{"id":40022,"date":"2026-09-06T19:12:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T17:12:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=40022"},"modified":"2026-09-06T20:54:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T18:54:49","slug":"unesco-young-leaders-call-for-a-new-culture-of-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=40022","title":{"rendered":"UNESCO: Young Leaders Call for a New Culture of Peace"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .<\/p>\n

An article from UNESCO<\/a><\/p>\n

Young leaders gathered at UNESCO Headquarters and the Sorbonne in Paris to present the Call by Young People and a Young People\u2019s Reflection Document, the outcome of a youth-led reflection on the future of UNESCO\u2019s mandate. <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\nFrame from video on Twitter (X)<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

Presenting the Call and Reflection Document in Paris<\/strong><\/p>\n

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-No\u00ebl Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, during events held at UNESCO Headquarters and at France\u2019s Fabrique de la Diplomatie at the Sorbonne.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s world. Their exchanges with the young leaders called for placing youth not at the margins of the discussion, but at its very center.<\/p>\n

The Director-General highlighted that: \u201cPeace [\u2026] requires creativity, imagination, patience and tools. The role of UNESCO is precisely to provide new generations with these tools.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, stated: \u201cUNESCO 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Call and the Reflection Document put forward concrete proposals on how UNESCO\u2019s founding mandate to build peace can continue to be translated into ambitious and effective action, particularly in times of crisis.<\/p>\n

They call for deeper and more meaningful youth participation in decision-making and for greater investment in key areas of UNESCO\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s normative leadership translates into tangible benefits for communities, particularly those that are underserved, affected by conflict, or vulnerable to climate change.<\/p>\n

Youth as a Priority Group<\/strong><\/p>\n

In line with UNESCO\u2019s designation of youth as a global priority, this consultation is a strong example of the Organization\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

The Call by Young People is being presented as part of the broader UNESCO80 reform initiative for consideration by UNESCO\u2019s Member States at the Executive Board session to be held in October 2026.<\/p>\n

Text of the Call by Young People for a New Culture of Peace<\/strong><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

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, <\/p>\n

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 \u2014 and affirm that this remains an unfinished task, not a historical statement. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Determined to apply the lessons of our history in order to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes and to resolve problems through dialogue. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Underline that young people are already taking action \u2014 as mediators, researchers, educators, and builders of digital and cultural spaces \u2014 yet too often without the recognition, resources or meaningful role in decision-making needed to sustain and strengthen their contributions. <\/p>\n

Call on UNESCO, its Member States and their partners to turn these principles into sustained action through the following measures:<\/p>\n

1. Embed youth partnership in decision-making systemically and structurally. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

2. Treat education as the first line of defence against hatred and division.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

(Click here for the article in French.)<\/p>\n

(continued in right column)<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

\nQuestion related to this article:<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n
\n 
\nYouth initiatives for a culture of peace, How can we ensure they get the attention and funding they deserve?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(continued from left column)<\/p>\n

UNESCO\u2019s 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 \u201clanguage of peace\u201d, 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. <\/p>\n

3. Turn memory and culture into bridges for mutual understanding, not battlegrounds for division. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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.
\n
\n4. Advance Open Science and access to knowledge as pillars for peace. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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 \u2013 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\u2019s complex global challenges. <\/p>\n

5. Defend the integrity of information as a condition for peace. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u20132023 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. <\/p>\n

6. Govern artificial intelligence to serve peace rather than division. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n

As digital spaces have become increasingly central in young people\u2019s 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\u2019s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, with particular attention to young people\u2019s rights, safety, well-being, agency and meaningful participation throughout the AI life cycle. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

7. Safeguard education, sciences, culture as well as communication and information for a culture of peace in times of conflict and crisis. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2019 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\u2019s fields of education, sciences, culture, and communication and information as essential pillars of a culture of peace. <\/p>\n

Looking Ahead <\/strong><\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

\u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013<\/p>\n

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title \u201cComment on United Nations Alliance of Civilizations\u201d and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

. 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\u2019s Reflection Document, the outcome of a youth-led reflection on the future of UNESCO\u2019s mandate. Conducted in the summer of 2026 with the support of … Continue reading UNESCO: Young Leaders Call for a New Culture of Peace<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75,14],"tags":[33],"class_list":["post-40022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-europe","category-tolerance","tag-europe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40022"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40022\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40030,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40022\/revisions\/40030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}