UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the world's countries to stop armed conflicts and silence guns as part of the Olympic Truce, with the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Guterres expressed, during his meeting with President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, the UN's full support for the IOC, saying, "We live in a divided world where conflicts are spreading dramatically." He added, "The horrific suffering in Gaza, the seemingly endless war in Ukraine, the terrible suffering in Sudan, as well as the situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sahel region of Africa, and Myanmar, are facts that push us to stop wars, but it is important to say that the first real peace initiative recorded in history was the Olympic Truce." The UN Secretary-General also noted t that as the Olympic Games begin, it is time to remind the world of the importance of the Olympic Truce and the need for the guns to be silenced. The Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024 will start later Friday, with the official opening ceremony, and its competitions will continue for three weeks, until August 16. Source: Qatar News Agency