Ref: 84/2010

On Monday, 23 November 2010, the Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights Unit of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) organized
a workshop titled “The Right to Education is Human Right.” The
workshop was held in cooperation with the Parliamentary and Democratic
Education’s Association in Gaza in PCHR’s headquarter in Gaza City. The workshop was attended by 25 members
engaged in the School Parliament Project, which is implemented by the
Association in UNRWA schools in Gaza.

Mr. Khalil Shaheen, Director of PCHR’s Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights Unit welcomed the participants and pointed that organizing this
workshop is part of a series of lectures organized by the unit in coordination
with various NGOs in the Gaza Strip.

In his presentation titled “The Right to Education is
Human Right”, Shaheen addressed the development of human rights’ concepts in
the frame of international law. He tackled the right to education in light of
the international conventions on human rights, particularly, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights. Shaheen also
discussed the contractual obligations of States towards the right to education.

A discussion was held among the participants on the reality
of education in the Gaza Strip and its relationship with human rights, as well
as the role of the school parliaments in expanding the perceptions of school
students in order to promote human rights in the curricula of the Gaza Strip’s
schools.