A/RES/61/45 3. Commends the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for recognizing the promotion of a culture of peace as the expression of its fundamental mandate, and encourages it, as the lead agency for the Decade, to strengthen further the activities it has undertaken for promoting a culture of peace, including the dissemination of the Declaration1 and Programme of Action2 on a Culture of Peace and related materials in various languages across the world; Also commends the relevant United Nations bodies, in particular the 4. United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the University for Peace, for their activities in further promoting a culture of peace and non-violence, including the promotion of peace education and activities related to specific areas identified in the Programme of Action, and encourages them to continue and further strengthen and expand their efforts; Encourages the Peacebuilding Commission to promote a culture of peace 5. and non-violence for children in its activities; Encourages the appropriate authorities to provide education, in 6. children’s schools, that includes lessons in mutual understanding, tolerance, active citizenship, human rights and the promotion of a culture of peace; Commends civil society, including non-governmental organizations and 7. young people, for their activities in further promoting a culture of peace and non-violence, including through their campaign to raise awareness on a culture of peace, and notes the progress achieved by more than seven hundred organizations in more than one hundred countries; Encourages civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to 8. further strengthen its efforts in furtherance of the objectives of the Decade, inter alia, by adopting its own programme of activities to complement the initiatives of Member States, the organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations; Encourages the involvement of the mass media in education for a culture 9. of peace and non-violence, with particular regard to children and young people, including through the planned expansion of the Culture of Peace News Network as a global network of Internet sites in many languages; 10. Welcomes the efforts made by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to continue the communication and networking arrangements established during the International Year for providing an instant update of developments related to the observance of the Decade; 11. Invites Member States to observe 21 September of each year as the International Day of Peace, as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, in accordance with resolution 55/282 of 7 September 2001; 12. Invites Member States, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to continue providing information to the SecretaryGeneral on the observance of the Decade and the activities undertaken to promote a culture of peace and non-violence; 13. Appreciates the participation of Member States in the day of plenary meetings to review progress made in the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action and the observance of the Decade at its midpoint; 3