Speaking on the eve of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Annalena Baerbock recalled her years as a young trampoline gymnast chasing the Olympic dream – and the sense of unity that sport can forge, even between rivals.
The Olympic Truce, she said, is a powerful symbol of this possibility – “a living metaphor for the what peace requires: disciplinerespect and courage are necessary to build peace.
Examples from recent decades show how powerful this metaphor can be in practice.
In the 1990s, Open Football Schools brought together more than 150,000 children from ethnic divides in the Balkans, using the game to rebuild trust after conflict.
Similar programs in Colombia and Cyprus have helped fractured communities slowly regain trust through shared games, shared goals and shared terrain.
General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock (left) chairs the meeting Sport for development and peace: building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal.
Equality at home
The ability of sport to break down barriers is not only a matter of peace between nations, but also of equality at the national level.
Gender equality featured prominently in the Assembly President’s remarks. She celebrated the defiant spirit of Canada’s women’s hockey team, which won Olympic gold at Sochi 2014, and adopted the famous provocation “Play like a girl?” » with the answer: Yes – “fast and strong like girls”.
Their message, she says, opposes the stereotypes that continue to limit women and girls far beyond sports.
Milan-Cortina 2026 is expected to be the most balanced Winter Games yet, with 47 percent female athletes.
Italian promise
Italy is committed to ensuring the Games advance inclusion and accessibility on and off the ice, supported by hundreds of planned legacy projects.
The Italian delegation also highlighted moments of extraordinary sportsmanship that embody the Olympic spirit, recalling the generosity of bobsledder Eugenio Monti, who lent equipment to his rivals during the 1964 Innsbruck Games – an act that cost him victory that day but earned him lasting respect.
“Sport and the Olympic Games can be a beacon of hope, an alternative to rivalry and division,” said the Italian representative.
As the world turns to the Winter Games, the UN’s message is simple: the values learned on the ground – fairness, courage, teamwork – are the same values needed to build a more peaceful and inclusive world.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
