News A symbol of peace for thousands of years, the Olympic flame visited the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday (29 April) in the hands of a young Brazilian girl Afterwards it went on display at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, where it will stay until next week, when the torch will arrive in Brazil ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman said the historic visit had a symbolic value "We have brought the sacred Olympic flame to the UN for the first time because we want to be partners in the mission of changing the world for the better," he said The leaders of the UN, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Rio 2016 all spoke of the role of the Olympic Games in fostering inclusion, dialogue and peace UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the Olympic movement was an important partner of the UN "Sports give children the basic human right of being children who can, at least for a few moments, laugh and play," he said "The world is looking forward to the Rio Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games, which also embody the values of the United Nations " Read Carlos Nuzman's full speech to the UN Brazilian Paralympic tennis player Natália Mayara spoke of the importance of sport for the physically impaired  (Photo: Rio 2016/André Luiz Mello) At the Rio 2016 Games, for the very first time, a team of refugees will compete under the IOC flag  Ban Ki-moon, who as a child fled the fighting of the Korean War, said he would be cheering for the refugees with all his might Syrian refugee carries Rio 2016 Olympic Torch in Athens “The world will see refugees the way they deserve to be seen: as talented, strong and inspiring people Win or lose, they are champions of the spirit,” said Ban Ki-moon IOC President Thomas Bach said that the IOC wanted to send to a message of hope to refugees around the world and show them that they are not forgotten “In our fragile world, the Olympic values of solidarity and peace are more important than ever,” he said A message of inclusion One of the highlights of the ceremony at the UN was a speech by Brazilian Paralympic tennis player Natália Mayara, who told dignitaries about the importance of sport in her life and about the need for equality “I am the same as anyone else We are not different to anybody," she said "Sport has shown me that my disability was not a limiting factor " Nuzman said that the Games would leave a positive legacy in Brazil and would help transform the country's future Alluding to current political and economic problems, he said the Games would show that Brazil always emerges from difficulties as a stronger country The Olympic flame had its own seat on the way from Greece to Switzerland (Photo: Rio 2016/ André Luiz Mello) In Brazilian hands A 13-year-old Brazilian schoolgirl, Bruna Gabrielle Pitta, who has lived in Geneva for 11 years, was chosen to carry the flame into the UN building Museum attraction After leaving the UN, the flame travelled by boat to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, home of the IOC Swiss rower Barnabé Delarze, who has already qualified for the Rio 2016 Games, brought the flame across Lake Geneva in his boat and passed it to  Nuzman, who used it to light the Rio 2016 torch Nuzman was then joined by Bach in lighting a cauldron in front of the museum The Olympic flame is being displayed in front of the Olympic Museum (Photo: Rio 2016/ André Luiz Mello) The flame will leave Switzerland on Monday and arrive in Brazil on Tuesday (3 May) for the start of a 95-day tour of the host nation It will visit more than 300 towns and cities across the country, carried by some 12,000 people until 5 August, when it arrives at the Maracanã Stadium for the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Swiss rower Barnabé Delarze passed the flame to Arthur Nuzman (Photo: Rio 2016/ André Luiz Mello)