In this general comment, the Committee on the Rights of the Child emphasizes the urgent need to address the adverse effects of environmental degradation, with a special focus on climate change, on the enjoyment of children’s rights, and clarifies the obligations of States to address environmental harm and climate change. The Committee also explains how children’s rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child apply to environmental protection, and confirms that children have a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
The Fortaleza Declaration was adopted during the 2024 Global Education Meeting (GEM), held in Fortaleza, Brazil on October, the 31. and November, 1. of 2024. It was organized by UNESCO and hosted by the Government of Brazil.
FRANÇAIS ESPAÑOL
La Declaración de Fortaleza fue adoptada durante la Reunión Mundial sobre Educación 2024 (GEM), celebrada en Fortaleza, Brasil, los días 31 de octubre y 1 de noviembre de 2024, organizada por la UNESCO y acogida por el Gobierno de Brasil.
ENGLISH FRANÇAIS
This practical toolkit on the right to education was published by Amnesty International in collaboration with the Right to Education Initiative. It is part of the Haki Zetu handbook series on economic, social and cultural rights, developed by the Special Programme on Africa of Amnesty International Netherlands.
It contains sections on understanding the right to education and on taking action, with a particular focus on Africa – providing concrete examples at national and regional levels and reference to relevant laws and policies. It is to be used in conjunction with the Main Book of the series, which provides general information on ESC rights.
Both the Main Book and the practical toolkit on the Right to Education have been developed for local civil society organisations working with local communities to realise the right to education. The tool seeks to assist community workers to better study laws and policies and promote the monitoring of the right to education.
Education remains the most critical means to accelerate societal progress, strengthen social cohesion and foster individual growth – but the right to education stands at a critical juncture.This report reviews 25 years of progress on the right to education, highlighting major gains such as near universal access to primary education, expansion of formal learning from early childhood through to higher education, and the growing recognition of lifelong learning as a cornerstone of human and social development. At the same time, radical shifts in the ways that we live, work and learn, have placed education systems under unprecedented pressure to adapt in a remarkably short period of time. The report explores the impact of digitalization, conflict, migration and demographic change on the right to education, in particular for vulnerable groups. It underscores the urgent need for renewed global commitments to strengthen the legal and institutional foundations of the right to education, close persistent equity gaps, and adapt to emerging demographic, technological, and societal realities. Reinforcing these dimensions is essential to ensure that education remains both a protective and transformative force for all.