Latest update 25 february 2022 13:00 pm
On 24th February IOC President Thomas Bach reiterates his call for peace, which he expressed in his speeches at the Opening Ceremony and the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games.
At the Opening Ceremony, he called on the political authorities: “Observe your commitment to this Olympic Truce. Give peace a chance.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) strongly condemns the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian Government.
Today, 25 February 2022the Executive Bureau of the International Olympic Commitee has taken an step further to make Russia accountable for the breach of its Truce Commitment. The IOC (IOC EB) today urges all International Sports Federations to relocate or cancel their sports events currently planned in Russia or Belarus.
They should take the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarussian governments into account and give the safety and security of the athletes absolute priority. The IOC itself has no events planned in Russia or Belarus.
In addition, the IOC EB urges that no Russian or Belarussian national flag be displayed and no Russian or Belarussian anthem be played in international sports events which are not already part of the respective World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sanctions for Russia.
At the same time, the IOC EB expresses its full support to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for the upcoming Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
UN Resolution adopted by UN General Assembly by consensus of all member States including Russia
The respective UN resolution (Olympic Truce for Beijing Winter Olympics 2022) was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 2 December 2021 by consensus of all 193 UN Member States. The Olympic Truce began seven days before the start of the Olympic Games, on 4 February 2022, and ends seven days after the closing of the Paralympic Games, that is seven days after next 13 March.
At the Closing Ceremony, he asked the political leaders “to be inspired” by the “example of solidarity and peace” set by the Olympic athletes.
Following recent events, the IOC is deeply concerned about the safety of the Olympic Community in Ukraine. It has established a task force to closely monitor the situation and to coordinate humanitarian assistance to members of the Olympic Community in Ukraine where possible.
What is the Olympic Truce or Ekecheiria?
The tradition of the “Olympic Truce”, or “Ekecheiria”, was established in Ancient Greece in the ninth century BC through the signing of a treaty between three kings – Iphitos of Elis, Cleosthenes of Pisa and Lycurgus of Sparta – to allow safe participation in the ancient Olympic Games for all athletes and spectators from these Greek city-states, which were otherwise almost constantly engaged in conflict with each other.
Taking into account the new political reality in which sport and the Olympic Games exist, the IOC decided to revive the concept of the Olympic Truce for the Olympic Games, with a view to protecting, as far as possible, the interests of the athletes and sport in general, and to harness the power of sport to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliationmore broadly.
Image over the headline.-Thomas Bach (President of the International Olympic Commitee), Abdulla Shahid (President of the UN General Assembly and Dr Tedros Abhanom (UN Secretary General) run holding the Olympic torch for peace, health and Olympic values jus before the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.© IOC
Related Eastwind links:
IOC, UN and WHO carry the Beijing 2022 Olympic torch for peace, health and Olympic values
