A/79/182 towards religious minorities, 6 and recognized a key role for civil society in developing and promoting a culture of peace. 7. In 2016, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Right to Peace, in which it recalled the need for strengthened international efforts to foster a global dialogue for the promotion of a culture of tolerance and peace at all levels, based on respect for human rights and diversity of religions and beliefs. The Assembly also stressed that “peace is a vital requirement for the promotion and protection of all human rights for all”. 7 It recognized that the right to peace included the promotion and protection of all human rights for everyone, linked the right to peace to equality, non-discrimination and development, and recognized the guarantee of “freedom from fear and want as a means to build peace within and between societies”. 8 8. In 2024, the Human Rights Council, in its resolution 55/17, acknowledged that the development of a culture of peace is integrally linked to respect for advancing understanding, tolerance and solidarity among all civilizations, persons and cultures, including towards persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. Furthermore, it called upon all States to ensure that all persons, including those belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, had the opportunity to contribute to the promotion and strengthening of a culture of peace. 9. These normative developments regarding the culture of peace and the right to peace strongly dovetail with the recognition of the relevance of peace in instruments relating to freedom of religion or belief. 10. In the preamble to the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief of 1981, the General Assembly recognized that “disregard and infringement of human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular of the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or whatever belief, have brought, directly or indirectly, wars and great suffering to mankind” and that freedom of religion or belief should “contribute to the attainment of the goals of world peace, social justice and friendship among peoples”. 9 11. The reciprocal relationship between the rights to peace and freedom of religion or belief, and the individual and collective aspects of the right to peace and the “human right to peace”, have been noted in several reports of the mandate . 10 The question is how best to understand this. 12. Freedom, peace and security, and development are recognized as comprising the three pillars of the United Nations in the Charter of the United Nations. In Article 1, it is recognized that maintaining international peace and security requires not only preventing and removing threats to peace but also respecting human rights without distinction. Numerous subsequent instruments have also outlined what is mea nt by “peace”. In the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, the General Assembly noted that peace not only is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation. 11 __________________ 6 7 8 9 10 11 4/22 Ibid., art. 3 (m). General Assembly resolution 71/189, second preambular para. Ibid., annex, art. 2. General Assembly resolution 36/55, preambular paras. 3 and 6. E/CN.4/1997/91, para. 90; E/CN.4/1998/6, para. 114; and A/55/280, para. 136. See Michael Wiener, “The missing link between the right to peace and conscientious objection to military service” in A Missing Piece for Peace, Michael Wiener and David Fernández Puyana, eds. (San José, University for Peace Press, 2022), sect. 3 (f). Available at www.upeace.org/wpcontent/uploads/2024/01/Wiener-and-Fernandez-A-Missing-Piece-for-Peace.pdf. General Assembly resolution 53/243, preambular para. 4. 24-13239