The theme for this year’s World Peace Day is “End Racism. Building the world. this has a special resonance for the IOC and the Olympic Movement.

The fundamental idea of ​​the Olympic Games is to unite the whole world in a peaceful competition. Peace is at the heart of this mission.

At the Olympics, athletes epitomize this peaceful mission as they cast aside the differences that divide the world. Member States compete fiercely with each other for the top prize while living peacefully under the same roof in the Olympic Village. This makes the Olympic Games a powerful symbol of peace.

But peace means much more than just putting our differences aside. It is about creating a better world where everyone can thrive, where people are treated equally and where there is no place for racism and all forms of discrimination.

Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games to promote peace through sport. He declared: “We will not have peace until the prejudices that now separate the various races are overcome.”

Therefore, non-discrimination is in the DNA of the IOC and the Olympic Games. Everyone is equal in the Games, regardless of race, social origin, gender, sexual orientation or political opinion. The principle of non-discrimination is enshrined in the Olympic Charter. Athletes bring this principle to life during the Olympic Games, inspiring billions of people around the world.

When it comes to building a lasting peace, non-discrimination alone is not enough. It is not enough to respect each other – we must go one step further and support each other. We must be united and in solidarity. Without solidarity there is no peace.

Solidarity is at the heart of the Olympic Games. That is why the IOC redistributes 90% of all its income to support athletes and develop sports around the world.

Driven by our commitment to solidarity, the IOC created the first Refugee Olympic Team for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and another for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, refugee athletes competed side by side – together with teams from all other National Olympic Committees, sending a message of hope and inclusion to all refugees in the world. Without a national team, without a flag to march under, without an anthem to play, and without a home to call our own, we welcomed refugee athletes to the Olympics with an Olympic flag and an Olympic anthem. We gave them a house in the Olympic Village. The Olympic message of this emotional moment was: you are our brethren and you enrich our Olympic community.

Today we stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian Olympic community. What is true for Ukraine is also true for other members of our Olympic community. We are a global organization. That’s why we support the Olympic communities in Afghanistan, Yemen and many other places affected by wars and conflicts around the world.

These solidarity efforts are also at the heart of our desire for better understanding between people. In this way, the IOC builds bridges across sport and paves the way for better understanding, peace and reconciliation. This has been the case in recent years in many conflict situations, for example, in North and South Korea, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Serbia, Kosovo, Israel, Palestine, Iran and many others.

At a time when humanity is simultaneously facing so many existential crises, our mission of peace and solidarity is more important than ever.

The Olympics cannot prevent wars and conflicts. They cannot withstand all the political and social challenges of the world in which we live. But they can set an example for a world where everyone respects the same rules and each other.

A new world order is being created. Today we already see that this new world order will be more divisive than the one we are fighting for.

This unfortunate trend is diametrically opposed to our Olympic mission of bringing the world together in a peaceful competition. We know that in these divided and conflicted times, we are not alone in our search for the common bonds of humanity. Millions of people around the world yearn for peace. Together with all these people of good will, we want to make our modest contribution to the cause of peace by uniting the whole world in peaceful competition.

To further dedicate ourselves to this unifying peace mission, we recently changed our Olympic motto: Faster, Higher, Stronger Together.

The word “together” emphasizes the fact that in order to overcome adversity – be it individuals, communities, or humanity – we must be united.

On this International Day of Peace and in this Olympic spirit of solidarity and peace, I strongly reiterate the call I made to all the world’s political leaders at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in front of hundreds of millions of spectators around the world: give the world a chance.

* Mr. Thomas Bach is President of the International Olympic Committee.