David Messenger
Political Advisor
New York, New York
December 2, 2021
AS DELIVERED
Mr. President, the United States believes that sport should transcend all perceived barriers between race, ethnicity, age, gender, identity, sexual orientation, religion, and ability, and can be a valuable means to strengthen cultural relations among all nations. For these reasons, the United States Government has long supported international athletic competitions. Sport should remind us of our common humanity and provides a universal language that contributes to building upon universal values of respect, diversity, inclusivity, tolerance and fairness. These are the highest ideals of Olympic competition, although not every Olympic Games achieves them.
In joining consensus on this resolution, we understand that the host country has the prerogative to choose the themes and goals of a specific Olympic Games, but do not consider the inclusion of the language in preambular paragraphs 12 and 15 as precedential or inter-governmentally agreed language. As such, we must dissociate from these paragraphs.
More broadly, we wish to underscore operative paragraph 6, which recognizes the important role that sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games play to “promote human rights and strengthen universal respect for such rights” worldwide. In this context, we remind the host country and all Member States of the need to comply with their human rights obligations and commitments, including those enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to use these Olympic and Paralympic Games to take steps to build a peaceful and better world.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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