IOC and UN agree to ‘use sport to build a better world’ following Russian anti-gay law controversy at Sochi

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Following an international outrage at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics the International Olympics Committee (IOC) and United Nations (UN) have signed an agreement vowing to “use sport to build a better world.”

Both IOC President Thomas Bach and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon signed the agreement.

After signing it, Bach said: “Sport can change the world, but it cannot change the world alone.

“The Olympic movement is willing and ready to make its contribution to the moth laudable efforts of the United Nations to maintain and build peace and to bring along social change.”

Russia came under fire for a law signed last June by President Vladimir Putin which banned the “promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships” to minors.

More than 100,000 people recently signed an All Out petition calling on the International Olympics Committee to make sure that future Olympic events are not held in countries with anti-gay laws.

LGBT campaign group All Out wants the IOC to overhaul its selection process, citing the controversy that surrounded the Winter Games in Sochi over Russia’s law prohibiting so-called gay ‘propaganda’.

 

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