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Photo: The Refugee Olympic Team in Bayeux, Normandy where they gathered for a pre-Games training camp before travelling to Paris. Credit: IOC/John Huet - Photo: 2024

UNHCR Chief Hails Refugee Athletes as A Beacon of Hope and Peace

By Jaya Ramachandran

PARIS | 27 July 2024 (IDN) — The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, has urged the world to follow the example of the refugee teams that are competing, as they promote peaceful co-existence and mutual respect.

“Sport is a symbol of hope and of peace, which are sadly in short supply in our world today,” Grandi said at the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on 26 July. “The refugee team is a beacon for people everywhere. These athletes show what can be achieved when talent is recognized and developed, and when people have opportunities to train and compete alongside the best. They are nothing short of an inspiration.”

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@FilippoGrandi

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is partnering with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee and the Olympic Refuge Foundation to support refugees at the Paris Games.

Grandi, a Vice-Chair of the Olympic Refuge Foundation, participated in the torch relay, representing UNHCR as well as the world’s 120 million forcibly displaced people.

Grandi has become the third recipient of the Olympic Laurel, an IOC award to honour outstanding achievements in education, culture, development and peace through sport. He accepted the award on behalf of UNHCR at the Opening Ceremony on 26 July.

The UNHCR noted that conflicts and emergencies can be found in every corner of the world, forcibly displacing millions of people from their homes in countries from Sudan to Ukraine, the State of Palestine, Myanmar and beyond. Grandi joined UN Secretary General António Guterres in calling for full global respect of the Olympic Truce, a custom of halting all hostilities from before to after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The UN General Assembly adopted the truce for Paris in November 2023.

“Sport is also vital for millions of refugees, of all ages and abilities,” the UNHCR chief added. “It brings people together, benefits mental and physical health, gives children positive role models, and teaches valuable life lessons. Our partnership with the IOC is cherished and valuable, and I look forward to seeing it grow.”

At the Paris 2024 Games, 37 brave refugee athletes are participating, the largest team to compete since the inception of IOC refugee teams at the Rio Games in 2016. [IDN-InDepthNrews]

Photo: The Refugee Olympic Team in Bayeux, Normandy where they gathered for a pre-Games training camp before travelling to Paris. Credit: IOC/John Huet

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