The Olympic Ideal.

The Olympic Ideal

Commission on Human Rights resolution 1996/45

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling the basic principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which, inter alia, provide that it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations and that education shall be directed to the full development of the personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and to promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations for the maintenance of peace, Recalling also the value of the equal rights of men and women to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights and the recognition of the right of everyone to take part in cultural life, Recalling further General Assembly resolution 48/11 of 25 October 1993 in which, inter alia, the Assembly, recognizing that the goal of the Olympic Movement is to build a peaceful and better world by educating the youth of the world through sport, practised without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding, promoted by friendship, solidarity and fair play, recognized the efforts to restore the ancient Greek tradition of ekecheria, or Olympic Truce, calling for all hostilities to cease during the Olympic Games, thereby mobilizing the youth of the world in the cause of peace, Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 50/13 of 7 November 1995 on the Olympic Ideal, Taking into account in particular the sixth preambular paragraph of General Assembly resolution 49/29 of 7 December 1994,

1. Stresses the importance of the principles of the Olympic Charter, according to which any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, sex or otherwise is incompatible with the Olympic Movement;

2. Reaffirms that sports may contribute to the promotion and social integration of target groups, such as women and youth;

3. Expresses its satisfaction that the General Assembly, at its fiftieth session, decided to include in its agenda a biennial item entitled "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic Ideal", to be considered in advance of each Summer and Winter Olympic Games;

4. Maintains its support for the Olympic Ideal on the occasion of the eve of the centenary of the revival of the Olympic Games in 1896 at Athens, at the initiative of a French educator, Baron Pierre de Coubertin;

5. Recognizes that the Olympic Games have exemplified excellence through education and cultural expression;

6. Reaffirms once again the valuable contribution of the Olympic Movement to the promotion, protection and implementation of human rights and to the creation of global friendship and the maintenance of world peace;

7. Urges all States to take the necessary and appropriate measures for the equal and full participation, without any discrimination, of women and men in the Olympic Games in accordance with the spirit of the Olympic Ideal and the principles of the Olympic Movement.

52nd meeting 19 April 1996 [Adopted without a vote]