nationalism & tribalism

human rights for all

Main Topic: Coordinator Comments

"The elaboration and international acceptance of universal human rights, especially the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has been one of the most important steps towards the transition from a culture of war and violence to a culture of peace and nonviolence. It calls for a transformation of values, attitudes and behaviours from those which would benefit exclusively the clan, the tribe or the nation towards those which beneifit the entire human family."

With the preceeding words, UNESCO introduced the initial programme area of the culture of peace in document A/53/370 sent to the United Nations General Assembly in 1998.

Among the specific recommendations in this regard adopted by the General Assembly in the final resolution on the culture of peace (resolution A/53/243) were support for:

(a) Full implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

(b) Encouragement of development of national plans of action for the promotion and protection of all human rights;

(d) Realization and implementation of the right to development, as established in the Declaration on the Right to Development and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

In making the final resolution the UN diplomats refused to include a proposal in the UNESCO document for implementation of the human right to peace.

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