Maputo Declaration
4 September 1997
- Launched in 1995 on the initiative of the President of Mozambique with the support of
the Director-General of UNESCO and the Secretary-General of OAU, an International
Conference on the Culture of Peace and Good Governance was held in Maputo from 1 to 4
September 1997.
- Mindful that the transition from a culture rooted in war, prejudice and violence
to a culture of peace and tolerance can be achieved only with the help of all peoples of
the region, the decision-makers, the elected representatives, the educators and
particularly young people and women,
- Convinced that a necessary accompaniment to peace-building is sustainable
economic and social development and a system of participatory democracy based on
governance informed by the democratic principles of justice, freedom, tolerance and
solidarity,
- Noting with satisfaction the encouraging shift towards peace that the southern
region of the continent is experiencing,
- Bearing in mind that the huge social disparities existing at the national and
international levels constitute one of the main sources of conflict, together with the
highly disturbing plight of the victims of violence and, more particularly, of the
vulnerable sectors of the population,
- Convinced that the spirit of intellectual and moral solidarity of UNESCO is
destined to help make the human being the focus of all cultural, social, political and
economic action,
- Aware of our responsibility towards future generations and their right to live in
peace in a healthy environment,
- Recalling that UNESCO's mission, as enshrined in its Constitution, is to
construct ‘the defences of peace' in ‘the minds of men', that peace is a
pre-condition for ensuring respect for human rights, and that without peace there can be
neither development nor democracy,
- Further reminding the international community that only a new surge of solidarity
can help the countries of the subregion to consolidate a peace that has been dearly won
and is daily threatened by poverty and exclusion,
We, the participants in this Conference:
- Pledge to champion education for tolerance, human rights and democracy throughout
life, to foster reconciliation through the sharing and equitable distribution of resources
of all kinds, and to stimulate the practice of democracy on a day-to-day basis, and
support studies and experiments in reconciliation that can serve to prevent conflicts;
- Launch an urgent appeal to the populations of the subregion and to
decision-makers to work for an effective and rapid transition to a culture of peace, in
particular by paying special attention to the victims of war and first and foremost to
those belonging to the vulnerable sectors of the population;
- Recommend the establishment of a network to consider the problems of governance
and democratic principles, following the example of the DEMOS project which already exists
in Latin America, and the creation of UNESCO Chairs in the Culture of Peace and Democratic
Governance in the countries of the subregion;
- Recommend, further, that an overhaul of curricula be undertaken in order to
strengthen programmes of civic and moral education, and encourage the expansion of UNESCO
Clubs while at the same time noting with satisfaction the OAU initiative to set up similar
Clubs;
- Concerned, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, to pass on to future
generations a world rid of the faults and failings of which we have been the victims,
express the wish that UNESCO explore ways and means of attaining this goal, which we
regard as our duty but also, and above all, as a right for future generations;
- Affirm our resolve to work to enhance the moral and ethical dimension of
political management;
- At a time when humankind is preparing to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, reaffirm that the human right to peace is an inalienable
right, without which respect for the other rights cannot be guaranteed;
Recommend, finally, to UNESCO, OAU and all other regional, international and non-governmental organizations that they do their utmost to ensure that follow-up action is taken on the recommendations of this important Conference.
Maputo, Mozambique - 4 September 1997
