Education for just and democratic societies

At a time when human rights and fundamental freedoms are increasingly under strain worldwide and trust in public institutions is declining in many countries, the power of education to transform societies is more necessary than ever.

Education has a key role to play in equipping youth with the knowledge, values, skills and attitudes to understand their rights and empower them to promote just societies. If young people do not know what their human rights are and what laws and institutions protect them, how can they exercise these rights in a post-crisis world?

UNESCO develops educational programmes that teach children and young people about their rights and the rule of law, equip them with a strong ethical compass and empower them to become champions for justice in their schools and communities.  

To bridge the gap between education and justice professionals, UNESCO has partnered with UNODC. Their joint initiative, Global Citizenship Education for the Rule of Law, aims to:

• guide policy for changemakers from the education and justice sectors;
• support teachers in primary and secondary schools with educational tools and interactive pedagogies that empower students’ voices and democratic participation;
• train teacher trainers and policy-makers on how to embed such learning in education systems; and
• foster children and youth engagement for just societies.

This partnership supports UNESCO's work on Global Citizenship Education and UNODC's Education for Justice initiative and is aimed at advancing Sustainable Development Goals 4 on quality education and 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.

Watch this video to learn more.