The Abidjan Principles: from a unique drafting and adoption process to quick recognition and implementation

• In Event: The Abidjan Principles on the right to education: A practical tool to address global challenges to the provision of quality education for all to ensure future peaceful societies and life on earth

Proposal

The Abidjan Principles were developed through an open, transparent, and broadly consultative process that included a variety of perspectives and reflected multiple contextual realities. From 2016 to 2018, a series of regional, national, and thematic consultations were convened around the world, concluding with an adoption conference in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire by a group of experts in February 2019. In addition to the public consultations, the Abidjan Principles were informed by specific inputs from 1) conceptual research and empirical research from a human rights perspective, and 2) expert inputs from a constituency of experts from various backgrounds. A drafting committee of nine internationally-renowned legal human rights experts led the drafting process, building on the comments from the consultations, in coordination with other experts. To date, 55 experts have signed on to the Abidjan Principles. The signatories are a highly quality and diverse group, with 60% of signatories are from the Global South, 60% identifying as women and a quarter are education experts or from a non-legal background.

An independent expert, Magdalena Sepúlveda (former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights), developed a paper (to be published) taking stock of the experiences developing human rights principles in the last 20 years and highlighting how the Abidjan Principles drafting process was unique.

Since their adoption, the Abidjan Principles have already been recognised in several international and regional fora and have mentioned as a key tool for the implementation of the right to education by various actors including academic, state representation, international organisations and civil society organisations showing its legitimity and usefulness.

This paper will provide an overview of this unique drafting and adoption process highlighting the main criteria of its success.

References:

Sepúlveda Carmona, M. (to be published). Proposed Road Map for the Human Rights Guiding Principles on States’ Obligations with regards to Private Involvement in Education

Guiding Principles on the Human Rights Obligations of States to Provide Public Education and to Regulate Private Involvement in Education (The Abidjan Principles). (2019). International Human Rights Law Review, Volume 8: Issue 1.

The Abidjan Principles: www.abidjanprinciples.org

Resolution on States’ Obligation to Regulate Private Actors Involved in the Provision of Health and Education Services - ACHPR / Res. 420 (LXIV) 2019: https://bit.ly/31u1VSu

UN Human Rights Council Resolution on the right to education, 11 July 2019: http://bit.ly/2XTXnWA

Authors

• Delphine Dorsi, Right to Education Initiative

• Sylvain Aubry, Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

• Ashina Mtsumi, Global Initiative on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

• Magdalena Sepulveda, Independent