- 61 - 3. Plan of Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, 1995-2004 321. During the general discussion, the members of the Committee had available to them the report of the Secretary-General concerning a proposed decade for human rights education, 3/ which was subsequently endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 49/184 of 23 December 1994. By that resolution, the General Assembly proclaimed the ten-year period beginning on 1 January 1995 the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education and requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to coordinate its implementation. The General Assembly further requested that the human rights treaty-monitoring bodies, among other entities, support the efforts of the High Commissioner to coordinate the Plan of Action for the Decade, and place emphasis on the implementation by Member States of their international obligation to promote human rights education. 322. The members of the Committee agreed that the provision of human rights education affects the enjoyment of all rights, be they civil, political, economic, social or cultural in nature or directed at the elimination of discrimination against particular groups of persons. They noted that the human rights treaty bodies are specifically requested in the Plan of Action for the Decade to monitor the implementation of the Plan of Action in States parties and that no other monitoring mechanism is mentioned in the Plan of Action. In this connection, it was noted that article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights gave the Committee a sui generis role in the implementation of the Plan of Action. 4. Conclusions and decisions on future action 323. Taking into account the points raised during the discussion and in the light of the Plan of Action for the Decade, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopts the following conclusions. 324. Human rights education is itself a human right. According to article 13 of the Covenant, all persons have a right to education and this education must be directed to the full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity, strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, 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. The Committee considers that the exercise of and strengthening of respect for human rights can take place only when there exists awareness of those rights by both the authorities and individuals. The Committee thus affirms the concept that, as a component of the right to education, human rights education is itself a human right. 325. The human rights treaty bodies, particularly the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, have a special responsibility because of their unique situation within the United Nations system to assess and monitor progress in the implementation of the binding obligations of States parties to promote human rights education at the national level. They are the only 3/ A/49/261-E/1994/110/Add.1.