VIDEO SHOWS: VOTE / COMMENTS RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: UNITED NATIONS (NOVEMBER 19, 2025) (UNTV – Access all) 1. U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY HALL 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, ANNALENA BAERBOCK, SAYING: "The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/80/L10 entitled 'Building a Peaceful and Better World through Sport and the Olympic Ideal.' May I take it that the assembly decides to adopt A/80/L10? It is so decided." 3. DELEGATES APPLAUDING 4. GIOVANNI MALAGO, PRESIDENT OF THE MILANO CORTINA 2026 FOUNDATION, THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE FOR THE 2026 WINTER OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES, AT LECTERN (BEFORE THE VOTE) 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE MILANO CORTINA 2026 FOUNDATION, GIOVANNI MALAGO, SAYING: (BEFORE THE VOTE) "At a time of growing discord and conflict, sport and the Olympic Games can provide a beacon of hope, an alternative to rivalry and division. Yes, the Olympic Games are founded on competition, on the pursuit of excellence – but throughout their history, they have demonstrated something even more powerful – a sense of humanity which transcends even the greatest of athletic achievements." 6. MALAGO 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE MILANO CORTINA 2026 FOUNDATION, GIOVANNI MALAGO, SAYING: (BEFORE THE VOTE) "For the first time in two decades, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will return to Italian soil in February and March next year." 8. KIRSTY COVENTRY, PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC), AT LECTERN (BEFORE THE VOTE) 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE IOC, KIRSTY COVENTRY, SAYING: "The games in Milano Cortina will be my first as president of the International Olympic Committee. I often think back as a 9-year-old girl in Zimbabwe growing up, watching the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and telling my parents that I was one day going to go to the Olympics and win a gold medal. And a few years later, when I was 21, I got the honor of standing on that Olympic podium. That little girl never could have imagined that one day I would be given such a huge honor of leading this incredible organization. And with this role comes great responsibility, a responsibility to stand up for everything that makes sport and the Olympic Games such a powerful force for good. It is a responsibility I hope to share with everyone who believes in the values of our Olympic movement. And it is a responsibility that I humbly ask all of you to share with me today. Around the world, conflict and division continue to cause untold suffering. In such a world, sport and the Olympic Games in particular, can offer a rare space where people meet not as adversaries, but as fellow human beings. When athletes come together, they do not see nationality, religion or background. They see one another as fellow athletes – they compete fiercely, yet they embrace as friends, united by the same hopes and dreams, they respect the sacrifices that each of them has made simply to reach the starting line, they show us what humanity can be at its very best – this is the spirit of the Olympic Truce, a call to set aside what divides us, and rather to focus on what unites us. But athletes cannot do this alone. They can only inspire the next generation if they are able to compete. In this divided world, we need to work together to keep sport and politics apart. This means athletes must be able to enter host countries and take part in competitions, not face the threat of being left back at home because they are denied a visa for politically motivated reasons. The final list of competitors must be decided by international federations, not by governments, and athletes must not be judged on where they come from, but rather on their sporting merits. Imagine being an athlete who has given everything for the chance to compete at the Olympic Games. The early mornings, the missed family moments, the years and years of dedication. Imagine the joy, the excitement of qualification, followed by the shock of being told, 'You cannot compete,' not because of anything that was in your control or what you did on the field of play, but because of politics, far beyond your reach or control – this is why the Olympic Truce is so important and this is why I'm so grateful for all of your support today. You are sending a clear message to the athletes of the world that, yes, you will stand with them as they show on the Olympic stage that sport can unite us despite what divides us. It is only when we protect the autonomy of sport that we can promise athletes from every country that they will be able to compete freely. It is only then that the young child watching the Olympic Games for the very first time can be inspired to dream big without the threat of any interference beyond their control. It is only then that the athlete can rejoice in the euphoria of qualifying for their very first Olympic Games and can continue to celebrate confidently that the only selection criteria will be done on the field of play." 10. COVENTRY AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY STAKEOUT POSITION (AFTER THE VOTE) 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE IOC, KIRSTY COVENTRY, SAYING: (AFTER THE VOTE) "The power of sport is there to be able to really build bridges and to unite us, and this is what we believe in the Olympic movement and so we are going to continue to ensure that we allow for athletes from every part of our world to come together in a peaceful manner to be able to compete." 12. COVENTRY 13. COVENTRY WALKING AWAY STORY: The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday (November 19) adopted a resolution reaffirming support for the Olympic Truce ahead of the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. The measure, passed by consensus, calls on member states to uphold the long-standing tradition of promoting peace and dialogue through sport. Before the vote, Giovanni Malagò, president of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, urged countries to view the Games as “a beacon of hope, an alternative to rivalry and division,” adding that the Olympics have long demonstrated “a sense of humanity which transcends even the greatest of athletic achievements.” International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry, speaking before the vote, reflected on her own journey from a young swimmer in Zimbabwe to standing atop the Olympic podium. She said the Games offer a rare space where people meet “not as adversaries, but as fellow human beings,” and stressed that the Olympic movement depends on athletes being able to compete free from political interference. Coventry warned that denying competitors visas or access to events for political reasons undermines the core principles of the Games. After the resolution passed, Coventry told reporters the Olympic movement will continue working to ensure athletes from every region can “come together in a peaceful manner to be able to compete.” (Production: Roselle Chen)
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