All posts by CPNN Coordinator

About CPNN Coordinator

Dr David Adams is the coordinator of the Culture of Peace News Network. He retired in 2001 from UNESCO where he was the Director of the Unit for the International Year for the Culture of Peace, proclaimed for the Year 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly.

‘America Belongs to the People’: No Kings Coalition Plans Oct. 17 Early Voting Action

. HUMAN RIGHTS .

An article by Jessica Corbett from Common Dreams (reprinted according to Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

“On October 17th, No Kings: Vote Early will show the billionaire elites attempting to destroy our country that We the People have the power by mobilizing turnout to make our elections too big for the evils of  fascism and oligarchy to rig,” according to Sarah Parker, a spokesperson for the 50501 movement.


People hold signs that declare “No Kings” in Detroit, Michigan, on February 17, 2025, which was President’s Day. (Photo by Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The movement is part of the No Kings Coalition that has held a trio of  protests across the United States since President Donald Trump returned to power last year.

Now, with the midterm elections less than two months away, the coalition is planning a fourth day of action. Parker, who’s also executive director of Voices of Florida Fund, declared Tuesday that “the people, united, will never be defeated.”

The first round of protests was held in June 2025, on Trump’s birthday. The ACLU’s chief political and advocacy officer, Deirdre Schifeling, said at the time that “No Kings is really about standing up for democracy, standing up for people’s rights and liberties in this country, and against the gross abuse of power that we’ve seen consistently from the Trump administration.”

As with those first demonstrations, millions of people took to US streets again last October. Then, Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, told Common Dreams that “what we’re seeing from this administration is authoritarian slip. We are seeing them attack judges, attack nonprofits, trying to attack the media, stifle First Amendment protected speech, and arrest sitting members of Congress for doing their oversight” of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The third action, in March, followed ICE’s deadly invasion of Minnesota’s Twin Cities, and Trump launching his illegal war on Iran. The three themes of those demonstrations,  said Indivisible co-executive director Leah Greenberg, were “no kings, no ICE, no war.”

(Article continued in the right column)

Questions related to this article:

The struggle for human rights, is it gathering force in the USA?

How can we be sure to get news about peace demonstrations?

(Article continued from the left column)

Her co-executive director, Ezra Levin, said Tuesday that “since the first No Kings in June of last year, millions of people have demonstrated they are not afraid and they will not bow to any would-be American king. We’ve sent that message loud and clear—but we’re not just sending a message with this next No Kings.”

“We’re taking back power for the people using our constitutional right to organize and our constitutional right to vote,” Levin stressed. “While corrupt politicians and elected officials line their pockets, families across America are struggling to put food on the table and gas in the car. No Kings: Vote Early is about making sure every eligible voter has a plan to vote, knows their options, and is ready to make their voice heard.”

Schifeling, from the ACLU, noted that “this year, voters are facing coordinated efforts from their own government to make it harder for eligible voters to vote and have their vote counted. That’s why this next chapter of No Kings is focused on encouraging all voters to make a plan to vote as early as possible.”

“In a democracy, elected officials are supposed to be accountable to their constituents; voting is one of the best ways to ensure they are,” she continued. “No Kings will be on the ground in communities across the country making sure that all eligible voters can and do vote.” Public Citizen’s Gilbert said that “the importance of as many people as possible voting early cannot be overstated.”

“Early voting can make the difference between voting and not voting for people who are traveling, who are working on Election Day, who need options for childcare while voting, and more,” she highlighted. “Voting is democracy in action at a time when authoritarianism and oligarchy are looming large, and standing together to cast our vote is one of the most patriotic things we can do right now.”

In addition to Trump’s authoritarian policies, US voters are contending with high prices tied to the president’s policies, from the Iran War to his legally dubious tariffs. Cliff Albright and LaTosha Brown, co-founders of Black Voters Matter Fund, noted that “the cost of our groceries, our utility bills, our healthcare—all of it is shaped by the people we elect and the decisions they make, which is why our participation matters.”

“America belongs to the people—not to kings, billionaires, or politicians,” Albright and Brown emphasized.

Other coalition members include the American Federation of Teachers, MoveOn, State Voices, and Voto Latino, whose executive director, Beatriz Lopez, vowed that “on October 17th, we will show up, vote early, and vote like our future depends on it because American democracy has no kings.”

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HUMAN RIGHTS, North America

Interview wth Aleida Guevara

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .

Excerpts from an interview by Andrea Duffour in investigaction.net

The daughter of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, Aleida Guevara is a pediatrician and a committed figure of the Cuban Revolution. In this interview, she discusses the particularly difficult situation Cuba is facing due to the US blockade, as well as conflicts in the Middle East and her own concept of resistance.

She advocates a perspective on Hamas and Hezbollah that is radically opposed to the one prevailing in many Western countries, while calling for greater solidarity with the Palestinian, Lebanese, and Iranian peoples.

Finally, Aleida Guevara addresses the role of the “Global South” and the need—as she sees it—for its peoples to unite in order to build “a fairer world for all.”


Photo from a BBC article from 1986

Andrea Duffour: … You often emphasize that internationalism is not the “exporting of revolution,” but an ethical duty that asks for nothing in return. You yourself have been to Angola and many other countries as a pediatrician…

What is your message to the peoples of Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran…?

Aleida Guevara: “It is very easy to send a message to the peoples of Lebanon, Iran, and Palestine from afar. The message must be clear: standing by their side.

That is the true message.” My father [Che] used to say that solidarity does not simply consist of raising or lowering a thumb, as spectators in Roman circuses did. No. Solidarity means living the life of a people who need solidarity.

That is why, while it is easy to speak words, one must take action.

We must break this brutal blockade against Palestine. We must finally make people around the world aware of what is happening in Lebanon and Iran. It is shameful that people turn their backs on this reality.

How many children, how many women, how many human beings die every day because a raving mad president arrogates to himself the right to end the life of a people? What does this mean? How is it possible? Truly, there is no message more powerful or beautiful than being there, alongside these peoples. That is what we need: to be close to these peoples so we can help them in the situation they are going through.”

AD: The current situation in Cuba is worse than ever and also deserves more concrete international solidarity. The United States is strangling your people, attempting by every means to break your resistance, which has lasted for 67 years.

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(Click here for the original version in French)

Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

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Could you describe the current situation for us and tell us what peoples and governments possessing a shred of dignity can do to support you—you who are fighting on the front lines alongside the Axis of Resistance and Iran (a country that has also been under blockade for two generations…)?

Aleida Guevara: “The situation in Cuba is very difficult. The blockade that the United States has maintained for decades is becoming crueler by the day, as it is now a very active blockade that primarily affects everything related to energy in the country. It keeps practically everything out. . . .

AD: What would an ideal world look like, according to your philosophy?

Aleida Guevara: “What would an ideal world look like? First of all, I want to point out that I am a pediatrician. Therefore, for me, an ideal world is one where children grow up in total happiness, where they can enjoy every second of their lives, where there are no diseases capable of killing a human being simply because we failed to prevent them.

A world where everyone has the opportunity to study whenever they wish, at whatever time they choose. A world where everyone has housing, sharing their lives with companions and friends, [where] solidarity flourishes among all our peoples. That is the ideal world for me: a world without war, a world of peace.

But a peace with dignity. That is very important to keep in mind. I do not want peace without dignity. Consequently, an ideal world must be one where men and women flourish as human beings and have the full capacity to say: Long live life!” . . .

AD: Could you share your thoughts on the struggles of the Global South?

Aleida Guevara: “The struggle of the Global South is an expression—a way of speaking—for the peoples who do not experience that opulence known as industrial development, which is enjoyed by a portion of humanity—specifically Europe, the United States, and Canada.

We who do not live this reality—we who are the raw material consumed so that these countries may continue to grow rich—we are what is known as the Global South. The struggle of the Global South must begin with the unity of our peoples.

Without unity among us, we will lack the strength to put an end to this reality; to stop these governments from continuing to exploit our resources, plunder our lands, and devastate humanity.

In this sense, unity is the key.

If we fail to overcome the hardships and absurdities facing so many human beings, we cannot find the strength needed to change this reality—to change this world—and to create a world that is fairer for all; a world where everyone has the right to a fulfilling life, good health, a comprehensive education, and a roof over their heads; where we can feel the joy of the wind blowing around us, knowing we can feed our children every day and care for our elders with all the love and tenderness they deserve.

For this, unity is essential. If we do not break down the barriers that divide us—those that have kept us in this situation for centuries—and if we fail to tear down these walls, we will not be able to build a different world for us all.

The struggle of the Global South is the struggle of humanity.

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FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global

The Freedom Flotilla Sails Again

. DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY .

An article from Freedom Flotilla

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) today announced that a new international mission to challenge Israel’s illegal and deadly blockade of Gaza is underway.


The violence and torture that Israel inflicted on hundreds of flotilla volunteers this past spring, including severe beatings, repeated tasering, and sexual assault, has not deterred the FFC, just as Israel’s murder of 10 flotilla activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, in 2010 did not stop the movement. If anything, action is needed now more than ever.

While much of the world has moved on from Gaza, believing a supposed “ceasefire” has ended the genocide, Israel continues to kill Palestinians in Gaza at will; use its blockade to restrict and manipulate the entry of the food, medicine, and fuel that a besieged population depends on to survive; and deny Palestinians their fundamental right to freedom.

The new mission involves a port-to-port voyage throughout Europe, bringing together human rights advocates, union activists, elected representatives, journalists, medical professionals, and other supporters of Palestinian freedom. In June and July 2026, FFC vessel, Handala II, sailed around Scandinavia, making stops at ports in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Earlier this month, the vessel, Kate, launched from Bristol, UK and has made port calls in Ireland, Germany, and France.

Upcoming stops include ports in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, before the flotilla continues on to Gaza. At every stop, the flotilla will stand with local communities to press their own governments to end their complicity in genocide by blocking weapons and energy shipments that arm Israel’s aggression, ending diplomatic and military cooperation, and imposing real sanctions. The journey will build public support and international pressure ahead of the flotilla’s planned attempt to reach Gaza in October 2026.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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“The Freedom Flotilla sails again because our governments continue to fail to uphold their obligations,” said Zohar Chamberlain Regev, FFC Steering Committee member. “At every port, we will carry the demand that Palestinians be free to live with dignity. In October, we intend to carry that demand and the solidarity of people around the world to Gaza’s shores.”


Throughout the port-to-port journey, FFC and its local partners will organize public welcomes, community gatherings, media events, and opportunities for supporters to visit the vessels. Details of port calls and public events will be released as arrangements are confirmed.


Since 2010, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has brought together civil-society organizations and grassroots campaigns from around the world to challenge the blockade by sea. Its work continues the precedent established by the Free Gaza Movement, whose vessels began sailing to Gaza in 2008.

The FFC calls on governments to:

° Demand safe, unimpeded passage of the flotilla to Gaza, including by making clear that any attack, seizure, or unlawful detention will have consequences;

° Demand immediate and unrestricted access to Gaza and an end to Israel’s obstruction of food, water, medicine, and other essential no

° Defend the freedom of navigation by declaring that any attack, boarding, seizure, diversion, or other use of force against flotilla vessels will trigger immediate diplomatic action;

° Use diplomatic, economic, legal, and other available measures to end Israel’s unlawful blockade and prevent further violations of Palestinians’ fundamental rights and international humanitarian law; and Commit publicly to holding accountable any state or actor responsible for attacking, unlawfully detaining, or otherwise endangering flotilla participants.

“We know that sailing toward Gaza carries serious risks,” said Edward Digilio, an engineer from Maryland, United States. “But silence and inaction carry a much greater cost for Palestinians and the world. This mission is an expression of shared humanity and a refusal to accept the destruction of an entire people as normal.”

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DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe, Mideast,

France: The National Collective for Peace Marches; Declaration for September 21, 2026

. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION .

A declaration by the National Collective for Peace Marches (translation by CPNN)

International Day of Peace, September 21, 2026: “Stop wars, stop violence, stop poverty.”

The National Collective for Peace Marches calls for a multiplication of initiatives everywhere between September 19 and 26. Hope lies in our collective ability to compel choices other than the war economy and war itself.

The National Collective for Peace Marches calls upon citizens, as well as trade unions and organizations—whether civic, political, cultural, humanist, or philosophical—to multiply initiatives across France. The aim is to make the population’s and the peoples’ profound desire to live in peace heard.

The international situation is extremely grave. Wars are spreading, international law is too often flouted, military spending is rising massively, and nuclear arsenals are being modernized; furthermore, the risk of the conflict expanding globally—including the potential use of nuclear weapons—cannot be ignored.

Against this backdrop, the Collective reaffirms its refusal to succumb to resignation or to the normalization of war. Since 2015, it has brought together nearly 200 national and local organizations around a clear call: “For peace: stop war, stop violence, stop poverty. Let us express our desire to live in peace in a world of solidarity, justice, and fraternity.”

War is always a failure. It destroys lives, drives civilian populations into exile, exacerbates inequalities, fuels human rights violations and crimes against humanity, and diverts vast resources that should be dedicated to jobs, wages, healthcare, education, housing, public services, and the ecological transition.

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(Click here for the original article in French.)

Question for this article:

Will you participate in the International Day of Peace?

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We refuse to see social rights, freedoms, human dignity, the security of peoples, and the future of coming generations sacrificed to the logic of war, domination, and militarization. International law must take precedence over force. Negotiated political solutions must prevail over war and violence. Lasting peace cannot be built without social justice, ecological justice, cooperation among peoples, respect for state sovereignty, and the concrete realization of all human rights.

Through this mobilization, the Collective calls for action to achieve human security—both nationally and globally—built upon the principles of the UN Charter, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the implementation of the eight areas of a culture of peace defined by the United Nations, and the realization of IPCC recommendations to combat global warming.

In the face of the spiral of war, hope lies in citizen action and in the unity of social, trade union, civic, environmental, feminist, humanist, cultural, and political forces that reject war as an inevitability.

On September 21, 2026—and throughout the week of September 19–26—the National Peace March Collective therefore invites people everywhere to organize marches and rallies, Public debates, forums, concerts, exhibitions, cultural initiatives, meetings with elected officials, and activities in neighborhoods, villages, workplaces, schools, and universities. Every initiative counts. Every voice raised counts. Every presence in the public sphere counts.

The Collective also calls for this momentum to be sustained around United Nations Disarmament Week (late October to early November) by organizing departmental peace forums. These events aim to raise awareness of the alternatives for global human security championed by the Collective—alternatives rooted in the tangible realization of all human rights.

Let us march! Let us debate! Let us come together! Let us take action! Together for peace, justice, social rights, and human rights.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Europe

UNESCO: Young Leaders Call for a New Culture of Peace

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from UNESCO

Young leaders gathered at UNESCO Headquarters and the Sorbonne in Paris to present the Call by Young People and a Young People’s Reflection Document, the outcome of a youth-led reflection on the future of UNESCO’s mandate.

Conducted in the summer of 2026 with the support of France, bringing together the voices of 145 young leaders from 135 countries, the initiative calls for a new culture of peace in the minds of women and men for the twenty-first century.


Frame from video on Twitter (X)

Presenting the Call and Reflection Document in Paris

On 3 and 4 September 2026, eleven young leaders brought their ideas into direct dialogue with Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO, and H.E. Mr Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, during events held at UNESCO Headquarters and at France’s Fabrique de la Diplomatie at the Sorbonne.

The Director-General and the Minister recognized the importance of youth engagement for peace and the critical role that young people must play in addressing the challenges of today’s world. Their exchanges with the young leaders called for placing youth not at the margins of the discussion, but at its very center.

The Director-General highlighted that: “Peace […] requires creativity, imagination, patience and tools. The role of UNESCO is precisely to provide new generations with these tools.”

Mr Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, stated: “UNESCO perhaps embodies, more than any other entity within the United Nations system, the spirit of peace. This spirit of peace is inherently a spirit of the future, one that it falls to young people to uphold, nurture and pass on to future generations.”

The Call and the Reflection Document put forward concrete proposals on how UNESCO’s founding mandate to build peace can continue to be translated into ambitious and effective action, particularly in times of crisis.

They call for deeper and more meaningful youth participation in decision-making and for greater investment in key areas of UNESCO’s mandate, from inclusive education to climate action, from Open Science to the ethical development of artificial intelligence, and from the protection of cultural heritage to access to reliable information.

The documents emphasize the importance of empowering young people as partners in addressing global challenges, strengthening resilience in times of crisis, and promoting intercultural dialogue. They also underline the need to ensure that UNESCO’s normative leadership translates into tangible benefits for communities, particularly those that are underserved, affected by conflict, or vulnerable to climate change.

Youth as a Priority Group

In line with UNESCO’s designation of youth as a global priority, this consultation is a strong example of the Organization’s commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for young people to contribute to its strategic thinking and to work alongside UNESCO in the implementation of its programmes.

The Call by Young People is being presented as part of the broader UNESCO80 reform initiative for consideration by UNESCO’s Member States at the Executive Board session to be held in October 2026.

Text of the Call by Young People for a New Culture of Peace

Call by Young People for a New Culture of Peace in the minds of women and men for the 21st century Paris, 3 September 2026

We, 145 youth leaders from 135 Member States and Associate Members, representing diverse regions, contexts and lived experiences across the world, brought together through the UNESCO 14th Youth Forum and on the occasion of the Organization’s eightieth anniversary,

Recall that UNESCO was founded on the conviction that, since wars begin in the minds of women and men, it is in those minds that the defences of peace must be constructed — and affirm that this remains an unfinished task, not a historical statement.

Observe that peace today is threatened as much by structural violence, displacement, planetary crisis, and the erosion of trust within and between communities and generations as by armed conflict. Education, sciences, culture, as well as communication and information can either help prevent these threats or, when poorly governed, further undermine the foundations of peace. In an era reshaped by artificial intelligence and rapid technological development, these fields are also increasingly intertwined with digital environments that can amplify mis- and disinformation, polarization and division, while also creating new opportunities for dialogue and learning.

Determined to apply the lessons of our history in order to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes and to resolve problems through dialogue.

Recognize that social cohesion and intergenerational solidarity are essential components for lasting peace, and that addressing discrimination, exclusion and inequality, while creating meaningful opportunities for dialogue, cooperation and shared cultural life, can strengthen trust within and between communities and generations, as well as contribute to more inclusive, peaceful and resilient societies.

Underline that young people are already taking action — as mediators, researchers, educators, and builders of digital and cultural spaces — yet too often without the recognition, resources or meaningful role in decision-making needed to sustain and strengthen their contributions.

Call on UNESCO, its Member States and their partners to turn these principles into sustained action through the following measures:

1. Embed youth partnership in decision-making systemically and structurally.

Youth participation in peace processes, conflict prevention and reconciliation remains far too limited today. In line with Security Council Resolution 2250, youth must therefore be better recognized as partners in conflict prevention and peacebuilding and included in institutional mechanisms for conflict prevention and mediation.

Within UNESCO, youth engagement should evolve from consultation to meaningful partnership. This means ensuring that opportunities to provide input are complemented by meaningful participation in decision-making: youth representation in National Commissions and Delegations to the General Conference, and in mechanisms such as the SDG 4 Youth & Student Network which ensures that youth are represented in education decision-making bodies alongside ministers. It also requires systematic follow-up: consultations, including this one, should be followed by public reporting on the recommendations adopted, actions taken in response, and the implementation outcomes. UNESCO should build on the Global Youth Grant Scheme and networks such as the Youth Climate Action Network to connect, resource and give visibility to youth-led initiatives already under way, rather than creating parallel structures, with particular attention to young women and girls, Indigenous youth, youth in African and Afro-descendant communities, youth from Small Island Developing States, as well as youth from marginalized and underserved communities.

2. Treat education as the first line of defence against hatred and division.

Discrimination and hate speech, online and in classrooms, disproportionately affect youth, especially girls and minorities. It can deepen existing divisions within communities, making inclusive and peaceoriented education essential to build understanding, challenge harmful narratives and strengthen social cohesion. Education has a critical role in equipping young people with the knowledge, skills and values needed to navigate differences, challenge harmful narratives and participate constructively in society.

(Click here for the article in French.)

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Question related to this article:
 
Youth initiatives for a culture of peace, How can we ensure they get the attention and funding they deserve?

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UNESCO’s Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development, media and information literacy, digital citizenship, social and emotional learning, and the non-violent handling of disagreement should be integrated into school curricula and teacher training as core components of education. This should be complemented by clear guidance to distinguish hate speech from legitimate criticism and disagreement, strengthen civic education and critical-thinking skills, and equip teachers to recognize and address discrimination and hate speech. To this end, national education policies should also include frameworks to protect minors and other vulnerable groups from violent, hateful and manipulative online content. Schools should further promote a “language of peace”, equipping young people with the skills to express disagreement constructively, engage in dialogue and navigate differences without hostility or violence. Curricula should also reflect the histories and contributions of African and Afro-descendant people as well as Indigenous peoples on their own terms, including their cultures, knowledge systems and diverse contributions. In crisis and conflict settings, where schools serve not only as places of learning but also as spaces for protection and psychosocial support, UNESCO, Member States and relevant partners should invest in continuity plans, cross-border recognition of learning, and the reopening of schools wherever conditions allow.

3. Turn memory and culture into bridges for mutual understanding, not battlegrounds for division.

The traumas of history cannot be overcome through silence or by forgetting; a peaceful future requires acknowledging the past and learning from it. When history and culture are used to divide, they can entrench mistrust and resentment. Teaching the history of conflict should be evidence-based, open to multiple perspectives, and designed to build empathy rather than resentment, drawing on UNESCO’s Programme on Holocaust and Genocide Education and its Memory of the World Programme to keep archives, testimonies and documentary heritage accessible to educators and young people. Youth meaningful participation can be fostered through initiatives such as oral history projects, community mediation, and digital efforts to counter misleading information and harmful narratives. Tangible and intangible cultural heritage, as well as Indigenous knowledge systems, require the same level of protection: stronger risk assessment and preparedness before conflict, and genuine accountability for attacks against them during conflict.

Protecting cultural heritage and the memory of the world is not only about preserving the past; it also helps sustain cultural continuity and enables communities and generations to engage with history, different perspectives and identity in ways that foster mutual understanding. Cultural exchange and engagement with different historical memories can create space for mutual understanding, helping communities encounter one another beyond inherited narratives of division, particularly in contexts shaped by historical conflict. This also highlights the importance of supporting teachers in connecting historical memory to reconciliation and the prevention of future violence.

4. Advance Open Science and access to knowledge as pillars for peace.

Science education and critical thinking can strengthen resilience to information manipulation and polarization, particularly in digital spaces. Open Science complements these efforts by making scientific knowledge more accessible, shareable and inclusive across communities and borders. Yet financial, technological and linguistic barriers continue to limit access to scientific knowledge, especially for researchers and institutions with fewer resources. Open Science should therefore support equitable participation in scientific collaboration, publishing, innovation and knowledge creation through investment in digital infrastructure, connectivity, scientific capacities and science communication. UNESCO’s 2023 Open Science Outlook reports that only around one-third of academic articles published between 2000 and 2021 were openly available, rising to around half for articles published in 2021. By strengthening international scientific cooperation, enabling knowledge-sharing across borders and connecting researchers and communities around shared challenges, Open Science can contribute to a culture of peace. This should include advancing the proposed Global Open Science Fund – supporting countries and communities in developing the capacities needed to participate in and benefit from Open Science. Together, these efforts position science and knowledge as drivers of peace, strengthening international cooperation and informed decision-making, which are essential to solving today’s complex global challenges.

5. Defend the integrity of information as a condition for peace.

Dis- and misinformation can spread faster than reliable information can be verified or corrected, while an estimated 2.6 billion people remain offline, with access most limited in low-income developing countries. A safe and inclusive information environment requires both closing the digital divide and strengthening the quality and diversity of information available to communities. This includes accessible information, community-based fact-checking, local-language journalism, greater transparency around the systems that shape what information people encounter, as well as stronger protection for journalists, whose killings rose by 38 per cent in 2022–2023 alongside an impunity rate of 85 per cent in 2024. UNESCO should build further on its Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms and the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists, while supporting independent journalism, community media and spaces for young people, particularly those in rural and marginalized communities, to access information and participate in civic life.

6. Govern artificial intelligence to serve peace rather than division.

Artificial Intelligence trained on a narrow range of languages and cultural contexts can reproduce the inequalities it claims to address, and without appropriate safeguards, its use may contribute to bias, surveillance and discrimination, particularly affecting young people. UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence requires stronger implementation in practice, including independent and periodic scrutiny of AI systems for bias and disparities in content moderation, ethical impact assessments involving diverse populations, and greater transparency around AI-generated content and the algorithms that shape content recommendations.

As digital spaces have become increasingly central in young people’s lives, youth should be meaningfully included in discussions on how these digital spaces and technologies are governed. Young people should be recognized not only as users of AI systems, but as partners in shaping the policies and systems that affect their lives, while supporting them in developing the AI literacy skills needed to participate meaningfully in these processes. Given the distinct and rapidly evolving impacts of artificial intelligence on young people, UNESCO and its Member States should explore, through the appropriate processes and with the meaningful participation of young people and relevant partners, whether the existing normative framework should be complemented by youth-focused guidance, including, as appropriate, a dedicated standard-setting instrument on youth and artificial intelligence. Any such work should build on and complement UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, with particular attention to young people’s rights, safety, well-being, agency and meaningful participation throughout the AI life cycle.

Beyond these safeguards, it is essential to address inequalities in access to AI and its impact on youth employment, while ensuring that its benefits are shared equitably through the development of local skills and capacities.

7. Safeguard education, sciences, culture as well as communication and information for a culture of peace in times of conflict and crisis.

While prevention and early action to address the root causes of conflict and crisis must remain a priority, when crises and conflicts do occur, education, sciences, culture, and communication and information must be protected from disruption. An estimated 272 million children and youth were out of school in 2023, a figure UNESCO itself considers an underestimate due to data gaps in conflict-affected countries and regions. The rights to education and to participate in cultural life, as well as the right to share in scientific advancement and its benefits, must be upheld even in situations of displacement, crisis and conflict. By protecting access to learning, cultural expression, knowledge, and reliable information during crises, UNESCO and Member States can help preserve the connections, cooperation and shared understanding on which peace depends. This should include expanding the UNESCO Qualifications Passport to ensure that displaced students’ qualifications and previous studies are recognized across borders, establishing pre-arranged financing through mechanisms such as the SDG4 Emergency Fund, and providing support for young researchers and knowledge holders working under conflict or crisisrelated pressures. In times of crisis and conflict, maintaining access to reliable information is equally important to sustaining education, scientific cooperation and cultural life, helping communities remain connected and able to respond to challenging circumstances. Together, these measures help safeguard UNESCO’s fields of education, sciences, culture, and communication and information as essential pillars of a culture of peace.

Looking Ahead

These recommendations will only matter if they are followed through with and by youth. We call for transparent follow-up on the conclusions of this consultation, reflecting the standards of transparency we are asking UNESCO to foster in its work. UNESCO’s mandate to build the defences of peace in the minds of women and men was written for a different century, but it was written to last. Eighty years on, it falls to this generation, working alongside UNESCO, its Member States and their partners, to carry that mandate into an era of profound societal, environmental and technological change, shaped by planetary boundaries and an increasingly fragmented international landscape. We must ensure that the peace envisioned by UNESCO becomes a peace we truly get to live in.

Together, we call for a new culture of peace for the 21st century: one that we build across generations, make a reality in our time, and pass on to those who come after

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Europe, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

United Nations: Annual High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

The annual High Level Forum on the Culture of Peace was held on September 2 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The UN has published a transcript and video of the Forum, but we have not found a general article from the UN about the event since it occurred.

We have published here four important speeches to the Forum by:

General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock

Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee

Representative of the European Union (name not provided)

Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury


Shown in this frame from the video, from left to right, Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, Elizabeth Spehar (Assistant Secretary-General for the Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office), General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, the Secretary for the event and Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee

Question(s) related to this article:

What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?

It was Ambassador Chowdhury who inspired the High Level Forum, beginning in 2012, to continue the mission of the 1999 Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of peace. The document was submitted to the UN at that time by UNESCO, and it was Ambassador Chowdhury who was responsible for the process of its adoption by the UN General Assembly. When he was the Bangladesh representative to the UN Security Council in 2001, he introduced Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security

The theme this year was “Women’s Leadership to promote a Culture of Peace”

Many delegations said that their countries are implementing national action plans on UN Security Council Resolution 13 25 on women peace and security. This included the delegations from Kazakhstan, Morocco, Germany, Algeria, Nigeria, Bahrain, Sierra Leone, Portugal, Senegal, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Tunisia and Mexico.

The representative from Angola said that his country will organize later this year on 22 and 23rd of October, the Luanda Biennale, the Pan African Forum for the Culture of Peace and Nonviolence. Previous editions of the Biennale may be found here.

The representative from the EU confirmed their support for the culture of peace, which is of special importance because prior to 2024 they did not support it.

Until 2023 the Forum brought together representatives of the civil society along with UN delegations to debate the culture of peace, as described CPNN articles listed here. Since 2023 then it has been restricted to UN delegations.

Ironically, as one may read in the transcript and hear on the video, the delegations of Israel and Russia claimed that their countries are promoting a culture of peace. No mention was made during the Forum to the ongoing genocide and wars involving the United States, Israel, Russia, Ukraine and Iran. The United States, Ukraine and Iran did not take part in the Forum.

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United Nations: Remarks by the President of the General Assembly at the High-level Forum on the Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace

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A publication of the United Nations

Remarks by H.E. Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the High-level Forum on the Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace on Wednesday, 2 September 2026,

[As Delivered]

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,
 
80 years ago, our United Nations was created with the express purpose of saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war.
 
Yet our founding mothers and fathers had the wisdom, foresight, and especially experience to know that peace is more than the absence of war.
 
Therefore, they sought to build an institution not focused narrowly on peace and security, but upon the mutually reinforcing pillars of human rights, sustainable development, and peace and security.
 
So while today some call for the United Nations to go “back to basics,” we should remember that the pursuit of a just, sustainable, and lasting peace is, indeed, one of our basics.

It is embedded in the very foundations of this Organization.


Frame from UN video

 
And it lies at the heart of the Culture of Peace: the conviction that lasting peace requires replacing violence with dialogue, division with mutual understanding and cooperation, and exclusion with participation.
 
Since the adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace in 1999, at the initiative of Bangladesh, this Assembly has continued to advance that vision of a more peaceful, just, and inclusive world.
 
Central to this effort is the full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation of women in peace processes.
 
That is why the theme of this year’s High-Level Forum—”Women’s Leadership to promote a Culture of Peace”—could not be more important and timley.
 
Including women at every stage of the peace process is not just a “nice to have”.
 
It is not doing a favour to women.
 
It is not even simply a matter of fairness.
 
It is fundamentally a question of whether peace succeeds.
 
Research has shown that when women participate meaningfully in peace processes, the probability of an agreement lasting at least two years increases by 20 per cent and the probability of conflict returning is reduced by 37 per cent.
 
That is because women bring the experiences, knowledge, and priorities of half the world’s population to the negotiation table. The society approach.
 
They broaden negotiations beyond the conduct of war and armed actors to the communities and people that are affected by it.

And they raise issues that create the conditions for peace to firmly take root—from conflict-related sexual violence and access to justice to economic opportunity and political participation at all levels.
 
Or as the women I who I met at the front lines told me: if women are safe, everyone is safe.
 
Because when more voices and perspectives are included when shaping peace, the outcome will better reflect the realities of the people who will benefit from it, and peace will be more likely to endure.

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Question(s) related to this article:

What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?

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History has given us powerful examples of women’s role in peace.
 
In Colombia, women-led advocacy helped ensure that the landmark 2016 agreement between the Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces addressed critical issues, such as victims’ rights, land access, and conflict-related sexual violence.
 
And in Liberia, Christian and Muslim women came together across religious and social divides to pray, organize, and demonstrate for peace.
 
Through the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, they pushed political leaders and armed actors towards peace by bringing their demands directly to the negotiating process in Accra.
 
I am therefore especially honoured that today we are joined by Ms. Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and one of the pioneering leaders of that movement, to learn from your experience.
 
Ms. Gbowee’s unwavering bravery and tenacity to mobilize communities and demand accountability is not simply an inspiration to admire from afar…it is a rallying call to give women the power to shape peace in every conflict.
 
This Assembly has affirmed that principle time and again.
 
The 2025 Review of the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture recognized that the full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation of women at all decision-making levels in conflict resolution is key to achieving durable solutions and long-term stability.
 
The Architecture recognizes the role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, in peacebuilding, and in building critical foundations for promoting a culture of peace.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
Our commitments are clear.

The history speaks for itself.

And the data is unequivocal.
 
Yet there remains a profound gap between what we know and what we are doing.
 
At a time when the number of armed conflicts is at a record high, too many negotiating tables still exclude the women that hold the keys to unlocking peace.
 
Frankly speaking, you only have to look at the most recent photos or media coverage of the latest peace negotiations, where there are hardly any women in the room.
 
And also frankly speaking, if we also look at regular governmental consultations these days, so often there is not a single woman present.
 
And even in teams programming the next AI algorithm – even when we know that AI will play a crucial role in the conflicts of the future – still they are not designed with the voices of women.
 
So it doesn’t only start at the end, at the peace negotiation table.
 
It starts here today, in our own meetings, in our own CEO set ups, in our own culture.
 
As said, this is not only a question of injustice, it is a missed opportunity for sustained peace, to leave women out of the group.
 
If we are serious about fulfilling the promise made 80 years ago to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, then our commitments must be matched by our actions.
 
A Culture of Peace is not an abstract aspiration, it is a choice every one of us makes every day throughout societies.

And it is our collective responsibility to build societies…

Where we uphold the principles of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Where we safeguard justice and dignity for all.

And where we ensure that women are not observers of peace, but are actively building it. Because if women are safe, everyone is safe.
 
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Statement of Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee at the UN High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace

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Copied and corrected by CPNN from United Nations transcript and video

Thank you, Madam President.

Your Excellencies, I’m honored to join you at this high level forum on the program of action on the culture of Peace.

I’m glad to be sharing this space again with you, Ambassador Chowdhury and to other colleagues in the room.

12 years ago, I sat in this very room to speak on the culture of peace.


Frame from UN video

In those moments, we were faced with Ebola in the Mao River basin. ISIS was on the lips of everyone because of the war, the Syrian war was raging and the climate conversation had just ended in Peru, laying the groundworks for the Paris Agreement a year later.

That same year, we were preparing to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 as women peace builders.

In those moments as we prepared, we hoped our world would finally not only recognize our unique skills and potentials in conflict resolution and building peace in our communities, but strategically engage us as partners and thought leaders in the quest for peace in our world.

Fortunately or unfortunately, that would not be the case, and the struggle continues.

I am one of the thousands of women in Liberia who worked for years to end the Liberian Civil War.
In those years, we worked at the local level in different ways to end the war.

However, I wish I could say our processes were connected.

At the beginning, we were disconnected and it perpetuated a lot of divisions that separated our country and us as women.

Many of us recognize the futility of working separately. So the question we ask ourselves, how can we extinguish the fire of war with drops of water? And how can we extinguish the fire of war with a divisive mentality?

We came together, formed the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, and Madam President spoke about it earlier on, bringing together Christian and Muslim women.

This marriage was far from easy. There was no honeymoon. We got married and we had to start working.

Our group included women from different income levels, rural and urban areas, ethnicity and faith.

In those early days, we spent many days negotiating amongst ourselves in order to resolve the conflicts that came up. Contrary to popular belief that grassroots women peace efforts lack planning, coordination, and strategy, we as Liberian women, like many other women across the world, were intentional. We planned every day for hours.

We deliberately sought out actors who will further our cause and build strategic alliances in the course of our work.

In that struggle, we inadvertently carried out the first mandate of Article 1 in the Declaration of the Culture of Peace. This article says, education, through education, dialogue and cooperation.

We fostered an environment conducive to peace. It is not easy as peace building is never easy. But in doing so, we expanded our initial goal of ending the Liberian Civil War.

We committed to building a culture of peace in a nation that had been devastated by war. 1 million of our compatriots were internally displaced, 500,000 were refugees. At that time, our population was about 3 million and we have an estimated 250,000 people who lost their lives.

Just to give you a picture that we were able to kill at least almost 10% of our population in 14 years of Civil War.

When negotiations negotiations failed in 1996 and 1999, the women of Liberia were able to contribute to lasting peace.

I can emphatically say 23 years without the resurgence of violence! Last August made it 23 years. in Liberia it is largely due to the communities, specifically the women’s active involvement. Not just in 2003, but from 2003, we have consistently continued to engage, ensuring that peace and the peace process remains on course.

If peace was never handed to the Liberian women, we labored, we persevered and recreated a culture of respect and constructive engagement.

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Question(s) related to this article:

What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?

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This year, our world is in a maze of conflict and global issues: geopolitical instability marred by competition and fragmentation; trade tensions and supply chains disruption; climate and environmental crisis, AI is source of opportunities and concern. False information and information manipulation are deepening political and social divisions and undermining public trust in governments and democratic processes.

In all of these, women continue to suffer.

As we gather to consider the programs of action on the culture of peace, we must consider these three factors.

One, a culture of peace therefore requires more than absence of conflict. It requires inclusion, justice, dignity, dialogue, and in the world that we live in today, dialogue is far from everything that we do. It’s either you agree with me, or if you disagree, we can have a conversation and the willingness to build relationship across political divide, religious, ethnic, and social divides.

In a world of increasing political intolerance, my question to you all Your Excellency, is this possible to achieve?

The second part, a culture of peace becomes possible when women are not simply invited to participate, but are recognized as leaders, decision makers, and builders of a more just and inclusive society. For too long, women’s involvement in these processes has been decorative.

Sometimes I refuse invitations to come to the UN, just saying what Ambassador Chaudhury said, 80 years of male dominance. Now is the time for women’s leadership at the UN.

We continue to see resistance or welfare amnesia in women’s full and effective participation in building a culture of peace and peace building work.

Women across the world have been tested, have been proven worthy of building peace at all levels.

We don’t need to build a strong case on the behalf of women anymore. Unlike many global peace processes, women have the track record.

It is our role now as leaders in this room to help elevate women’s peace building work and review the difference in how national and global peace is negotiated.

Women peace building is not centered solely on deconstructing war. It is about building a culture of peace.

Today’s affirmation is more importantly, a challenge.

The United Nations, as we all sit here, is as strong as its member states. And all of the member state in this room is weak without its people. And by saying people, I mean all genders.

When we have elections in our countries, it’s not just the men that vote. The women vote also.

So it is important that men as well as women play a critical role in creating the culture of peace.

The third part is resources.

Many speakers talked about it. The Assistant Secretary-General talked about resources.
We use billions to make war we cannot use peanuts to build peace. Now is the time if we’re serious about building a culture of peace and involving women, we must give them the necessary resources.

But let me just emphatically state here that I’m really very proud of women across the world, despite the shrinking spaces, The shrinking resources, despite the political pushback that we’ve received, women are no longer waiting because we recognize that with or without donors funding, we become the ones who bear the greatest brunt in every crisis.

So we continue to work to keep our communities and our society stable.

So I think we must continue to applaud the efforts of women. While the world continues to watch and wait, women continue to do amazing work in their different countries.

I sincerely believe that the ultimate goal of all of our activities globally is to create a culture of peace that promotes respect of rights of others in the world where we all live in harmony.

This goal is achievable.

However, it will take hard work, thinking outside of the box, political will and sincerity.

I will end with this, giving each and every one of us in this room a homework And the homework is, as you go home today, look at your children, look at your community, look at your nation.
Think about the culture of peace and ask yourself, can we continue to do peace building without the hands of everyone?

Can we continue to operate our world, leaving women behind?

If we’re serious about building a culture of peace for our children and the next generation, we must sit and answer these questions sincerely.

Thank you, Madam President.

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EU Statement at UN High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace: Women’s Leadership to Promote a Culture of Peace

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A publication of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations in New York

Mr President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. 
The Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro*, Albania*, the Republic of Moldova, and Georgia, as well as Armenia, Monaco, San Marino and the United Kingdom align themselves with this statement.

We reaffirm our full support for the Culture of Peace agenda and welcome the focus of the discussion this year on women’s leadership in promoting the culture of peace. 


Frame from the UN video

The EU was born from the ashes of war, with the determination to turn competition into partnership, conflict into cooperation. We have learned to nurture the culture of peace and adopted it as part of our DNA. The principles and values guiding us today are informed by this very experience. 

Today, as a global peace actor, the EU is committed to the peaceful settlement of conflicts, dialogue and diplomacy, as well as respect for international norms and obligations. We stand firm in our conviction that today’s complex challenges can only be resolved through collective commitment and action, through effective multilateralism, with the United Nations at its core. 

Chair, 

Peace can only be achieved and sustained with a holistic approach that tackles the root causes of conflicts. It requires strengthening societies through the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, democratic participation and civic space, inclusive and sustainable development, as well as the rule of law and good governance, served by well-functioning justice systems. A comprehensive approach to peacebuilding also requires strengthened coherence between humanitarian action, development and peacebuilding efforts, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. 

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Question(s) related to this article:

What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?

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Peace is where the rights and dignity of every person are respected and where all have equal opportunities to thrive, without any discrimination, intimidation or violence, and where diversity and pluralism are celebrated. This requires investments into education from an early age, the empowerment of young persons, the inclusion of those marginalised, as well as gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls – the focus of today’s discussion. 

Chair,

Women play a fundamental role in building and maintaining resilience in societies through their contributions in all aspects of life. Societies can only be strong if they are underpinned by the full and equal contributions of women and girls. 

In times of conflict, women have proven to be at the forefront of prevention, mediation and conflict resolution. Their full, equal and meaningful participation in peace processes, peacebuilding, post-conflict recovery and decisions-making is a prerequisite for sustainable and inclusive peace. The Women, Peace and Security Agenda is central to advancing this goal, and therefore, its implementation is a strategic imperative. 

However, this requires the elimination of structural barriers that women and girls face in society. This includes eradicating discriminatory gender norms, threats, harassment, reprisals and violence against them, including women peacebuilders and women human rights defenders, providing a safe and enabling environment, and taking proactive steps to promote women’s leadership at all levels. 

The EU remains strongly committed to this end. We support women mediators’ networks, systematically include women experts in our mediation support teams, and integrate a gender perspective throughout their work. We also promote women’s participation in peace processes, making sure that at least one third of participants in all EU-supported peace process activities are women. We further support women leaders and experts in directly engaging in negotiation and political processes through dedicated women’s advisory bodies. And finally, we fund women peacebuilders, women-led and civil society organisations and women human rights defenders to advance mediation, conflict prevention and inclusive governance in conflict-affected communities in various regions of the world. 

Chair,

The Culture of Peace agenda remains at the heart of our work as we strive to achieve peace, prosperity and human rights for all. The EU stands firm in this commitment and is taking action to cultivate it today and every day. 

I thank you. 

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Statement of Anwarul Chowdhury at the UN High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace

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Copied and corrected by CPNN from United Nations transcript and video

Thank you, Madam President. I would like to begin by thanking you for a very powerful and meaningful opening statement. We appreciate that.

I have a special pleasure in welcoming Leymah Gbowee, because she was on previous occasion as the keynote speaker in the high level forum on the culture of peace. I’m very happy she joined us this time again.

I have also great pleasure in welcoming the permanent representative, the new permanent representative of Bangladesh. She is here and I’m very happy that Bangladesh mission is now headed by a woman leader. That’s a wonderful opportunity for me to meet her for the first time in this meeting.

Madam President, in 11 days from today, on 13 September, the United Nations will observe the 27th anniversary of the General Assembly’s unanimous adoption of the Declaration and program of action on a culture of peace. This high level forum convened by you, Madam President, provides the most appropriate setting for the celebration of this remarkable pathway to the global culture of peace as articulated by its apex body.

The theme of this forum rightfully is women’s leadership to promote the culture of peace.


Frame from UN video

If I may add here that you yourself, Madam President, is a true embodiment of the core focus of this theme in your leadership of the United Nations General Assembly as one of its five women presidents, among the 80 individuals gracing this position since the birth of this organization.

Mandated by the UN resolutions, the successive presidents of the General Assembly have been convening the annual high level forums attracting the attention of member states and civil society since 2012, when your predecessor, PGA 66, Ambassador Al-Assad, took the initiative to convene the first forum.

I had the honor of introducing on behalf of the member states after successfully chairing the nine month long negotiations on the relevant resolution A 53243, which was adopted on 13 September in 1999, as you said.

The global movement for the culture of Peace, GMCOP, a coalition of civil society organizations have been spearheading advocacy initiatives effectively since 2011, as well as in organizing the annual high level forums on the culture of Peace convened by the president of the UN General Assembly from its beginning in 2012, all the way to 2022.

The forum has the distinction of being the only gathering which was addressed by the largest number of Nobel peace laureates, all women, and again, recognize Leymah’s presence here. Six times out of 11 forums.

Also, the forum’s panelists were always gender balanced on most occasions with more women participating.

At the United as the United Nations Under Secretary-General and High Representative for the most vulnerable countries and as the permanent representative of Bangladesh, my work has taken me to the furthest corners of the world.

I have seen time and again the centrality of women’s equality and the culture of peace in our lives.

This realization has now become more pertinent in the midst of the ever increasing militarism, militarization, and weaponization that is destroying both our planet and our people.

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Question(s) related to this article:

What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?

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As we all know, the charter of the United Nations when signed in 1945, was the first international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between women and men.

The program of action on culture of peace accords a place of prominence to equality between women and men fourth among its eight action areas.

Women represent more than half of the global population, yet they continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions in every region of the world.

Unfortunately, in recent years, women’s rights are under threat from a backlash of conservatism and fundamentalism around the world.

Let me assert again that patriarchy and misogyny are the dual scourges pulling humanity back from our aspiration for a better world to live in freedom, equality and justice.

On 8th of March 2000, as the president of the UN Security Council, I could initiate and mobilize the council to recognize unanimously in a statement that and I quote, peace is inextricably linked with equality between women and men, end and affirmed the value of full and equal participation of women at all decision making levels. That is when the seed for the UN Security Council Resolution 13 25 was sown.

It was finally adopted on the 31st of October of the same year.

We should never forget that when women, more than half of the world’s 8 billion plus people, are marginalized, there is no chance for our world to get sustainable peace in the real sense.

It is my strong belief that unless women are engaged in advancing the culture of peace at equal levels at all times with men, sustainable peace would continue to elude us.

In various parts of the world, women have shown great capacity as peace builders. At the grassroots and community levels, women have organized to resist militarization, to create space for dialogue and moderation, and to weave together the shattered fabric of society.

As I reiterate time and again, women bring a new breadth, quality, and balance of vision to a common effort of moving away from the cult of war towards the culture of peace.

Women’s equality makes our planet safe and secure.

The slogan of global campaign on women peace and security, which we launched in London in June 2014 reiterates, and I quote, “If we are serious about peace, we must take women seriously.”

Let me end by emphasizing that feminism is not intended to pit women against men or men against women. Feminism is about smart policy, which is inclusive, uses all potential, and leaves no one behind.

I am proud to be a feminist. All of us need to be. That is how we make our planet a better place to live for all.

We should always remember that without peace, development is impossible and without development, peace is not achievable. But without women, neither peace nor development is conceivable.

I continue to emphasize that the culture of peace is not a quick fix. It is a movement, not a revolution, and women always bolster that movement immensely.

Let me conclude by underscoring here an unacceptable reality.

In its 81 years of existence, the United Nations has not yet elected a woman Secretary-General, eight decades plus nine men, not one woman. What an embarrassment, what a shame.

How can an institution that speaks of equality at every podium continues to model inequality at its pinnacle?

The credibility of the event’s advocacy depends on its own reflection in the mirror.

I thank you for your kind attention.

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