In an era of rapid globalization, space and time are seriously compressed. People from different nations, cultures, religions and other backgrounds have become much more interconnected and interdependent. Since people are rapidly intermingling, what values should be considered as standards and norms in regulating this situation, so that people of different backgrounds can relate peacefully to each other with mutual respect? United Nations (UN) human rights standards could be considered as sets of shared global norms and values in a search for global ethics. As a consequence, the UN has been eager to promote human rights education (HRE), aiming at the cultivation of a human rights culture. This paper reports on two case studies of school-based curriculum development of HRE in two Hong Kong secondary schools. We also recommend some research directions important for the implementation of HRE in schools. It is hoped that the paper can provide some insight into the development of quality HRE in schools. IntroductionIn an era of rapid globalization, space and time are seriously compressed. People from different nations, cultures, religions and other backgrounds are becoming much more interconnected and interdependent. Gradually, the idea of a multi-level citizenglobal, national, regional and local -is replacing the concept that an individual is simply a member of a national community. In this complex contemporary context, what values need to be considered as standards and norms in regulating this situation, so that people of different backgrounds can relate peacefully to each other with mutual respect? The United Nations (UN) human rights standards are generally considered to be the prototype of a set of shared global norms and values by those in search of global ethics (Osler and Starkey 1996). This paper first reviews the promotion of human rights education (HRE) at the UN level, followed by a description of the development of HRE in Hong Kong to set a context. Then it reports on case studies of school-based HRE curriculum development in two Hong Kong secondary schools. Lastly, it recommends some research directions important for the implementation of HRE in schools.