HH Sheikha Moza makes case for human right to education at UN

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser argued that the right to education should be a key part of future global development goals in a keynote speech to a high-level panel on human rights mainstreaming at the UN Human Rights Council.

The purpose of the high-level panel discussion was to provide inputs to the process of defining the future global development goals, following the expiry of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the end of 2015.

Her Highness stated that the simplicity and measurability of the MDGs should be built on to make them sustainable for the future:

“We must make the development goals enforceable, equal and universal, by making the principles of human rights clearly visible throughout them. Strengthening the human rights dimension in the development goals is the best way to ensure that these goals will also be enforceable.”

“Enshrining the principle of universality in this way, would help eliminate discrimination in access to education, and ensure that all groups in society are reached.”

Her Highness argued that combining the human rights and development agendas would bring the clear definitions, measurement and targets to the human rights field that have helped to make the MDGs so ambitious.

“[Combining human rights and development] will allow us to measure the impact of the right of every child to have an education. To measure the economic and social benefits of realising that right. It will help us assess the damage to a society when that right is taken away by conflict, disaster or even prejudice.

Indeed, placing human rights as an umbrella for the development targets will make the human rights framework more operational and the development targets more enforceable.”

However, in looking beyond 2015, Her Highness argued against neglecting our obligations to the MDGs, which are still far from being completed.

“I would like to see the future sustainable development goals take a more ambitious approach to education. To move beyond basic education and encompass specific targets on education in conflict, quality of learning and lifelong education.

But the level of ambition of the future goals will depend entirely on the progress we make from now to 2015.”

Her Highness mentioned the examples of the Al Fakhoora and Educate A Child programmes as initiatives that are seeking to bring education to enable children and young people to take up their human right to education, even in the most difficult circumstances of poverty or conflict.

“Nobody can deny that human rights values – the values of dignity, respect, responsibility, justice, tolerance and equality – are essential attributes for human development.

Now we must define how we make these attributes part of the development framework, of which education is the core. Today I look to you to do all in your power to bring the benefits of international human rights law to the human development agenda.

We must give future generations the opportunity to build prosperous and peaceful societies through human-centred development.”

Other speakers and panelists at the event included: Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, Mr. Luís Brites Pereira , Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal, Ms. Navanathem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Assistant-Secretary-General and Special Advisor of the Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning and Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCO.