World Declaration on Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century
The World Declaration on Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century:
Vision and Action, was adopted by the World Conference on Higher Education
on 9 October 1998.
Article 3 - Equity of access
(a) In keeping with Article 26.1 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, admission to higher education should be based on the merit,
capacity, efforts, perseverance and devotion, showed by those seeking
access to it, and can take place in a lifelong scheme, at any time,
with due recognition of previously acquired skills. As a consequence,
no discrimination can be accepted in granting access to higher education
on grounds of race, gender, language or religion, or economic, cultural
or social distinctions, or physical disabilities.
(a) The principle of solidarity and true partnership amongst higher
education institutions worldwide is crucial for education and training
in all fields that encourage an understanding of global issues, the
role of democratic governance and skilled human resources in their resolution,
and the need for living together with different cultures and values.
The practice of multilingualism, faculty and student exchange programmes
and institutional linkage to promote intellectual and scientific co-operation
should be an integral part of all higher education systems.
Note: The full text of the World Declaration on Higher Education
for the Twenty-First Century is available at: