Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human

Rights Education

adopted in the framework of Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)7

Council of Europe Charter on EDC/HRE

• Background

• Overview

• Follow up

• Challenges

• Opportunities

Background – Council of Europe and EDC/HRE

• Council of Europe – an inter-governmental organisation with 47 member States

• Core values – human rights, democracy and the rule of law

• Treaty based work – European Convention on Human Rights, European Social Charter, Framework Convention for the protection of national minorities and other mechanisms

• Promoting culture of democracy and human rights – education for democratic citizenship and human rights

Background – 2. Adopted texts

• 2nd Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe (1997)

• Recommendation Rec(2002)12 of the Committee of Ministers on education for democratic citizenship

• 2004, the Wroclaw Declaration on 50 Years of Cultural Co-operation, adopted by the ministers responsible for culture, education, youth and sport from the States Parties to the European Cultural Convention

• Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1682(2004) on education for Europe

Background – 3. Process

• Feasibility Study

• Council of Europe Steering Committee for Education (CDED)

• Drafting group

• Consultation process

• Adoption of the Charter on 11 May 2010 at the 120th Session of the Committee of Ministers, in the framework of Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)7

Overview:Section I – General provisions

1. Scope

2. Definitions

3. Relationship between EDC and HRE

4. Constitutional structures and member states priorities

Overview:Section II – Objectives and

Principles

5. Objectives and principles

Overview:Section III – Policies

6. Formal general and vocational education7. Higher education8. Democratic governance9. Training10. Role of NGOs, youth organisations and other

stakeholders11. Criteria for evaluation12. Research13. Skills for promoting social cohesion, valuing

diversity and handling differences and conflict

Overview:Section IV – Evaluation and co-

operation

14. Evaluation and review

15. Co-operation and follow-up activities

16. International co-operation

Follow up

• Council of Europe programme of activities on EDC/HRE 2010-2014

• Informal consultation meeting, Strasbourg, 11-12 October 2010

• Supporting materials (ex. Policy Tool)

• Synergies, co-operation and partnerships

Challenges

• Lack of resources

• Competing priorities (ex. economic crisis)

• Non-binding text

Opportunities

• EDC/HRE as part of solution to current and future challenges

• A common text adopted by the 47 Council of Europe member states at the highest level

• The text was adopted as follow-up to the Interlaken Declaration and Action Plan on the future of the European Court of Human Rights (adopted in February 2010)

• A living tool to be used by all those active in EDC/HRE

Thank you!•

www.coe.int/edc