A. W hat is human rights promotion and why is it important ? Human rights promotion is a core function of NHRIs and a basic element of the Paris Principles. It enables information and knowledge about human rights to be disseminated to the general public and to specific target groups. Ultimately, it creates a culture of human rights so that every individual in society shares the values that are reflected in the international and national human rights legal framework, and acts accordingly. A successful human rights promotion programme moves individuals beyond knowledge into action. While laws, redress mechanisms and other measures are necessary, they are not sufficient. Promotion is needed to ensure that members of society: ■■ Know their rights and the redress mechanisms available to them if those rights are abused; ■■ Understand that others enjoy rights as well, and that everyone shares a responsibility for promoting and protecting those rights. Officials in positions of authority should understand the human rights obligations they must uphold and act accordingly. Human rights promotion is integrally linked to protection. Whether human rights violations are intentional or unintentional, structural or specific, a lack of knowledge can result in actions that breach human rights principles. Sometimes traditional ways of thinking and behaving result in human rights abuse. In either case, human rights education and the inculcation of human rights values can promote change in behaviour without the need for punitive sanctions. Successful human rights promotion can therefore help prevent human rights violations from occurring in the first place. International treaties place an obligation on the State to undertake the promotion. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (art. 13), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (art. 29), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (art. 10) and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (art. 7), all provide that education in human rights is a State obligation. The declarations and programmes of action that resulted from the world conferences, including from the 1993 Vienna World Conference, reflect these obligations. Institutions may undertake a variety of initiatives to promote human rights, and are limited only by their resources and imagination. The following are common, but this list is by no means exhaustive: ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ Human rights education and training, including in schools and in the informal sectors, as well as professional training; Public awareness initiatives, including campaigns, local events and sessions, either for the general public or targeting particular groups; Media strategies, including press conferences, press releases and newspaper inserts; radio and television interviews and public service announcements; Publications, including general information pamphlets, annual and special reports, website material and material developed for a target audience; Seminars and/or workshops as a vehicle for examining and promoting a better understanding of a substantive human rights issue and, on occasion, advocating change; 57