Castles or boarding-houses: a new concept of security

Current concepts of security, even if valid in the past, are inappropriate now. We need a new concept of security based on co-operation and interdependence, not military (and especially nuclear) confrontation. The International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the legality of nuclear weapons, international concern on the dangers of the arms trade, the landmines campaign, and statements by retired military leaders, are all signs of hope. But others, including non-governmental organizations, must also learn to co-operate. The Year of the Culture of Peace is an opportunity to make co-operation more effective and, particularly in schools, to make the United Nations better known and better appreciated.