IAU Welcomes UN Human Rights Council Resolution on the Right to Education
On 7 July 2025, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted Resolution A/HRC/RES/59/9 on the right to education. The International Association of Universities (IAU) warmly commends the Council for this important step forward and is pleased to see growing international consensus on the evolving nature and critical importance of education at all levels.
The IAU strongly supports the resolution’s holistic approach to education as a lifelong right that must adapt to a changing world. In particular, we welcome the resolution’s expanded vision, which aligns closely with the IAU’s mission to promote equitable, inclusive, and quality higher education worldwide.
Key Highlights of the Resolution
Resolution A/HRC/RES/59/9 affirms that the right to education is not only a matter of access but also of content, quality, and relevance in a rapidly changing global context. The IAU is especially pleased to note the following elements of the resolution:
Emphasis on Lifelong Learning: The resolution underlines the need for education systems to support learners at all stages of life. This approach reflects IAU’s own advocacy for policies that value continuous learning in formal, non-formal, and informal settings—including higher education—as essential to sustainable development and personal empowerment.
Gender Equality: The resolution reaffirms the imperative to ensure equal access to education for all, particularly girls and women. This commitment to gender-transformative education is foundational to achieving just and inclusive societies and is fully aligned with IAU’s commitment to gender equity in and through higher education.
Education for Sustainable Development and Climate Change Education: The IAU welcomes the resolution’s recognition of the critical role of education in promoting sustainable development and preparing learners to address the climate crisis. As a longstanding advocate for higher education’s contribution to the SDGs, the IAU sees this as a powerful reaffirmation of the sector’s responsibility and potential to drive climate action and ecological awareness.
Academic Freedom: Importantly, the resolution draws on the 2024 report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, which emphasized the right to academic freedom. The IAU strongly supports this recognition and continues to advocate for institutional autonomy and the protection of scholars and students as core components of the right to education.
Technology and AI Education: The resolution calls for strengthened efforts to ensure inclusive access to digital literacy, including education on artificial intelligence. The IAU sees this as a vital step in equipping individuals with the competencies needed to navigate and shape digital transformation ethically and equitably.
Education in Crisis Contexts and Ensuring Safety in Education: The resolution underscores the importance of safeguarding education in times of conflict, crisis, and displacement. The IAU supports global efforts to uphold the continuity, safety, and protection of education as a human right, particularly for vulnerable and displaced populations.
Recognizing the Role of Higher Education in the Right to Education
Most significantly, the IAU is deeply encouraged by the resolution’s recognition of “the role of higher education as an essential part of the right to education.” While the right to primary and secondary education has long been at the center of global attention, the explicit inclusion of higher education as a fundamental dimension of the right to education is a welcome and long overdue development.
Higher education is not a privilege—it is a public good and a vital component of an individual’s right to learn, grow, and contribute meaningfully to society. It fosters critical thinking, scientific inquiry, cultural dialogue, and innovation. It is indispensable to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and to building more inclusive, resilient, and democratic societies.
As the global voice of higher education, the IAU stands ready to work alongside Member States, UN agencies, civil society, and academic communities to ensure the effective implementation of this resolution. We will continue to advocate for policies that recognize and strengthen the transformative power of higher education within the broader right to education.
