A/RES/70/4
United Nations
Distr.: General
13 November 2015
General Assembly
Seventieth session
Agenda item 12
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 26 October 2015
[without reference to a Main Committee (A/70/L.3 and Add.1)]
70/4.
Building a peaceful and better world through sport and
the Olympic ideal
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 68/9 of 6 November 2013, in which it decided to
include in the provisional agenda of its seventieth session the sub-item entitled
“Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal”, and
recalling also its prior decision to consider the sub-item every two years, in advance
of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games,
Recalling also its resolution 48/11 of 25 October 1993, which, inter alia,
revived the ancient Greek tradition of ekecheiria (“Olympic Truce”) calling for a
truce during the Olympic Games to encourage a peaceful environment and ensure
safe passage, access and participation for athletes and relevant persons at the
Games, thereby mobilizing the youth of the world to the cause of peace,
Recalling further that the core concept of ekecheiria, historically, has been the
cessation of hostilities from seven days before until seven days after the Olympic
Games, which, according to the legendary oracle of Delphi, was to replace the cycle
of conflict with a friendly athletic competition every four years,
Recognizing the valuable contribution of sport in promoting education,
sustainable development, peace, cooperation, solidarity, fairness, social inclusion
and health at the local, regional and international levels, and noting that, as declared
in the 2005 World Summit Outcome, 1 sports can contribute to an atmosphere of
tolerance and understanding among peoples and nations,
Welcoming the designation of 6 April as the International Day of Sport for
Development and Peace,
Recalling the inclusion in the United Nations Millennium Declaration2 of an
appeal for the observance of the Olympic Truce now and in the future and for
support for the International Olympic Committee in its efforts to promote peace and
human understanding through sport and the Olympic ideal,
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1
2
Resolution 60/1.
Resolution 55/2.
15-16758 (E)
*1516758*
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