 International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has claimed the Olympic Games is the only event to "bring the entire world together" in an address given to mark International Day of Peace.
International Day of Peace is to be celebrated around the world today, with Bach discussing "the unifying power of sport" in a video message.
"Sport contributes to peace by unifying people," he said.
"The Olympic Games today are the only event in our world which manages to really bring the entire world together.
"Athletes come to the Olympic Games respecting the same rules, all being equal, without any discrimination."
The postponed Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, now set to take place in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, has recently been used as a symbol of hope - although the IOC has also been subjected to criticism from some quarters over its stance on issues of human rights and athlete activism.
Bach repeated this sentiment of Tokyo 2020 being a beacon of hope in his message.
"This post-coronavirus world will be very different from the one we used to live in," he said.
"And I hope that we all have learned from this crisis that we need more solidarity, within societies and among societies.
"Only in this joint effort can we overcome this crisis and prevent a new crisis.
"The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, which have been postponed to 2021, will send a message of hope, of peace and unity of humanity."
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