General Assembly Session 52 meeting 54

The Acting President

I give the floor to the representative of Japan to introduce draft resolution A/52/L.23/Rev.1.

Ms. Kotani (Japan)

My name is Mikako Kotani. As a member of the Japanese team, I have taken part in two Olympic Games -- in Seoul in 1988 and in Barcelona in 1992 -- and I won two medals in synchronized swimming. I am also a member of the International Olympic Committee's Athletes Commission. Today I am pleased and honoured to represent Japan at the General Assembly and to take part in its consideration of agenda item 24, "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal".

For today's debate, Japan, together with many co-sponsoring Member States, has submitted a draft resolution calling for the observance of the Olympic Truce during the XVIIIth Olympic Winter Games, to be held in Nagano, Japan, from 7 to 22 February 1998.

I would like first to express my deep gratitude to Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the International Olympic Committee, for his initiative in calling for the Olympic Truce, and to the representatives of United Nations Member States for supporting that initiative since 1993.

I do not believe that the only objective of sports is to break records. The balanced development of both the mind and the body is also an objective of sports. Fair competition, in a spirit of sportsmanship, fosters mutual respect that excludes discrimination of all kinds, including that based on race, religion, gender or nationality, and serves to deepen mutual goodwill. This, in turn, can lead us to the gradual realization of peace and understanding -- goals shared by all humankind.

The Olympic Games are the world's greatest celebration of sports. The five Olympic rings represent the five continents and symbolize the strong bonds of friendship and solidarity that are created through the Olympic Ideal among the youth of the world. Coming together at the Olympic Games, the athletes who compete with their skill and strength deepen their mutual understanding and goodwill, and appreciate the significance of world peace.

In ancient Greece peace was highly valued, since all hostilities ceased during the games that took place in Olympia. Participating athletes were assured safe passage, even through enemy lands, thanks to the Olympic Truce, known as ekecheria.

It was this Ideal of the ancient Olympics that Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France sought to revive in the modern Olympic movement. Today, more than a century after the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896, we carry on that Ideal -- the aspiration for peace.

Needless to say, this Ideal will prevail during the forthcoming Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, which will promote respect for the beauty and bounty of nature and celebrate peace and goodwill as ideals for the twenty-first century.

These Games are the second Olympic Winter Games to be held in Asia, following those in Sapporo in 1972. It is my firm conviction that the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano will provide a venue for a broad exchange among young people from all over the world, and will contribute to making this a better and more peaceful world.

In 74 days the last Olympic Winter Games of this century will begin. On this occasion, let us renew our determination to ensure that in the coming twenty-first century the people of the world will practise tolerance and live in peace, as stated in the Preamble to the United Nations Charter.

With this in mind, I propose here today that we resolve to observe the Olympic Truce during the period of the XVIIIth Olympic Winter Games next February, and to urge the peaceful settlement of international conflicts in conformity with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and the ideal embodied in the Olympic Truce. I sincerely hope that the draft resolution will be adopted unanimously.

In addition to the 159 Member States listed in document A/52/L.23/Rev.1, the following 17 countries have joined in sponsoring the draft resolution: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iraq, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Palau, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Viet Nam.

The Acting President

I should like to wish the representative of Japan and her team more medals at the XVIIIth Olympic Winter Games to be held in Nagano in February 1998.

Mr. Zacharakis (Greece)

It is a great honour for me to speak before the General Assembly on this agenda item, entitled "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal". It is equally an honour for my delegation to sponsor, together with so many other Member States, the draft resolution on this agenda item, contained in document A/52/L.23/Rev.1, so ably introduced by the representative of Japan.

On 7 November 1995 the General Assembly at its fiftieth session adopted by consensus resolution 50/13, by which it called upon Member States to reaffirm the observance of the Olympic Truce, or ekecheria, as it was known during Greek antiquity, every four years during the Summer and Winter Games. That resolution reflects the historic, solemn appeal addressed by the President of the General Assembly to all States to observe the Olympic Truce during the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, to strive towards building lasting peace, whether or not they happened to be parties to a confrontation, and to focus their thoughts and actions on the principles and ideals to which the ekecheria and the Olympic Movement seek to propagate. Most important, however, is the appeal addressed to those presently engaged in armed conflicts to uphold this principle, and to suspend all hostilities, in keeping with its observance.

The ekecheria has been living in the hearts of the Greek people for more than 30 centuries. It is an ancient tradition of my country, according to which all conflicts ceased during the period of the Truce, beginning seven days prior to the opening of the Olympic Games and ending on the seventh day following the closing of the Games, with the aim of providing athletes, artists, their relatives, pilgrims and the public safe passage to and from Olympia.

The implementation of the principle of the ekecheria by the world community could herald the beginning of a new era which will, hopefully, lead to the gradual disappearance of the immense human tragedies caused by the plague of war.

It is equally important to note that Alexander the Great, having recognized the importance of both the Olympic spirit and Ideal, advocated that the ancient city of Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, should be regarded as the capital of all Greeks. In his historic campaign, this great man was happy to see materialize his vision of spreading Greek civilization, together with the Olympic Ideal, to the extreme limits of the ancient world. It was within this spiritual framework that Alexander the Great built stadiums and organized athletic games in almost all the places he led his humanistic campaign. He put special emphasis on promoting his idea that every person should share the virtues of perfection of the body, generosity of spirit and kindness of the soul, as well as the values of noble emulation and individual distinction emanating from fair and honest victory.

The Olympic Ideal has been in the past and remains in our time an everlasting source of inspiration and hope for humanity. It expresses the very essence of the will to compete, with peaceful means, to achieve peaceful goals and attain victory through individual effort and the harmonious exercise of both body and mind. It is more than clear that it never meant exterminating or -- even worse -- humiliating the opponent.

In the spirit of Olympic ethics, any form of discrimination -- racial, religious, political, linguistic or otherwise -- is totally excluded, and the fundamental principle of equality prevails.

During the last three millenniums the Greek people have remained wholeheartedly and deeply committed to the Olympic Ideal, founded on the noble principles of understanding, tolerance, solidarity and dignity. The observance of these principles takes a particular dimension, especially in our time, when the world is suffering from heinous evils, such as armed conflicts at the national and regional level, genocide, ethnic cleansing, violence, terrorism, crime and drugs, which are directly connected to the complex and acute problems of hunger, poverty, misery, unemployment and, last but not least, clear, gross and uncorrected violations of human rights. Through the Olympic Truce and the Olympic Ideal, fresh steps can be made towards the promotion of human rights, constructive dialogue, reconciliation and the search for durable and just solutions to contemporary problems. These solutions must aim primarily at the elimination of all kinds of human suffering, the advancement of friendship between peoples, cooperation and equality among nations, and the strengthening and maintenance of peace on a universal scale.

The internationally recognized symbol of the five interlocking rings clearly signifies the union and the fraternity of the five continents, whose athletes represent every single people of the globe.

The Greek delegation would like to pay tribute to the International Olympic Committee, one of the most important non- governmental organizations, for all its arduous endeavours, performed on a worldwide scale, to promote constantly, in all possible fields and at all levels, the Olympic Ideal, with the sole aim of achieving through them protection of the environment, the advancement of social progress and the maintenance of peace.

We would like, in particular, to express our appreciation to the International Olympic Committee for its initiative to conclude the mutually beneficial cooperation agreements between itself and the relevant organs, organizations, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations system, especially the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Health Organization.

We feel that all Member States should try their best to encourage this cooperation, because it is our strong conviction that through athleticism an important impetus is given to a large variety of activities, since sports have become an important component of modern culture and because athleticism is an important element which encourages peoples to abstain from recourse to violence, enabling them, at the same time, to use their knowledge and experience to understand themselves and others.

Greece, which is ready to host the Olympic Games in 2004, transmits a strong appeal to the youth of the world, without any discrimination, to take part in the Games, which, at the very beginning of the third millennium, we are confident will give a new thrust to the fundamental principles and concepts of friendship, solidarity, understanding and fair play.

In conclusion, my delegation would like, once again, to reiterate that the Olympic Ideal remains an endless source of hope and inspiration which will carry the torch with the Olympic flame to present and future generations for a better, more human and peaceful world.

Mr. Zackheos (Cyprus)

I would like at the outset to express my pleasure over the great number of countries that have sponsored the draft resolution, which shows the importance that the international community attaches to the Olympic Ideal.

The great challenge now is to take the first practical steps towards turning into reality the observance of the Olympic Truce, or ekecheria, during the Summer and Winter Olympics, beginning with the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

The Olympic Truce is an expression of the yearning of mankind for peace, understanding and reconciliation, and for the noble notion of distinction, based on honest competition. In the search for excellence, every athlete is equal and victory is the result of ability, training, hard work and perseverance. Discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, sex or otherwise is incompatible with the Olympic spirit.

It is important to strengthen adherence to Olympic ethics, and especially to conduct the Games in a fair way. In this context, the efforts against the use of prohibited anabolic steroids and other drugs are to be commended.

Cyprus, a small country, has since its independence followed an active foreign policy based on the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, which coincide fully with and adhere to the Olympic Ideal.

The latest manifestation of our determination to become a bridge of peace in our sensitive region in the eastern Mediterranean, and a homeland of harmony and understanding for all communities living on the island, is the proposal of President Clerides for the demilitarization of Cyprus. On this solemn occasion, we renew our appeal for the acceptance of this proposal so that Cyprus will be able to participate in the next Olympics as a reunited, happy and peaceful State.

The people of Cyprus felt immense satisfaction at the decision of the International Olympic Committee concerning the hosting of the Olympic Games of 2004 in Greece, birthplace of the Olympic Movement. We interpret this decision as an appeal for a new beginning and an expression of mankind's collective will to make the twenty-first century a period of serious efforts towards peace, the advancement of social progress and prosperity. The twentieth century, which is approaching its end, has seen two world wars, ideological antagonisms, regional and local conflicts and the policy of "ethnic cleansing". It is hoped that human rights and respect for international law will be the norm in the new millennium.

I would like, in conclusion, to express our appreciation for the great efforts of the International Olympic Committee in imbuing youth with these ideals, which will guarantee a better and more humane world.

Mr. Boisson (Monaco)

Our Assembly is about to adopt for the third time a draft resolution on building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic Ideal. This text has just been very eloquently introduced by the representative of Japan, Ms. Mikako Kotani, an outstanding athlete and Olympic champion. We are very grateful to her.

In this draft resolution, the General Assembly would urge Member States to observe the Olympic Truce during the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, to be held in Nagano, Japan, next February. This is a sincere, straightforward appeal to hostile parties, whoever they may be, to suspend or cease all fighting before, during and after the Games.

Since this item was included in our agenda in 1993, at the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly, a solemn appeal to respect the Greek tradition of ekecheria, or Olympic Truce, has been regularly made in connection with the Olympic Winter and Summer Games.

The tradition of this truce goes back to the first Olympiad in ancient Greece, when Iphitos, King of Elis, concluded with Lycurgus of Sparta an agreement establishing on the territory where the games were to be held a sacred truce, the ekecheria, which was respected by all, conscientiously and with conviction.

At that same forty-eighth session, in 1993, the General Assembly, following the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, adopted resolution 48/10, in connection with the centenary of the International Olympic Committee, declaring 1994 the International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal.

This Ideal, symbolized by the Olympic Charter, is a philosophy of life that exalts and brings together in a harmonious and balanced whole all the qualities of the body, the will and the spirit.

Allying sport with culture and education, the Olympic Ideal seeks to inspire a way of life based on respect for the fundamental, universal ethical principles of solidarity and non-violence.

The goal of the Olympic Ideal is to place sport everywhere in the service of the harmonious development of mankind in order to encourage the establishment of a peaceful society that seeks to preserve human dignity.

Above and beyond this appeal, which has now become a tradition, my delegation wishes equally and unreservedly to encourage cooperation between the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations system as a whole, particularly in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance, protection of the environment, promotion of health and education, which are the common areas of activity of two organizations.

The International Olympic Committee has made such cooperation one of its primary objectives. Since it was created more than 100 years ago, it has been trying to develop Olympic sports activities as a way of actively teaching the young people of the world's various countries about international understanding and harmony, without prejudices of any kind.

In this respect, the decision of the International Olympic Committee to fly the United Nations flag at all sites of Olympic Competition is highly symbolic.

We are too often surrounded by violence. To combat it, education remains the best tool. It is our duty to instil in our children the values of respect and tolerance for others. The practice of sport can and must contribute to this and must be promoted as a means of fostering understanding, solidarity, friendship and ethics. The International Olympic Committee and the National Olympic Committees are doing their utmost in this respect, and we commend them most sincerely for that.

The Head of the delegation of Monaco to the General Assembly, His Serene Highness Crown Prince Albert, who is also Chairman of Monaco's Olympic Committee and a member of the International Olympic Committee, attaches the greatest importance to this fundamental mission that the two institutions share. Monaco's co-sponsorship of the draft resolution submitted today for the approval of the States Members of the United Nations is another expression of our commitment to this cause.

By adopting the draft resolution on building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic Ideal, the General Assembly would be strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and the international Olympic Movement, as well as placing it within an ongoing, long-term process highlighted every four years by the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

The broad support for the draft resolution and the large number of sponsors are very encouraging. We must try to show that the draft resolution's message is not just one of symbolic hope, but is rather the expression of the desire for peace of a world community that is strong and united in the face of the hateful violence of combat and ceaseless armed conflict.

Therefore, together with all the Governments that are sponsoring this draft resolutions, we wish to express our firm and determined hope that the Olympic Truce will be respected during the Olympic Winter Games in Japan early next year.

Mr. Wahid (Maldives)

The United Nations was created for peace. Whenever there is a call for peace, we must join hands, for sport is a good vehicle for promoting peace.

My delegation believes that team sport characterizes two basic traits of humans: competitiveness and cooperation. We cooperate as a team and compete with other teams. This is the spirit of sports.

The International Olympic Committee is the highest sporting body, whose ideals closely resemble those of the United Nations. Both promote peace and understanding among nations and peoples. Therefore, we urge closer cooperation between these two institutions.

Observing the Olympic Truce is an area of cooperation which serves the cause of peace. Maldives regards the Olympic Truce as an important symbol of peace. Its origin, which dates back to the ninth century B.C., when it was sworn to cease hostilities, clearly illustrates this. The United Nations recognized this when the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session urged Member States to observe the Olympic Truce. My delegation is happy that the General Assembly is about to adopt this year a draft resolution calling for Member States to observe the Olympic Truce during the forthcoming Olympic Winter Games in Japan. Maldives, as a sponsor of the draft resolution, calls upon all Members to support it.

Maldives is not known or heard of in most international sports events. Given its size, small population and financial constraints, this is unavoidable. However, Maldives attaches great importance to sports. We believe that sports should play an important role in the lives of children, youth and even the elderly. However, given the large percentage of youth -- 32 per cent -- in its population, a substantial proportion of the available resources, however meagre, are used for the sports activities of youth. This has enabled our fine young men and women to participate in regional sports activities as well as in some international sporting events, including the most recent Atlanta Olympics 1996.

Maldives is not the only country with difficulties in participating in international sports. Small States with small populations and limited resources have the disadvantage of being unable to participate in the competitive world of sports.

Let sport, which is recreational and which teaches discipline, be equally used as a vehicle to foster peace and understanding throughout the world. Let us pledge ourselves not to limit the Olympic Truce to the cessation of hostilities during the Games themselves. Let us make it a way of life.

Mr. Filippi Balestra (San Marino)

I take the floor today to make my country's contribution to the debate on the draft resolution entitled "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic Ideal". This agenda item is particularly important to us. In fact, San Marino has been a sponsor of the draft resolution on this matter for years, and we would like to share the wisdom and value of its concept.

San Marino has always tried to reiterate and defend the importance of ideals and principles. Perhaps it is because of them that my country, the oldest functioning republic in the world, has been able to preserve its sovereignty and independence for 15 centuries.

Another ancient republic established the Olympic Games. They were traditionally organized to stimulate healthy competition among countries and to promote peace and fair play. The draft resolution would seem to be of only symbolic value, but it acquires substantial importance if we consider the strong influence that sport can have on individuals, and in particular on young people.

The Olympic Games have always been a moment of unity among peoples, a synonym for overcoming all diversities and making space for tolerance and fair play. Moreover, the Games represent a unique opportunity for the exchange of experience among young athletes from different cultures, and if different cultures can coexist in sports competition they can certainly coexist in real life. Conflict may exist, but violence is not necessary.

Certainly, the Olympic Games do not suffice to eliminate major armed conflicts that affect the world, but they can represent an important moment of reflection that we cannot and should not renounce. Thus, my country associates itself with the many other sponsors in transmitting this important message every four years that conflicts should be suspended during the duration of the Games. This is a heritage we should respect and should be proud of.

I am sure that all countries represented in this forum will look with favour on this draft resolution and will take the appropriate steps to implement it fully. We are confident that the draft resolution will be adopted by consensus.

Mr. Richardson (United States)

My delegation wishes to thank Miss Mikako Kotani, Olympic silver medallist for synchronized swimming, Barcelona 1992, for serving as torch-bearer on this agenda item. It is my delegation's pleasure, as host country of the most recent Games in the Olympiad and as host for the Winter Olympic Games in 2002, to be a sponsor of today's draft resolution, "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic Ideal".

The Olympic Ideal goes beyond victories and records to fair play, friendship and, ultimately, peace. The Olympic Ideal promotes international understanding among the youth of the world through sport and culture. It goes beyond sports competition to embrace intercultural and humanitarian activities as well.

Sports are truly global activities that extend into the lives of all people, whether they are rich or poor, at peace or at war. International competitions such as the Olympic Games encourage nations to set aside their differences in the spirit of fair play, and they provide everyone with a venue for cultural exchange and an opportunity to share national traditions and customs.

As a baseball player who was drafted to play professionally earlier in my life, I was particularly proud when my sport, known as the "Great American Pastime," was included as an Olympic event in 1984. Just for the record, I did not make it as a professional baseball player.

Whether athletes or spectators, when we meet at international sporting events we share in the glow of world-class competition, in the heartbreak of losing, in the glory of winning, but most important, in the goodwill of participation.

That is why the sponsors of today's draft resolution urge all to reaffirm observance of the Olympic Truce, the ancient tradition calling for all hostilities to cease during Olympic Games. Since 1993 this biennial resolution has been the most co-sponsored in General Assembly history. Today our goal is to continue sending its strong message of peace and international goodwill to the youth of the world. The International Olympic Committee's decision to fly the United Nations flag at future Games will serve as a reminder of this Assembly's resolution in support of international peace and stability for billions of athletes and spectators around the world.

In 1894 Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the International Olympic Committee, predicted that the new, modern Olympics would eventually become both a symbol and the center piece of a new global era of unity among nations. While that vision has yet to become a reality, today's reaffirmation of the Olympic Truce by the General Assembly will recommit the nations of the world to that global aspiration.

Mr. Barout (United Arab Emirates)

Successive events in history and the lives of peoples since time immemorial have shown that sport plays a pioneering role in enriching the cultures of the world and in expressing their special characteristics, and that it contributes directly to promoting relations and strengthening ties between societies and communities in matters of culture and the environment and all other areas of human activity.

The needs of the young are not limited to food, education and financial and technological security. They equally need to develop a physical awareness and a sports culture, so as to channel and sublimate their inherent talents and creativity and their boundless energy. Sport can also be a means of establishing human and humanitarian values and of cultural enrichment, in harmony with the principles of peaceful coexistence, participation, democracy and respect for human rights.

The United Arab Emirates has faith in the philosophy of sport, as principles founded on tolerance, brotherhood and solidarity, as advocated by the International Olympic Committee. We therefore call for the harmonious improvement of the well-being of humanity through sports programmes that encourage participation and understanding between young people at the international level, particularly through the strengthening of activities aimed at combating activities and phenomena that our societies reject, such as violence, terrorism and drug trafficking. That responds to the need for world peace and security, and allows for the protection of social and economic structures and their development in a sustainable manner, so as to create a better world for its peoples through sport and the Olympic principles.

We also support all the proposals on the necessary measures to ensure observance of the Olympic Truce during the Olympic Games, in particular the Games to take place from 7 to 22 February 1998 at Nagano, Japan, Games which will be a bridge to the twenty-first century. We urge all States to cooperate by respecting this Truce, using peaceful means to resolve their conflicts and differences, in accordance with the principles of the Charter and international law. We also urge them to institute national projects and programmes to meet the demand of international public opinion for promotion of the spirit of brotherhood, tolerance and love; rejection of violence; collective responsibility for guaranteeing fundamental human rights for all, regardless of nationality, race, or religious or ethnic affiliation; and allowing peoples to live in peace and stability.

Being convinced of the role of sport in individual development and in enriching society in general, the Emirates have attached particular importance to the organization and promotion of this sector, and have given great attention to youth and the development of the talents of young athletes. In doing so, we have taken into account global developments and respected noble principles and moral values. This prompted us to establish a national Olympic committee, to supervise national activities in this area and to improve training and refereeing so as best to meet our goal of improving the training of young people in various sports. Since young people are both building blocks for the future and the wealth of today, the Emirates have created a sports city, Zaied, an integrated, well-equipped complex which promotes all varieties and disciplines of sport and culture. Like countries where sports have already been successfully promoted, we have allocated generous funds to encourage and equip clubs and stadiums, thus permitting participation in most sports at regional and international competitions. In addition, there are scientific and cultural seminars, conferences and other events relating to the subject of sport for young people.

To maintain our strong links with our past and our true Arab and Islamic heritage, faithful to our ancestors and their sporting activities, we have responded to the interests of our people by promoting horse races, camel races and water sports. In doing so, we have played a leading world role in these fields. We have also established federations for horsemanship and camel racing in Arab countries, and have sponsored prizes in kind and in cash for the leading competitors at the seasonal and annual races. We have thus underscored our willingness to preserve this traditional sport, which is valued both at the official level and by the people, not only in the Emirates but elsewhere throughout the world.

Finally, my country welcomes the international efforts to advance cooperation in the joint activities of the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee, particularly those that encourage development, humanitarian assistance and environmental protection, as well as the improvement of education and health. The United Nations Development Programme, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization all take part in this work. We reiterate the importance of furthering these efforts by encouraging the organization of large-scale sports competitions; exchanging information and experience between organizations; and rationalizing programmes for management, training, refereeing and the promotion of regulated sports events. This should be done at all levels and for all ages, given the great contribution that sport can make at the global level to the achievement of development and well-being for all societies.

Mr. Fulci (Italy)

The General Assembly first considered this item at its forty-eighth session, when it proclaimed the centenary of the modern Olympics, 1994, as the International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal. On that occasion the General Assembly, in response to the appeal of the International Olympic Committee, urged Member States to observe the Olympic Truce from the seventh day before the opening to the seventh day after the closing of the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. This year's draft resolution calls upon Member States once again to observe the Truce during the upcoming Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.

The Olympic Truce is rooted in the ancient Greek tradition of ekecheria. It expresses mankind's perennial aspiration to peace and the belief that sports bring out the best in human beings, even at the worst of times. In the words of the founder of the modern Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin:

"The Olympics conserve the noble and chivalric character that distinguished athletics in the past, so that athletics may continue to educate young people in the admirable way conceived by the Greek masters."

I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to congratulate the political and athletic authorities in Athens on being the host to the Summer Games in the year 2004. Bringing the Olympic torch back to the country where it was first ignited is an important tribute to this noble tradition and the spiritual and cultural values it enshrines.

The United Nations made a solemn pledge in 1993, which it renewed in 1995, to devote time and attention to the Olympic ideal. The noble tradition of the Olympic Truce epitomizes a symbolic link with the most compelling purpose of our Organization: the maintenance of peace and security. But it is only one dimension of a multifaceted relationship. The International Olympic Committee has forged cooperation agreements with many organizations, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations. Let me recall in particular the very strong relationship between the Committee and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme in Vienna, attested to by a cooperation agreement signed last year.

Today, sports have come to play a vital, productive role in enriching the lives of young people by helping them to focus on bettering themselves, engaging in healthy competition and learning to appreciate the social dimension of life. Athletics can also have a critical role in preventing many social ills, foremost among them crime and drug abuse. In recognition of this, the Italian sports authorities have developed over the years a number of programmes to underline how sporting activities can help us to achieve a drug-free society.

In the classical era, the Olympic Games were celebrated every four years for more than a millennium. For generation after generation, the glory of those early games was sung by the great Greek poet Pindar, who, in his First Olympian Ode, wrote:

"The days that are still to come are the wisest witnesses."

It is my sincere hope that the modern Games may have an equally long and illustrious tradition, so that our children and our children's children into the unforeseeable future may continue to live by the Olympic Ideal.

Ms. Cornette (Guyana)

Draft resolution A/52/L.23/Rev.1, of which Guyana is a sponsor, calls for the building of a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic Ideal. At the Olympics, the best of our youths in the field of sports converge in a friendly atmosphere to compete in various events which test their endurance and demonstrate their determination to give of their best for the glory of their countries.

These young athletes from nations large and small help us to reaffirm our belief in the dignity and worth of the human person. They represent resources that could be utilized for the betterment of society. They hold the link to future generations and, with their involvement, future generations may learn to live and work in harmony.

Initiatives taken by the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee to cooperate in order to achieve a common purpose should be beneficial to society as a whole. The Olympic Movement can in fact contribute towards a peaceful and better world by adhering to such principles as the development of mankind and maintaining human dignity. Its work may therefore serve the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

The modern Olympic Movement precedes the United Nations by many decades. Both, however, have achieved significant advances through their histories and both should continue to be dynamic in the future if we are to aim for a better world. Despite interruptions, including the two World Wars, the flames kindled by the sun's rays form a torch for peaceful coexistence.

Through the years, we have witnessed greater numbers of athletes participating, on an equal footing, with others from around the world. Credit for this must be given to the Olympic Charter's anti-discrimination provision, which ensures equal participation by barring discrimination with regard to a country or person on grounds of race, religion, sex or any other reason. We are pleased to see that the International Olympic Committee has been making further contributions of benefit to society by moving beyond a strictly athletic focus to other areas of involvement, working with the United Nations to promote the Olympic Ideal and the observance of the Olympic Truce, as well as participating in humanitarian activities.

Those most in need, our children, are among those who could benefit from such initiatives. Action in this regard by the United Nations Children's Fund in Afghanistan to work with the warring parties to observe a truce during the 1996 Olympics so that children could be vaccinated should be only the beginning of many such initiatives by the United Nations and the Olympic Movement.

The world has changed since the Greeks declared an international truce, or ekecheria, so as to allow athletes to travel safely to Olympia to participate in the Olympics. Through international travel, we can circumvent war-torn countries to get to the country hosting the Olympics. While momentary peace allowed athletes to participate in the Olympics in Olympia, it can today be used to benefit society. The 1998 Winter Olympic Games -- which will be held in Nagano, Japan, next February -- again present us with the opportunity for an Olympic Truce, as called for in the draft resolution. Such a Truce would demonstrate to the world that world peace is within our grasp if we are all prepared to cooperate towards this end. Initial steps such as these could eventually lead to a better, healthier society where all can coexist in harmony. With support from those who have proved to be committed, strong and healthy, we can hope for a better world for future generations.

Mr. Minoves-Triquell (Andorra)

The Olympic Ideal is one of the positive expressions of the competitive instincts which haunt human beings, since the outcome is a "positive sum game". When these instincts are taken to the point of absurdity, which nevertheless has its own logic, a "zero sum game" results, leading to conflicts, the arms race and sometimes war. Such is the history of mankind: the desire to conquer in order to be greater and to have more. Moreover, as we noted during the last world war, war -- the ultimate competition -- affects both the victor and the vanquished and leaves a trail of death and destruction behind it which is not worthy of the level of civilization which we call our own. The United Nations was therefore established in order to place competition among nations and groups of human beings on the diplomatic stage -- competition through words, logic and example.

Pierre de Coubertin had a different idea 50 years earlier in creating the necessary impetus for the Olympic Ideal. This Ideal, whose practical manifestation can be seen today in the Winter and Summer Games which are held every two years in various parts of the world, must be endorsed by the United Nations. That is because, on the one hand, it advances sport as a means of improving physical well-being and self-mastery in activities designed to improve health and physical condition, and, on the other hand, promotes peaceful competition among nations which is settled by the victors and the vanquished on the field of action -- competition in which all are winners, since those who are in training for the Games and contribute to them are enriched by their participation.

Anyone who has engaged in sport at any time in life is well aware of the beneficial effects of such activities on the body and the mind. I remember arriving on my bicycle at Olympia in the Peloponnesus several years ago after covering 150 kilometres in a day. It was probably at that moment that, overcome by fatigue and the freshness of the nature which surrounded me, and after pushing my body to its limits, I grasped the meaning of the Olympic Ideal for the individual and how seeking one's physical limits gives human beings a joy and sense of accomplishment and self-control which produces individuals who are better able to navigate through the complexity of existence without resorting, we would hope, to the frustration that leads to violence. Many social problems, as well as the apathy of many young people, could be remedied by practising sports in the spirit of the Olympic Ideal.

It would be Utopian to imagine that two nations in conflict could say to each other: "You know what, Nation X, let us meet at the Olympic Games in Nagano, and the winner between our two ski teams will decide in whose favour our border conflict will be settled". It would also be illogical, since the aim of diplomacy is, if possible, to find a rational and reasonable solution to existing conflicts on the basis of facts and logic. "Winner take all" is the logic of war and it is not acceptable to us. But confrontation through the Olympic Games, in the spirit of competition and fraternity which inspires them, allows an escape valve for nations' aspirations as an extension of the psychological aspirations of the individuals who make them up. When the athletes parade in a stadium, each representing their own country, with equal chances, from nations large and small, we are proud of our own athletes and admire those of other nations. And no lives are lost. On the contrary, even those who do less well emerge better trained from the Games and all nations feel that they are winners.

For all these reasons, the Principality of Andorra associates itself with those countries which, like us, have sponsored the draft resolution on building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic Ideal. My country would like to urge all States to observe the Olympic Truce during the Games of the XXIII Winter Olympiad, to be held in Nagano from 7 to 22 February 1998.

The small countries which are Members of the United Nations have always demonstrated particular sensitivity to the ideals of the Olympic spirit, and in this connection I would like to salute Monaco and His Serene Highness Prince Albert, and also its Ambassador here, for the steadfast support they have given for the presence of the United Nations in the Olympic movement. This is perhaps because small States are obliged by their histories to understand better the "zero sum game" of wars and the "positive sum game" of competition through sport. We are States which win few medals at the Olympic Games, but which participate with determination.

When the flag of the United Nations flies high over the mountains of Japan next February, we will be there.

Ms. Wensley (Australia)

Australia is very pleased to support and to sponsor the draft resolution before the Assembly. Quite frankly, it is one which we believe no country could oppose -- promoting international understanding through sport and culture; advocating active support for the concept of the Olympic Truce; underscoring the importance of youth; and linking the Olympic Ideal to those of the Charter, which all United Nations Members have pledged to pursue independently and collectively.

The Government of Australia, as proud host to the XXVII Olympiad in the year 2000, has a clear and positive interest in supporting this draft resolution. We are especially proud to have secured the Games that will mark the end of one millennium and the beginning of another. We will be doing our utmost to ensure that the Games represent the values and the ideals not only of Australia -- a country which I believe is known for its egalitarianism, for the friendliness of its peoples and for its commitment to a fair go for all -- and of the International Olympic Committee, but also of the United Nations.

The last preambular paragraph of the draft resolution refers to the increasing number of joint endeavours of the International Olympic Committee and of the United Nations system, for example in the fields of development, humanitarian assistance, protection of the environment, and health promotion and education. I can assure you that Australia is working energetically to incorporate all of these elements into our planning for the 2000 Games.

With regard to the environment, we are planning to make these Games the greenest Games ever. As Australia's former Ambassador for the environment, I actually had the privilege of presenting what were called our "bid books" to the President of the International Olympic Committee and members of his Committee in Lausanne, and we placed particular emphasis on our plans for the "Green Games". We are implementing the principles of environmental protection and promotion throughout the construction of the facilities, the design of the athletes' village and the entire management of the Games.

Secondly, with respect to health promotion and education, let me make particular mention of just one thing, and that is the Para-Olympics. These will be held in conjunction with the Sydney Olympics and they are going to involve 4000 athletes from 125 countries, competing in 18 sporting events. That, we understand, will be the largest number of Para-Olympic athletes ever to participate in such games. And we want, here too, to set new standards of excellence and of participation in dignity and in safety.

With respect to development, holding the Games in what is obviously a multicultural society located in the Asia-Pacific region will, we believe, give the XXVII Olympics a very distinct development profile. Special efforts are being made to assist developing countries, particularly small States, to facilitate their participation in the Games and in sports training in preparation for the Games. Special efforts are also under way to feature the peoples of Oceania in the opening ceremonies and in the overall celebrations to welcome the world to the region which bears the name Pacific, part of our Olympic and United Nations ideal. Our indigenous people will also have a particular role to play, consistent with the importance that we attach to the promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples.

I have chosen just a few examples to try to bring some practicality to the words that are on the paper of the draft resolution and to underscore the important linkages between the Olympics and the United Nations and the elements that we are seeking to reflect in the Olympic events and celebrations of fairness, tolerance, equity, cooperation and harmony among peoples and with our environment.

It is for all these reasons that Australia supports fully the decision of the International Olympic Committee, as reflected in operative paragraph 5 of the draft resolution, to fly the United Nations flag at all competition sites of the Olympic Games. This sounds a very simple proposition, but quite frankly, at a time when we are all working to reform this Organization, when we want to raise its profile and to persuade the sceptics and the critics of the United Nations of its relevance and its capacity to respond to the needs of all Members, this is especially important.

And again, to go from the rhetoric to the reality, when one thinks about the numbers of people who will see that flag flying, then I think it makes the point. We are estimating that over 10,000 athletes, and approximately 5,000 officials, from some 200 countries will participate in the Games. We are expecting 15,000 media representatives from around the world to come to Sydney, and they will bring the Games to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 3.5 billion people. That is why the flying of the United Nations flag will be so important. It will be a visible daily reminder of the shared ideals of the United Nations and of the International Olympic Committee, something that will reaffirm visibly, simply and directly the importance of the United Nations and the commitment of all participants in the Olympics not just to sport and the ideal of sporting prowess, but to the promotion of international cooperation.

Mr. Pham Quang Vinh (Viet Nam)

It is my pleasure to address this plenary meeting on agenda item 24, "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic Ideal".

I would begin my statement by conveying our appreciation to Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the International Olympic Committee, for the valuable contribution that he and the Committee have made to the cause of sports and peace. More particularly, His Excellency the Minister of Viet Nam Youth, Mr. Ha Quang Du, Chairman of the Viet Nam Sports Commission and President of the Viet Nam Olympic Committee, has requested my delegation to take this occasion to convey to the President, to the General Assembly and to Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch the compliments and deep appreciation of Viet Nam.

The Olympic Games have long been a significant phenomenon in our society. They promote international understanding, solidarity and friendship among peoples, particularly among the youth of the world, through sport and culture. They also serve the cause of peace and help to promote the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

We take note with great satisfaction of the initiative on the promotion of the ancient Greek tradition of ekecheria, or "Olympic Truce". Dedicated to the noble spirit of fraternity and understanding between peoples, this tradition has recently been revived as a serious call for all hostilities to cease during the Olympic Games, thereby mobilizing the people and the youth of the world in the cause of peace. Viet Nam and its Olympic Committee therefore welcome and strongly support the observance of the Olympic Truce during all Olympic Games, particularly during the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, which will be held in Nagano, Japan, in February 1998.

We are encouraged by the fact that this initiative enjoys the broad support of the international community. A clear expression of this support and aspiration is reflected in the large number of sponsors of the draft resolution now before the General Assembly. We take this opportunity to join our voice to the common call on States Members of the United Nations to support and cooperate with the International Olympic Committee in its efforts to promote the Olympic Truce and the contribution of this ideal to the world. On the threshold of the twenty-first century, for the Olympic Games and sports, among others, the ideal of an Olympic Truce will be of great value. We also urge Member States to continue to observe this ideal.

The Government of Viet Nam has always attached great importance to the development of sport and the promotion of peace, solidarity and friendship among the peoples of the world, including the observance of this Ideal in Viet Nam and in regional and international sports competitions. The Vietnamese Government sent a high-ranking representative delegation to attend the seminar on "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic Ideal". Viet Nam has therefore decided to co-sponsor the draft resolution entitled "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic Ideal", as contained in document A/52/L.23/Rev.1.

I should like to conclude by confirming our resolve to try our best to successfully implement the Olympic Truce and the Olympic Charter in Viet Nam. We join the sponsors of the draft resolution before us in recommending that the item be included on the agenda of the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly.

The Acting President

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item.

I should like to announce that since the introduction of draft resolution A/52/L.23/Rev.1, the following countries have become its co-sponsors: India and Pakistan.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/52/L.23/Rev.1.

May I take it that the General Assembly decides to adopt the draft resolution?

The Acting President

The General Assembly has concluded the present stage of its consideration of agenda item 24.