Attachments
Seventy-ninth session
Agenda item 14
Culture of peace
Summary
In the present report, submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 77/296, the Secretary-General presents an overview of actions undertaken by Member States and the United Nations system to promote a culture of peace, examining the main trends and issues, activities carried out and progress made during the period from May 2022 to April 2024.
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 77/296, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its seventy-ninth session on actions taken by Member States, on the basis of information provided by them, and those taken across the United Nations system to implement the resolution. The preparation of the present report benefited from the contributions from 27 United Nations entities and eight Member States. Those diverse contributions reflect various understandings of the concept of a culture of peace to those entities and States.
2. The year 2024 marks 25 years since the General Assembly adopted the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. It remains of central importance to the principles and purpose of the United Nations, as also illustrated by the adoption, by consensus, of Human Rights Council resolution 55/17 on human rights and a culture of peace. In August 2024, following the end of the reporting period for the present report (April 2024), a high-level forum was convened by the President of the General Assembly to examine the implementation of the Programme of Action.
3. That milestone anniversary also provides an opportunity to reflect and double down on the commitment to invest in a culture of peace. The Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace and section II of the recently adopted Pact for the Future both contain a comprehensive vision for multilateral action for peace. Under that vision, the shifting world order is recognized, as is the need for multilateralism to adjust to a more fragmented geopolitical landscape, respond to the emergence of new potential conflict domains and address global threats that require multilateral cooperation. It is also proposed that prevention be elevated as a political priority. The evidence is staggering: although prevention is cost-effective, saves lives and safeguards development gains, it remains chronically underprioritized and underfunded.
4. The surge in the number of armed conflicts in the past decade reversed a 20-year decline. In 2023, the number of conflict-related civilian deaths increased by some 62 per cent as compared with figures recorded for 2022. 5 However, a culture of peace is not simply the absence of conflict. It is a commitment centred on respect for life, human rights, fundamental freedoms and justice. Likewise, a comprehensive, inclusive and lasting culture of peace is a prerequisite for sustainable social and economic development.
5. The United Nations has long embraced the concept of a culture of peace, which is deeply embedded in its foundational aim to end war and foster global peace. The explicit notion of a “culture of peace” can be traced back to the 1980s, 6 highlighted by the Seville Statement on Violence of 1986. The statement was the outcome of an international meeting convened by the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) involving international scientists, who challenged the notion that violence and war were biological necessities, asserting instead that both war and peace were constructed through social processes.
6. UNESCO developed its Culture of Peace Programme in 1992, which contributed to the adoption of the related Programme of Action in 1999 and the designation of the first decade of the twenty-first century (2001–2010) as the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World. Since its introduction, there has been some tension with regard to the concept of a culture of peace: owing to its importance in advancing the principles and purposes of the United Nations, and to the many aspects of the work of the United Nations that feed into it, how could an effective programme of activity on the concept be defined, prioritized and operationalized across diverse contexts? In reflecting on 25 years of action, non-violence – encompassing values, attitudes and behaviours – unifies the concept of a culture of peace and remains central to navigating disagreements and conflicts and finding ways to collaborate across differences.
7. In the present report, the Secretary-General explores the current context and challenges affecting efforts to promote a culture of peace globally. He then examines the work carried out by United Nations entities and Member States during the reporting period, with a view to highlighting gaps and priorities and contributing to the identification of ways to best position, operationalize and act on the concept of a culture of peace globally. In the final section, he presents conclusions and recommendations to be taken forward.