A/HRC/27/58 beyond the State as a whole. This enhances the protection of individual rights and freedoms as a guarantee for future social progress.8 11. It is important to implement sport freedom, the right to play sport, beyond politics seeking to sustain an important work to create a better world through sport, physical activity and play. The cohesion and neutrality of the sport movement are important factors for achieving Olympic ideals and values. Sport events should not be used to demonstrate political protests or boycotts as measures of political pressure. Not without reason it becomes promising to promote the ideals of the Olympic Truce in advance of the Games of the Olympiads and the Paralympic Games, and recognize the importance of constructive partnerships with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee, the International Olympic Truce Centre, hosts of the Games, the United Nations and other Member States in supporting the implementation of resolutions on the Olympic Truce. Because sports promote rapprochement and help reduce the levels of violence, recreational programmes and sports games have become a tacit truce in some regions surged by armed conflicts.9 12. The following evaluations, observations and recommendations provide a review and examination of the main areas where the continuing integration of a human rights approach into the practice of sport and the implementation of the Olympic ideal seems potentially the most beneficial or fruitful in the short-run to promote and to strengthen universal respect for human rights for all. B. Legal and social framework 13. Placing sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity is embedded in the Olympic Charter and as such forms part of the fundamental principles of IOC. For the purposes of the present study the following provision of the Olympic Charter has core significance: “The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility to practice sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play”.10 14. IOC and the constituents of the Olympic Movement at large devote a growing quantity of resources to areas of development through sport, helping to promote youth, formal education, culture, healthy lifestyles, sustainability, gender equality, understanding among peoples and peace. Their projects, beyond granting vulnerable communities their right to leisure, support human rights at large. Countless initiatives with this objective and scope have been implemented by IOC and relevant partners over the last two decades.11 Over the last years, the collaboration between UN and the Olympic Movement was further strengthened.12 Obviously, sport as a form of human activities should be construed and practiced under general human rights provisions and specific conventions. 15. A pivotal role of Olympic Charter is complemented by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and different UN basic guiding documents and resolutions. General Assembly resolution 67/17 of 28 November 2012 recalls its resolutions 58/5 of 3 November 2003, 59/10 of 27 October 2004, its decision to proclaim 2005 the International 8 9 10 11 12 Response of Ignasi Grau. Response of Colombia. Art. 4 the Olympic Charter, Edition IOC, Lausanne/Switzerland, September 2013. Response of IOC. UNOSDP ANNUAL REPORT 2012 covering 1 January through 31 December 2012. 5