SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON ALL NATIONS TO OBSERVE OLYMPIC TRUCE
Press Release
SG/SM/6452
SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON ALL NATIONS TO OBSERVE OLYMPIC TRUCE
19980204 Following is the text of a message by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, to be held at Nagano, Japan, from 7 to 22 February:The Olympic ideals closely resemble those of the United Nations in seeking peace and understanding among nations and peoples. The flying of the United Nations flag at all Olympic events is a visible reminder of the purpose shared between the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee. It therefore gives me great pleasure to greet the participants of the XVIII Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and to congratulate the International Olympic Committee under the dedicated leadership of its President, Juan Antonio Samaranch.
The Olympic Truce, an ancient tradition calling for all hostilities to cease during Olympic Games, expresses humankind's perennial aspiration to peace, goodwill and reconciliation. The overwhelming reaffirmation of the Olympic Truce by the fifty-second General Assembly of the United Nations recommitted Member States to taking fresh steps towards the promotion of human rights, constructive dialogue and the search for durable and just solutions to contemporary problems. This message was more than a symbol; it expressed the international community's real desire for a peaceful world united against violence.
I call upon all nations to observe the Olympic Truce. I am convinced that in this observance, and by working with the International Olympic Committee to promote the Olympic ideal, we will draw the world's attention to what humanity can achieve in the name of international understanding.
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