UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday stressed the importance of the global call for a halt to all fighting during the Olympics as he unveiled a sculpture at the UN headquarters in New York.

    The event was held ahead of the Winter Games to be held in Vancouver, Canada, early next year.

    "These pauses in fighting save lives," he said at the unveiling ceremony. "They make it possible for humanitarian workers to reach people in need. And they open up diplomatic space to negotiate lasting solutions. A truce is a prelude to true peace."

    Ban said he hoped that when athletes meet in Vancouver next year, fighters will lay down their arms.

    "Then the Olympic Games will have one clear winner: our world as a whole," he said.

    The sculpture dedicated to the Olympic Truce is a contemporary aboriginal art piece atop a plinth. The box featured is an abstract reference to a traditional West Coast First Nations treasure box, while a hand -- extended in friendship - symbolizes peace.

    It will stay at the UN for a month before being moved to the Olympic village.

    In 1992, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) renewed the ancient Greek tradition of the ekecheiria, or "Olympic Truce," by calling on all nations to observe the Truce.

    The General Assembly has urged member states to observe the Olympic Truce from the seventh day before the opening to the seventh day after the closing of each Olympic Games.

    The unveiling took place in conjunction with the General Assembly's Monday adoption of the Olympic Truce resolution for the 2010 Winter Games.

    The event included the send-off of the Olympic Torch in the spirit of peace and friendship amongst the international community. Guests were also invited to sign their names to a log, which will be incorporated in the Truce installations for permanent display at the Olympic site.

    The United Nations and the IOC have in recent years strengthened their cooperation and mutual support through joint efforts in fields such as poverty alleviation, human and economic development and humanitarian assistance.

    Ban addressed the IOC Congress during his visit to Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, earlier this month.