The Olympic Truce and UNICEF
A Review by Horst Cerni
Almost three thousand years ago, "international" sports competitions took place between several Greek city states. In 776 BC these were expanded to include Iberia and Turkey and officially became the Olympic Games. From the very beginning, the Games included a promise – the "Ekecheiria" - a Truce – between all participating nations allowing athletes and spectators safe access to the venues. It did not mean a lasting peace or the end of all fighting, Nevertheless, the ancient Olympics were harmonious and brought people together. They took place every four years until the fourth century AD.
The modern Olympic Games began in 1896 in Athens, but it took almost 100 years for the Olympic Truce to be reinstated. In 1992, the International Olympic Committee urged the UN General Assembly to allow athletes from the warring factions of former Yugoslavia to participate at the Summer Games in Barcelona. On 25 October in 1993, the UN General Assembly adopted the Olympic Truce Resolution “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal” and declaring 1994 “the International Year of Sports".
UNICEF had already established a good relationship with FIFA, the world body of Football (Soccer) since 1979, the International Year of the Child. Many National Committees were also in touch with local sports organizations to promote UNICEF's goals and to raise funds. It therefore was logical that we should also approach the International Olympic Committee.
In February of 1993, Mr. Grant met with the President of the IOC, Juan Antonio Samaranch, and agreed that their respective organizations would collaborate. Within the year, Mr. Grant and President Smaranch signed the agreement attached below at IOC Headquarters in Lausanne on 28 January 1994.
Mr.Grant emphasized UNICEF's experiences with Corridors of Peace and Days of Tranquility and the importance of protecting children and providing the necessary health care so that eventually they could become Olympic athletes. The IOC was appreciative of our experiences and agreed that we could put up posters at the upcoming Winter Olympics (February 1994) in Lillehammer, Norway, and distribute a leaflet to the athletes. GCO produced two color posters (English and French) and the leaflet "Children: A Truce for the Future". I got accreditation from the IOC to make the necessary arrangements. We also held a press conference with our Goodwill Ambassador Liv Ullmann to invite athletes to support UNICEF.
The main concern at this time was to stop the fighting in the former Yugoslavia and to allow the
athletes from the various factions to participate at the Olympics. According to the IOC this was achieved, although the fighting continued until the peace agreement in 1995.
Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly has re-issued the Resolution of the Olympic Truce every two years preceding the Olympic games. Also, there is now a UN Office on Sports for Development and Peace (UNOSOP) in Geneva and with a Liaison office in NY. In addition, the IOC established the International Olympic Truce Foundation and the International Truce Center in Athens to encourage peace studies.
As can be seen from this agreement of collaboration with the IOC, there are challenges and opportunities for UNICEF to jointly work on health programs and to actively pursue corridors of peace and days of tranquility, not only during the Olympic Games, but hopefully beyond.
These are the planned dates of the upcoming Olympic Games:
Tokyo July 2021,
Beijing February 2022,
Paris July-August 2024,
Milan/Cortina February 2026, and
Los Angeles July/August 2028.
Below are the IOC Press Releases with the Agreement of Collaboration with UNICEF in both English and French.
You can also open and download the English version by clicking here
and the French version by clicking here.
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