United Nations Calls for Global Observance of Olympic Truce To Ensure Safe Passage for Athletes and Officials Attending Milano Cortina 2026
International Olympic Committee news
With seven days to go to the Opening Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Annalena Baerbock, issued a solemn appeal urging all Member States to uphold the Olympic Truce. This is a longstanding tradition ensuring safe passage for athletes and officials attending the Olympic Games. President Baerbock welcomed the leadership of Olympic athletes in promoting peace and human understanding through sport and the Olympic ideal.
Key facts
- 30 January marks the first day of the Olympic Truce period for Milano Cortina 2026.
- UNGA President Annalena Baerbock issued a solemn appeal calling on all UN Member States to support and uphold the Truce.
- President Baerbock recalled that the Olympic Games bring together athletes from all parts of the world in the greatest of international sports events as a means to promote peace and mutual understanding.
The appeal emphasises that: “The Olympic Truce proves that, even in times of division, humanity can still find common ground through sport, and that through friendly competition we can rise above our divisions and reaffirm our common humanity.”
The appeal recalls the unique role of the Olympic Games in bridging divides: “The Games will bring together athletes from all parts of the world in the greatest of international sports events as a means to promote peace, mutual understanding, the rule of law and goodwill among nations and peoples — goals that are also part of the founding values of the United Nations.”
“I solemnly appeal to all Member States to demonstrate their commitment to the Olympic Truce for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and to undertake concrete actions at the local, national, regional and world levels to promote and strengthen a culture of peace and harmony based on the spirit of the Truce,” President Baerbock said.
Read the complete text of the solemn appeal here
The Olympic Truce
The tradition of the “Olympic Truce”, or “Ekecheiria”, was established in Ancient Greece to allow safe participation in the ancient Olympic Games for all athletes and spectators.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to revive the concept of the Olympic Truce for the Olympic Games, with a view to protecting, as far as possible, the interests of the athletes and sport in general, and to harness the power of sport to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation more broadly.
Since 1993, the United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly expressed its support for the Olympic Truce ideal and for the IOC’s mission by adopting, every two years – one year before each edition of the Olympic Games – a resolution entitled “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal”.
The Olympic Truce Resolution for Milano Cortina 2026 was adopted on 19 November 2025 by the 80th Session of the UNGA in New York. The resolution calls on Member States to observe the Olympic Truce from seven days before the start of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games (6 to 22 February 2026) until seven days after the end of the Paralympic Winter Games (6 to 15 March 2026), ensuring safe passage and participation for athletes and officials.
