IOC GRANTED UN OBSERVER STATUS

New York, 19th October – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has today been granted observer status by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
This decision pays tribute to the IOC’s efforts to contribute to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Jacques Rogge, president of the IOC, thanked Mario Pescante, IOC Vice-President and Chairman of the IOC International Relations Commission, who, through the Italian government, was instrumental in putting the proposal for an IOC observer seat on the table.
On behalf of the IOC President, Mario Pescante ho also is Honorary President of the EOC, was on the spot in New York, where he was joined by IOC members Anita DeFrantz and HSH Prince Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, who, as Head of the Monegasque delegation at the UN General Assembly, took the floor and said: “In inviting the International Olympic Committee to take part in its work, the General Assembly recognises the symbol of a Movement that defends an ideal of human progress and promotes a peaceful society and one which is concerned with preserving human dignity.”
By using sport as a tool, the IOC and its partners implement various activities across the globe in fields such as humanitarian assistance, peace-building, education, gender equality, environment and the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The IOC now has the possibility to attend all UN General Assembly meetings, where it can take the floor and thus promote sport at a new level.
The list of UN observers is exclusive and features states, intergovernmental organisations and independent and non-governmental bodies, for instance, the International Committee of the Red Cross.