SUBMITTED TO: The General Assembly
SUBJECT: Intolerance in Education
SPONSORED BY: The People's Republic of China, Poland, Thailand
SIGNATORIES: Uganda, Bahamas, Singapore, Malaysia, Vanuatu

The General Assembly,

1) Recognising that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that 'Everyone has the 
2) right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion' (Article 18), 'of opinion and expression' 
3) (Article 19), and that education 'should promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among 
4) all nations, racial or religious groups' (Article 26), and

5) Noting the existence of relevant international instruments including:
6) - the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,
7) - the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,
8) - the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
9) - the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol and regional 
10) instruments,
11) - the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,
12) - the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance Based on Religion or Belief,
13) - the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and 
14) Linguistic Minorities,
15) - the UNESCO Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice,
16) - the UNESCO Convention and Recommendation against Discrimination in Education, and

17) Recalling resolutions 53/132, 54/154, 55/83 and 55,84 on the teaching of intolerance and 
18) discrimination in education, and

19) Defining tolerance as outlined by the UNESCO Declaration on the Principles of Tolerance, as:
20) a) the respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our 
21) forms of expression and ways of being human, fostered by knowledge, openness, communication, and 
22) freedom of thought, conscience and belief,
23) b) the freedom to adhere to one's own convictions and acceptance that others adhere to theirs, 
24) whilst also accepting the fact that human beings, naturally diverse in their appearance, situation, 
25) speech, behaviour and values, have the right to live in peace and to be as they are without views 
26) being imposed on others, and

27) Aware that teaching tolerance is not only a moral duty, but also a political and legal requirement, 
28) and is a virtue that makes peace possible, by contributing to the replacement of the culture of 
29) war by a culture of peace, and therefore

30) Reaffirming the vital role of the International Bureau of Education and the United Nations 
31) Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in eliminating prejudice and 
32) intolerance, and

33) Recalling that the preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO, adopted on 16 November 1945, states 
34) that 'peace, if it is not to fail, must be founded on the intellectual and moral solidarity of 
35) mankind', and

36) Supporting whole-heartedly the Convention Against Discrimination in Education and the Declaration 
37) on Race and Racial Prejudice, and

38) Lauding the success of the 44th Session of the ICE (1994) and promoting the forthcoming 46th 
39) Session of the ICE to be held from 5-8th September of this year (2001) in the commitment to 
40) stamp out intolerance and abuse in education, and
41) Reaffirming the proclamation of 2001 as the Year of Mobilisation against Racial Discrimination, 
42) Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, and

43) Supporting the proposed World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and 
44) Related Intolerance to be held this year (2001) from 31st August to 7th September, but

45) Firmly convinced of the need to take effective and sustained measures at national and 
46) international levels to eliminate discrimination in education, and

47) Concerned that abuses in education not only include promotion of intolerance of any kind, but 
48) also the alteration of historical fact and the reduction in magnitude of many globally recognised 
49) tragedies, and

50) Recognising that failure to combat such abuses of national curriculum especially by public 
51) authorities and politicians is a factor encouraging their perpetuation in society:

52) 1. Condemns the misuse of print, audio-visual, and electronic media and new communication 
53) techniques including the internet, to incite racial intolerance or alter historical events 
54) through opinion rather than fact; and

55) 2. Encourages all member states to include in their national curriculum and social programmes at 
56) all levels, as appropriate, knowledge of and tolerance and respect for foreign cultures, peoples, 
57) countries and histories; and

58) 3. Mandates the Special Rapporteur to provide a report to the General Assembly at the start of 
59) each session outlining the progress of ratification by member states of the Convention Against 
60) Discrimination in Education and the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice, and on the status 
61) of recognised educational abuses committed by member states as determined by UNESCO and related 
62) organs; and

63) 4. Strongly urges all governments to re-evaluate and reassess their teaching materials based on 
64) the elimination of racial intolerance and historical alteration, and to revise those offending 
65) items; and

66) 5. Calls on member states to commit to global efforts to tackle racial discrimination and 
67) intolerance of all kinds in education, including those conferences due to take place in the near 
68) future.