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51st Plenary Meeting of General Assembly: 50th Session - Part 1
Wide support was expressed in the General Assembly this afternoon for honouring an "Olympic truce" during the forthcoming Olympic Games as speakers stressed the importance of sport and the Olympic Ideal in building a better world.
Continuing the Assembly's consideration of a draft on the Olympic Ideal, the representative of Jamaica urged the international community not to give up hope that lasting peace could be achieved in the world; "to remember that anything is possible; that the system of apartheid has been dismantled, the Berlin Wall has fallen and that at the last Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, a tiny tropical island State which has experienced neither snow nor ice, entered the bobsleigh competition for the third time, and finished ahead of some of the veterans of the sport".
The representative of Greece said the philosophical nucleus of the ancient Greek spirit in the world athletic movement was being superseded by extreme commercialization that turned fans into hooligans, athletes into ruthless professionals and clubs into trading companies. It also seemed unable to confront the plagues of drug abuse and violence. He expressed the hope that the world in general and the International Olympic Committee in particular would acknowledge the moral debt owed to Greece by giving that country the honour of hosting the Olympic Games at the turn of the century.
The representative of Canada stressed the importance of instituting strong measures to anti-doping -- the illegal use of drugs by athletes -- including unannounced testing. He called on Member States to reinforce their mutual cooperation in international anti-doping efforts.
Particular attention was drawn to the benefits of promoting sport among the disabled. The representative of Austria said the Special Olympics gave individuals who found themselves marginalized and even humiliated by society the chance, by way of sports, to be at the centre of attention, to feel large- scale support and to become heroes.
Also this afternoon, the Acting President of the Assembly extended deepest sympathy to the Government and people of the Philippines for the tragic loss of life and extensive material damage which had resulted from the recent typhoon.
The representative of the Philippines said his country would like to acknowledge the expressions of sympathy for the unfortunate victims of the super typhoon "Angela" which struck the Philippines last Friday. "As we pick up the pieces and start rebuilding our lives, we take comfort in the knowledge that our friends and neighbours are with us during this time of adversity".
Other statements were made this afternoon by the representatives of Romania, Swaziland, Nepal, Portugal, Senegal, Colombia, Iraq, Japan, Guyana, Cyprus and Viet Nam.
The General Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 7 November, to continue its consideration of sport and the Olympic Ideal; to begin consideration of the report of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991; and to take up a draft resolution on a universal congress on the Panama Canal.
For further details please see source:
MEETINGS COVERAGE
For further details please see official record:
A/50/PV.51
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