Annual Report 2013 D. Fostering a Culture of Respect for Human Rights through Education The 2011 United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training states that everyone has the right to participate in human rights education and training. The 2nd phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education of the United Nations highlights the importance of continuous human rights education in elementary and secondary education, in educational programs for public officials, law enforcement officials, and soldiers, and in higher education. The number of participants in the human rights education programs of the NHRCK was 168,580 or increased by 34.9% compared with that of the previous year. The Commission actively responded to various education needs by conducting a total of 1,834 education courses for such areas as police, armed forces, the aged, the homeless, multi-culture, children and youth, disability, ICTs and human rights, mental health, etc. In particular, the NHRCK broadened the horizon of human rights education by opening a customized program for social opinion leaders who share responsibility for the protection of human rights (such as the press, members of local/provincial councils, etc.), and soldiers. The Commission also paid attention to human rights education for the managers of group care facilities and employees in cooperation with the related entities including the Ministry of Health and Welfare in order to promote the protection of human rights, which was a recent social issue, of the disabled, children, and the aged who were housed at group care facilities. The Commission was also very responsive to the ever-increasing needs for human rights education by expanding the cyber education 14 ▪▪▪ Part I. Introduction