To commemorate the 6th Anniversary of the Abidjan Principles, we coordinated a special event on 20 February 2025, bringing together prominent experts who delved into the legal foundations and ongoing relevance of the Principles in realising the right to free, quality and inclusive education for all. This event also provided an opportunity to showcase several legal commentaries that have been published since 2023 by the Oxford Human Rights Hub.  

The event, co-moderated by Aya Douabou, Programme Officer – Africa at GI-ESCR, and Ashina Mtsumi, Coordinator for the TaxEd Alliance, welcomed 36 participants, and focused on the following Guiding Principles Commentaries:

• Scope, application and interpretation (Guiding Principles 1 and 4-7)  

• Right to public education (Guiding Principles 29-33) 

• Resources and financing public education, governance and non-retrogression (Guiding Principles 15, 16, 34-37, 39-41 and 42-45)

• Obligations to Respect, Protect, and Fulfil the Right to Education in the Context of Private Involvement (Guiding Principles 47-48)

• Implementation of the Guiding Principles (Guiding Principles 91-97)

The event featured insightful contributions from Meghan Campbell, Deputy-Director of the Oxford Human Rights Hub, Jacqueline Mowbray, Associate Professor at the University of Sydney's Law School, Dr Perekeme Mutu, Research Assistant Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, Dr Maria Ron Balsera, Executive Director, Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) and Dr Roman Zinigrad, Assistant Professor of Law at the American University of Paris.  

Designed for a broad audience –including civil society organisations, educational planners, policymakers, human rights advocates, UN agencies, development partners and other stakeholders at national and international levels–, this event provided an invaluable opportunity for those committed to understanding and advancing the right to education globally. 

Read the Commentaries here.