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UNESCO and Human Rights

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Book cover International Human Rights Institutions, Tribunals, and Courts

Part of the book series: International Human Rights ((IHR))

Abstract

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was set up in November 1945 as an autonomous United Nations organization or specialized agency under Article 57 of the UN Charter. Human rights are at the heart of UNESCO’s mandate. Article I(1) of UNESCO’s Constitution states that the purpose of the organization is to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law, and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language, or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations. Following this mandate, Member States of UNESCO have adopted numerous legal instruments in the field of human rights, related to education, culture, and science of communication. UNESCO has further developed many programs and activities to advance and promote human rights in these fields. UNESCO also has a procedure to assess complaints about alleged human rights violations in its fields of competence. This chapter outlines the general structure and functioning of UNESCO; gives an overview of various instruments, strategy, and activities of UNESCO in relation to human rights; and discusses the communication procedure.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Law, Department of International and European Law, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Yvonne Donders

Authors
  1. Yvonne Donders
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Correspondence to Yvonne Donders .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst für Völkerreicht & Int'l Beziehung, Karl Franzens Universität Graz Inst für Völkerreicht & Int'l Beziehung, Graz, Austria

    Gerd Oberleitner

Additional information

Note: Parts of this chapter are published in Donders Y (forthcoming 2018) UNESCO’s Communications Procedure on Human Rights. In Rodley N and Van Ho T (eds) Research Handbook on Human Rights Institutions and Enforcement. Edward Elgar Publishing, London.

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Donders, Y. (2018). UNESCO and Human Rights. In: Oberleitner, G. (eds) International Human Rights Institutions, Tribunals, and Courts. International Human Rights. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4516-5_25-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4516-5_25-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-4516-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-4516-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Law and CriminologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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