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The Peoples' Sacred Right to Peace

2001 Nobel Peace Prize Lecture - Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan:

In this new century, we must start from the understanding that peace belongs not only to states or peoples, but to each and every member of those communities. The sovereignty of States must no longer be used as a shield for gross violations of human rights. Peace must be made real and tangible in the daily existence of every individual in need. Peace must be sought, above all, because it is the condition for every member of the human family to live a life of dignity and security.


In resolutions A/RES/57/216 of 27 February 2003, A/RES/60/163 of 2 March 2006, and A/RES/63/189 of 18 March 2009, the General Assembly solemnly declared “that the peoples of our planet have a sacred right to peace and that the preservation and promotion of peace constitutes a fundamental obligation of each State”. Furthermore, the General Assembly, in resolution A/RES/60/163 stressed “that peace is a vital requirement for the promotion and protection of all human rights for all”.

This proposal is to help with the emergence of a NGO Committee on Peace in Geneva and New York in 2010 and to contribute to the above.

Report from the Experts Meeting organised by OHCHR at the United Nations in December 2009

 

May 1, 2010: Conference for a Nuclear Free, Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World - an Expert Workshop on Peace as a Human Right - New York  (link)