HRC61 - EU Statement - Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on education

HRC61 - EU Statement - Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on education

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

62^nd session

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on education

17 June 2026

EU statement

Mr. President,

The European Union welcomes the Special Rapporteur on the right to education and thanks her for her report.

Madam Special Rapporteur,

The EU and its Member States reaffirm the human right of everyone to education, as well as our commitment to achieving SDG4. As you identify in your report, access to quality education is essential but not sufficient. A holistic approach to the right to education must also address its content, with curriculum, pedagogy and assessment as core and interconnected elements.

In this regard, education systems should support learner-centred, inclusive and participatory approaches. They should promote critical thinking, creativity, digital skills, civic engagement and respect for diversity, while also addressing discrimination, exclusion and inequalities, both in line with UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education and the World Programme for Human Rights Education, including its 5th phase focusing on children and youth. Teachers are central to this effort and are the backbone of education systems and should be supported and empowered.

The EU and its Member States are the main investor in education worldwide. The EU dedicates more than 10% of its International Partnerships budget, over €6 billion, to education, contributing to 67 million more children gaining access to professionally trained teachers in partner countries.

The EU also recognizes the opportunities and challenges brought by artificial intelligence in education. In the EU's human-centric and risk-based approach to AI, these tools should support quality, inclusive and accessible learning, while ensuring transparency, non-discrimination, data protection and meaningful human oversight.

Madam Special Rapporteur,

How can States ensure that assessment systems support learning and inclusion, rather than contributing to excessive pressure, exclusion or inequality among learners?

Thank you.