for the respect of cultural diversity, and abandoning making an excuse of cultural specialty in order not to commit to international human rights standards.

The participants expressed their commitment to give a high priority to working to support the rights of the marginalized and vulnerable people in education and other basic rights.

Third: The Objectives

To work with all concerned parties for enhancing the development of human rights culture

To spread the basic principles and contribute to the development of human rights education methodologies based on international instruments.

To activate the principle of partnership, and create collective activities at the national and regional levels.

To lay down a strategy aimed to communicate with regional and international programmes and expertise in the field of human rights education.

Fourth: The Framework
In light of these general principles and objectives, the participants decided to work for the establishing of a national mechanism (a human rights education network), and a regional mechanism (regional working group to promote human rights culture). Such mechanisms are intended to activate the transformation of the Plan of Action into tangible reality in conformity with the principles included in the World Programme. This can be achieved through the following measures:

To study and develop the mechanisms required to identify local needs in the field of human rights education, and to suggest the means to meet such needs.
  

To contribute to laying down the guiding principles for the basic elements of human rights education.

To find out the means of developing criteria to measure the achievements of human rights education programmes and plans.

To establish, or strengthen, partnerships and coalitions that would contribute to the implementation of plans and programmes, including inviting the state and the media to lay the ground for a cultural environment that follows human rights values, standards and principles, and to promote this culture among all society sectors.

To clear school curricula of repetition and whatever may entrench discrimination (as to gender, religion, or any other reason), and develop tools that would deepen values and principles stemmed from the belief in the universality of human rights