Chapter Eight. Do States Have An Obligation Under International Law To Provide Human Rights Education?

Abstract

Prior to 1948, human rights education (HRE) was exclusively a concern of domestic legal and education systems, as human rights were not considered to be an appropriate subject matter for international law. However, the development of the United Nations (UN) and the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) saw this change, and for the first time HRE was included in an international instrument. This chapter considers the historical background to HRE becoming part of international human rights law and analyzes what States are required to do in order to comply with international HRE obligations contained in treaties and other instruments. It concludes with a few observations about levels of compliance with international laws pertaining to HRE, and obstacles to the realization of those laws, before closing with some recommendations about how States might increase their adherence to international HRE mandates. Keywords: human rights education (HRE); international human rights law; international law; states; United Nations (UN); Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)