Online tool for monitoring human rights education brings new insights and fosters cooperation

“I am now better able to respond to important issues regarding human rights education,” said Hassan Abdi Omar from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights says after working with the new SDG 4.7/Human Rights Education Online Survey Tool.

The online tool has been developed for collecting data on progress on the human rights education elements of SDG target 4.7, measured against international human rights standards and the UN World Programme for Human Rights Education (WPHRE).

During the last six months, ten national human rights commissions in Africa have used the tool. The results are very promising.

The national human rights commissions in Kenya and Ethiopia have reported that the tool is crucial for bringing structure to their monitoring of progress in human rights education and gaining precise insights into the implementation gaps.

While working with the tool, the commissions have developed new partnerships and cooperated with several stakeholders to exchange data. The National Commission on Human Rights in Kenya found that a strong collaboration with stakeholders was key to obtaining missing data, build granular insights and identify actions for further progress.

“The tool and the continued work to overcome data gaps provides a crucial baseline to understand the status of human rights education in Kenya. It creates accountability and possibility for progress,” Hassan Abdi Omar from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said.

Promoting human rights through education

With the new survey tool national human rights institutions are able to assess the level of implementation of human rights education, including whether learning environments are characterised by respect for human rights. All in line with the global SDG target 4.7 and related international standards on human rights education

The data generated can also be used in reporting on progress in implementing the UN World Programme for Human Rights Education (WPHRE) and the legally binding international treaties that contain provisions on human rights education.

If future generations are to participate in developing a universal culture of human rights, it is crucial that human rights education is a part of both national education policies and in school curricula. Creating learning environments, where teachers provide students with opportunities for self-expression and participation in decision-making, are equally important.

“If we want younger generations to know and defend human rights, we need to both teach them and engage them. We have developed this new tool to support and strengthen the process of collecting data on human rights education and make stakeholders see where further action is needed,” Birgitte Feiring, department director at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, said.

“The 2030 Agenda expresses a commitment to building just and sustainable societies where the human rights of all are realized. Human rights education is key to achieving that vision,” she adds.

Mzanie Abate from the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has tested the tool:

“Mere information sharing is not enough. We need to teach students in a way, so they can defend human rights. There needs to be an attitude shift,” Mizanie Abate said.

The online tool has been developed in consultation with The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) under a project funded by the Permanent Mission of Denmark to UN in Geneva. Apart from the ten African institutions mentioned above, national human rights institutions from Georgia, Ecuador and the Philippines have tested an earlier version of the tool and contributed to its development.