down by the state, and to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity
with their own convictions;
• Continued education for teachers and instructors including education on human rights and the
continuous improvement of the conditions of work of teaching staff;
• Education for development that links school curricula to the labour market and society’s demands
for technology and self-reliance.
9. The right to culture in articles 17 and 18 of the African Charter entail among other things the
following:
• Positive African values consistent with international human rights realities and standards;
• Eradication of harmful traditional practices that negatively affect human rights;
• Participation at all levels in the determination of cultural policies and in cultural and artistic
activities;
• Measures for safeguarding, protecting and building awareness of tangible and intangible cultural
heritage, including traditional knowledge systems;
• Recognition and respect of the diverse cultures existing in Africa;
10. The social, economic and cultural rights explicitly provided for under the African Charter, read
together with other rights in the Charter, such as the right to life and respect for inherent human
dignity, imply the recognition of other economic and social rights, including the right to shelter, the
right to basic nutrition and the right to social security.
11. Having highlighted the core contents of economic, social and cultural rights under the African
Charter, participants make the following recommendations:
(a) States parties should:
(i) Ratify, if they have not done so, the treaties mentioned in the Preamble, especially the Protocol on
the Rights of Women in Africa;
(ii) Incorporate into domestic law and fully implement the provisions of regional and international
treaties on economic, social and cultural rights;
(iii) Establish constitutional protection of economic, social and cultural rights subject to nondiscrimination and equality;
(iv) Come up with National Action Plans, which set out benchmark indicators for the progressive
realisation of social economic and cultural rights;
(v) Take effective measure to ensure budgetary processes are transparent and consultative;
(vi) Involve civil society in meaningful consultations in policymaking and in the implementation of
economic, social and cultural rights generally;