United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Conscience is annually observed across the globe on 5th April to promote a culture of peace with love and conscience in accordance with the culture and other appropriate circumstances or customs of their local, national and regional communities.
5th April 2022 marks the observance of the 3rd International Day of Conscience.
Background:
i.At the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA), the Kingdom of Bahrain sponsored an initiative by the Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, to designate 5 April as an International Day of Conscience.
ii.The UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/73/329 on 25th July 2019 and proclaimed the 5th April of every year as the International Day of Conscience.
iii.The first International Day of Conscience was observed on 5th April 2020.
Significance:
i.The day is inspired by article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, are endowed with reason and conscience, and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
ii.The day also aims to promote a culture of peace based on a set of values, attitudes and behaviours inspired by the principles of freedom, justice, democracy, human rights, tolerance and solidarity.
Culture of Peace:
Origin:
i.The concept of a culture of peace emerged from the International Congress on Peace in the Minds of Men, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Côte d’Ivoire in July 1989.
ii.This concept dates back to the Constitution of the UNESCO which calls upon us to construct the defences of peace in the minds of men
