Human rights education is the fundamental instrument through which a culture of human rights may be developed. Such a culture can change underlying attitudes, strengthen respect for human rights norms and form the basis for the observance of human rights in the long term. The United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education was proclaimed in 1994 and runs until 2004. OHCHR developed a Plan of Action for the Decade19 in 1996. According to paragraph 11 of the Plan of Action: Governments should play an active role in the implementation of the programme of the Decade through the development of national plans of action for human rights education. In cooperation with UNESCO, OHCHR has already developed Guidelines for National Plans of Action for Human Rights Education20 which include a set of principles for effective human rights education and a step-by-step strategy to develop national plans in this area. The Guidelines set out: • The objectives of human rights education plans; • Suggestions as to the structure and functions of the national committee established to develop, implement and evaluate the national plan; • Provisions for a baseline study: • Priority-setting; • Suggestions for developing and implementing the plan: • Recommendations on how the plan should be evaluated. 9.7.8 Civil society Suggested national action plan content: • Proposed legal and administrative measures aimed at facilitating the activities of non-governmental organizations; • Commitment to implementing the provisions of the “Declaration on Human Rights Defenders”;21 • Commitment to involving civil society representatives in implementation and monitoring of the plan. Virtually all actors in the field of human rights, governmental and non-governmental bodies alike, have accepted that the active involvement of civil society in measures to promote and protect human rights is essential. The plan should therefore propose ways in which this involvement can be fostered. 19 United Nations document A/51/506/Add.1. United Nations documents A/52/469/Add.1 and Add.1/Corr.1. These may be found in the OHCHR publication The United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education 1995 – 2004: Lessons for Life, Geneva, 1998. 21 Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, General Assembly resolution 53/144 of 9 December 1998. This document can be accessed on the OHCHR web site (www.ohchr.org) under “Treaties”, then “Human Rights Defenders”. 20 83