VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGV #0110 0360959
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050955Z FEB 10
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0065
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0015
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA

UNCLAS GENEVA 000110 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: Guidance Request for Draft Declaration on Human Rights 
Education and Training 
 
¶1.  This is an action request.  See para 4. 
 
 
 
¶2.  The 13th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), beginning 
March 1st, will hold a High Level (Ministerial) discussion on the 
Right to Human Rights Education and Training and subsequently 
almost certainly pass a resolution establishing a mechanism to 
draft a declaration.  The sponsors of this effort (Morocco, Costa 
Rica, Slovenia, The Philippines, Italy, and Switzerland - referred 
to as "the Platform") aim to begin negotiations on the draft 
declaration as soon as possible, perhaps as early as April, and 
hope to conclude negotiations in time for consideration by the UN 
General Assembly (UNGA) during the 66th session in 2011.  As a 
point of departure, the Platform will use a draft declaration 
approved by the Advisory Committee in January, whose drafting 
committee worked for two years developing the draft (see 
attachment).  Previous resolutions addressing the need for a 
declaration and discussions during HRC and Advisory Committee 
sessions indicate that a draft declaration will receive broad 
support and that the HRC will likely pass a resolution for the 
UNGA's consideration within or near to the 2011 time frame. 
 
 
 
¶3.  Discussions so far indicate that many countries believe the 
declaration should assert a  "fundamental right" to human rights 
education and that the declaration should define it as broadly as 
possible to include every manner of formal and informal education. 
[Note: Pakistan, the Philippines and some others have questioned if 
human rights education constitutes a "human right."  End note.] 
Regarding implementation, the Advisory Committee proposes the 
establishment of "specialized administrative bodies" at the 
national level and an international center to facilitate and 
coordinate the implementation of the declaration internationally. 
The draft declaration also includes language aimed to protect human 
rights educators, and thus could serve to advance human rights more 
broadly in countries with abusive regimes and offer human rights 
advocates additional protections. 
 
 
 
¶4.  ACTION REQUEST: The United States has participated in these 
discussions and joined consensus on resolutions, but has not 
otherwise taken a significant role in the debate.  Mission Geneva 
seeks Department guidance on the current draft declaration and on 
our overall policy and approach to the drafting of such a 
declaration.  Mission Geneva will need language for an intervention 
for the discussion taking place during the 13th HRC session 
beginning March 1st, as well as voting instructions on the 
resolution.  Platform members have told MissionOffs that the 
resolution will only aim to establish a negotiating mechanism and 
not address the substance of the draft declaration.  Shortly 
thereafter, however, with the beginning of negotiations on the text 
of the declaration, the Mission will need detailed guidance on the 
draft text on a continuing basis as the negotiations proceed. 
GRIFFITHS