UNESCO Activities of relevance for the International Day of Peace 2008

In recognition of the International Day Peace, on 21 September, the Director General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, issued a special message  reaffirming UNESCO's ommitment to achieve further progress in the implementation of human rights that lay within the organization’s fields of competence was given as well as assurance to contributing to making the standards and principles of international human rights law known and understood as widely as possible. To read the message, click here. 

In celebration of the Day,  UNESCO awareded the Prize for Peace Education to the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation from South Africa at the Organization's headquarters in Paris.The award is given every two years to an organization or person nominated for their contribution to the peace process. This year’s recipient, the Institute for Justice Reconciliation was established in 2000 and was selected for its contribution to building sustainable reconciliation through education as well as addressing systemic injustice in Africa For more information, click here.

For information on other activities organzied by NGOs and civil society organizations around the world  to mark the International Day of Peace, click here for more information.