In a few hours, athletes from every
corner of the world, gathered in London, will honor the highest celebration of
athleticism and the greatest peaceful gathering of humanity.
The Olympic Games are a global
event, uniting peoples through sport and culture.
Since their founding in ancient
Olympia and their modern revival in Athens, the Games have been linked to the
goal of peaceful coexistence, fair play, and a worldwide truce held over the
duration of the Games.
Yet, at a moment when such Olympic
ideals prevail around the world, the conflict in Syria continues to escalate.
In the face of the immense
humanitarian crisis affecting the Syrian people, our message is one of respect
for this global tradition: Olympic Truce.
We call on all sides in Syria to
honor the Olympic Truce.
Suspension of hostilities, if only
for the duration of the Olympic Games, should provide the space for
negotiations to resolve the crisis peacefully.
A ceasefire would give hope and
prospects to the beleaguered Syrian people for a brighter and peaceful future.
We call on all sides – even at this
late hour – to honor UN General Assembly Resolution 66/5 of 17 October, 2011,
which, for the first time in history, was signed by all 193 member states. We
call on all sides to honor the spirit of the Olympic Games and, in so doing, to
give peace a chance.
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The
Board of the International Olympic Truce Foundation is chaired by Dr. Jacques
Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee. The two
Vice-Chairpersons of the International Olympic Truce Foundation are Mr. George
Papandreou and Mrs. Fanny Palli Petralia. The statement was issued through the International Olympic Truce Centre
in Athens, Greece.
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