Motion 28
Implementing the Rights of Children And Workers
“That this Congress:
- affirms its full respect for people’s right to education, freedom of speech and opinion, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
- affirms its full support for women and girls to participate in education in all countries, including Afghanistan;
- affirms that education in warzones provides children stability, and, crucially, offers hope for the future. Without education, children such as in Palestine, are more vulnerable to abuse such as exploitation, trafficking, and gender-based violence;
- believes that education is axiomatic for democratic, peaceful and prosperous societies enabling citizens to identify and challenge the misinformation and disinformation peddled by extremists;
- believes that upholding the UDHR right of all workers to hold opinions without interference, and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media, is essential for fostering open, democratic societies where individuals can freely express their lawful views without fear of occupational detriment.
“Congress therefore calls on:
- the UK Government to put pressure on all UN states to ensure that they fully implement the UDHR and UNCRC with respect to education, in the interests of peace and democracy;
- the General Council to encourage affiliates to commit to considering how they may contribute to the funding of international NGOs to ensure that educational institutions can operate even in the most challenging circumstances in the long-term interests of peace and democracy;
- the Scottish Government to ensure that all citizens, including public sector workers in Scotland, can exercise freedom of speech and opinion, in accordance with Scots Law; and
- the Scottish Government to provide funding to the STUC for the creation of political education programmes for workplace and community delivery to help counteract harmful Far Right and extremist narratives seeking to undermine democracy, equality, human rights and social justice.”
Mover: Educational Institute of Scotland
RSS