UN General Assembly president calls for commitment to Olympic Truce for 2026 Winter Games

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock on Friday made a solemn appeal for commitment to the Olympic Truce for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

At a plenary session of the General Assembly, Baerbock appealed to all member states "to undertake concrete actions at the local, national, regional and world levels to promote and strengthen a culture of peace and harmony based on the spirit of the truce."

"I also call upon all warring parties of current armed conflicts around the world to boldly agree to true mutual ceasefires for the duration of the Olympic Truce, thus providing an opportunity to settle disputes peacefully," she said. "May its implementation reaffirm our shared conviction that, even in a divided world, unity remains possible and respect for our common rules means that we all win."

The General Assembly adopted a resolution on Nov. 19, 2025 to urge UN member states to observe the Olympic Truce throughout seven days before the start of the XXV Olympic Winter Games until seven days after the conclusion of the XIV Paralympic Winter Games.

The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from Feb. 6 to 22 and March 6 to 15, respectively. ■