The Human Rights Division of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), in collaboration with the Network of Educators of Human Rights, Democracy and Gender started a training seminar on establishing a culture of non-violence in universities for members of ten student associations on 10 June 2015 in Abidjan.



Speaking at the opening ceremony, Julie de Riviero from UNOCI's Human Rights Division welcomed the holding of the seminar.



« It was with great pleasure that we accepted to become partners in this initiative as a component of UNOCI and as representatives of the United Nations High Commissoner for Human Rights in Côte d'Ivoire », said Mrs de Riviero.



She said that educating young people in human rights is one of the top priorities of UNOCI's Human Rights Division for the period 2015 to 2016. « Human Rights education is a guarantee of civic education. Both have the same objective and deserve to be supported and encouraged, » she added.



She recalled that human rights was at the heart of the world programme on human rights education.



For his part, the president of the Network, Moussa Touré, the aim of the semionar was to offer participants the necessary tools to understand and manage a democratic society founded on the norms and principles of human rights.



« At a time when Côte d'Ivoire is starting a new electoral cycle, we have noticed that social life is still fragile and that there is recurrent violence and human rights violations in university campuses. In light of all of this, our Network decided to choose ten student associations interested in human rights to organise this training seminar, » explained Mr. Touré.