The right to education is an internationally recognized right. It is established in a number of standard-setting instruments adopted by the United Nations and by UNESCO. It is an integral part of UNESCO’s mission, and central to Education for All (EFA) process. Constitution of UNESCO expresses the belief of its founders in ‘full and equal opportunities for education for all’. The conventions and recommendations elaborated by UNESCO in the fi eld of education develop the right to education in its various dimensions. Within the framework of these conventions and recommendations, Member States have assumed legal and political obligations for its realization.

Like all human rights, the right to education imposes three levels of obligations on States parties: the obligations to respect, protect and fulfi ll. In turn, the obligation to fulfill incorporates both an obligation to facilitate and an obligation to provide. It is incumbent upon States to incorporate into domestic legal order their obligations under conventions and treaties established by the United Nations and UNESCO and to give effect to these in national policies and programmes. In order to achieve EFA, it is imperative to intensify UNESCO’s normative action and monitor more effectively the right to education.