Paris, September 13 - Can the world do without violence? The United Nations General Assembly has just said it can. By adopting a Declaration and a Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, during its 53rd session, on September 13, it declares: peace is always possible and violence avoidable. The Assembly thus opposes the inevitability of the rule of imposition, force and violence which has characterised relations between individuals, groups, communities, peoples and nations since the dawn of time. With these two texts, the international community - the entire United Nations system - acquires the tools to promote a culture of peace based on a universal ethical frame of reference and to preserve future generations from the scourge of war, as stipulated in the UN Charter.

The provisions of the texts will inspire governments, international organisations and civil society. The culture of peace requires specific measures and the mobilisation and participation of all people and involves a profound transformation of institutional structures as well as the values, attitudes and behaviours of individuals and groups in order to address the cultural roots of violent conflicts and wars.

The adoption of the two texts is a sign of hope at the end of a century which will have been marked by two world wars, proliferating conflict in the third world, nationalist upheaval and the growing assertiveness of local cultures marked by religious or cultural fundamentalism. It also shows that, faced with recurrent tragedies, it is vital not to give up but, on the contrary, step up efforts to build a culture based on tolerance, democracy and respect for the rights of all.

A long-term undertaking

Building a culture of peace is a long-term undertaking whose origins go back a long way. In itself, the creation of the United Nations system, in the aftermath of the Second World War, based on the values and goals common to all humanity, was an essential sign of the emergence of a culture of peace. For its part, UNESCO - as enshrined in its Constitution, according to which "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed" - has made the promotion of a culture of peace its essential mission.

In the course of the last decade, the international instruments adopted as well as the declarations and different plans of action drawn up in world conferences under the auspices of the United Nations testify to the existence of norms, values and common objectives, all supporting a culture of peace. These norms, values and objectives constitute the basis of a universal ethical frame of reference. Each Member State, of whatever size, can contribute to the promotion of a culture of peace, its main role being to address the causes of conflicts so that they do not erupt into violence.

The Declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly defines the culture of peace as a set of values, attitudes, traditions, modes of behaviour and ways of life based on respect for life, ending of violence and promotion and practice of non-violence through education, dialogue and co-operation; full respect for and promotion of all human rights and fundamental freedoms; commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts; respect for and promotion of the right to development; respect for and promotion of equal rights of and opportunities for women and men; respect for and promotion of the rights of everyone to freedom of expression, opinion and information; and, adherence to the principles of freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, co-operation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations.

A global strategy, specific measures

The Programme of Action - at the threshold of a new Millennium - serves as a basis for the International Year for the Culture of Peace (Year 2000) and the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World. Member States are encouraged to take specific actions to promote a culture of peace at the national, regional and international levels. Civil society is encouraged to broaden its role. UNESCO should continue to play its important role and make major contributions. Partnerships between and among different actors should be increased and strengthened to build a global movement for a culture of peace.

Several specific measures on the national, regional and international levels are to be strengthened: those which foster a culture of peace through education, promote sustainable economic and social development, promote respect for all human rights, ensure equality between women and men, foster democratic participation, advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity, support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge, and promote international security.

Peace is learnt

As UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor highlighted during the international Forum "For a Culture of Peace and Dialogue among Civilisations" held in Moscow (May 13-16, 1999), "education, a fundamental right of citizens, is one of the essential keys to the construction of the culture of peace. Multi-lingual and multi-cultural education develops tolerance and understanding among citizens free of prejudice."

Measures to inculcate a culture of peace through education involve: reinvigorating national efforts and international co-operation to promote the goals of education for all; ensuring 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; ensuring equality of access for women and young girls to education; encourage revision of educational curricula, bearing in mind the 1995 Declaration and Integrated Framework of Action on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy for which technical co-operation should be provided by UNESCO; strengthening 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/crisis management, peaceful settlement of disputes as well as in post-conflict peace-building; and, expanding initiatives promoting a culture of peace undertaken by higher education institutions in various parts of the world, including the United Nations University (Japan), the University of Peace (Costa Rica) and the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs programme.

Also among the Programme of Action's first measures are some promoting sustainable economic and social development: the international community and all actors in development should be made more aware of the need to undertake comprehensive actions on the basis of appropriate strategies and agreed targets to eradicate poverty. A major aim will be to strengthen the national capacity for implementation of policies and programmes designed to reduce economic and social inequalities within nations. Promoting debt relief is also prioritised, as are actions reinforcing national strategies for sustainable food security.

Other measures seek to promote respect for all human rights, including full implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and achievement of the goals of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004). Priority is also given to realisation and implementation of the right to development as well as to disseminating and promoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at all levels.

The Programme of Action includes measures to ensure equality between women and men. The Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) stressed the need to give women greater political power and economic resources and ensure that they are fairly represented at all levels of economic and political decision-making. For this, resources will be accorded and national action plans drafted. At the same time, there will be provision and support for women who have become victims of any forms of violence, including in the home, workplace and during armed conflicts.

Elsewhere, actions to foster democratic participation are equally crucial. Special emphasis will be laid on democratic principles and practices in teaching programmes at all levels of formal, informal and non-informal education. Similarly, public representatives responsible for settling disputes will receive training and see their capacities strengthened. The fight against terrorism, organised crime, corruption as well as production, trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs and money laundering, insofar as they undermine democracies and impede the fuller development of a culture of peace, is also highlighted.

Measures also aim at advancing understanding, tolerance and solidarity. On this, the Plan of Action designed to follow-up the United Nations Year for Tolerance (1995) is taken as a major reference point. Measures include supporting actions in the context of the International United Nations Year for Dialogue between Civilisations (2001) and supporting actions throughout society which foster tolerance and solidarity, notably with migrants, displaced persons and indigenous peoples.

Furthermore, there are actions to support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge. Freedom of opinion, of expression and information - an integral part of human rights and fundamental freedoms - are an essential factor in building a culture of peace. The media are therefore key actors in mobilising the popular and political will. Measures include supporting the media in their role, ensuring press freedom, calling on the media for advocacy and dissemination of information on a culture of peace, and promoting mass communication that enables communities to participate in decision-making. The Programme of Action also urges greater efforts to promote information sharing on new communication technologies, including the Internet.

Finally, the Programme of Action includes a series of measures dealing with the promotion of international peace and security. They include promoting general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control. "Military conversion" activities, evidenced in some countries, are encouraged and there is support for initiatives to overcome problems arising from post-conflict situations, such as demobilisation, reintegration of former combatants into society, as well as dealing with the problems faced by refugees and displaced persons.

On the dawn of the 21st century, will all the countries of the world agree to write a new page of history? Peace is always possible, it can always prevail. But it has to be wanted, encouraged, nurtured and cultivated on a daily basis. As Mr. Mayor states, "without peace, there is no development, no justice, no democracy. To go from a culture of war and violence to a culture of peace and dialogue, we have to change the values, attitudes and behaviours of the past. Instead of the cynical proverb "If you want peace, prepare for war", we must say "If you want peace, prepare for peace and try to build it in your daily life".