Global perspective Human stories

Olympic Truce Foundation to meet at UN Headquarters

Olympic Truce Foundation to meet at UN Headquarters

The International Olympic Truce Foundation's Board of Directors will meet next Tuesday at United Nations Headquarters, a UN spokesman announced today.

Fred Eckhard told correspondents in New York that Secretary-General Kofi Annan would address the meeting, which would be attended by, among others, Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and George A. Papandreou, Foreign Minister of Greece, where the 2004 Olympics will be held.

A statue would be presented to the UN at the meeting that would go on display whenever the Olympic Truce was in effect, Mr. Eckhard said.

The International Olympic Truce Foundation, which is based in Athens, was founded by the IOC to further the interests of athletes and sport in general and to contribute to the search for peaceful and diplomatic solutions to the various conflicts around the world. Mr. Samaranch serves as the Foundation's Chairman and Mr. Papandreou as its Vice-Chairman.

In another sports-related event, Mr. Annan will meet on Monday with his Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, former Swiss President Adolf Ogi. Mr. Eckhard said the meeting would be the first since the appointment of Mr. Ogi, who in his capacity as Special Adviser will identify programmes in the UN system that might benefit from the involvement of sports organizations.