1. Expresses its sorrow and
indignation at the tragic events of 11 September 2001 in the United States
of America and the enormous loss of human life, destruction and damage
affecting world peace and security;
2. Recalling resolutions
1368 (2001) and 1373 (2001) of the United Nations Security Council as well
as resolution 56/1 of the United Nations General Assembly, which inter
alia strongly condemns the heinous acts of terrorism and “also
urgently calls for international cooperation to prevent and eradicate acts
of terrorism, and stresses that those responsible for aiding, supporting or
harbouring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of such acts will be
held accountable”;
3. Considers that all acts
of terrorism are a denial of the principles and values of the United Nations
Charter, the UNESCO Constitution and the UNESCO Declaration on the
Principles of Tolerance (1995) and represent an attack against humanity as a
whole;
4. Considers that the
present challenges require a coherent and coordinated response by the
organizations of the United Nations system as a whole;
5. Rejects the association
of terrorism with any particular religion, religious belief or nationality;
6. Affirms that the values
of tolerance, universality, mutual understanding, respect for cultural
diversity and the promotion of a culture of peace, which are central to
UNESCO’s mission, have acquired new relevance for inspiring action by
international organizations, States, civil society and individual citizens;
7. Recalling in particular
that the year 2001 is being observed as United Nations Year of Dialogue
among Civilizations and bearing in mind the Decade for a Culture of Peace
and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, affirms that such dialogue
constitutes a fundamental challenge based on the unity of humankind and
commonly shared values, the recognition of its cultural diversity and the
equal dignity of each civilization and each culture;
8. Noting that intolerance,
discrimination, inequality, ignorance, poverty and exclusion, among others,
provide fertile ground for terrorism, affirms that while acts of terrorism
can never be justified whatever the motives, the world community requires a
global and inclusive vision of development based on the observance of human
rights, mutual respect, intercultural dialogue and the alleviation of
poverty, founded on justice, equity and solidarity, to meet the needs of the
most vulnerable populations and segments of society;
9. Expresses its firm
conviction that, based upon its mandate and within its areas of competence -
education, science, culture and communication - UNESCO has a duty to
contribute to the eradication of terrorism, drawing on its character as an
intellectual and ethical organization, and invites the Director-General to
take appropriate action through UNESCO programmes and studies”.
