Education and inclusion should be human rights priorities
On November 1, the newly elected General Assembly President, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande recalled the responsibility of the States to actualise their vision of a better world. He further added, “we can only ensure peace and development if human rights are upheld”.
He encouraged everyone to view Sustainable Development Goals from a human rights perspective. He connected SDG 4 (ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all) to articles in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, and the seminal Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The President urged for “a rights-based approach towards implementation” of the goal.
He further added that inclusion must be a priority in the attainment of SDGs and cited the plights of the displaced people, people with disabilities and indigenous persons among other disadvantaged groups. Recalling that the Convention on the Rights of the Child will reach its 30th anniversary on the 20th of this month, he stressed on the importance of upholding rights of children.
Mr. Muhammad-Bande further stated that most of the violent conflicts today have “had their origins in violations of, or disregard for, human rights,” pressing that it is “incumbent upon each Member State…to uphold equal dignity and human rights for everyone, everywhere.” “There is no alternative to protecting the rights of the people we serve,” he concluded.
Coly Seck, Human Rights Council President made a presentation overviewing the themes the Council had prioritised and focused on the important role of each country.
Compiled by Law Desk (Source: UN.org).
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