Roundtable discussion on the right to education and privatisation in Latin America

On 20 April 2022 we held a discussion on the current landscape for the right to education in the Latin American region, including the common challenges regarding privatisation.

The event furthermore served as a platform to officially introduce the Spanish and Portuguese language versions of the Abidjan Principles on the human rights obligations of States to provide public education and to regulate private involvement in education (Abidjan Principles) and bring together state representatives, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), academics and experts of regional human rights bodies to share experiences of how the Abidjan Principles can and have already been used in the regional and national contexts to advance both the discourse surrounding private actors in education and the actual situation on the ground. In addition, the webinar seeks to create a dialogue with instruments of the Inter-American Human Rights System to protect the right to education in the region, with a particular emphasis on the recent Principles on academic freedom and university autonomy, recently issued by the IACHR, along with its Special Rapporteurship for Freedom of Expression and its Special Rapporteurship on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights.

The event also saw the launch of the Spanish language version of the video “Education is Ours”, which tells the story of three children from Kenya, the USA and Chile, who face typical difficulties in accessing quality education. The video is narrated by well known Chilean singer and social activist, Ana Tijoux.

The discussion was moderated by Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and former UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights and Soledad Garcia Munoz, Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights of the IACHR, and will feature the following speakers.

Panel on the Abidjan Principles and their relevance for the region:

• Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona, Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and former UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights

• Esteban Hoyos Ceballos, Professor of law, EAFIT University Law School, Colombia

• Barbara Zanino Asociación Civil por la Igualdad y la Justicia (ACIJ)

• Andressa Pellanda, Brazilian Campaign on the Right to Education (BCRE)

• Mercedes Mayol Lassalle, World Organisation for Early Childhood Education (OMEP)

• Laura Giannecchini, LatinAmerican campaign on the right to Education (CLADE)

• Sebastián Araneda, advisor to the cabinet of the Chilean Minister of Education.

Panel on the Inter-American Principles and the trends on the right to education in the region:

• Soledad Garcia Munoz, Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights of the IACHR  

• Stuardo Ralón Orellana, First Vice-President of the IACHR

• Salvador Herencia Carrasco, Director Human Rights Clinic University of Ottawa

• Mónica Godoy Ferro, University Professor and Consultant in prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse PEAS at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

• David Gómez Gamboa, University Professor and Director of Aula Abierta

This webinar was organized jointly by the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR), the Right to Education Initiative (RTE), the Asociación Civil por la Igualdad y la Justicia (ACIJ), the Brazilian Campaign for the Right to Education (BCRE), the World Organisation for Early Childhood Education (OMEP), together with the Office of the Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights (REDESCA) from the IACHR.