a sign: "Cultivating a Culture of Peace" next to an illustration of a book with a dove holding an olive branch over it
Education is one of the principal means to build a culture of peace.
Photo:UN

2024 Theme: Cultivating a Culture of Peace

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.

In that declaration, the United Nations’ most inclusive body recognized 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.”

In a world with rising geopolitical tensions and protracted conflicts, there has never been a better time to remember how the UN General Assembly came together in 1999 to lay out the values needed for a culture of peace. These include: respect for life, human rights and fundamental freedoms; the promotion of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation; commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts; and adherence to freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations.

In follow-up resolutions, the General Assembly recognized further the importance of choosing negotiations over confrontation and of working together and not against each other.

The Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) starts with the notion that “wars begin in the minds of men so it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”. It is this notion that framed the theme and logo of this year’s observance of the International Day of Peace. The ideas of peace, the culture of peace, need to be cultivated in the minds of children and communities through formal and informal education, across countries and generations.

The International Day of Peace has always been a time to lay down weapons and observe ceasefires. But it now must also be a time for people to see each other’s humanity. Our survival as a global community depends on that.

Background

The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.

History of the Culture of Peace

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Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia greets an ex-combatant while visiting a reintegration area for former combatants.

The Secretary-General’s vision for centering the Organization’s work on peace and security around prevention and through a surge in diplomacy for peace reaffirms the United Nations' founding mission. Since its inception, the UN has played a crucial role in helping to mediate conflicts at all stages: before they escalate into armed conflict, after the outbreak of violence, and during the implementation of peace agreements. UN peacemaking flourished in the decade following the end of the Cold War and the Organization continues to play a preeminent role in this field.

The UN mural by Spanish artist Jose Vela Zanetti illustrates humanity's ongoing quest for lasting peace. It vividly captures this universal struggle, spanning more than 18 meters in length and nearly 4 meters in height.

Rooted in the UN's post-World War II mission to prevent conflict and uphold human rights, the UN General Assembly declared the International Day of Living Together in Peace (16 May) to emphasize the importance of accepting and respecting differences while striving for peace, tolerance, inclusion, and solidarity, and to promote reconciliation and sustainable development by encouraging forgiveness, compassion, and cooperation. Likewise, various UN initiatives emphasize that peace requires positive engagement and the elimination of discrimination and intolerance, not just the absence of conflict.

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.