Statement Attributable to
the Spokesperson for the High Representative for
the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)
on the occasion of
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2022
New York – 6 April 2022
On the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) celebrates the role of sport in advancing diversity and social cohesion. The values inherent in sport, such as mutual respect, solidarity and integrity, among other humanistic principles, are needed now more than ever. These values are at the heart of the mission of UNAOC.
In the context of United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/73/24, UNAOC underpinned sport as a key priority area in its 2019-2023 Action Plan. We believe that sport can be a powerful engine for social inclusion by bringing together people from diverse cultures, religions, and ethnicities.
To amplify the role of sport in preventing and countering violent extremism conducive to terrorism, UNAOC, in partnership with the United Nations Office on Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), UNICRI, and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), have been implementing the “United Nations Global Programme on Security of Major Sporting Events, and Promotion of Sport and Its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism”. As a partner, UNAOC plays an important role in mainstreaming youth perspectives in the programme, as well as highlighting the role of sport in PCVE.
To this end, UNAOC partnered with renowned soccer clubs and international sports entities and launched the #OneHumanity campaign. The campaign calls for taking a stand against discrimination, xenophobia, and identity-based conflict.
Further, UNAOC introduced the #Sport4OneHumanity initiative this year to recognize the value of grassroots organizations as key partners in delivering sport for peace and development programs at the community level to scale up their impact to the national and global level. Through its support of the #Sport4OneHumanity, UNAOC strengthens the capacities of civil society organizations (CSOs) to maintain and expand their contribution to peace and development, as well as other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through sport. The initiative aims to support sports-based grassroots projects promoting diversity and inclusion, education and empowerment of youth, women and girls, and the fostering of peaceful and inclusive societies through sport.
As we commemorate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, let us all embrace the values of sport and contribute to building peaceful, inclusive and coherent societies.