The true culture of peace - it is a culture of harmonious peace, based o­n harmonious social relations within a harmonious civilization. Therefore, the true culture of peace is a harmonious civilization, and vice versa. Harmonious civilization as civilization of true peace, first scientifically presented in the GHA book Harmonious Civilization (2009: www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=379.

In the GHA program book The ABC of Harmony (2012: www.peacefromharmony.org/file/6079/ABC_of_Harmony_eng.pdf) harmonious civilization and culture of peace got a fundamental rationale.

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The Secretary-General's Message o­n the International Day of UN Peacekeepers 29 May 2009

http://www.un.org/en/events/peacekeepersday/2009/sg.shtml

The international community’s reliance o­n United Nations peacekeeping continues to deepen.  Deployment is at a record high, with the number of troops, civilians and police totaling more than 113,000.

The personnel who serve under the UN flag do so in some of the most difficult and inhospitable areas o­n earth, where they face instability, disease and violence o­n a daily basis. These brave men and women have shown tremendous dedication, making a tangible difference in the lives of many while showing to the world the caring and committed face of the United Nations.

These efforts often come at high cost to the peacekeepers themselves. In 2008, 132 peacekeepers lost their lives in the line of duty – the highest o­ne-year total in the history of UN peacekeeping . Whether felled by acts of violence, disease or accidents, each left an important legacy.

The loss of ten women among those who died reminds us that female personnel are playing an increasingly important role in peacekeeping, and that they now shoulder grave risks as well.

It has been nearly a decade since the Security Council adopted its landmark Resolution 1325 – the first omnibus text to recognize that women bear the brunt of armed conflicts, and should have a commensurate role in their prevention and resolution.

Since then, the United Nations has pressed forward with intensive efforts not o­nly to involve more local women in peacemaking and peacebuilding, but also to recruit more women into our own operations.  The point is not to achieve gender parity for its own sake; the imperative is to draw o­n the unique and powerful contribution women can make. Female blue helmets, human rights monitors and other mission staff offer new skills and styles of functioning in the ever-evolving field of peacekeeping. Often, they can better communicate with local women, generating a greater sense of security while serving as an example of women’s empowerment.

As the Security Council has acknowledged, women frequently suffer most during conflicts, including from horrific acts of sexual- and gender-based violence. By including female police among our ranks, we foster a safe environment for victims to get the help they need and deserve. And by enabling victims to feel secure enough to come forward and press charges against perpetrators, we fight the culture of impunity that has prevailed for too long.

There are still far too few women peacekeepers.  With women joining national militaries and police in greater numbers, it is critical that Member States contribute even more female personnel to the United Nations. o­n this International Day, let us draw o­n the power of women to strengthen UN peacekeeping while helping women and girls themselves to transform their destinies – and societies – for the better.

-------------------------------------------------------------

 

UNITED NATIONS

General Assembly

Distr.

GENERAL

A/RES/53/243

6 October 1999

Fifty-third session

Agenda item 31

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

[without reference to a Main Committee (A/53/L.79)]

53/243. Declaration and Programme of Action o­n a Culture of Peace

A

DECLARATION o­n A CULTURE OF PEACE

The General Assembly,

Recalling the Charter of the United Nations, including the purposes and principles embodied therein,

Recalling also the Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which states that “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”,

Recalling further the Universal Declaration of Human Rights1 and other relevant international

instruments of the United Nations system,

Recognizing that peace not o­nly is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic

participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual

understanding and cooperation,

Recognizing also that the end of the cold war has widened possibilities for strengthening a culture

of peace,

Expressing deep concern about the persistence and proliferation of violence and conflict in various

parts of the world,

Recognizing the need to eliminate all forms of discrimination and intolerance, including those based

on race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin,

property, disability, birth or other status,

Recalling its resolution 52/15 of 20 November 1997, by which it proclaimed the year 2000 as the

“International Year for the Culture of Peace”, and its resolution 53/25 of 10 November 1998, by which it proclaimed the period 2001–2010 as the “International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World”,

Recognizing the important role that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization continues to play in the promotion of a culture of peace,

Solemnly proclaims the present Declaration o­n a Culture of Peace to the end that Governments,

international organizations and civil society may be guided in their activity by its provisions to promote and strengthen a culture of peace in the new millennium:

Article 1

A culture of peace is a set of values, attitudes, traditions and modes of behaviour and ways of life

based o­n:

(a) Respect for life, ending of violence and promotion and practice of non-violence through

education, dialogue and cooperation;

(b) Full respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of

States and non-intervention in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any State, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law;

(c) Full respect for and promotion of all human rights and fundamental freedoms;

(d) Commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts;

(e) Efforts to meet the developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations;

(f) Respect for and promotion of the right to development;

(g) Respect for and promotion of equal rights and opportunities for women and men;

(h) Respect for and promotion of the right of everyone to freedom of expression, opinion and

information;

(i) Adherence to the principles of freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation,

pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations;

and fostered by an enabling national and international environment conducive to peace.

Article 2

Progress in the fuller development of a culture of peace comes about through values, attitudes, modes of behaviour and ways of life conducive to the promotion of peace among individuals, groups and nations.

Article 3

The fuller development of a culture of peace is integrally linked to:

(a) Promoting peaceful settlement of conflicts, mutual respect and understanding and international

cooperation;

(b) Complying with international obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and

international law;

(c) Promoting democracy, development and universal respect for and observance of all human rights

and fundamental freedoms;

(d) Enabling people at all levels to develop skills of dialogue, negotiation, consensus-building and

peaceful resolution of differences;

(e) Strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring full participation in the development process;

(f) Eradicating poverty and illiteracy and reducing inequalities within and among nations;

(g) Promoting sustainable economic and social development;

(h) Eliminating all forms of discrimination against women through their empowerment and equal

representation at all levels of decision-making;

(i) Ensuring respect for and promotion and protection of the rights of children;

(j) Ensuring free flow of information at all levels and enhancing access thereto;

(k) Increasing transparency and accountability in governance;

(l) Eliminating all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

(m) Advancing understanding, tolerance and solidarity among all civilizations, peoples and cultures,

including towards ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities;

(n) Realizing fully the right of all peoples, including those living under colonial or other forms of

alien domination or foreign occupation, to self-determination enshrined in the Charter of the United

Nations and embodied in the International Covenants o­n Human Rights,2 as well as in the Declaration o­n the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960.

Article 4

Education at all levels is o­ne of the principal means to build a culture of peace. In this context,

human rights education is of particular importance.

Article 5

Governments have an essential role in promoting and strengthening a culture of peace.

Article 6

Civil society needs to be fully engaged in fuller development of a culture of peace.

Article 7

The educative and informative role of the media contributes to the promotion of a culture of peace.

Article 8

A key role in the promotion of a culture of peace belongs to parents, teachers, politicians, journalists, religious bodies and groups, intellectuals, those engaged in scientific, philosophical and creative and artistic activities, health and humanitarian workers, social workers, managers at various levels as well as to non-governmental organizations.

Article 9

The United Nations should continue to play a critical role in the promotion and strengthening of a

culture of peace worldwide.

B

PROGRAMME OF ACTION o­n A CULTURE OF PEACE

The General Assembly,

Bearing in mind the Declaration o­n a Culture of Peace adopted o­n 13 September 1999,

Recalling its resolution 52/15 of 20 November 1997, by which it proclaimed the year 2000 as the

“International Year for the Culture of Peace”, and its resolution 53/25 of 10 November 1998, by which it proclaimed the period 2001–2010 as the “International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World”;

Adopts the following Programme of Action o­n a Culture of Peace:

A. Aims, strategies and main actors

1. The Programme of Action should serve as the basis for the International Year for the Culture

of Peace and the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World.

2. Member States are encouraged to take actions for promoting a culture of peace at the national

level as well as at the regional and international levels.

3. Civil society should be involved at the local, regional and national levels to widen the scope of

activities o­n a culture of peace.

4. The United Nations system should strengthen its o­ngoing efforts to promote a culture of peace.

5. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization should continue to play

its important role in and make major contributions to the promotion of a culture of peace.

6. Partnerships between and among the various actors as set out in the Declaration should be

encouraged and strengthened for a global movement for a culture of peace.

7. A culture of peace could be promoted through sharing of information among actors o­n their

initiatives in this regard.

8. Effective implementation of the Programme of Action requires mobilization of resources,

including financial resources, by interested Governments, organizations and individuals.

B. Strengthening actions at the national, regional and international levels by all relevant actors

9. Actions to foster a culture of peace through education:

(a) Reinvigorate national efforts and international cooperation to promote the goals of education for

all with a view to achieving human, social and economic development and for promoting a culture of peace;

(b) Ensure that children, from an early age, benefit from education o­n the values, attitudes, modes

of behaviour and ways of life to enable them to resolve any dispute peacefully and in a spirit of respect for human dignity and of tolerance and non-discrimination;

(c) Involve children in activities designed to instill in them the values and goals of a culture of

peace;

(d) Ensure equality of access to education for women, especially girls;

(e) Encourage revision of educational curricula, including textbooks, bearing in mind the 1995

Declaration and Integrated Framework of Action o­n Education for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy for which technical cooperation should be provided by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization upon request;

(f) Encourage and strengthen efforts by actors as identified in the Declaration, in particular the

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, aimed at developing values and skills conducive to a culture of peace, including education and training in promoting dialogue and consensusbuilding;

(g) Strengthen the o­ngoing efforts of the relevant entities of the United Nations system aimed at

training and education, where appropriate, in the areas of conflict prevention and crisis management,

peaceful settlement of disputes, as well as in post-conflict peace-building;

(h) Expand initiatives to promote a culture of peace undertaken by institutions of higher education

in various parts of the world, including the United Nations University, the University for Peace and the project for twinning universities and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Chairs Programme.

10. Actions to promote sustainable economic and social development:

(a) Undertake comprehensive actions o­n the basis of appropriate strategies and agreed targets to

eradicate poverty through national and international efforts, including through international cooperation;

(b) Strengthen the national capacity for implementation of policies and programmes designed to

reduce economic and social inequalities within nations through, inter alia, international cooperation;

(c) Promote effective and equitable development-oriented and durable solutions to the external debt

and debt-servicing problems of developing countries through, inter alia, debt relief;

(d) Reinforce actions at all levels to implement national strategies for sustainable food security,

including the development of actions to mobilize and optimize the allocation and utilization of resources from all sources, including through international cooperation, such as resources coming from debt relief;

(e) Undertake further efforts to ensure that the development process is participatory and that

development projects involve the full participation of all;

(f) Include a gender perspective and empowerment of women and girls as an integral part of the

development process;

(g) Include in development strategies special measures focusing o­n needs of women and children

as well as groups with special needs;

(h) Strengthen, through development assistance in post-conflict situations, rehabilitation, reintegration

and reconciliation processes involving all engaged in conflicts;

(i) Incorporate capacity-building in development strategies and projects to ensure environmental

sustainability, including preservation and regeneration of the natural resource base;

(j) Remove obstacles to the realization of the right of peoples to self-determination, in particular

of peoples living under colonial or other forms of alien domination or foreign occupation, which adversely affect their social and economic development.

11. Actions to promote respect for all human rights:

(a) Full implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;4

(b) Encouragement of development of national plans of action for the promotion and protection of

all human rights;

(c) Strengthening of national institutions and capacities in the field of human rights, including

through national human rights institutions;

(d) Realization and implementation of the right to development, as established in the Declaration

on the Right to Development5 and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

(e) Achievement of the goals of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education

(1995–2004);

(f) Dissemination and promotion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at all levels;

(g) Further support to the activities of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

in the fulfilment of her or his mandate as established in General Assembly resolution 48/141 of 20

December 1993, as well as the responsibilities set by subsequent resolutions and decisions.

12. Actions to ensure equality between women and men:

(a) Integration of a gender perspective into the implementation of all relevant international

instruments;

(b) Further implementation of international instruments that promote equality between women and

men;

(c) Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference o­n

Women, with adequate resources and political will, and through, inter alia, the elaboration,

implementation and follow-up of the national plans of action;

(d) Promotion of equality between women and men in economic, social and political decisionmaking;

(e) Further strengthening of efforts by the relevant entities of the United Nations system for the

elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women;

(f) Provision of support and assistance to women who have become victims of any forms of

violence, including in the home, workplace and during armed conflicts.

13. Actions to foster democratic participation:

(a) Reinforcement of the full range of actions to promote democratic principles and practices;

(b) Special emphasis o­n democratic principles and practices at all levels of formal, informal and nonformal education;

(c) Establishment and strengthening of national institutions and processes that promote and sustain

democracy through, inter alia, training and capacity-building of public officials;

(d) Strengthening of democratic participation through, inter alia, the provision of electoral assistance upon the request of States concerned and based o­n relevant United Nations guidelines;

(e) Combating of terrorism, organized crime, corruption as well as production, trafficking and

consumption of illicit drugs and money laundering, as they undermine democracies and impede the fuller development of a culture of peace.

14. Actions to advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity:

(a) Implement the Declaration of Principles o­n Tolerance and the Follow-up Plan of Action for the

United Nations Year for Tolerance8 (1995);

(b) Support activities in the context of the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations in

the year 2001;

(c) Study further the local or indigenous practices and traditions of dispute settlement and promotion

of tolerance with the objective of learning from them;

(d) Support actions that foster understanding, tolerance and solidarity throughout society, in

particular with vulnerable groups;

(e) Further support the attainment of the goals of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous

People;

(f) Support actions that foster tolerance and solidarity with refugees and displaced persons, bearing

in mind the objective of facilitating their voluntary return and social integration;

(g) Support actions that foster tolerance and solidarity with migrants;

(h) Promote increased understanding, tolerance and cooperation among all peoples through, inter

alia, appropriate use of new technologies and dissemination of information;

(i) Support actions that foster understanding, tolerance, solidarity and cooperation among peoples

and within and among nations.

15. Actions to support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge:

(a) Support the important role of the media in the promotion of a culture of peace;

(b) Ensure freedom of the press and freedom of information and communication;

(c) Make effective use of the media for advocacy and dissemination of information o­n a culture of

peace involving, as appropriate, the United Nations and relevant regional, national and local mechanisms;

(d) Promote mass communication that enables communities to express their needs and participate

in decision-making;

(e) Take measures to address the issue of violence in the media, including new communication

technologies, inter alia, the Internet;

(f) Increase efforts to promote the sharing of information o­n new information technologies, including the Internet.

16. Actions to promote international peace and security:

(a) Promote general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control, taking into account the priorities established by the United Nations in the field of disarmament;

(b) Draw, where appropriate, o­n lessons conducive to a culture of peace learned from “military

conversion” efforts as evidenced in some countries of the world;

(c) Emphasize the inadmissibility of acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just

and lasting peace in all parts of the world;

(d) Encourage confidence-building measures and efforts for negotiating peaceful settlements;

(e) Take measures to eliminate illicit production and traffic of small arms and light weapons;

(f) Support initiatives, at the national, regional and international levels, to address concrete

problems arising from post-conflict situations, such as demobilization, reintegration of former combatants into society, as well as refugees and displaced persons, weapon collection programmes, exchange of information and confidence-building;

(g) Discourage the adoption of and refrain from any unilateral measure, not in accordance with

international law and the Charter of the United Nations, that impedes the full achievement of economic and social development by the population of the affected countries, in particular women and children, that hinders their well-being, that creates obstacles to the full enjoyment of their human rights, including the right of everyone to a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being and their right to food, medical care and the necessary social services, while reaffirming that food and medicine must not be used as a tool for political pressure;

(h) Refrain from military, political, economic or any other form of coercion, not in accordance with

international law and the Charter, aimed against the political independence or territorial integrity of any State;

(i) Recommend proper consideration for the issue of the humanitarian impact of sanctions, in

particular o­n women and children, with a view to minimizing the humanitarian effects of sanctions;

(j) Promote greater involvement of women in prevention and resolution of conflicts and, in

particular, in activities promoting a culture of peace in post-conflict situations;

(k) Promote initiatives in conflict situations such as days of tranquillity to carry out immunization

and medicine distribution campaigns, corridors of peace to ensure delivery of humanitarian supplies and sanctuaries of peace to respect the central role of health and medical institutions such as hospitals and clinics;

(l) Encourage training in techniques for the understanding, prevention and resolution of conflict for

the concerned staff of the United Nations, relevant regional organizations and Member States, upon

request, where appropriate.

107th plenary meeting

13 September 1999

/...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

The Secretary-General's Message o­n the International Day of UN Peacekeepers 29 May 2009

http://www.un.org/en/events/peacekeepersday/2009/sg.shtml

The international community’s reliance o­n United Nations peacekeeping continues to deepen.  Deployment is at a record high, with the number of troops, civilians and police totaling more than 113,000.

The personnel who serve under the UN flag do so in some of the most difficult and inhospitable areas o­n earth, where they face instability, disease and violence o­n a daily basis. These brave men and women have shown tremendous dedication, making a tangible difference in the lives of many while showing to the world the caring and committed face of the United Nations.

These efforts often come at high cost to the peacekeepers themselves. In 2008, 132 peacekeepers lost their lives in the line of duty – the highest o­ne-year total in the history of UN peacekeeping . Whether felled by acts of violence, disease or accidents, each left an important legacy.

The loss of ten women among those who died reminds us that female personnel are playing an increasingly important role in peacekeeping, and that they now shoulder grave risks as well.

It has been nearly a decade since the Security Council adopted its landmark Resolution 1325 – the first omnibus text to recognize that women bear the brunt of armed conflicts, and should have a commensurate role in their prevention and resolution.

Since then, the United Nations has pressed forward with intensive efforts not o­nly to involve more local women in peacemaking and peacebuilding, but also to recruit more women into our own operations.  The point is not to achieve gender parity for its own sake; the imperative is to draw o­n the unique and powerful contribution women can make. Female blue helmets, human rights monitors and other mission staff offer new skills and styles of functioning in the ever-evolving field of peacekeeping. Often, they can better communicate with local women, generating a greater sense of security while serving as an example of women’s empowerment.

As the Security Council has acknowledged, women frequently suffer most during conflicts, including from horrific acts of sexual- and gender-based violence. By including female police among our ranks, we foster a safe environment for victims to get the help they need and deserve. And by enabling victims to feel secure enough to come forward and press charges against perpetrators, we fight the culture of impunity that has prevailed for too long.

There are still far too few women peacekeepers.  With women joining national militaries and police in greater numbers, it is critical that Member States contribute even more female personnel to the United Nations. o­n this International Day, let us draw o­n the power of women to strengthen UN peacekeeping while helping women and girls themselves to transform their destinies – and societies – for the better.

-------------------------------------------------------------