Olympic Truce
What is "Olympic Truce"?
The tradition of the “Olympic Truce”, or “Ekecheiria”, was established in Ancient Greece in the ninth century BC through the signing of a treaty between three kings – Iphitos of Elis, Cleosthenes of Pisa and Lycurgus of Sparta – to allow safe participation in the ancient Olympic Games for all athletes and spectators from these Greek city-states, which were otherwise almost constantly engaged in conflict with each other.
Taking into account the new political reality in which sport and the Olympic Games exist, the IOC decided to revive the concept of the Olympic Truce for the Olympic Games, with a view to protecting, as far as possible, the interests of the athletes and sport in general, and to harness the power of sport to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliationmore broadly.
Since 1993, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly has repeatedly expressed its support for the Olympic Truce ideal and for the IOC’s mission by adopting, every two years – one year before each edition of the Olympic Games – a resolution entitled "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal".
United Nations General Assembly adopts, every two years – one year before each edition of the Olympic Games – a resolution.
Visit the United Nations website to consult all solemn appeals of the President of the General Assembly, Secretary-General’s messages and Olympic Truce resolutions.
The tradition of the Olympic Truce dates back to the 9th century BC, in Ancient Greece. The International Olympic Committee decided to revive this ancient concept in order to protect the interests of the athletes and sport in general.
In line with the Fundamental Principles of the Olympic Charter, the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games are required to carry out various activities in the period leading up to and during the Games.
In the framework of promoting peace through sport and the Olympic ideal, the International Olympic Truce Centre (IOTC) was founded in July 2000 by a joint initiative of the IOC and Greece. Its headquarters are in Athens, with a symbolic office in Olympia.