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UN general assembly calls for ‘Olympic truce’ for Beijing winter games

THE UN general assembly has urged all nations to “observe a truce” during the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.

A halt to all conflicts during the Games, which have traditionally been seen as a “tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation” according to the resolution, would revive the original Olympic Truce or “ekecheiria,” when ancient Greek city states would pause ongoing conflicts to ensure safe passage and participation of athletes in the Games.

Anti-China groups have pressed for a boycott of China’s Winter Olympics on a range of grounds including accusations that China is incarcerating Muslims in the Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region, a claim Beijing rejects.

 UN general assembly president Abdulla Shahid said that sport “brings together people of every religion, race, ethnicity and political background to celebrate humanity’s athletic prowess and potential.”
 
The pandemic showed that “all of humanity shares a common destiny” and should reinforce the aspiration for world peace, he said.
 
China introduced the resolution, which was co-sponsored by 173 countries.

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