CESCR/GC/11 CESCR_GC_11E.doc (English)	CESCR/GC/11 CESCR_GC_11C.doc (Chinese)
CESCR	CESCR
General comment No. 11:	第11号一般性意见：
Plans of action for primary education (art. 14)	初级教育行动计划(第十四条)
Twentieth session (1999){§*}	第二十届会议(1999年) {§*}
1. Article 14 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights requires each State party which has not been able to secure compulsory primary education, free of charge, to undertake, within two years, to work out and adopt a detailed plan of action for the progressive implementation, within a reasonable number of years, to be fixed in the plan, of the principle of compulsory primary education free of charge for all.	1.《经济、社会、文化权利国际公约》第十四条要求尚未实行免费初级义务性教育的每一缔约国承诺在2年时间内制订并通过一个行动计划，以便在计划内规定的合理的年限内，逐步实现对所有儿童的免费初级义务教育。
In spite of the obligations undertaken in accordance with article 14, a number of States parties have neither drafted nor implemented a plan of action for free and compulsory primary education.	尽管有根据第十四条承担的义务，一些国家既未拟订也未执行免费初级义务教育的行动计划。
2. The right to education, recognized in articles 13 and 14 of the Covenant, as well as in a variety of other international treaties, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, is of vital importance.	2.《公约》第十三条和第十四条以及很多其他国际条约，如《儿童权利公约》和《消除对妇女一切形式歧视公约》中承认的受教育权利是极其重要的。
It has been variously classified as an economic right, a social right and a cultural right. It is all of these. It is also, in many ways, a civil right and a political right, since it is central to the full and effective realization of those rights as well.	它在许多方面也是一项公民权利和政治权利，因为它对这些权利的完整和充分实现是必不可少的。
In this respect, the right to education epitomizes the indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights.	从这一方面看，受教育权利集中体现了各种人权的不可分割和相互依赖性。
3. In line with its clear and unequivocal obligation under article 14, every State party is under a duty to present to the Committee a plan of action drawn up along the lines specified in paragraph 8 below.	3.根据第十四条规定的明确的义务，每个缔约国均有责任向委员会提交一分按照下面第8段规定的原则制订的行动计划。
This obligation needs to be scrupulously observed in view of the fact that in developing countries, 130 million children of school age are currently estimated to be without access to primary education, of whom about two thirds are girls.	这项义务应得到认真遵守，因为现在在发展中国家，有1.3亿适龄儿童不能受到初等教育，其中三分之二为女童。
The Committee is fully aware that many diverse factors have made it difficult for States parties to fulfil their obligation to provide a plan of action.	委员会十分清楚，有各种各样因素使缔约国难于完成提交行动计划的义务。
For example, the structural adjustment programmes that began in the 1970s, the debt crises that followed in the 1980s and the financial crises of the late 1990s, as well as other factors, have greatly exacerbated the extent to which the right to primary education is being denied.	例如，1970年代开始的结构调整计划，1980年代的债务危机，1990年代后期的金融危机以及其他因素等均极大地加剧了受初级教育权被剥夺的状况。
These difficulties, however, cannot relieve States parties of their obligation to adopt and submit a plan of action to the Committee, as provided for in article 14 of the Covenant.	然而这些困难不能解除缔约国根据《公约》第十四条所承担的义务，即制订一个行动计划并将其提交委员会。
4. Plans of action prepared by States parties to the Covenant in accordance with article 14 are especially important as the work of the Committee has shown that the lack of educational opportunities for children often reinforces their subjection to various other human rights violations.	4.缔约国根据《公约》第十四条拟订一个行动计划非常重要，因为委员会的工作已经表明，失去受教育机会的儿童经常受到其他方面侵犯人权行为的危害。
For instance these children, who may live in abject poverty and not lead healthy lives, are particularly vulnerable to forced labour and other forms of exploitation.	如这些儿童可能令生活在赤贫之中而且生活方式不健康，由此他们就特别容易从事强迫劳动或受其他形式的剥削。
Moreover, there is a direct correlation between, for example, primary school enrolment levels for girls and major reductions in child marriages.	再如，在女童小学教育入学比例和童婚率降低之间有着直接的关系。
5. Article 14 contains a number of elements which warrant some elaboration in the light of the Committee's extensive experience in examining State party reports.	5.第十四条中有一些规定保证在审查各缔约国报告时能参照委员会的丰富经验。
6. Compulsory.	6.义务性。
The element of compulsion serves to highlight the fact that neither parents, nor guardians, nor the State are entitled to treat as optional the decision as to whether the child should have access to primary education.	这一强制性的要求集中表明，无论是家长、监护人还是国家都无权把儿童是否应受初级教育的决定视为可选择性的。
Similarly, the prohibition of gender discrimination in access to education, required also by articles 2 and 3 of the Covenant, is further underlined by this requirement.	同样，这一要求还进一步突出了《公约》第二条和第三条所要求的禁止教育中的性别歧视。
It should be emphasized, however, that the education offered must be adequate in quality, relevant to the child and must promote the realization of the child's other rights.	但应强调指出，所提供的教育必须有质量保证，适合儿童而且能促进儿童其他权利的实现。
7. Free of charge.	7.免费。
The nature of this requirement is unequivocal.	这一要求的性质是十分明确的。
The right is expressly formulated so as to ensure the availability of primary education without charge to the child, parents or guardians.	这一权利的明确规定就是要确保在不向儿童、家长和监护人收费的情况下提供初级教育。
Fees imposed by the Government, the local authorities or the school, and other direct costs, constitute disincentives to the enjoyment of the right and may jeopardize its realization.	政府、地方当局和学校征收的费用及其他直接费用都对这一权利的享受起阻碍作用，甚至破坏这种权利。
They are also often highly regressive in effect.	而且这些费用实际上极易回复。
Their elimination is a matter which must be addressed by the required plan of action.	行动计划中必须解决取消各种费用问题。
Indirect costs, such as compulsory levies on parents (sometimes portrayed as being voluntary, when in fact they are not), or the obligation to wear a relatively expensive school uniform, can also fall into the same category.	一些间接费用，如强迫向父母征收的费用(有时说成是自愿的，但实际不是)，或要求穿较为昂贵的校服等也可属于此类。
Other indirect costs may be permissible, subject to the Committee's examination on a case-by-case basis.	有些间接费用可以允许，不过要取决于委员会逐个进行的检查。
This provision of compulsory primary education in no way conflicts with the right recognized in article 13.3 of the Covenant for parents and guardians "to choose for their children schools other than those established by the public authorities".	初级义务教育的规定，与《公约》第十三条第三款中父母和监护人“为他们的孩子选择非公立学校”的规定并不冲突。
8. Adoption of a detailed plan.	8.通过详细计划。
The State party is required to adopt a plan of action within two years.	缔约国要在两年期间内通过一项行动计划。
This must be interpreted as meaning within two years of the Covenant's entry into force of the State concerned, or within two years of a subsequent change in circumstances which has led to the non-observance of the relevant obligation.	这必须被解释为《公约》对缔约国生效后两年或由于情况变化导致有关义务不能遵守之后两年。
This obligation is a continuing one and States parties to which the provision is relevant by virtue of the prevailing situation are not absolved from the obligation as a result of their past failure to act within the two-year limit.	这一义务有持续的性质，适用此要求的国家不能因为过去两年内未能履行这一义务就不再需要继续履行这一义务。
The plan must cover all of the actions which are necessary in order to secure each of the requisite component parts of the right and must be sufficiently detailed so as to ensure the comprehensive realization of the right.	计划必须包括所有必要行动，以使其包含有这一权利的各个方面，而且计划必须十分详细，以确保这一权利充分实现。
Participation of all sections of civil society in the drawing up of the plan is vital and some means of periodically reviewing progress and ensuring accountability are essential.	文明社会各界参加计划制订是至关重要的，定期检查进展情况并确保承担责任的办法是必不可少的。
Without those elements, the significance of the article would be undermined.	没有这些，这一条的意义就会减弱。
9. Obligations.	9.义务责任。
A State party cannot escape the unequivocal obligation to adopt a plan of action on the grounds that the necessary resources are not available.	任何一个缔约国均不得以缺乏必要资源为借口就逃避制订行动计划的明确义务。
If the obligation could be avoided in this way, there would be no justification for the unique requirement contained in article 14 which applies, almost by definition, to situations characterized by inadequate financial resources.	如果此义务可用这种方式回避，那么第十四条中几乎根据定义就可适用于财政资源匮乏形势的要求也就失去了意义。
By the same token, and for the same reason, the reference to "international assistance and cooperation" in article 2.1 and to "international action" in article 23 of the Covenant are of particular relevance in this situation.	同样，出于同种理由，《公约》第二条第一款中谈到的“国际援助与合作”以及第二十三条中提到的“国际行动”与此特别有关。
Where a State party is clearly lacking in the financial resources and/or expertise required to "work out and adopt" a detailed plan, the international community has a clear obligation to assist.	如果某缔约国的确缺少财政资源及/或必要的专门知识从而不能“制订和通过”一个详细的计划，那么国际社会存有帮助它的明确义务。
10. Progressive implementation.	10.逐步实行。
The plan of action must be aimed at securing the progressive implementation of the right to compulsory primary education, free of charge, under article 14.	行动计划必须确保第十四条规定的免费初级义务教育权逐步实现。
Unlike the provision in article 2.1, however, article 14 specifies that the target date must be "within a reasonable number of years" and, moreover, that the time frame must "be fixed in the plan".	与第二条第一款不同，第十四条规定必须在“合理的年限内”逐步实现目标，而且时间安排必须“在计划内规定”。
In other words, the plan must specifically set out a series of targeted implementation dates for each stage of the progressive implementation of the plan.	换句话说，为了逐步实现这一计划，其中必须具体规定一系列目标实现的日期。
This underscores both the importance and the relative inflexibility of the obligation in question.	这着重说明了这一义务的重要性和不可变更性。
Moreover, it needs to be stressed in this regard that the State party's other obligations, such as non-discrimination, are required to be implemented fully and immediately.	另外需强调指出，缔约国的其他义务，如消除歧视，也应立即充分履行。
11. The Committee calls upon every State party to which article 14 is relevant to ensure that its terms are fully complied with and that the resulting plan of action is submitted to the Committee as an integral part of the reports required under the Covenant.	11.委员会要求与第十四条有关各缔约国确保充分遵守其中的要求并将随后制订的行动计划作为《公约》要求提交的报告的一个组成部分提交给委员会。
Further, in appropriate cases, the Committee encourages States parties to seek the assistance of relevant international agencies, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, in relation both to the preparation of plans of action under article 14 and their subsequent implementation.	另外，委员会鼓励缔约国在适当情况下，在关于根据第十四条制订和随后执行行动计划方面，寻求有关国际机构的援助，如国际劳工组织、联合国开发计划署、联合国教育、科学和文化组织、联合国儿童基金会、国际货币基金组织和世界银行。
The Committee also calls upon the relevant international agencies to assist States parties to the greatest extent possible to meet their obligations on an urgent basis.	委员会呼吁有关国际机构最大限度地给缔约国提供紧急援助以帮助它们履行自己的义务。
Notes	注
{§*} Contained in document E/C.12/1999/4.	{§*}载于E/C.12/1999/4号文件。
See generally UNICEF, The State of the World's Children, 1999.	一般见儿童基金会《1999年世界儿童状况》。