A major first in Olympic history, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, addressed all the IOC members gathered in Session this Thursday, February 6, as a prelude to the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. He touted the joint efforts of the UN and the IOC to make sport a vehicle for social change, describing the two organizations as two members of the same team. “This team – the United Nations and the IOC – do not compete on ski slopes or ice rinks. We join forces in service of the ideals we share. Sustainability. Universality. Solidarity. No discrimination. The fundamental equality of all individuals. » Ban Ki-moon renewed his call on all belligerents around the world to observe the Olympic Truce. After his address to the Session, Ban Ki-moon attended the debate on the role of the IOC in society and received a torch from IOC President Thomas Bach, hours before the UN Secretary General runs with him for the Olympic torch relay in Sochi.
— Published February 6, 2014
