Statement by H.E. Mr. Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the UN at the UN General Assembly Plenary Meeting consideration of «Education for Peace» Resolution

04 June, 2026

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

I am particularly pleased today to introduce draft resolution A/80/L.72 entitled «Education for Peace», which Armenia initiated with valued support of the core group of members – Chile, France, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Mongolia.

The draft resolution presented under Agenda item 13 seeks to acknowledge the important role of education in fostering peaceful, just and inclusive societies and promoting a culture of peace and non-violence.

Education is one of the strongest foundations of peace. Societies that invest in education invest in resilience, dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence. It is with this vision that the Government of Armenia has declared education to be the strategy of strategies, recognizing education as an indispensable pillar of sustainable peacebuilding.

As we continue facing global challenges, such as armed conflicts and crises, inequalities between and within societies, poverty, environmental degradation, racism, xenophobia, gender-based violence, hybrid threats and misinformation, investing in education and life-long learning is crucial to equip people with the necessary knowledge and skills to adapt to the rapidly changing world.

Building on the UNESCO Recommendation on Education for Peace and Human Rights, International Understanding, Cooperation, Fundamental Freedoms, Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development, the resolution aims to promote the role of education in advancing peace, tolerance, mutual respect, cultural diversity, global citizenship and human rights, thus contributing to the existing initiatives of the UN system, including specialized agencies.

The draft resolution emphasizes the role of education in empowering young people and promoting their full, equal and meaningful participation in all spheres of public life. It reaffirms the need to strengthen the efforts to realize the right to education for all women and girls. The resolution further recognizes the importance of safeguarding the right to education for children and learners affected by poverty, armed conflict, occupation, disasters and humanitarian crises, including refugees, internally displaced persons, victims of racial discrimination and persons in vulnerable situations, including persons with disabilities.

The resolution contains important measures, including the promotion of age-appropriate education in schools that builds a culture of peace and non-violence, the strengthening of efforts, through education, to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all and uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms. The resolution also encourages Member States to promote education for peace in addressing the root causes of conflict, fostering mutual trust and strengthening social cohesion. It further invites Member States to implement the UNESCO Recommendation through system-wide efforts and across all levels of education.

The draft resolution represents also an important contribution to ongoing international efforts to advance education as a tool for peace, prevention, inclusion and sustainable development.

Mr. President,

The draft resolution is the outcome of three rounds of substantive negotiations, several informal meetings and numerous bilateral engagements. From the very beginning, our goal was to achieve a consensual resolution. To this end, Armenia pursued an open, transparent and inclusive approach, carefully taking into account the views and concerns expressed by all delegations, to forge consensus around the noble objectives of the draft resolution.

I should not conclude without expressing Armenia’s sincere gratitude to all the delegations for their valuable insights and constructive contributions that enriched the draft resolution throughout the negotiation process. Their good faith and cooperative approach enabled us to achieve consensus on the text.

I would also like to warmly thank the Member States that have already become sponsors of this initiative. I hope for the support and sponsorship of other delegations that have not yet done so.

I thank you, Mr. President.

MFA RA
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