Human rights education in the focus of the international expert meeting in Ashgabat
On the eve of Human Rights Day, which is annually celebrated on December 10, Ashgabat is hosting a forum on the themes of this international holiday, namely, on such an aspect as “Human Rights Education”.
On December 10, 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted - a global document that proclaims the inalienable rights inherent in every person, regardless of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion.
Ashgabat forum, organized by the UN Development Program in Turkmenistan, in addition to national experts, gathered experts from Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan.
- The concept of human rights is based on two core values: the first is human dignity, and the second is equality. That is why human rights receive their support from all world cultures, all civilized governments,” Natia Natsvlishvili, acting UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan, said in her opening speech.
During the meeting, participants discussed the importance of human rights education to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, international standards in this area, the experience of various countries, including Turkmenistan, in the integration of human rights education programs in the education system.
Human rights education is fundamental to the overall development of young people, as well as increasing their participation in decision-making. Indeed, this year the global campaign dedicated to Human Rights Day is being held under the slogan “Fight for your rights.” It aims to increase the involvement of youth in the promotion and protection of human rights.
“It is important for youth to understand everything that is happening in the world and to be able to defend their rights, as well as the rights of their loved ones,” says Richard Komenda, representative of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). - For example, every person, citizen has the right to quality education, the right to protection of health and treatment. The World Declaration of Human Rights includes the basic norms that the international community has developed after World War II. These standards are valid in many countries of the world, including Turkmenistan.
According to Richard Commanda, an important issue is the training of human rights experts. In this regard, we plan to develop special courses and introduce them into the curriculum of Turkmen universities.
- Turkmenistan has significantly improved its interaction with UN human rights mechanisms, especially in terms of national reporting. The commitment of the parties to a sustainable long-term partnership in the promotion and protection of human rights remains unchanged, said UN Pan-coordinator in Turkmenistan Elena Panova.
