The right to education.

35. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE
191. The right to education

The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 34/170 of 17 December 1979 on the right to education, Recalling the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted by its resolution 2200 A (XXI) of 16 December 1966, which recognizes the right of everyone to education, Bearing in mind the importance of the Convention against Discrimination in Education,[1] adopted on 14 December 1960 by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Reaffirming the paramount importance of the implementation of the right to education for the full development of human personality and for the enjoyment of other fundamental human rights and freedoms, Convinced that the educational process could bring a substantial contribution to social progress, national development, mutual understanding and co-operation among peoples and to strengthening peace and international security, Recalling that the establishment of the new international economic order requires effective support for the improvement and expansion of educational systems and for the training of specialized personnel and qualified cadres for the economic development of the developing countries, Convinced of the topicality and urgency of provisions on education contained in the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade,[2] Bearing in mind the valuable work of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in the education and training of national personnel, as well as the importance of its contribution to the implementation of the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, Welcoming the recommendations adopted by the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women on the importance of the non-discriminatory implementation of the right to education for the improvement of the status of women in general and of young women in particular,[3] Taking note with satisfaction of the interest shown by the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for the implementation of General Assembly resolution 34/170,

1. Invites all States to consider the adoption of appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures, including material guarantees, in order to ensure the full implementation of the right to universal education through, inter alia, free and compulsory primary education, universal and gradually free-of-charge secondary education, equal access to all educational facilities and the access of the young generation to science and culture;

2. Appeals to States which have not yet done so to accelerate the procedure of ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and of the Convention against Discrimination in Education, and to States parties to those instruments and to other instruments in this field to put into effect systematically their provisions;

3. Invites all States to give all necessary attention to defining and determining in a more precise manner the means for implementing the provisions concerning the role of education in the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade;

4. Invites all specialized agencies to co-operate with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to ensure education a high priority in the implementation of various programmes and projects, in the framework of the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade;

5. Appeals again to all States, in particular the developed countries, to support actively through fellowships and other means, including the general increasing of resources for education and training, the efforts of the developing countries in the education and training of national personnel needed in industry, agriculture and other economic and social sectors;

6. Expresses its thanks to the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for the report on the right to education prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution 34/170;[4]

7. Invites the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to include in the consultation he will be holding with Member States and specialized agencies prior to the establishment of the draft medium-term plan for 1984-1989 such points as will enable him to meet the desires expressed by the General Assembly in paragraph 3 (b) and (c) of its resolution 34/170;

8. Invites the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, in the light of resolution 34/170, and of the experience of that organization in this field, to submit to the General Assembly at its thirty-sixth session a report on the most appropriate measures to be taken by Member States, at the national and international levels, for the effective implementation of the right to education in the application of the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade.

96th plenary meeting
15 December 1980

---

[1] United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 429, No. 6193, p. 93. [2] See sect. V, resolution 35/56, annex, sect. O. [3] See Report of the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Copenhagen, 14-30 July 1980 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.80.IV.3 and corrigendum), chap. I. [4] A/35/148, annex.