Strengthening the Rule of Law Through Education: A Guide for Policymakers

The new joint publication by UNESCO and UNODC Strengthening the Rule of Law through Education: A Guide for Policymakers explores the role that education institutions can play in promoting the rule of law and building new forms of engagement based on global citizenship, human rights and inclusion -- all of which are vital to take forward the Sustainable Development Goal 4 on education, at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Strengthening the Rule of Law through Education: A Guide for Policymakers is intended for education policymakers and other professionals working in the formal education sector, within and outside Ministries of Education, and who are seeking to promote the rule of law and a culture of lawfulness.

The guide may also be of interest to professionals working in non-formal education settings or other sectors – namely the justice, social and health sectors - in the area of crime and violence prevention, who are seeking to work more closely with the education sector.

In particular, the guide offers:

• An explanation of key concepts, such as the rule of law and a culture of lawfulness, as well as outlining the role of education in upholding and promoting the rule of law;

• Guidance on how the education sector is able to strengthen and promote the rule of law, for instance, by speaking to the real learning needs of children and youth, and by ensuring that places of learning “practice what they preach”;

• A map of the necessary support systems needed to strengthen the rule of law at the school and classroom levels and outside formal education settings, including curricular support, classroom pedagogies, teacher training and development and school-family-community partnerships.