(BEIJING, October 29) -- Mario Pescante, Chairman of the IOC's International Relations Commission, said Tuesday in Rome that 176 of the 192 Member States of the United Nations clearly indicated their support for an Olympic Truce proposal during the Beijing Olympic Games next year, Xinhua news agency reported.
Before leaving for the UN General Assembly in New York, Pescante told the press that the main purpose of IOC President Jacques Rogge's and his attending the assembly is to encourage the assembly to pass a motion on ceasing wars and conflicts during the 2008 Olympic Games.
He stressed that the move will send a positive message to the international community, encouraging all countries and regions to inherit historic traditions, restore peace in war zones and realize the tenet for peace as advocated by the Olympic Movement.
The tradition of the Olympic Truce dates back to the 9th century BC, in Ancient Greece. The IOC decided to revive the tradition to protect the interests of the athletes and sports, and launched the first initiatives, in collaboration with the United Nations in 1992, which enabled athletes of the former Republic of Yugoslavia to join in the Barcelona Games.