UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- Moon has appealed for the observance of the Olympic Truce, calling on everyone engaged in armed hostilities to lay down their weapons and cease hostilities. In his message, Ban said that the participants in the Sochi Games may carry the flags of many nations, but they come together under the shared banner of equality, fair play, mutual respect and non-discrimination. He encouraged all those involved in the games, governments, groups, organizations and individuals to uphold and defend these core Olympic ideals. Ban also said his thoughts are with the people of Syria, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan, as well as the victims of the recent bombings in Volgograd, near Sochi.