Speech by the Secretary General at the 39 Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly

Towards a culture of peace and non-violence

In his speech at the inaugural ceremony of the 39th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), held in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, affirmed that “the rejection of violence as a way for human beings to relate to one another, and particularly as a way to settle their differences, is an especially important aspiration for our Hemisphere”.

He recalled in this regard that “region’s governments have unanimously embraced the proposal to develop a culture of peace and non-violence to express values, attitudes, and behaviors, based on respect for life and human dignity”.

He stressed that this culture of peace and non-violence “gives pride of place to human rights and adherence to the principles of freedom, justice, democracy, solidarity, tolerance, and respect for the diversity of our peoples, and that should be promoted through education, dialogue, and cooperation”.

Also, the OAS Secretary General noted that the commitment to promote a culture of peace and non violence in the region, adopted by the Foreign Ministers of the Americas “includes recognition of the need for all sectors of society to be involved in fostering these forms of conduct, and in the decision to take the necessary steps to prevent, deter, and punish violence, segregation, exploitation, and discrimination against vulnerable groups and individuals”.

Full speech