CIO
PRESIDENT
The United Nations General Assembly highlighted the role of sport in sustainable development by adopting a resolution entitled “Sport, a factor of sustainable development” by consensus of the 193 Member States of the United Nations. Resolution A/79/L.10 supports the overarching mission of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to be a unifying force bringing the world together in peaceful competition, free from all forms of discrimination. This unifying mission was also highlighted by IOC President Thomas Bach in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
“Please accept my most sincere thanks for the adoption of this resolution by consensus, which demonstrates once again that sport can bring us together. I am particularly grateful to the Group of Friends of Sport and all Member States for recognized once again the autonomy and political neutrality of the IOC”, he declared, before continuing: “Rest assured that we will use this autonomy responsibly to promote the values we share with the United Nations: universality ; equality; non-discrimination; the rule of law; and above all, peace, as Secretary General Antonio Guterres said: “If it exists. a true symbol of peace in the world, it is the Olympic spirit.”
The IOC President stressed: “At the Olympic Games, we are all equal, whatever our origins or our nationality. There is no “Global South” or “Global North”. There is only one global village: the Olympic Village All those who respect the rules of the Olympic Charter are welcome to the Olympic Games.
In this context, he corrected false information accusing the IOC of discrimination and politicization by its sanction of the Russian Olympic Committee. “The fact is that we had to suspend the Russian Olympic Committee because it annexed sports organizations on the territory of the Olympic Committee of Ukraine. This violation of territorial integrity is a blatant violation of our Olympic Charter – as it would be of the Charter of the United Nations Despite this suspension, the IOC granted Russian athletes the privilege of participating in the Paris Games with a neutral status, that is to say without reference to their suspended National Olympic Committee. its symbols.”
He added: “We know that sport cannot bring peace. Peace can only be brought about by you, the political leaders. This is why I ask you to respond to the athletes’ call: give chance for peace.”
In his speech, the IOC President also encouraged UN Member States to replicate the proven international model of cooperation between the United Nations and the IOC at the national level. “Engage with your National Olympic Committee and make sports an integral part of your development plans. By doing so, we can create a win-win situation to achieve our common goals,” he said.
Thomas Bach also called for global regulation of artificial intelligence (AI): “I call on the United Nations to take the lead in creating global regulation on AI, preserving human dignity and ensuring progress fair.” The IOC is harnessing the benefits of AI for sport responsibly through its Olympic Agenda for AI which was launched in April this year.
Closing his final speech as IOC President to the United Nations General Assembly, Thomas Bach thanked the latter for “a decade of partnership and friendship. It has been an honor to share this journey with you, united by our faith in the shared values of the United Nations and the IOC I humbly ask you to offer my successor the same spirit of partnership to make the world a better place through sport – together.” Read full press release here. The IOC President’s full speech can be viewed here (in English only).
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