Resolution on Human Rights Education and on International Humanitarian Law
The Forum on the participation of NGOs at the 39th Session of the ACHPR,
Considering Article 25 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which stipulates that « The State Parties to the present Charter shall have the duty to promote and ensure through teaching, education and publication, the respect for the rights and freedoms contained in the present Charter and to see to it that these freedoms and rights as well as the corresponding duties are understood ».
Considering Articles 47, 48, 127 and 144 of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Geneva Conventions of the 12th August 1949 respectively which stipulate that: “The sovereign Contracting Parties undertake to publicize, as widely as possible, in times of peace and in times of war, the text of the present Convention in their respective countries, and notably to incorporate the study of it in the educational programmes [..], civilian ones if possible, such that its principles are known by the entire population”.
Recalling that the years 1994 to 2004 had been declared by the United Nations as the Ten Years of Human Rights Education.
Recognizing that this was not accompanied in Africa by sufficient and important initiatives due notably to the lack of information, of knowledge and the lack of political will;
Conscious of the fact that the great majority of African NGOs base their activities in favour of the populations concerning the resolution of urgent problems such as the provision of foodstuffs and the protection of physical integrity.
Recognizing that the NGOs do not sufficiently underscore human rights and international humanitarian law education;
Conscious however of the importance of education to human rights and to international humanitarian law in the construction of a justified culture of human rights resulting in a genuine change of values and behaviour;
Conscious of the positive impact of human rights and international humanitarian law education on the quality of educational systems as was shown by the evaluation of the objective No. 6 of the Unesco Programme on Education for All (EFA);
Recalling the fact that some traditional African cultural values can help in human rights and international humanitarian law education, notably within the family environment and in the community;
We request the ACHPR to adopt a Resolution:
- Instituting a Five Year Period for human rights and international humanitarian law education;
- Requesting the States, during this Five Year period, to undertake motivating actions so that human rights and international humanitarian law education activities can be included in formal and informal education;
- Committing it to remain actively involved in the matter of human rights and international humanitarian law education and inscribing it each time on its Agenda;
- Requesting the States to engage in systematic campaigns for the popularization of human rights and international humanitarian law through the Television, Newspapers and the Radio;
- Requesting the NGOs to enter into contact with the international organizations working on this theme, notably UNESCO and to be informed about and to participate in all the constructive initiatives in this area; to associate them in their activities of human rights and international humanitarian law education so as to enable the African populations to face the challenges created by the numerous crises in the Continent; to maintain the process of reflection, of exchanges and collaboration in order to present a brief on the state of progress of the recommendations at future Sessions of the ACHPR.
Done in Banjul, May 8th, 2006
