The Secretary General of the United Nations called for an international ceasefire during the Olympics

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on countries around the world to establish a ceasefire on the occasion of the start of the Olympic Games and stop armed conflicts at least for a short time.

According to Reuters, Guterres met with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and said that the Games are an opportunity for peace. “I want to express the full support of the United Nations to the International Olympic Committee,” he said. We live in a world where wars and conflicts are increasing dramatically. The UN Secretary-General continued: “The terrible suffering in Gaza, the endless war in Ukraine, the terrible suffering from Sudan to the Democratic Republic of Congo and from Sahel to Myanmar. At such a moment, it is important to mention that the first real peace initiative recorded in history was the Olympic Truce.” 

Guterres pointed to the historical record of the cessation of conflicts during the Olympic Games and said: “When the Olympic Games were held in ancient Greece, all conflicts were stopped during the Games in order to allow the competitions to be held. So, the moment the Olympic Games begin, it is time to remind the world of the importance of the Olympic ceasefire and to let the countries of the world know that they should put away the weapons.” 

The Paris Olympics will start at 21:00 tonight (Friday) Tehran time, and more than 10,500 athletes from 206 countries will compete in it.

Translator: Zahra Najafi