On October 1st, the UN Secretary-General published his latest report on sport. The document highlights our initiatives as best practices for inclusion through sport, and explicitly reaffirms the recommendations made by Peace and Sport over the past years.
The report particularly highlights two key areas of our advocacy, encouraging a collective effort by the Member States and the entire sports ecosystem towards strengthening:
- capacity building at the community level (point 99.e)
- investment in programmes targeting local communities (point 99.d)
These priorities are at the heart of our actions and we are delighted to see them highlighted, as it is at the community level that the intentional use of sport to build a culture of peace makes a difference. This requires qualified educators, recognised methodologies and replicable programmes, all of which are key factors for sustainability and impact.
The Secretary-General’s support is not new, but such consistency is a mark of recognition for Peace and Sport and our initiatives. For the fourth time in seven years, our programmes have been selected and featured in the report as examples of best practices from civil society.
This year, the spotlight was given to our Peacemakers Project. Through this international coalition, Peace and Sport provides 360° mentoring to various stakeholders in developing and implementing programmes that use sport to build a culture of peace. It is a community impact model that demonstrates the importance of sport as a tool for social change. The work carried out with our partner COP Colombia is showcased as an example, and we are particularly proud of it.
Following the recognition of sport as a catalyst for sustainable development in the Pact for the Future voted on 23 September, thanks in particular to the driving role played by the Principality of Monaco, this new report by the Secretary General provides further strategic endorsement of the essential role played by sport in building peaceful communities.
Since many years, we have been advocating for the integration of sport into development, peace education, inclusion and living together programmes. We will continue to closely follow the recommendations made to the Member States, in particular through the vote on the next Resolution on Sport, scheduled for the current United Nations General Assembly, and to demonstrate, through our actions, the impact of sport on sustainable peace.
For more information on the report and our contribution, please follow this link.
