Tackling values crisis through education Mr Kishore Singh, Former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, shared his perspective on why humanistic mission of education needs to be strengthened and what the Council of Europe can do, at the occasion of the Council of Europe Conference Learning to Live Together – a Shared Commitment to Democracy: The Future of Citizenship and Human Rights Education in Europe.
“Values education centered around human rights is at the core of right to education as developed by the Council of Europe in the form of instruments having binding force as well as those having moral force as soft law, - points out Mr Singh, - The Council of Europe can play a pioneering role in the United Nations as it has been “avant-garde” of these ideas. As an important organization comprising 47 States and nearly 820 million people, the Council of Europe can significantly contribute to global development for upholding the humanistic mission of education and safeguarding fundamental principles of social justice and equity which are key pillars of the United Nations system for peace, human rights and development”.
Mr Singh also took part in a round table discussion entitled “promoting human rights and democracy through education in Europe today”.