We in the United Nations have learned, from our experience of rebuilding societies ravaged by conflict, that peace requires far more than the absence of war. We have seen that the seeds of war lie in uneven and unequal development. We have seen that the roots of conflict lie in inadequate understanding and opportunity. And we have seen that the prevention of hatred lies in education and knowledge. Education, is quite simply, peace-building by another name.
Education is the most effective form of defence spending there is.
Education is an investment which yields a higher profit than any other. And so education is truly a process that is never done. Experience and learning are indeed crucial pillars of peace. On behalf of the United Nations, I am proud to join you today in reminding the world that learning never ends. At the end of this bloody century, let that be our battle cry for a new and peaceful millennium.