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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Statement for International Day of Peace, 21st September

20 September 2002

International Day of Peace is a time to remind ourselves that we are all equal citizens of the world and that we are all born with the right to a peaceful existence.

Conflicts, wherever they occur, can affect everyone on the planet. This is why we all have a stake in peace and we all have a contribution to make to bring about a more peaceful world.
This special day helps to focus our minds on the goal of peace. But of course, it is what we do in the other 364 days a year that really counts.
With 54 countries in our family and about a third of the world's people, the contribution of the Commonwealth to world peace can be significant. Our great diversity is our strength. Our member countries cover the full range of economic development. Our peoples follow many faiths and hold many beliefs. But respecting our differences and working for peace together can unite us all.

Commonwealth Heads of Government this year mandated a greater role for the Secretary-General in conflict prevention and resolution. Meanwhile our work continues to strengthen and protect democracy through, for example, our observation of elections around the Commonwealth, as well as our work to reinforce democratic processes and institutions in member countries.
Peace is not just the absence of war. Real peace means lasting stability in the relationships between individuals, communities and nations. We in the Commonwealth believe this can only be achieved through the equitable distribution of the world's precious resources, genuinely free trade, sustainable development, good governance, universal education, respect for democracy and human rights, freedom of expression and the rule of law. The Commonwealth seeks in many ways to deliver these components of peace.

Shocking events continue to occur that shake our faith in humanity and the future of the world. Terrorism casts its dark shadow over the world. Many people die from avoidable hunger, poverty, disease and violence. We owe it to the most vulnerable in the world to make International Day of Peace a spur to action. A day when we work extra hard to deliver the foundations of peace: clean water, adequate food and shelter, health, political stability, employment and quality of life.

Peace is ultimately all down to human beings, and the Commonwealth remains a strong network for creating the trust, cooperation, compassion and practical support needed to create peace.

The Commonwealth will continue to work with governments and civil society and alongside international organisations, notably the United Nations, to make peace happen. No one country has all the answers, and collective wisdom is the Commonwealth's route to peace and a better world.

Don McKinnon
Commonwealth Secretary-General
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ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
Commonwealth Secretariat Marlborough House Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6385/6 Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081
Email: info@commonwealth.int