Olympic Truce

The Olympic Truce is a tradition originating from ancient Greece that dates back to 776 BC. A "truce" (from Ancient Greekἐκεχειρία (ékécheiria)'laying down of arms') was announced before and during the Olympic Games to ensure the host city state (Elis) was not attacked and athletes and spectators could travel safely to the Games and peacefully return to their respective countries. King Iphitos of Elis, Lycurgus of Sparta and Kleosthenes of Pisa made this treaty which remained respected by all ancient Greeks as international law. By this law the territories of Elis and Olympia were made sacrosanct so that no army or armed men could enter there, and all wars must stop for the month of the games (later extended to 3 months) to allow athletes and followers to travel and take part. The treaty was recorded by the Eleians on a bronze disc which was kept in the Temple of Hera at Olympia. It was respected for centuries and violations were punished by the Olympic Council with heavy fines and other penalties.

In 1992, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) renewed this tradition by calling upon all nations to observe the Truce during the modern Games. The non-binding Truce was revived by United Nations Resolution 48/11 of 25 October 1993, as well by the United Nations Millennium Declaration relating to the world peace and security. Every two years since the 1993 resolution, the United Nations has adopted, with varying levels of consensus, a resolution reaffirming the ideals of the Olympic Truce.

In 1996, the Athens Bid Committee committed to revive the Olympic Truce and promoting it to the world through the Olympic flame relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Three years later, the IOC announced the establishment of the International Olympic Truce Foundation and the International Olympic Truce Centre in cooperation with Greece. The vision was to protect the interests of athletes and sport, and to promote peaceful principles in the modern day. Each host city was encouraged to embrace the meaning and spirit of the Olympic Truce in the planning and staging of the Games.

The modern Olympic Truce starts one week before the main opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and ends one week after the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games. The non-binding Truce has been violated multiple times in the modern history of the Games. In 2008, Russia started its war in Georgia, annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This violation was a contributing factor to Russian and Belarusian athletes being banned from the 2022 Winter Paralympics, and the subsequent suspension of most Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Summer Olympics and 2026 Winter Olympics. In 2026, Israel and the United States launched airstrikes on Iran; this has led to no sporting sanctions or boycotts.