Ethiopia lessons in repression: violations of academic problems, HRW
Ethiopia lessons in repression: violations of academic problems, HRW
Ethiopia lessons in repression: violations of academic problems, HRW
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concern<strong>in</strong>g Freedom <strong>of</strong> Association and Protection <strong>of</strong> the Right to Organise states, “Workers . . . without<br />
dist<strong>in</strong>ction whatsoever, shall have the right to establish and . . . to jo<strong>in</strong> organizations <strong>of</strong> their own choos<strong>in</strong>g<br />
without previous authorization.” 247 The ILO has specified that educators at every educational level are entitled to<br />
these rights.<br />
International law also explicitly envisages particular rights for teachers’ associations. In many cases,<br />
educators’ trade unions play a crucial role <strong>in</strong> protect<strong>in</strong>g the material conditions <strong>of</strong> teachers and educational staff <strong>in</strong><br />
order to allow them to pursue their pedagogical duties. Pr<strong>of</strong>essional organizations for teachers are also essential<br />
for help<strong>in</strong>g States develop and implement an adequate educational system. In many countries, as <strong>in</strong> <strong>Ethiopia</strong>, the<br />
same organizations carry out both pr<strong>of</strong>essional and trade functions envisaged for teachers’ organizations under<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternational law. Article 13(2)(e) <strong>of</strong> the ICESCR states, “with a view to achiev<strong>in</strong>g the full realization <strong>of</strong> this<br />
right [to education]: . . . the material conditions <strong>of</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g staff shall be cont<strong>in</strong>uously improved.” 248 In its<br />
authoritative commentary on this article, the ESCR Committee explicitly l<strong>in</strong>ked educators’ freedom <strong>of</strong> association<br />
with their ability to provide an adequate education to their students by not<strong>in</strong>g “the relationship between articles<br />
13(2)(e) . . . and 6-8 <strong>of</strong> the Covenant [regard<strong>in</strong>g labor rights <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the right to voluntarily form and jo<strong>in</strong> trade<br />
unions], <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the right <strong>of</strong> teachers to organize and barga<strong>in</strong> collectively; . . . [and] Urges States parties to<br />
report on measures they are tak<strong>in</strong>g to ensure that all teach<strong>in</strong>g staff enjoy the conditions and status commensurate<br />
with their role.” 249<br />
The nexus between students’ right to education and their teachers’ right to free association has been<br />
recognized by the two lead<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>ternational agencies address<strong>in</strong>g these rights, UNESCO and the ILO. The two<br />
organizations issued the landmark jo<strong>in</strong>t Recommendation Concern<strong>in</strong>g the Status <strong>of</strong> Teachers <strong>in</strong> 1966, which<br />
reiterates the general proposition that “The teach<strong>in</strong>g pr<strong>of</strong>ession should enjoy <strong>academic</strong> freedom <strong>in</strong> the discharge<br />
<strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional duties.” 250 Specifically, the Recommendation states: “Teachers’ organizations should be<br />
recognized as a force which can contribute greatly to educational advance and which therefore should be<br />
associated with the determ<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> educational policy.” 251 These recommendations were expanded upon <strong>in</strong> 1997<br />
to address higher-education teach<strong>in</strong>g personnel. The UNESCO Recommendation concern<strong>in</strong>g the Status <strong>of</strong><br />
Higher-Education Teach<strong>in</strong>g Personnel states clearly: “Higher-education teach<strong>in</strong>g personnel should enjoy the right<br />
to freedom <strong>of</strong> association, and this right should be effectively promoted.” 252<br />
In light <strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>timate l<strong>in</strong>k between the role <strong>of</strong> teachers <strong>in</strong> provid<strong>in</strong>g education and the significance <strong>of</strong><br />
teachers’ organizations <strong>in</strong> facilitat<strong>in</strong>g this role, UNESCO and the ILO established a Jo<strong>in</strong>t ILO/UNESCO<br />
Committee <strong>of</strong> Experts on the Application <strong>of</strong> the Recommendations concern<strong>in</strong>g Teach<strong>in</strong>g Personnel (CEART) to<br />
oversee implementation <strong>of</strong> the two recommendations. CEART meets once every three years and has the authority<br />
to receive and analyze allegations by teachers’ associations concern<strong>in</strong>g non-observance <strong>of</strong> the recommendations’<br />
provisions. 253 At its last meet<strong>in</strong>g, CEART aga<strong>in</strong> underscored the important l<strong>in</strong>k between the right to education,<br />
Organization to respect, to promote and to realize, <strong>in</strong> good faith and <strong>in</strong> accordance with the Constitution, the pr<strong>in</strong>ciples<br />
concern<strong>in</strong>g the fundamental rights which are the subject <strong>of</strong> those Conventions.” Therefore, even countries that have not<br />
ratified the ILO Convention concern<strong>in</strong>g Freedom <strong>of</strong> Association and Protection <strong>of</strong> the Right to Organise and the ILO<br />
Convention concern<strong>in</strong>g the Right to Organise and Collective Barga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g are bound by this obligation.<br />
247 ILO Convention concern<strong>in</strong>g Freedom <strong>of</strong> Association and Protection <strong>of</strong> the Right to Organise (ILO No. 87), 68 U.N.T.S.<br />
17, July 4, 1950, article 2. ILO Convention No. 87 was ratified by <strong>Ethiopia</strong> on June 4, 1963.<br />
248 ICESCR, article 13(2)(e).<br />
249 Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Implementation <strong>of</strong> the International Covenant on Economic, Social<br />
and Cultural Rights, General Comment 13, para. 27 (1999).<br />
250 UNESCO, Recommendation Concern<strong>in</strong>g Status <strong>of</strong> Teachers, para.61.<br />
251 Ibid, para.9.<br />
252 ILO and UNESCO, Recommendation concern<strong>in</strong>g the status <strong>of</strong> Higher-Education Teach<strong>in</strong>g Personnel, para. 52, 1997.<br />
253 The Jo<strong>in</strong>t ILO and UNESCO Committee <strong>of</strong> Experts on the Application <strong>of</strong> the Recommendations concern<strong>in</strong>g Teach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Personnel (CEART) is composed <strong>of</strong> twelve <strong>in</strong>dependent experts – six each appo<strong>in</strong>ted by each organization – who meet once<br />
every three years to study the application <strong>of</strong> the standards. CEART also analyzes specific allegations <strong>of</strong> noncompliance with<br />
the two Recommendations from teachers’ associations. The results <strong>of</strong> these analyses and CEART’s suggestions for<br />
Human Rights Watch<br />
47<br />
January 2003, Vol. 15,No. 2 (A)