- 60 - 316. In their presentations, the representatives of the specialized agencies and United Nations organs informed the Committee of the variety of ways in which they pursued human rights education activities in their respective areas of competence, including the organization of seminars and conferences; the development of human rights programmes and materials to be used for training or educational purposes; the development of networks of schools to encourage integration of educational curricula based on tolerance, human rights and democratic principles; and support of publicity campaigns and special events. 317. The representative of UNESCO highlighted the activities being undertaken pursuant to the World Plan of Action on Education for Human Rights and Democracy. The World Plan of Action drew attention to the concept of human rights education as a human right in itself and served as an important point of reference in the formulation of the recently adopted Plan of Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education. The representative also reminded participants of the mechanism established to monitor the implementation of the Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Cooperation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by the UNESCO General Conference in 1974. This monitoring mechanism had been instituted as an advisory committee to which States must submit reports every six years on their implementation of the Recommendation. The Advisory Committee had held its first meeting in April 1995. 318. Some representatives of specialized agencies drew attention to the position taken by their agencies that human rights education should impart not only knowledge of the rights themselves, but also knowledge of the substance of those rights. The representative of WHO illustrated this approach in stating that WHO taught members of the medical profession and the general public that health was their right and instructed them as to how they could protect their health, including through good nutrition, regular vaccinations and hygiene. In addition, this representative proposed that thematic educational programmes be introduced during the Decade, for example on the right of health of women, of the elderly and of persons with AIDS. 319. In their statements, non-governmental organizations informed the Committee about their activities, which included public information campaigns, provision of human rights education for educators and development and relief workers, and a number of grass-roots projects. Many of the participants from non-governmental organizations were in agreement that the Committee should revise its reporting guidelines to require States parties to report on their efforts to promote human rights education, and that it should develop questions to put to States parties in this regard during the consideration of their reports. 320. With regard to areas requiring further attention, a participant from one non-governmental organization raised the fact that human rights were often neglected in university, graduate and continuing education programmes, both in scientific and in other professional fields. She stated that scientists were not trained in human rights, despite the fact that adherence to human rights standards such as freedom of expression, the right to privacy, the right to produce and enjoy the product of one’s labour and other rights as established in the International Covenants on Human Rights was the basis for scientific investigation.