On 25 October 2024, the Swiss Commission for UNESCO, the University of Geneva, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education were the co-organizers in the Geneva Human Rights dialogue that focused more on the critical need for the right to education, in terms of addressing all the current issues confronting this right.
It brought together a mixed bag of experts, policymakers, and advocates who debated key issues, such as implications of privatization, the role of digitalization, and education in crisis situations, at the event. The UNESCO Liaison Office Director in Geneva, Ana Luiza Thompson-Flores, stated that global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic bring along educational inequalities that require being addressed. She reiterated that free quality education was a necessity for human rights and social justice.
Among the salient discussion points were the dual nature of privatization in education. The Secretary General of the Swiss Commission for UNESCO, Nicolas Mathieu, warned that although privatization may create an environment for innovation, it will, on the other hand, tend to worsen inequality, especially in the periphery. He argued for a balanced approach where private initiatives complement, rather than undermine, public education systems.
The second area she focused on was digitalization, and here she cautioned against such a notion that technology serves as a panacea in itself. Shaheed felt that although digital tools and instruments could be improved to assist education, the success factors were in governance and responsible application. Shaheed urged digitizing without exacerbating inequalities for artificial intelligence, bridging digitized divides.
It discussed educational resilience in crisis contexts. UNESCO’s International Bureau of Education Director, Svein Oesttveit, said education systems need to be agile. This would allow digital platforms and media to be used to ensure continuity in the learning process, which he underscored should always start with teachers for curriculum development.
The representatives of the youths made crucial viewpoints, mainly about the educational rights of Afghan girls and women. Ajmal Ramyar, from UNESCO’s SDG4 Youth & Student Network, called for a collective call to take actions immediately to address their plight.
At the end of the dialogue, participants reaffirmed their commitment to promoting the right to education. The Director for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems at UNESCO, Borhene Chakroun, said that policies in education need to respond to challenges in privatization, digitalization, and crisis response, which would strengthen education as a fundamental human right. The event underscored the need for collective action among governments, educators, and civil society to promote education as a public good and an instrument of equality and empowerment.
