UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Friday appealed for the observance of the Olympic Truce, calling on everyone engaged in armed hostilities to lay down their weapons and cease hostilities.

"The participants in the Sochi Games may carry the flags of many nations, but they come together under the shared banner of equality, fair play, mutual respect and non-discrimination," Ban said in his message.

"I encourage all those involved in the games -- governments, groups, organizations and individuals -- to uphold and defend these core Olympic ideals," he said.

Ban said his thoughts "are with the people of Syria, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan," as well as the victims of the recent bombings in Volgograd, near Sochi.

"The Olympic Truce is rooted in the hope that if people and nations can put aside their differences for one day, they can build on that to establish more lasting cease-fires and find paths towards durable peace, prosperity and human rights," he said. "For these next few weeks, may the torch of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi remind us what is possible when nations unite."

Just three days ago, UN General Assembly President John W. Ashe issued his own solemn appeal for UN member states to observe the historic tradition of ceasing hostilities ahead of the Games.

The symbolic truce starts one week before the XXII Olympic Winter Games, due to take place on Feb. 7-23, and will run until a week after the closing of the XI Paralympic Winter Games, to be held on March 7-16.

In November, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the truce, as it has for each Olympics since 1993.

The ancient Greek tradition of the ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, was born in the eighth century BC "to encourage a peaceful environment and ensure safe passage, access and participation for athletes and relevant persons at the Games, thereby mobilizing the youth of the world to the cause of peace."