Join us for an event on Tuesday 13 February to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Abidjan Principles!
DATE AND TIME
Tuesday, 13 February 2024
14:30-16:00 UTC / 15:30-17:00 CET / 17:30-19:00 EAT / 20:00-21:30 IST / 9:30-11:00 EST / 11:30-13:00 GMT-3
LANGUAGES
English with French and Spanish simultaneous interpretation
REGISTER HERE
Five years have passed since the Abidjan Principles (APs) were adopted on the 13th of February, 2019, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire to explain States’ existing legal obligations concerning the delivery of education. Since then, they have been recognised by multiple legal institutions and human rights bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights Council 2019, 2021 and 2023, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ General Comment 7, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and by Farida Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education. Despite these gains, there remains an increasing global push towards privatisation in education and an accompanying downward spiral towards lower standards.
It is clear that there are many wins to celebrate and much work still to be done to secure the right to free, quality, inclusive public education for all. In this context, a diverse group of education stakeholders including states, UNESCO representatives, scholars, and civil society organisations are welcoming all interested parties to join this event and reflect on where we are today with regards to realising the right to education. Together, we aim to raise awareness of the Abidjan Principles in light of the global resurgence of privatisation in education and celebrate the achievements of the last five years. The event is envisioned as a collaborative space, fostering interactive conversations among stakeholders so that we may assess the journey since the inception of the Abidjan Principles and chart a course for the future.
OBJECTIVES
This commemorative event is not just a celebration, but a strategic dialogue aimed at reinforcing the right to free, quality public education. As we confront the challenges and build upon the achievements of the last five years, we aim to:
Raise awareness on the Abidjan Principles in light of the global resurgence of privatisation in education;
Acknowledge and celebrate key achievements in the last five years;
Reaffirm the continued relevance and necessity of the Abidjan Principles;
Share insights on the application of the Abidjan Principles to date.
MODERATORS
Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona | Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Joshua Castellino | Minority Rights Group International
SPEAKERS INCLUDE
Dr. Frank Adamson | California State University
Solomon Derrso | African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Sandy Fredman | Oxford University; Pembroke College
Dr. David Giband | Université de Perpignan
Dr. Priyadarshani Joshi | Global Education Monitoring Report
Mudford Zachariah Mwandenga | African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Javier Palummo | Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Karuna Parajuli | International Commission of Jurists Nepal
Farida Shaheed | UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education
Johnstone Shishanya | East African Centre for Human Rights
Dr. Ann Skelton | University of Pretoria; UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; UNESCO
Dr. Prachi Srivastava | University of Western Ontario