IOC Session kicks off second day of meeting with strong message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres
The 138th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) kicked off its second day of proceedings in Tokyo with UN Secretary-General António Guterres paying tribute to the athletes at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Olympic spirit.
In a video message that will also be shown in the stadium during the Opening Ceremony, the Secretary-General said: “The Olympic spirit brings out humanity’s best: Teamwork and solidarity. Talent. Tolerance. It inspires and unifies us in troubled times.”
He noted that the Olympians who will compete in Tokyo will have “overcome enormous obstacles and demonstrated great determination”, and added: “If we bring that same energy to our global challenges, we can achieve anything.”
The Secretary-General opened his remarks by thanking Japan for hosting the Games and closed by telling the Olympic athletes: “The United Nations is honoured to be your teammate every step of the way."
Just four days ago, Guterres had called on all Member States to observe the Olympic Truce, a traditional call for peace that dates back to the ancient Olympic Games. The Truce period runs from 16 July to 12 September, seven days before the Olympic Games and seven days after the Paralympic Games.