A/HRC/17/39 private military or security company is independent of and does not eliminate the responsibility that a State or States may incur.43 V. Other dimensions A. Peace education 47. The right to peace is inconceivable without a comprehensive, serious commitment to education, both formal and non-formal. Concepts of long-standing historical threats to a country, of adversaries and enemies, glorification of violence, racist attitudes towards foreigners and even foreign nations and many other perceptions, often misguided by the media and political and other interest groups, can profoundly undermine any serious attempt to create a culture of peace. Conversely, serious professional education and media reporting can greatly enhance a culture of peace and diminish racist, aggressive, discriminatory and violent attitudes. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been very active in this field since the 1970s. 48. In 1974, UNESCO adopted its Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, in which it stressed the importance of education to both peace and human rights. 49. The Millennium Development Declaration states that human beings must respect each other, in all their diversity of belief, culture and language. Differences within and between societies should be neither feared nor repressed, but cherished as a precious asset of humanity. A culture of peace and dialogue among all civilizations should be actively promoted.44 50. In its resolution 14/3, the Human Rights Council called upon States and relevant United Nations bodies to promote effective implementation of the Declaration and Programme on a Culture of Peace. 51. Many General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions on the right to peace contain provisions supporting peace education.45 Proposed standards 1. All peoples and individuals have a right to comprehensive peace education. Such education should be the basis of every educational system, generate social processes based on trust, solidarity and mutual respect, incorporate a gender perspective, facilitate the peaceful settlement of conflicts and lead to a new way of approaching human relationships within the framework of a culture of peace.46 2. All peoples and individuals have a right to demand and obtain the competences needed to participate in the creative and non-violent resolution or, failing that, 43 44 45 46 A/HRC/15/25, annex, art. 5. General Assembly resolution 55/2, para. 6. For example, General Assembly resolution 53/243A, and Human Rights Council resolutions 8/9, para. 9, 11/4, para. 10, and 14/3, paras. 10-11. Santiago Declaration, art. 2, para. 2. 13