(ATR) IOC President Thomas Bach says that refugee athletes who qualify for the Olympic Games will be invited to participate under the Olympic Flag.
Bach, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, said that allowing their participation it will bring "symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world," especially given the current migration crises worldwide.
"Having no national team to belong to, having no flag to march behind, having no national anthem to be played, refugee athletes will be welcomed to the Olympic Games with the Olympic Flag and with the Olympic Anthem, and will have a home together with all the other 11,000 athletes in the Olympic Village," Bach said in his speech.
"The mission of the IOC is to put sport at the service of humanity. This is why today we are reaffirming our strong commitment to the United Nations and its Member States to work in partnership towards making our shared goals a reality."
By ensuring that all peoples around the world have access to participating in the Olympic games, it will help the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics "provide a spectacular stage to showcase the best of the human spirit" according to Bach.
Bach emphasized the collaboration between the United Nations and the IOC, especially in the wake of Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms. He cited the reforms as an example of good governance in sport, and emphasized a UN resolution passed earlier this year calling for the autonomy of sport.
In that spirit of good governance, Bach said that sport is "the only area of human existence that has achieved universal law," and that area manifests itself in the Olympic Truce.
Bach, along with leaders from Rio 2016, presented the Olympic Truce to the General Assembly. Signed before the Games, the Olympic Truce serves as a UN Resolution calling for a cessation of war during the Olympics.
"With your support for the resolution on the Olympic Truce today, it is my hope that the Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016 will become synonymous with the efforts of the international community to build a peaceful and better world for all through sport," Bach said.
Carlos Nuzman, president of the Rio 2016 organizing committee, said that "sport could help solidarity and better education, social inclusion, peace and hope for the generations to come" in a speech before the General Assembly.
He thanked the IOC for bringing the power of the Olympic Games and the ideals of the Olympic movement to the continent of South America for the first time, "opening a getaway to 180 million young people," Nuzman said.
"Rio is ready to deliver history. Peace is the only fair future for humanity. We have to create the lasting legacy of peace for young people."
After presenting their speeches to the UN, Bach and Nuzman will travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees from Oct. 29-30.
Written by Aaron Bauer in Washington, DC
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