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11 September 2001 20th Anniversary of International Day of Peace

The General Assembly adopted the resolution believing that, "through the declaration and proper celebration of an international peace year and an international day of peace, it would be possible to contribute to strengthening such ideals of peace and to alleviating the tensions and causes of conflict, both within and among nations and peoples."
The International Day of Peace was adopted by UN General Assembly in 1981 (A/36/67) and declared to be the third Tuesday of September, the opening day of the regular session. (This would actual set the 2001 IDP as 18 September.) The General Assembly adopted the resolution believing that, "through the declaration and proper celebration of an international peace year and an international day of peace, it would be possible to contribute to strengthening such ideals of peace and to alleviating the tensions and causes of conflict, both within and among nations and peoples."


MESSAGE FROM SECRETARY-GENERAL ON INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE


11 September 2001


Following is the text of a message from Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the occasion of International Day Of Peace (11 September):


The International Day of Peace is a day on which we try to imagine a world quite different from the one we
know.


We try to picture those who wage war laying down their arms and talking out their differences.


We try to picture all governments listening to -- and acting on -- the will of the people.


We try to picture hatred turning into respect, bigotry turning into understanding, and ignorance turning
into knowledge.


And we try to picture the very root causes of conflict -- poverty, marginalization and greed -- giving way
to development and justice.


We do this because progress in our world does not happen without someone first having a vision or a dream.


The International Day of Peace started with such a dream. It was proclaimed 20 years ago by the United
Nations General Assembly, at the initiative of Costa Rica.


This year, at the initiative of Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, the Assembly decided to go one step
further. It declared that the International Day of Peace should be a day of global ceasefire and non-violence.


This step promises to be more than symbolic. Where respected, it will have practical effect. Where truces
are observed, medical and developmental agencies can provide vital services to civilian victims in safety. And even a one-day pause in the fighting gives us something to build on in the work to end conflict.


On this International Day of Peace, let us dare to imagine a world free of conflict and violence. And let
us seize the opportunity for peace to take hold, day by day, year by year, until every day is a day of peace.


A/RES/36/67--30 November 1981--International Year of Peace and International Day of Peace

 
 

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