A/65/162 education to teachers and other educational administrators. 18 The Committee has also criticized barriers to sexual education, such as allowing parents to exempt their children from such education. 19 28. In accordance with the provisions of article 3 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Human Rights Committee in its concluding observations has expressed concern about the elimination of sexual education from school curricula 20 and the high rate of unwanted pregnancies and abortions among girls and adolescents and has requested that States should take measures to help young women avoid unwanted pregnancies, including by strengthening family planning and sexual education programmes. 21 29. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights protects the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (art. 12) and the right to education (art. 13) and prohibits all forms of discrimination (art. 2). In its general comment No. 14 (2000), 22 the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights interpreted the right to health as an inclusive right “extending not only to timely and appropriate health care but also to the underlying determinants of health”, among which it highlighted “access to health-related education and information, including on sexual and reproductive health”.22 30. In its concluding observations, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has called for the provision of education on sexual and reproductive health 23 and has specifically recommended sexual education as a means of ensuring the right of women to health, particularly reproductive health, 24 as well as full access to sexual education for all girls and young women, including in rural areas and indigenous communities. 25 The Committee has also recommended the development of training programmes and counselling services on reproductive health 26 and has expressed the view that sexual education and awareness campaigns are appropriate means of reducing maternal and infant mortality. 27 The Committee has associated the lack of education with the practice of abortion as a primary means of family planning 28 and has advocated education programmes aimed at eliminating female genital mutilation. 29 31. Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities calls on States to ensure an inclusive education system that ensures a sense of dignity and self-worth and the full development of the mental and physical abilities of such people. Article 25 establishes that States should “provide persons with disabilities with the same range, quality and standard of free or affordable __________________ 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 10-46213 See documents CRC/C/BEN/CO/2, para. 58 (h); CRC/C/THA/CO/2, para. 58 (e); and CRC/C/TZA/CO/2, para. 49 (b). See document CRC/C/IRL/CO/2, para. 52. See document CCPR/C/79/Add.110, para.11. See document CCPR/CO/80/LTU, para. 12. See document E/C.12/2000/4. See documents E/C.12/1/Add.60, para. 43; E/C.12/1/Add.93, para. 43; E/C.12/1/Add.62, para. 47; and E/C.12/1/Add.65, para. 31. See document E/C.12/1/Add.26, para. 20. See document E/C.12/MEX/CO/4, para. 44. See document E/C.12/1/Add.57, para. 48. See document E/C.12/1/Add.91, para. 49. See document E/C.12/1/Add.37, para. 15. See documents E/C.12/1/Add.78, para. 31; and E/C.12/1/Add.62, para. 39. 9