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Meeting with the UN NGO Disarmament Committee in preparation for the non-proliferation conference at UNESCO House in Paris in April 1995, the Culture of Peace Programme presented a message from Director General Federico Mayor linking disarmament to the building of a culture of peace: He called for obtaining the resources needed for peace-building from national budgets presently devoted to the production of arms, and recognized that disarmament requires a political will that can only come from a renewed faith that peace is not only desirable but possible. 'This is a faith that can only grow and thrive in an atmosphere of common security, a trust in the common task of building a culture of peace.'
In the conclusions of the meeting, the disarmament NGOs singled out three new initiatives as promising additions to the work of the movement for disarmament: the new regional institutions for peaceful dispute resolution such as those of the Organization for European Security and Co operation; the challenge to the legality of nuclear weapons being placed before the International Court of Justice, and the UNESCO Culture of Peace initiative. Among their specific recommendations were:
• the eradication of poverty and exclusion, which are root causes of war and violence, and which are exacerbated by the squandering of resources on nuclear and other armaments;
• the use of conflict resolution techniques as alternatives to violent confrontation - techniques which are becoming more sophisticated and effective;
• the development of a positive and sophisticated vision of peace as well as opposition to war by the peace movement;
• the use of international volunteers as peace-keepers, both within traditional peace-keeping forces and as unarmed mediators in conflict situations;
• a new dialogue between the peace movement and decision-makers, including the military, where there are more open doors and opportunities than in the past;
The Earth Charter
Principles
(slightly abridged)
1. We agree to respect, encourage, protect and restore Earth's ecosystems to ensure biological and cultural diversity.
2. We recognize our diversity and our common partnership. We respect all cultures and affirm the rights of all peoples to basic environmental needs.
3. Poverty affects us all. We agree to alter unsustainable patterns of production and consumption to ensure the eradication of poverty and to end the abuse of Earth...
4. We recognize that national barriers do not generally conform to Earth's ecological realities. National sovereignty does not mean sanctuary from our collective responsibility to protect and restore Earth's ecosystems...
5 We reject the build up and use of military force and the use of economic pressure as means of resolving conflict. We commit ourselves to pursue genuine peace, which is not merely the absence of war but includes the eradication of poverty, the promotion of social justice and economic, spiritual, cultural and ecological well being.
6. We agree to ensure that decision-making processes and their criteria are clearly defined, transparent, explicit, accessible and equitable.
7. ... those who have expropriated or consumed the majority of Earth's resources or who continue to do so must cease such expropriation or reduce such consumption and must bear the costs of ecological restoration and protection...
8. Women constitute over half of Earth's population. They are a powerful source for change. They contribute more than half the effort to human welfare. Men and women agree that women's status in decision-making and social processes must equitably reflect their contribution...
Prepared by the non-governmental organizations gathered together at the Rio Summit, June 1992
Disarmament requires a political will and a faith that can only grow and thrive in an atmosphere of common security, a trust in the common task of building a culture of peace.