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The Constitution

The Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO declares that "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed".

© UNESCO/Claude Michel
The opening lines of UNESCO's Constitution engraved in ten languages in the Tolerance Square wall, UNESCO, Paris.

In order that a unanimous, lasting and genuine peace may be secured, the Preamble declares that the States Party to the Constitution believed "in full and equal opportunities for education for all, in the unrestricted pursuit of objective truth and in the free exchange of ideas and knowledge".

As defined by the Constitution, the purpose of the Organization is: "to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations".

The Constitution in UNESCO's six official languages

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