EU policy framework and background

Human rights education directly contributes to upholding the universal principles of individual freedom, pluralist democracy and the rule of law. These values also form the fundaments of the European Union. Human rights education is essential for the promotion of mutual understanding, tolerance and peace; it is therefore at the heart of EU efforts to promote and protect human rights.

Strengthening human rights and fostering democratisation are key objectives of the European Union’s foreign policy. The EU does not just fight for human rights, the EU invests in them through human rights education. The EU has expressed, on a number of occasions, and at the highest level, its support for programmes of human rights and democracy education, and has pledged to further develop activities in this field.

The 2001 Commission Communication on “The EU’s Role in Promoting Human Rights and Democratisation in Third Countries” (1) has highlighted the role of human rights education, training and awareness-raising in strengthening and empowering individuals and civil society. 

This commitment was reinforced in the 2006 Communication on a Thematic Programme for the promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide under the Financial Perspectives 2007-2013.  The promotion of education and training in human rights and democracy is specifically mentioned in article 2 of the Regulation 1889/2006 of the European Parliament and the Council on establishing a financing instrument for the promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide.

Funding of human rights education projects

Human rights education is funded through a variety of financial means, starting from the bilateral cooperation schemes. Since 2002, the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (2) has placed human rights education as one of its core objectives and provides support to a number of projects promoted by academic institutions and NGOs in various regions. These projects target a wide range of people, including the most vulnerable groups, from school children to community leaders and government officials. Between 2002 and 2006, €85 million were devoted to fostering a culture of human rights, through human rights education and awareness-raising projects.

Human Rights Master’s Programmes

The European Commission has been instrumental in the creation and support of five regional Master degrees in human rights and democratisation, upholding the European commitment to participate in the UN Decade for Human rights education.

It has furthermore given inspiration to the creation of similar EU-funded inter-university networks and education programmes in human rights and democracy in other regions of the world, notably the African Master based in Pretoria, the regional Master for South-East Europe in Sarajevo, the Asia-Pacific Master and the Latin American Master.

(1) See http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/human_rights/docs/index_en.htm 
(2) See http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/worldwide/eidhr/index_en.htm