11/16/09

Luanda – The world is commemorating this Monday (November 16) the International Day for Tolerance, established by the United Nations Organisation (UNO) in recognition to the Paris Declaration, signed on November 12, 1995, by a total of 185 States.

The UN Declaration was part of the event on the international effort of the United Nations Year for Tolerance.

In this declaration, participating states reaffirmed the "faith in the fundamental human rights" and also in dignity and value to human life, besides curbing successive generations of war resulting from cultural issues, stressing the encouragement to tolerance and peaceful socialisation among neighbouring population.

They then suggested the November 16, during the signing of the establishment of UNESCO in 1945. The same proposal was them submitted to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

In 1996, the General Assembly invited Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November, with activities directed towards both educational establishments and the wider public (resolution 51/95 of 12 December).

This action came in the wake of the United Nations Year for Tolerance, 1995, proclaimed by the Assembly in 1993 (resolution 48/126).

The Year had been declared on the initiative of the General Conference of UNESCO. On 16 November 1995, the UNESCO member States had adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action for the Year.

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