Dear INEE members,
On December 10th, we celebrate Human Rights Day in order “to bring to the attention of ‘people of the world’ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations” (UN General Assembly, Resolution 423 V).
Included in the UDHR is the fundamental statement that everyone has the right to education.
However, there are still huge challenges in fully realising the right to education. Everyday, everywhere in the world, this right is violated. As we celebrate Human Rights Day, it is important to remember that the right to education is more than words written in legal instruments. The law is fundamental in guaranteeing the right to education, but the law alone does not mean everyone is enjoying their universal human right to education.
This year, the Human Rights Day’s slogan, ‘Human Rights 365’, encompasses the idea that every day is Human Rights Day. It celebrates the fundamental proposition in the Universal Declaration that each one of us, everywhere, at all times is entitled to the full range of human rights.
Let us call on States to comply with their obligation to guarantee the right to education to everyone, including through the adoption of special measures towards marginalised groups. No one can be left behind. It is essential for the well-being and development of each individual, as well as for society, that everyone can access and receive an good quality education.
Sincerely,
INEE Secretariat
*This message is an abridged version of a well-documented and powerful blog post by Delphine Dorsi of the Right to Education Project. Click to read the full blog post: The right to education: a daily challenge.
Photo credit: Stacy Hughes