20 September 2024 – As the world marks the International Day of Peace on 21 September, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reflects on how the Olympic Games Paris 2024 showcased sport’s ability to bring people together and foster a culture of peace.

One of the most unique aspects of the Olympic Games is how athletes from the territories of all 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team live peacefully together in the Olympic Village, while competing fiercely against each other for a place on the podium.

In the Olympic Village, athletes set aside the conflicts and differences that divide the world. They share their meals and experiences, and spend time together in a spirit of respect and friendship that only the Olympic Games can create. In Paris, athletes respected each other on and off the field of play, with no incident reported during the 16 days of competitions.

This demonstration of peaceful coexistence was highlighted by IOC President Thomas Bach while addressing the athletes during the Games: “During all this time, you lived peacefully together under one roof in the Olympic Village,” he said. “You embraced each other. You respected each other, even if your countries are divided by war and conflict. You created a culture of peace.”

The unique role that athletes at the Games can play in inspiring peace was further highlighted during the unveiling of the Paris 2024 Olympic Truce Mural in the Olympic Village.

Calling the athletes competing in Paris “peace ambassadors of our time’” President Bach invited them to share their messages with the world: “Please share this call for peace with all your fans, your family and friends back home. In this way, our many voices will become one. This one voice will resound all around the globe. May this call inspire all the political leaders of the world to take action for peace,” Bach said.

“You – the Olympic athletes – show us how our world would be if we all lived in the same Olympic spirit of peaceful coexistence. In this way, you are sending a resounding message of peace from Paris to the world.”

Thomas Bach, IOC President

“Cultivating a Culture of Peace”

Just as the Olympic Truce calls on all nations to cease hostilities during the period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the United Nations (UN) urges the world to observe 24 hours of non-violence and ceasefire on 21 September each year in honour of the International Day of Peace.

This year’s theme is “Cultivating a Culture of Peace” and marks the 25^th anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.

That declaration notes that peace “not only is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation”.

As the athletes of Paris 2024 have shown us, the Olympic Games are a powerful platform for cultivating peace, reminding us that the Olympic values can help build a better world.

“We know that the Olympic Games cannot create peace. But the Olympic Games can create a culture of peace that inspires the world. This is why I call on everyone who shares this Olympic spirit: let us live this culture of peace every single day,” President Bach said.