On the occasion of the celebration of the International Day of Peace on 21 September UNESCO orangized a roundtable discussion on the complex but intrinsic relationship between human rights and sustainable peace.

Through intergenerational and intercultural dialogue, participants began to assess efforts undertaken and opportunities to strengthen UNESCO’s work to prevent conflict and assist in the consolidation of just and peaceful societies.

The event brought together leading experts from academia, civil society and international organizations and present UNESCO’s newly released book “Long Walk of Peace: Towards a Culture of Prevention”.

Published by UNESCO in May 2018, this book includes an analysis and overview of the conceptual and strategic development of the UN’s peace work, written by leading peace researchers from India and Norway. The study is also based on accounts by 32 different UN entities on their contributions to the UN’s work for peace, accomplishments, challenges, lessons learnt and perspectives for the future.

The research study is a major contribution to the implementation of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022) for which UNESCO has been designated as the coordinating lead agency by the United Nations General Assembly.

The lessons of the book “Long Walk of Peace” as well as the celebration of the International Day of Peace in 2018, under the theme ‘The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70’, offer an opportunity to reassess UNESCO’s efforts to build peaceful and sustainable societies based on the principles of human dignity and fundamental freedoms.