Consolidated report containing a draft declaration and programme of action on a culture of peace

Note by the Secretary-General

1.The General Assembly, in paragraph 4 of its resolution 52/13 of 20 November 1997, requested the Secretary-General, in coordination with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and taking into account the debate in the General Assembly, the specific suggestions of Member States and the comments, if any, of member States in the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at its twenty-ninth session, to submit a consolidated report containing a draft declaration and programme of action on a culture of peace to the Assembly at its fifty-third session.

2.The Secretary-General has the honour to transmit to the General Assembly the consolidated report prepared in accordance with the resolution. The proposals and suggestions contained in the report are the result of extensive consultations conducted by the Director-General of UNESCO with entities of the United Nations system, including the relevant executive committees, as well as interested specialized agencies and other organizations. The Secretary-General, in coordination with the Director-General of UNESCO, will pursue inter-agency consultations on the follow-up actions to be taken within the system at the next session of the Administrative Committee on Coordination, to be held in October 1998.

The Director-General submits this report in conformity with decision 8.5 (i) taken by the Executive Board at its 154th session. By resolution 52/13, the General Assembly had requested the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in coordination with the Director- General, to submit to it a consolidated report, containing a draft declaration and programme of action on a culture of peace, at its fifty-third session.

In preparing this report, observations and suggestions made by Members of the Executive Board on the document "Preliminary Consolidated Report to the United Nations on a Culture of Peace" (154 EX/42) during the 154th session of the Executive Board have been taken into account. The draft report is based, inter alia, on the contributions from organizations of the United Nations system and other international organizations which the Director-General consulted, as well as from United Nations departments, funds and programmes.

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