Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the
strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 13
The States Parties to the present covenant recognize the right of everyone to education. They agree
that education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the sense of
its dignity, and shall strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. They
further agree that education shall enable all persons to participate effectively in a free society,
promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations and all racial, ethnic or religious
groups, and further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.(…).
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
General Comment 3 (Adopted by the Human Rights Committee at its thirteenth session, 1981) on
article 2: Implementation at the national level
(…)
2.(…) it is very important that individuals should know what their rights under the Covenant
(and the Optional Protocol, as the case may be) are and also that all administrative and judicial
authorities should be aware of the obligations which the State party has assumed under the
Covenant.
To this end, the Covenant should be publicized in all official languages of the State and steps should
be taken to familiarize the authorities concerned with its contents as part of their training.(…).
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Article 7
States Parties undertake to adopt immediate and effective measures, particularly in the fields of
teaching, education, culture and information, with a view of combating prejudices which lead to
racial discrimination and to promoting understanding, tolerance and friendship among nations and
racial or ethical groups, as well as to propagating the purposes and principles of the charter of the
United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Declaration on the
Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, and this Convention.
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Article 10
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in order
to ensure to them equal rights with men in the field of education and in particular to ensure, on the
basis of equality of men and women:(…)
(c) The elimination of any stereotyped concept of the roles of men and women at all levels and in all
forms of education by encouraging coeducation and other types of education which will help to