Egypt amends high school economics textbook on human rights to comply with 1993 Vienna Declaration

CAIRO – 29 August 2020: The Ministry of Education has decided to amend the economics textbook for high school for the new academic year, in order to comply with the standards and principles of human rights and national obligations in this field.

 

The amendment came in response to a remark made by the Permanent Supreme Committee for Human Rights about what was stated in the economics article on the division of human needs such as clothing, food, housing, health, education and security into primary and secondary, in contrast to the international covenants, to which Egypt is committed, that these needs are basic human rights.

 

The Ministry of Education welcomed the remark, and informed the Technical Secretariat of the Supreme Committee that it had introduced an amendment to the content of the types of needs mentioned in the economics subject textbook for high school.

 

The amendment affirms the equality of all human rights, adhering to the provisions of Article V of the "Vienna Declaration and Program of Action", which was approved by the heads of state and government of the world at the International Conference on Human Rights in 1993.

 

Article no. 5 of the Vienna Declaration states that “All human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated.

 

“The international community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing, and with the same emphasis. While the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind, it is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

 

The Ministry of Education further appreciated the cooperation of the Permanent Higher Committee for Human Rights with its mission to spread the culture of human rights and work to consolidate it among students.

 

The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, also known as VDPA, is a human rights declaration adopted by consensus at the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993 in Vienna, Austria. The position of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was recommended by this Declaration and subsequently created by General Assembly Resolution 48/121.