Human Rights Standard-Setting Instruments and Monitoring

International Human Rights standards were developed to protect people's human rights against violations by individuals, groups or nations.

In order to realize its main objectives, UNESCO elaborates relevant international instruments. Standard-setting has thus always played an important role in UNESCO's activities.

During more than half a century of existence, about sixty conventions, declaration and recommendations have been developed and adopted by the General Conference of the Organization. The majority of these instruments are linked directly or indirectly with human rights. They concern primarily those human rights which are within UNESCO's fields of competence, namely education, culture, science, communication, information, and freedom of opinion and expression).

UNESCO's obligation to promote and protect human rights was established by its Constitution, adopted on 16 November 1945, which proclaims in its Article 1 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".

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