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Kofi Annan: UN and Olympics Share Same Ideals
Tolerance, equality, fair play are the same ideals that shared by the United Nations and the Olympics, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a message.
"Together, the Olympics and the United Nations can be a winning team," he said Thursday. But he warned that the "contest will not be won easily." "War, intolerance and deprivation continue to stalk the earth. We must fight back. Just as athletes strive for world records, so must we strive for world peace," he said.
Annan praised the International Olympic Committee for reviving the ancient Greek tradition of the "Olympic Truce," calling for all hostilities to cease during the Sydney Games.
"I join the United Nations General Assembly in urging all those at war to observe the Olympic Truce," he said. "This may sound unrealistic. But as any athlete will tell you, nothing happens without a dream."
The secretary-general added there is increasing interest in the power of sports to promote a culture of peace, and he praised the establishment in Greece of the International Olympic Truce Center under IOC auspices.
"Let us all now enjoy this inspiring spectacle, and let us sustain the momentum of peace and goodwill so admirably set in motion," he said.
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