UN, CHR team up with criminology schools for human rights education
The Office for the High Commissioner on Human Rights is working with Philippine criminology schools on a human rights-sensitive course curriculum
Fingerprinting, forensic ballistics, and crime mapping are some of the basic skills that criminology students learn in school—proficiencies critical to their future occupations as part of the national police force and related fields.
However, criminology schools in the Philippines see a growing need to equip their students with not only the practical skills needed for careers in law enforcement, but also a strong appreciation of ethics, legal systems and human rights as part of efforts to professionalize the field. In 2018, the Commission on Higher Education made Human Rights Education a core course for those pursuing a degree in criminology.
Since 2023, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has been working with criminology schools across the country, as well as the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) of the Philippines and other experts to develop a standard human rights education syllabus for criminology degree programs.
The Human Rights Education initiative incorporates global best practices and relevant national policies into the existing standard curriculum for criminology. The newly developed syllabus provides an overview of topics to cover in the Human Rights Education course. These concepts can also be integrated into the practical and theoretical classes required to get a criminology degree.
One of the first schools to adopt this human rights-sensitive syllabus is the University of the Cordilleras (UC) based in Baguio City, which is one of the three pioneer Human Rights Cities in the Philippines.
“The integration of human rights is a social obligation of the academic institution—to make sure that the graduates of any program, and the criminology program in particular, are aware of human rights concerns,” said Robino Cawi, Dean of UC’s College of Criminal Justice Education.
He explained that UC’s criminology school, which was named a center of excellence for criminal justice education, was not content with just producing graduates who can top licensure exams.
“We want to make sure that our graduates are sensitive in terms of human rights when it comes to the performance of their duties once they join the tri-bureaus (police, jail management, and fire protection), Mr. Cawi said. “We want them to be pioneers in respecting rights, especially of the people that they serve.”
UC, together with four other educational institutions, is now developing modules for the new criminology syllabus for the upcoming school year. This consortium was formed as part of the university’s Rights 2 Life project, which aims to introduce improvements to the Philippine criminal justice system, including boosting the quality and content of training and education. Once the modules are completed, the consortium is also planning to come up with a workbook that other schools around the country can use for their own criminology degree programs.
“Criminology schools play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the law enforcement and justice sectors,” said Signe Poulsen, OHCHR’s Human Rights Adviser in the Philippines. “Developing the Human Rights Education syllabus is just the first step; we hope more universities can take it up and make their own refinements to make sure their programs fully cater to the specific needs and contexts of their communities.”
OHCHR continues to coordinate with criminology schools and the CHR to improve both the syllabus and its adoption by educational institutions across the country.
In May, the organizations convened a workshop on implementation of the Human Rights Education initiative. Representatives from 37 criminology schools nationwide, as well as officials from the Professional Criminologists Association of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police Human Rights Affairs Office, and other government agencies discussed the results so far of what has been taught in classrooms, difficulties in adopting the curriculum, and what further improvements can be made.
Speaking at the workshop, CHR Commissioner Monina Arevalo Zenarosa emphasized the importance of this work on human rights education.
“In the Philippine context, we cannot ignore the pressing concerns that continue to challenge our criminal justice system. These acts have shaken public trust and have left lasting wounds in many communities. Education plays an integral role in addressing these challenges. The values we teach our future law enforcers today define the kind of justice system we’ll build tomorrow,” said Commissioner Zenarosa.
UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Arnaud Peral echoed the sentiment and underscored that improving human rights education has a broader impact beyond boosting professionalism and accountability in law enforcement.
“This work is deeply connected to broader national goals. The Philippine Development Plan and AmBisyon Natin 2040 envision a future where all Filipinos enjoy a prosperous, healthy and secure life, one where trust in public institutions is high and where society is smart, innovative and inclusive. Advancing human rights education in criminology programs is a concrete contribution to those national aspirations,” Mr. Peral said.
The Human Rights Education initiative has only just begun, but the changes introduced to criminal justice curricula have already made an impression on students.
For third-year UC criminology student Aja Rae Togana, who aims to join the police force once she graduates, the integration of human rights concepts into investigation and legal classes reinforces the ethics required of law enforcers.
“In our future role as law enforcers, we carry the responsibility of upholding the law and not violating the rights of others. For example, we still respect the rights of suspects,” Ms. Togana said. “Human rights are for everyone, not just for the rich or the powerful.”
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