In Pursuit of Prestige: The International Olympic Committee’s Peace Efforts in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992–1994)

Abstract

In the early 1990s, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) became involved in diplomatic efforts surrounding the dissolution of Yugoslavia and war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Forced into action by United Nations Security Council Resolution 757, which placed sporting sanctions on Yugoslavia, the IOC responded with the Olympic Truce initiative and public appeals for peace in the region. These endeavours culminated in President Juan Antonio Samaranch’s trip to Sarajevo during the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway to promote a ceasefire for the duration of the games. This campaign was arguably the most direct and ambitious attempt at international diplomacy ever undertaken by the International Olympic Committee. IOC archival and contemporary press sources demonstrate the rationale, logistics, and ultimate outcome of Samaranch’s trip, and show that the IOC’s peace initiatives were part of a broader effort to increase the prestige of the organization amid growing public criticism and preserve its autonomy in the face of the United Nations’ use of sporting sanctions.