Ahead of the Summer Olympics in Paris next year, the UN General
Assembly has urged countries to maintain the ancient Greek
tradition of observing peace worldwide before, during and after
the Games.
This follows the adoption on Tuesday of a resolution that calls
for a cessation of hostilities starting seven days before the
opening of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and ending seven days
after they conclude.
The General Assembly comprises all 193 UN Member States, with 120
voting on the resolution. It received 118 votes in favour
and none against, with Russia and Syria abstaining.
Safe passage for athletes
The Paris Olympiad will be held from 26 July to 11 August.
The resolution calls for observing the Olympic Truce “to ensure
the safe passage, access and participation of athletes, officials
and all other accredited persons taking part in the Games of the
Olympiad and the Paralympic Games, and to contribute through
other appropriate measures to the safe organization of the
Games.”
It recognizes that sport “can be used to promote human rights and
strengthen universal respect for such rights, thus contributing
to their full realization.”
“The values instilled in athletes – discipline, teamwork, the
sheer will to succeed and perseverance – are the very same values
that can motivate and shape the leaders and contributors of
tomorrow,” said UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis in
message read ahead of the vote.
It was delivered on his behalf by Vice-President Peter Mohan
Maithri Pieris.
Keeping the tradition
The ancient Greek tradition of the ekecheiria, or
Olympic Truce, was born in the eighth century BC and renewed by
the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1992.
The resolution has also become a UN tradition as it is up for
consideration every two years, in advance of the Summer and
Winter Olympic Games.
