U nited Nations Educational, S cientific and Cultural Org a n i z a t i o n

Declaration and
Integrated
Framework
of Action on Education for Peace,
Human Rights
and Democracy

19 9 5
 Declaration
of the 44th session
of the International
C o n f e rence on Education
endorsed
(Geneva, October 1994)
by the General Conference
of UNESCO
at its twenty-eight session

Paris, November 1995

Declaration and 4
Integrated
Framework
of Action on Education for Peace,
Human Rights
and Democracy

1 • We , the Ministers of Education meeting at the 44th

session of the International Conference on Education,

Deeply concerned by the manifestations of violence, racism, xenophobia,

aggressive nationalism and violations of human rights, by religious intolerance, by
the upsurge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and by the growing gap
separating wealthy countries from poor countries, phenomena which threaten the
consolidation of peace and democracy both nationally and internationally and
which are all obstacles to development,

Mindful of our responsibility for the education of citizens committed to the

promotion of peace, human rights and democracy in accordance with the letter and
spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, the Constitution of UNESCO, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant instruments such as the
Convention on the Rights of the Child and the conventions on the rights of women,
and in accordance with the Recommendation concerning Education for
International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,

Convinced that education policies have to contribute to the development of

understanding, solidarity and tolerance among individuals and among ethnic, social,
cultural and religious groups and sovereign nations,

Convinced that education should promote knowledge, values, attitudes and

skills conducive to respect for human rights and to an active commitment to the
defence of such rights and to the building of a culture of peace and democracy,

Equally convinced :

• of the great responsibility incumbent not only on parents, but on society as a

whole, to work together with all those involved in the education system, and with
non-governmental organizations, so as to achieve full implementation of the
objectives of education for peace, human rights and democracy and to contribute in
this way to sustainable development and to a culture of peace;

• of the need to seek synergies between the formal education system and the
various sectors of non-formal education, which are helping to make a reality of
education that is in conformity with the aims of the World Declaration on
Education for All, adopted in Jomtien;

• of the decisive role that also falls to non-formal educational organizations in

the process of forming the personalities of young people.
Declaration and 5
Integrated
Framework
of Action on Education for Peace,
Human Rights
and Democracy

2 •
Strive resolutely :

2. 1 • to base education on principles and methods that contribute to the

development of the personality of pupils, students and adults who are respectful of
their fellow human beings and determined to promote peace, human rights and
democracy;
2. 2 • to take suitable steps to establish in educational institutions an atmosphere
contributing to the success of education for international understanding, so that
they become ideal places for the exercise of tolerance, respect for human rights, the
practice of democracy and learning about the diversity and wealth of cultural
identities;

2. 3 • to take action to eliminate all direct and indirect discrimination against girls
and women in education systems and to take specific measures to ensure that they
achieve their full potential;

2. 4 • to pay special attention to improving curricula, the content of textbooks, and

other educational materials including new technologies, with a view to educating
caring and responsible citizens, open to other cultures, able to appreciate the value
of freedom, respectful of human dignity and differences, and able to prevent
conflicts or resolve them by non-violent means;

2. 5 • to adopt measures to enhance the role and status of educators in formal and
non-formal education and to give priority to pre-service and in-service training as
well as the retraining of educational personnel, including planners and managers,
oriented notably towards professional ethics, civic and moral education, cultural
diversity, national codes and internationally recognized standards of human rights
and fundamental freedoms;

2. 6 • to encourage the development of innovative strategies adapted to the new

challenges of educating responsible citizens committed to peace, human rights,
democracy and sustainable development, and to apply appropriate measures of
evaluation and assessment of these strategies;

2. 7 • to prepare, as quickly as possible and taking into account the constitutional

structures of each State, programmes of action for the implementation of this
Declaration.

3 •
We are determined to increase our eff o rts to :

3. 1 • give a major priority in education to children and young people, who are
particularly vulnerable to incitements to intolerance, racism and xenophobia;

3. 2 • seek the co-operation of all possible partners who would be able to help
teachers to link the education process more closely to real social life and transform
it into the practice of tolerance and solidarity, respect for human rights, democracy
and peace;
Declaration and 6
Integrated
Framework
of Action on Education for Peace,
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and Democracy

3. 3 • develop further, at the national and international levels, exchanges of

educational experiences and research, direct contacts between students, teachers
and researchers, school twinning arrangements and visits, with special attention to
experimental schools such as UNESCO Associated Schools, to UNESCO Chairs,
educational innovation networks and UNESCO Clubs and Associations;

3. 4 • implement the Declaration and Programme of Action of the World

Conference on Human Rights (Vienna, June 1993) and the World Plan of Action on
Education for Human Rights and Democracy adopted at the International Congress
on Education for Human Rights and Democracy (Montreal, March 1993), and make
the internationally recognized instruments in the field of human rights available to
all educational establishments;

3. 5 • contribute, through specific activities, to the celebration of the United

Nations Year for Tolerance (1995), and particularly to the inauguration, on the
occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations and UNESCO, of the
celebration of the International Day for Tolerance.

C o n s e q u e n t l y, we, the Ministers of Education meeting at the 44th session of

the International Conference on Education, adopt this Declaration and invite the Director-
General to present to the General Conference a Framework of Action that allows
Member States and UNESCO to integrate, within a coherent policy, education for peace,
human rights and democracy in the perspective of sustainable development.
Integrated Framework
of Action
on Education for Peace,
Human Rights
a p p roved
and Democracy
by the General Confere n c e
of UNESCO
at its twenty-eight session

Paris, November 1995

This Integrated Framework of Action was prepared in

accordance with resolution 5.7 adopted by the General
Conference at its twenty-seventh session, which
invites the Director-General ‘to finalize the integrated
action plan on education for peace, human rights and
democracy, taking into account all existing action
plans in the field of international education ... and to
submit the integrated action plan for consideration by
the International Conference on Education in 1994
and for approval by the General Conference at its
twenty-eighth session, taking due account of any
comments and recommendations made by the 1994
International Conference on Education’.
The Framework offers a contemporary view of the
problems relating to education for peace, human rights
and democracy. It sets out objectives for such education,
action strategies and policies and lines of action at the
institutional, national and international levels.
Declaration and 8
Integrated
Framework
of Action on Educatio n for Peace,
Hum an Right s
and Democracy

I•
I n t ro d u c t i o n

1 • This Integrated Framework of Action on Education for Peace, Human Rights

and Democracy is intended to give effect to the Declaration adopted at the 44th
session of the International Conference on Education. It suggests basic guidelines
which could be translated into strategies, policies and plans of action at the
institutional and national levels according to the conditions of different
communities.

2 • In a period of transition and accelerated change marked by the expression of

intolerance, manifestations of racial and ethnic hatred, the upsurge of terrorism in
all its forms and manifestations, discrimination, war and violence towards those
regarded as “other” and the growing disparities between rich and poor, at
international and national levels alike, action strategies must aim both at ensuring
fundamental freedoms, peace, human rights, and democracy and at promoting
sustainable and equitable economic and social development all of which have an
essential part to play in building a culture of peace. This calls for a transformation of
the traditional styles of educational action.
3 • The international community has recently expressed its firm resolve to
provide itself with instruments adapted to the current challenges in the world in
order to act in a concerted and effective way. The Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action for Human Rights adopted by the World Conference on
Human Rights (Vienna, June 1993), the World Plan of Action on Education for
Human Rights and Democracy adopted by the International Congress on Education
for Human Rights and Democracy (Montreal, March 1993), and the Associated
Schools Project Strategy and Plan of Action 1994-2000 are, in this respect, attempts
to respond to the challenge of promoting peace, human rights, democracy and
development.
4 • Taking inspiration from the Recommendation on Education for International
Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms, this Framework of Action seeks to suggest to Member
States and international governmental and non-governmental organizations an up-
to-date and integrated view of problems and strategies concerning education for
peace, human rights and democracy. It was drawn up at the request of the General
Conference at its twenty-seventh session, taking into account existing action plans,
and its purpose is to enhance their practical relevance and effectiveness. The idea
then is to draw on accumulated experience in order to chart new directions for the
education of citizens in every country. The Framework of Action accordingly
identifies principles and objectives of action and formulates proposals for the
consideration of policy-makers within each State and for co-operation between
countries on the basis of the commitments contained in the Declaration, to which it
is closely linked. It also attempts to bring together into a coherent whole the
Declaration and 9
Integrated
Framework
of Action on Education for Peace,
Human Rights
and Dem ocracy

various measures aimed at defining study topics, realigning education at all levels,
rethinking methods and reviewing teaching materials in use, stimulating research,
developing teacher training and helping to make the education system more open
to society by means of active partnership.

5 • All human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated.

The strategies of action for their implementation must take specific historic,
religious and cultural considerations into account.

II•
Aims of education for peace, human rights and democracy

6 • The ultimate goal of education for peace, human rights and democracy is the
development in every individual of a sense of universal values and types of
behaviour on which a culture of peace is predicated. It is possible to identify even in
different socio-cultural contexts values that are likely to be universally recognized.

7 • Education must develop the ability to value freedom and the skills to meet
its challenges. This means preparing citizens to cope with difficult and uncertain
situations and fitting them for personal autonomy and responsibility. Awareness of
personal responsibility must be linked to recognition of the value of civic
commitment, of joining together with others to solve problems and to work for a
just, peaceful and democratic community.

8 • Education must develop the ability to recognize and accept the values which
exist in the diversity of individuals, genders, peoples and cultures and develop the
ability to communicate, share and co-operate with others. The citizens of a pluralist
society and multicultural world should be able to accept that their interpretation of
situations and problems is rooted in their personal lives, in the history of their
society and in their cultural traditions; that, consequently, no individual or group
holds the only answer to problems; and that for each problem there may be more
than one solution. Therefore, people should understand and respect each other and
negotiate on an equal footing, with a view to seeking common ground.
Thus education must reinforce personal identity and should encourage the
convergence of ideas and solutions which strengthen peace, friendship and
solidarity between individuals and people.

9 • Education must develop the ability of non-violent conflict-resolution.

It should therefore promote also the development of inner peace in the minds of
students so that they can establish more firmly the qualities of tolerance,
compassion, sharing and caring.

10 • Education must cultivate in citizens the ability to make informed choices,

basing their judgements and actions not only on the analysis of present situations
but also on the vision of a preferred future.
11 • Education must teach citizens to respect the cultural heritage, protect the
environment, and adopt methods of production and patterns of consumption which
lead to sustainable development. Harmony between individual and collective values
and between immediate basic needs and long-term interests is also necessary.

12 • Education should cultivate feelings of solidarity and equity at the national

and international levels in the perspective of a balanced and long-term
development.
Declaration and 10
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Framework
of Action on Educatio n for Peace,
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and Democracy

III•
Strategies

13 • In order to achieve these aims, the strategies and forms of action of

education systems will clearly need to be modified, as necessary, in respect both of
teaching and of administration. Furthermore, providing basic education for all, and
promoting the rights of women as an integral and indivisible part of universal
human rights, are fundamental in education for peace, human rights and
democracy.

14 • Strategies relating to education for peace, human rights and democracy must:

a - be comprehensive and holistic, which means addressing a very broad

range of factors some of which are described in more detail below;
b - be applicable to all types, levels and forms of education;
c - involve all educational partners and various agents of socialization,
including NGOs and community organizations;
d - be implemented locally, nationally, regionally and worldwide;
e - entail modes of management and administration, co-ordination and
assessment that give greater autonomy to educational establishments so that
they can work out specific forms of action and linkage with the local
community, encourage the development of innovations and foster active and
democratic participation by all those concerned in the life of the establishment;
f - be suited to the age and psychology of the target group and taken
account of the evolution of the learning capacity of each individual;
g - be applied on a continuous and consistent basis. Results and obstacles
have to be assessed, in order to ensure that strategies can be continuously
adapted to changing circumstances;
h - include proper resources for the above aims, for education as a whole
and especially for marginalized and disadvantaged groups.

15 • The degree of change required, priorities for action and the sequence of
actions should be determined at all decision-making levels taking into account
different historical backgrounds, cultural traditions and development levels of
regions and countries, and even within countries.

IV•
Policies and lines of action

16 • The incorporation into curricula at all levels of education, formal and non-
formal, of lessons on peace, human rights and democracy is of crucial importance.

Content of education

17 • To strengthen the formation of values and abilities such as solidarity,

creativity, civic responsibility, the ability to resolve conflicts by non-violent means,
and critical acumen, it is necessary to introduce into curricula, at all levels, true
education for citizenship which includes an international dimension. Teaching
should particularly concern the conditions for the construction of peace; the various
forms of conflict, their causes and effects; the ethical, religious and philosophical
bases of human rights, their historical sources, the way they have developed and
how they have been translated into national and international standards, such as in
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of
Declaration and 11
Integrated
Framework
of Action on Education for Peace,
Human Rights
and Dem ocracy

All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of
the Child; the bases of democracy and its various institutional models; the problem
of racism and the history of the fight against sexism and all the other forms of
discrimination and exclusion. Particular attention should be devoted to culture, the
problem of development and the history of every people, as well as to the role of
the United Nations and international institutions. There must be education for
peace, human rights and democracy. It cannot, however, be restricted to specialized
subjects and knowledge. The whole of education must transmit this message and
the atmosphere of the institution must be in harmony with the application of
democratic standards. Likewise, curriculum reform should emphasize knowledge,
understanding and respect for the culture of others at the national and global level
and should link the global interdependence of problems to local action. In view of
religious and cultural differences, every country may decide which approach to
ethical education best suits its cultural context.

Teaching materials and resources

18 • All people engaged in educational action must have adequate teaching

materials and resources at their disposal. In this connection, it is necessary to make
the necessary revisions to textbooks to get rid of negative stereotypes and distorted
views of “the other”. International co-operation in producing textbooks could be
encouraged. Whenever new teaching materials, textbooks and the like are to be
produced, they should be designed with due consideration of new situations. The
textbooks should offer different perspectives on a given subject and make
transparent the national or cultural background against which they are written.
Their content should be based on scientific findings. It would be desirable for the
documents of UNESCO and other United Nations institutions to be widely
distributed and used in educational establishments, especially in countries where
the production of teaching materials is proving slow owing to economic difficulties.
Distance education technologies and all modern communication tools must be
placed at the service of education for peace, human rights and democracy.

Programmes for reading, expression and the promotion

of foreign languages

19 • It is essential for the development of education for peace, human rights and
democracy that reading, and verbal and written expression programmes, should be
considerably strengthened. A comprehensive grasp of reading, writing and the
spoken word enables citizens to gain access to information, to understand clearly
the situation in which they are living, to express their needs, and to take part in
activities in the social environment. In the same way, learning foreign languages
offers a means of gaining a deeper understanding of other cultures, which can serve
as a basis for building better understanding between communities and between
nations. UNESCO’s LINGUAPAX project could serve as an example in that respect.

Educational establishments

20 • Proposals for educational change find their natural place in schools and
classrooms. Teaching and learning methods, forms of action and institutional policy
lines have to make peace, human rights and democracy both a matter of daily
practice and something that is learned. With regard to methods, the use of active
methods, group work, the discussion of moral issues and personalized teaching should
be encouraged. As for institutional policy lines, efficient forms of management and
participation must promote the implementation of democratic school management,
involving teachers, pupils, parents and the local community as a whole.

21 • Direct contacts and regular exchanges should be promoted between pupils,

students, teachers and other educators in different countries or cultural
Declaration and 12
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of Action on Education for Peace,
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and Dem ocracy

environments, and visits should be organized to establishments where successful

experiments and innovations have been carried out, particularly between
neighbouring countries. Joint projects should be implemented between
establishments and institutions from different countries, with a view to solving
common problems. International networks of pupils, students and researchers
working towards the same objectives should also be set up. Such networks should,
as a matter of priority, ensure that schools in particularly difficult situations due to
extreme poverty or insecurity should take part in them. With this in mind, it is
essential to strengthen and develop the UNESCO Associated Schools System. All
these activities, within the limits of available resources, should be introduced as an
integral component of teaching programmes.

22 • The reduction of failure must be a priority. Therefore, education should be

adapted to the individual student’s potential. The development of self-esteem, as
well as strengthening the will to succeed in learning, are also basic necessities for
achieving a higher degree of social integration. Greater autonomy for schools
implies greater responsibility on the part of teachers and the community for the
results of education. However, the different development levels of education
systems should determine the degree of autonomy in order to avoid a possible
weakening of educational content.

Teacher training

23 • The training of personnel at all levels of the education system - teachers,

planners, managers, teacher educators - has to include education for peace, human
rights and democracy. This pre-service and in-service training and retraining should
introduce and apply in situ methodologies, observing experiments and evaluating
their results. In order to perform their tasks successfully, schools, institutions of
teacher education and those in charge of non-formal education programmes should
seek the assistance of people with experience in the fields of peace, human rights
and democracy (politicians, jurists, sociologists and psychologists) and of the NGOs
specialized in human rights. Similarly, pedagogy and the actual practice of
exchanges should form part of the training courses of all educators.

24 • Teacher education activities must fit into an overall policy to upgrade the
teaching profession. International experts, professional bodies and teachersí unions
should be associated with the preparation and implementation of action strategies
because they have an important role to play in the promotion of a culture of peace
among teachers themselves.

Action on behalf of vulnerable groups

25 • Specific strategies for the education of vulnerable groups and those recently
exposed to conflict or in a situation of open conflict are required as a matter of
urgency, giving particular attention to children at risk and to girls and women
subjected to sexual abuse and other forms of violence. Possible practical measures
could include, for example, the organization outside the conflict zone of specialized
forums and workshops for educators, family members and mass media professionals
belonging to the conflicting groups and an intensive training activity for educators
in post-conflict situations. Such measures should be undertaken in co-operation
with governments whenever possible.
26 • The organization of education programmes for abandoned children, street
children, refugee and displaced children and economically and sexually exploited
children are a matter of urgency.

27 • It is equally urgent to organize special youth programmes, laying emphasis

on participation by children and young people in solidarity actions and
environmental protection.
Declaration and 13
Integrated
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of Action on Education for Peace,
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and Democracy

28 • In addition, efforts should be made to address the special needs of people

with learning difficulties by providing them with relevant education in a non-
exclusionary and integrated educational setting.
29 • Furthermore, in order to create understanding between different groups in
society, there must be respect for the educational rights of persons belonging to
national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as well as indigenous people,
and this must also have implications in the curricula and methods as well as in the
way education is organized.

Research and development

30 • New problems require new solutions. It is essential to work out strategies for
making better use of research findings, to develop new teaching methods and
approaches and to improve co-ordination in choosing research themes between
research institutes in the social sciences and education in order to address in a more
relevant and effective way the complex nature of education for peace, human rights
and democracy. The effectiveness of educational management should be enhanced
by research on decision-making by all those involved in the educational process
(government, teachers, parents, etc.). Research should also be focused on finding
new ways of changing public attitudes towards human rights, in particular towards
women, and environmental issues. The impact of educational programmes may be
better assessed by developing a system of indicators of results, setting up data banks
on innovative experiments, and strengthening systems for disseminating and
sharing information and research findings, nationally and internationally.

Higher education

31 • Higher education institutions can contribute in many ways to education for

peace, human rights and democracy. In this connection, the introduction into the
curricula of knowledge, values and skills relating to peace, human rights, justice,
the practice of democracy, professional ethics, civic commitment and social
responsibility should be envisaged. Educational institutions at this level should also
ensure that students appreciate the interdependence of States in an increasingly
global society.

Co-ordination between the education sector

and other agents of socialization

32 • The education of citizens cannot be the exclusive responsibility of the

education sector. If it is to be able to do its job effectively in this field, the education
sector should closely cooperate, in particular, with the family, the media, including
traditional channels of communication, the world of work and NGOs.

33 • Concerning co-ordination between school and family, measures should be

taken to encourage the participation of parents in school activities. Furthermore,
education programmes for adults and the community in general in order to
strengthen the school’s work are essential.

34 • The influence of the media in the socialization of children and young people
is increasingly being acknowledged. It is, therefore, essential to train teachers and
prepare students for the critical analysis and use of the media, and to develop their
competence to profit from the media by a selective choice of programmes. On the
other hand, the media should be urged to promote the values of peace, respect for
human rights, democracy and tolerance, in particular by avoiding programmes and
other products that incite hatred, violence, cruelty and disrespect for human dignity.
Declaration and 14
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of Action on Education for Peace,
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and Dem ocracy

Non-formal education of young people and adults

35 • Young people who spend a lot of time outside school and who often do not
have access to the formal education system, or to vocational training or a job, as
well as young people doing their military service, are a very important target group
of education programmes for peace, human rights and democracy. While seeking
improved access to formal education and vocational training it is therefore essential
for them to be able to receive non-formal education adapted to their needs, which
would prepare them to assume their role as citizens in a responsible and effective
way. In addition, education for peace, human rights and respect for the law has to
be provided for young people in prisons, reformatories or treatment centres.
36 • Adult education programmes - in which NGOs have an important role to
play - should make everyone aware of the link between local living conditions and
world problems. Basic education programmes should attach particular importance
to subject-matter relating to peace, human rights and democracy. All culturally
suitable media such as folklore, popular theatre, community discussion groups and
radio should be used in mass education.

Regional and international co-operation

37 • The promotion of peace and democracy will require regional co-operation,

international solidarity and the strengthening of co-operation between international
and governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations, the scientific
community, business circles, industry and the media. This solidarity and co-
operation must help the developing countries to cater for their needs for promoting
education for peace, human rights and democracy.

38 • UNESCO should place its institutional capability, and in particular its regional
and international innovation networks, at the service of the efforts to give effect to
this Framework of Action. The Associated Schools Project, the UNESCO Clubs and
Associations, the UNESCO Chairs, the major education projects for Africa, Asia and
the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Arab States and Europe, the
follow-up bodies of the Jomtien World Conference, and in particular the regional
and international conferences of ministers of education should make specific
contributions. In these efforts, especially at national level, the active participation of
National Commissions for UNESCO should be a strategic asset in enhancing the
effectiveness of the actions proposed.
39 • UNESCO should introduce questions relating to the application of this
Framework of Action at meetings to be held at the highest level regionally and
internationally, develop programmes for the training of educational personnel,
strengthen or develop networks of institutions, and carry out comparative research
on teaching programmes, methods and materials. In accordance with the
commitments set forth in the Declaration on Education for Peace, Human Rights
and Democracy, the programmes should be evaluated on a regular basis.
40 • In this context, UNESCO, in line with the United Nations actions such as
“Agenda for Peace”, “Agenda for Development”, “Agenda 21”, “Social Summit” and
“the Fourth World Conference on Women”, should launch initiatives to implement
this operation with other institutions in the United Nations system and other
regional and international organizations, so as to establish a global plan of activities
and set priorities for joint, co-ordinated action. This could include a UNESCO-
managed fund for international co-operation in education for peace, human rights
and democracy.
41 • National and international non-governmental organizations should be
encouraged to participate actively in the implementation of this Framework
of Action.
U nited
N ations
Ed u c a t i o n a l ,
S cientific an d
C ultural
Org a n i z a t i o n