FINAL STATEMENT

The 3rd World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates was held from October 18th to 20th, 2002. It was organized by Mikhail Gorbachev and Walter Veltroni, Mayor of Rome.

The participants included: Mikhail Gorbachev, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Joseph Rotblat, Lech Walesa, Betty Williams, Institut de Droit International, International Peace Bureau, American Friends Service Committee, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Labour Organization, Amnesty International, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, United Nations Peace-keeping Forces, Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs, International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the United Nations.

The participants of the 3rd World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates refuse to accept the cynicism and despair that crushes hope and vision. They affirm strongly our common humanity and capacity to work cooperatively, informed by compassion and inspired by love. Our humanity demands this.

The meeting encouraged an open exchange of opinions regarding threats to world peace, and the contradictions and instability of the current world order. The Nobel Peace Laureates participating in the meeting sought solutions to the principal challenges of our time: widespread war and violence, including international terrorism; poverty; and environmental degradation. There is an urgent need to find solutions leading to a new world order that emphasizes peace, humanity and equality.

1. Of particular concern to the participants is the increased reliance on violence and war as a primary means to resolve political disputes. It is imperative to seek peaceful political solutions to conflict and to deepen collaboration among states, be it through the United Nations or other regional security organizations.

A primary goal is to halt the new arms race, and to demilitarise international relations. The participants are concerned about the new military doctrines that contemplate the use, even pre-emptive, of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons continue to pose a real threat due to a renewed tendency toward proliferation, made more dangerous by the possibility that terrorists may acquire them. Nuclear weapons are immoral and their use is illegal. It is imperative to achieve the total abolition of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

It remains important to maintain tight control over the commerce of conventional arms, and to destroy landmines that continue to disproportionately kill and maim civilians and children.

The participants unanimously agree that the struggle against terrorism needs to be intensified, but it must not become a pretext for unjust constraints on human rights, or for ethnic, racial and religious discrimination. The solutions must actively involve non-violent measures including dialogue, collaboration, and increased understanding between different societies, cultures, and religions. A Culture of Peace must overcome today's dominant culture of war. To do so, educational institutions must incorporate curricula that include peace education, with particular emphasis on non-violent means of conflict resolution.

2. The participants express their full support of efforts to achieve a peaceful political resolution to the crisis in the Middle East, and call upon both Palestinians and Israelis to reject extremism and violence. Israel's right to security must be fully guaranteed, as must be the right of the Palestinian people to have a sovereign State. A successful peace process may require the parties to focus on core problems, while postponing complete resolution of every aspect of the conflict.

The participants are satisfied with the initiatives of the "four" (the United Nations, the United States, Russia, and the European Union) and believe that any agreements must be accompanied by guarantees, made primarily by the four promoters themselves.

The problems concerning Iraq must be resolved on the basis of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Unilateral action is not acceptable. The world community must ensure that Security Council resolutions are fully adhered to. This will help normalize the situation in the Middle East and bring stability and safety to the region. In particular, this implies respect for the rights of the Iraqi people, and for Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity.

3. The participants recalled the United Nations' 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. They expressed their regret that the Summit did not lead to concrete and binding decisions to address fundamental problems, such as poverty, environmental degradation, and the increasingly acute energy crisis.

The participants unanimously declare that the problems of poverty, suffering, the humiliation of millions of people, and the growing gap between North and South represent a time bomb. These problems are a source of conflict and are fertile soil for terrorism.

There is no alternative to sustainable development. Therefore, the fundamental goal must be to improve living conditions and protect the environment and natural resources. There must also be respect for workers' basic rights, meaningful occupation and dignity for current and future generations, and the elimination of the scourge of child labour.

The participants recommend that governments ensure the right of all peoples to health and guarantee access to basic medicines.

They stress their preoccupation over the destiny of children who are the future of the world.

4. The participants give their support to the "Water for Peace" initiative of Green Cross International and urge governments, state bodies, and the representatives of science, business, and civil society to contribute actively toward its successful implementation.

Solving the global water crisis represents an important step toward achieving the goals of sustainable development, and will improve life and health conditions for millions of people, not only in the developing world, but also in the developed world. This goal is of vital importance.

The participants endorse the Johannesburg Joint Declaration of Nobel Peace Laureates and Mayors of major cities, "The Battle for the Planet." It is an efficient consolidation of efforts in favour of sustainable development, and it provides a useful blueprint for action.

The participants are determined to continue, each in their own country and according to their abilities, to implement the activities required to meet the objectives stated above. They will keep in contact with each other and will gather again at the Forum in Rome to continue their collective work.

This statement will be delivered to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council, the Prime Minister of Israel, the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, the President of Iraq, the leading organs of the European Union, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Italy, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and all other Nobel Laureates.