On 10 December, International Human Rights Day, marking the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Council of Europe Education Department is reaffirming that schools, higher education institutions and all learning venues are key spaces where democratic values and human dignity are learned, practised and defended.
At the heart of this work is the Council of Europe’s long-term effort to build “a culture of democracy” through education. This vision is anchored in the 2010 Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education, which underlines that quality education is essential to prevent human rights violations and combat violence, racism, extremism and intolerance. The Charter continues to inspire member states’ reforms, innovations, and quality developments in the field of education for democratic citizenship and human rights education.
The Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) provides governments, educational leaders and teachers and educators with a model of 20 competences – values, attitudes, skills, and knowledge and critical understanding – that learners need to enact as active democratic citizens and to stand up for human rights in diverse societies and digital environments. It is designed for all sectors of education, from pre-primary to higher and adult education, and guides both teaching, learning, and assessment.
The European Space for Citizenship Education, which will be launched at the next session of the Standing Conference of Ministers on 3-4 December 2026, will aim to bring back citizens’ trust and hope in our European democracies through strengthening the implementation of quality education for democratic citizenship, in which human rights education is a fundamental dimension.
Academic freedom is a cornerstone of democratic societies and an essential condition for independent research, critical thinking, and the pursuit of knowledge. Yet across Europe and globally, it faces growing pressures: political and legislative interference, intimidation of scholars, and shrinking institutional autonomy. These developments often signal broader challenges to democratic resilience, freedom of expression, and human rights. Protecting academic freedom must therefore be recognised as a shared democratic responsibility, fully aligned with the priorities set out in the Secretary General’s New Democratic Pact.
On this International Human Rights Day, the Council of Europe is calling on governments, education institutions and civil society to redouble their commitment to education for democratic citizenship and human rights – ensuring that every learner in Europe can grow up aware of their rights, respectful of the rights of others, and ready to help build more just, inclusive and peaceful societies.
