Proceedings of the XXIII World Congress of Philosophy

Volume 15, 2018

Human Rights

The Concept of a Universal Culture of Human Rights

The UN General Assembly has adopted without vote the UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training on December 19, 2011. For the first time, the international community has created a specific legal instrument on human rights education. The member-states declared the intention to be more active in human rights education and training. The Declaration defines as one aim of human rights education and training “to empower (…) to contribute to the building and promotion of a universal culture of human rights” (article 2/1). The concept of a universal culture of human rights can be found in other human rights documents and contexts of the human rights discourse as well. The question arises what the meaning of this concept is. The paper will discuss the concept of a universal culture of human rights. It will analyze the interplay between law and ethos-building in a society in relation to a universal culture of human rights. Beyond that, the role of human rights education for a “universal culture of human rights” will be examined.