A/68/296 and the right to disseminate and have access to information and knowledge, based on the right to freedom of expression, as set out in article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which encompasses the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers. Access to scientific knowledge and information is another key dimension of the right of all persons to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress, as stipulated in article 15 (1) (b) of the Covenant (see also A/HRC/20/26, paras. 26-28). 12. Several provisions call for the incorporation into educational programmes the histories of indigenous peoples (art. 15 (1) of the United Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) and of minorities (art. 4 (4) of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities) (see also general comment No. 21 of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, paras. 27 and 54 (c), and general comment No. 11 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, para. 58). 13. The repeated call by human rights bodies to eradicate stereotypes and racial and gender prejudices from textbooks is pertinent here. The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance recommended that States should encourage an accurate reflection of history in education so as to avoid stereotypes and distortion or falsification of historical facts, which could lead to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and that textbooks and other educational materials should reflect accurately historical facts as they related to past tragedies and atrocities (see A/HRC/23/56, para. 57 (f)). 14. The Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1974, is particularly relevant. It recommends that a global approach should be the framework for presenting local and national aspects of different subjects and serve to illustrate the scientific and cultural history of humankind. States should, pursuant to its paragraphs 38 (c) and 45, encourage wider exchanges of textbooks, especially history and geography textbooks, and, where appropriate and possible, undertake bilateral and multilateral agreements for reciprocal studies and revisions of textbooks and other educational materials to ensure that they are accurate, balanced, up to date, unprejudiced and enhance mutual knowledge and understanding between different peoples. B. Relevant regional instruments and documents 15. The Council of Europe has developed relevant tools and instruments. Article 2 of the European Cultural Convention of 1954 stipulates that Contracting Parties are to encourage the study of history and civilization in one another’s territories. Recommendation 1283 (1996) on history and the learning of history in Europe proposes supporting independent national associations of history teachers and historical research, including the work of multilateral and bilateral commissions on contemporary history, the development of codes of practice for history teaching, academic freedoms and cooperation between historians. 16. Importantly, Recommendation Rec(2001)15 of the Committee of Ministers on history teaching in twenty-first-century Europe stresses that history teaching must 6/27 13-42291