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On 3 November, the IOC took a further important step towards protecting athletes from harassment and abuse by launching a toolkit to assist International Federations (IFs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in developing and implementing athlete-safeguarding policies and procedures. Building on existing guidelines and medical consensus statements, the step-by-step guide focuses on organisational and competition- specific safeguarding policies. It is reinforced with key research, recommendations and case studies across the Olympic Movement, and offers a solution-based approach. The toolkit is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at preventing harassment and abuse in sport, which have been established by four IOC commissions (Athletes’, Athletes’ Entourage, Medical and Scientific, and Women in Sport), in collaboration with NOCs, IFs, external partners such as UN Women, and subject matter experts. “The safety and wellbeing of athletes are paramount to the IOC and the Olympic Movement,” commented IOC President Thomas Bach. “It is the responsibility of all of us to keep athletes safe and to guard their rights. Through a collective effort, I am pleased that we can launch this toolkit to assist sports organisations in this important area of athlete welfare, reinforcing our stance against all forms of harassment and abuse in sport.” IOC LAUNCHES TOOLKIT FOR ATHLETE WELFARE Left A dove, the symbol of the Olympic Truce, is released at the Olympic flame lighting ceremony UN ADOPTS OLYMPIC TRUCE FOR PYEONGCHANG 2018 The Member States of the United Nations (UN) expressed their strong support for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, with the UN General Assembly voting by consensus to adopt the resolution “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic Ideal”. The consensus for the Olympic Truce resolution included both the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as future hosts of the Olympic Games: Japan, China, France and the United States. The resolution calls on the nations of the world to uphold the Olympic Truce for the time of the Olympic Winter Games. The first operative clause of the resolution specifically asks Member States “to ensure the safe passage, access and participation of athletes, officials and all other accredited persons taking part in the Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games”. This is especially important, given the timing and location of these Olympic Winter Games. IOC President Thomas Bach said: “For the athletes who will gather in PyeongChang for the Olympic Winter Games, this resolution will carry a special significance, a deeply personal one. With the Olympic Truce resolution, the United Nations General Assembly is creating the conditions for all athletes to compete in peace. “The Olympic athletes show the whole world that it is possible to compete with each other while living peacefully together under one roof.” Miroslav Lajčák, President of the UN General Assembly, added: “The Olympic Games and the United Nations aspire to the same ideal. This is an ideal based on humanity. It says that, no matter what is going on in state capitals around the world, people will always have a space in which to engage and connect.” The resolution calls for the Olympic Truce to be respected from seven days before the start of the Olympic Games until seven days after the Paralympic Games. OLYMPIC REVIEW 13