Guided by the fundamental and universal principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, according to article 26 of which "education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms", and the provisions of other international human rights instruments, such as those of article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, that reflect the aims of the aforementioned article,

Recalling the relevant resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights concerning the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights, the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, 1995-2004, the project of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization entitled "Towards a culture of peace", the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993, and the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Believing that the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights is a valuable complement to the activities of the United Nations aimed at the further promotion and protection of human rights, and recalling the importance attached by the World Conference on Human Rights to human rights education and information,

Convinced that human rights education should involve more than the provision of information and should constitute a comprehensive lifelong process by which people at all levels of development and in all societies learn respect for the dignity of others and the means and methods of ensuring that respect,

Recognizing that human rights education and information are essential to the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms and that carefully designed programmes of teaching, learning, training and sharing of experiences, materials and information can have a catalytic effect on national, regional and international initiatives to promote and protect human rights and prevent human rights violations,

Convinced that human rights education and information contribute to a concept of development consistent with the dignity of women and men of all ages that takes into account the diverse segments of society such as children, indigenous people, minorities and disabled persons,

Taking into account the efforts to promote human rights education made by educators and non-governmental organizations in all parts of the world, as well as by intergovernmental organizations, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund,

Convinced that each woman, man and child, to realize their full human potential, must be made aware of all their human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Recognizing the invaluable and creative role that non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations can play in disseminating public information and engaging in human rights education, especially at the grass-roots level and in remote and rural communities,

Aware of the potential supportive role of the private sector in implementing at all levels of society the Plan of Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, 1995-2004 and the World Public Information Campaign, through creative initiatives and financial support for governmental and non-governmental activities,

Convinced that the effectiveness of existing human rights education and public information activities would be enhanced by better coordination and cooperation at the national, regional and international levels,

Recalling that it is within the responsibility of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to coordinate relevant United Nations education and public information programmes in the field of human rights,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of the Plan of Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, and of the report of the Secretary-General on the development of public information activities in the field of human rights, including the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights;

2. Welcomes the steps taken by Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to implement the Plan of Action, as indicated in the report of the High Commissioner;

3. Urges all Governments to inform their communities about the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights and the Decade and to contribute further to the implementation of the Plan of Action, in particular by establishing, in accordance with national conditions, broadly representative national committees for human rights education and training centres for human rights education or, where such bodies exist, to strengthen them to work towards the elaboration and implementation of an action-oriented national plan for information and education in human rights;

4. Also urges Governments to encourage, support and involve national and local non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations in the implementation of their national action plans;

5. Appeals to Governments, in accordance with their national conditions, to accord priority to the dissemination in their relevant national and local languages of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other human rights instruments, human rights materials and training manuals, as well as reports of States parties under the human rights treaties, and to provide information and education in those languages on the practical ways in which national and international institutions and procedures may be utilized to ensure the effective implementation of those instruments;

6. Welcomes the efforts made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, together with the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat to increase cooperation with the media, including by the provision of timely and relevant information on human rights issues;

7. Urges the Department of Public Information to continue to utilize United Nations information centres for the timely dissemination, within their designated areas of activity, of basic information, reference and audio-visual materials on human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the reports of States parties under human rights instruments and, to this end, to ensure that the information centres are supplied with adequate quantities of those materials;

8. Requests the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat to continue to coordinate the implementation of the Plan of Action to ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiency in the use, processing, management and distribution of information and educational materials and to continue to coordinate and harmonize human rights information strategies within the United Nations system;

9. Encourages the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights to continue the development of training courses and materials, including targeted training manuals for professional audiences, as well as the dissemination of human rights information materials as a component of technical assistance projects, supplemented by electronic means wherever possible, taking particular account of the human rights needs of women, children, remote or isolated communities and persons with low levels of literacy;

10. Requests the human rights mechanisms to place emphasis on the promotion and implementation of programmes of information and education on human rights;

11. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights, to consider appropriate ways and means, including the possibility of establishing a voluntary fund, to support human rights activities, including those undertaken by non-governmental organizations;

12. Invites the specialized agencies and relevant United Nations programmes to contribute, within their respective spheres of competence, to the implementation of the Plan of Action and the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights;

13. Calls upon international, regional and national non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations, in particular those concerned with women, labour, development, food, housing, education, health care and the environment, as well as all other social justice groups, human rights advocates, educators, religious organizations and the media, to undertake specific activities of formal, non-formal and informal education, including cultural events, alone and in cooperation with the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights, in implementing the Plan of Action;

14. Stresses the need for close collaboration between the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights and the Department of Public Information in the implementation of the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights and the Plan of Action and the need to harmonize their activities with those of other organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in the project entitled "Towards a culture of peace" and the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental organizations with regard to the dissemination of information on international humanitarian law;

15. Encourages the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights to consider the promotion of educational and cultural activities throughout the world in accordance with the Plan of Action and the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights when preparing for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

16. Requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of all members of the international community and to intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with human rights education and public information and to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session a comprehensive report on the implementation of the present resolution for consideration under the item entitled "Human rights questions".

82nd plenary meeting
12 December 1996