UN calls for global six-week truce during next summer’s Olympic Games

In a resolution co-sponsored by the 193 Member States, the UN General Assembly called all nations to respect the Olympic Truce during the next summer’s Olympics in London. The objective of this initiative is to “use sport as a tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation” in areas of conflict during the weeks in which the Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place. 
According to Mr. W. Lemke, Ban Ki-moon’s Special Advisor on Sport and Development, the peculiarity of the resolution is that all the UN Member States agreed to sponsor it. Lord Sebastian Coe, member of the London 2012 Organizing Committee, added that even if sport is not the solution for all social conflicts, it still plays a great role for human values, such as trust, self-respect and social inclusion. Finally, the inspiration to organize this peaceful event comes from the ancient Greek era when the Games took place and all the world parties were exhorted to lay down their arms.