73UNGA: adoption of the draft resolution "sport as a factor for sustainable development"

Item 12: Sport for Development and Peace

Statement by H.E. Mrs Isabelle PICCO, Ambassador, Permanent Representative:

 

Mister President,

First of all, let me thank the Secretary-General for his report and in particular the Inclusive Social Development Division, which is now the Secretariat's entity in charge of the issue of sport for development and peace.

The new title of this draft resolution, "Sport as a factor for sustainable development", unequivocally indicates that sport offers many opportunities to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

Twenty-five years ago, under the initiative of Egypt, the General Assembly adopted, for the first time, a resolution on sport and the Olympic ideal. Since 1993, the recognition of sport in the work of the United Nations has grown steadily.

As it was emphasized during the Permanent Representative of Tunisia's presentation, this draft resolution highlights the normative framework relating to sport.

Sport's tremendous contribution to development and peace is unquestionable and we believe that its potential is exponential in the pursuit of our common goals of sustainable development. It is up to us to continue to develop its leveraging role, particularly through the communication tools used by young people.

Mister President,

What better example than the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang to illustrate what dialogue around sport can achieve?

The success of the efforts of the President of the International Olympic Committee to establish a dialogue between the two Koreas has offered the world a message of hope. Seeing athletes from these two countries running under the same flag during the opening and closing ceremonies was extremely strong for any sports lover and peace advocate.

Beyond these symbolic moments, sport promotes understanding, cohesion, reconciliation and peace. In many countries, between many communities, sport is proving to be a common language, challenging barriers.

Sport, whether recreational or competitive, individual or collective, conveys essential values and allows man to express his full potential.

As part of the "Olympism in Action" forum held on the eve of the opening of the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, in October, and which I had the privilege of participating, I was able to see how much the work we do at the UN is relevant to NGOs and grassroots organizations, especially in the area of social development and human rights.

This must be emphasized as we celebrate this year the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and as we held the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit last September.

It is therefore crucial to always keep in mind, in our deliberations, the recipients of the decisions we make.

The great success of this first Forum, which brought together the members of the Olympic Movement, NGOs, sports professionals and the United Nations Institutions, proved the unifying power of the IOC and its effective contribution to the actions of the United Nations. 

The discussions also confirmed the role of sport as a means of raising awareness on societal issues and for its contribution to social cohesion, inclusion and the fight against inequalities, including gender and equal pay.

Athletes are role models and youth identifies with the greatest champions. This is why, just like the world-renowned teams, athletes can relay positive messages and help support international cooperation actions. It's up to us to convince them to help us promote the goals of sustainable development.

Mister President,

The societal benefits of sport are indisputable.

The draft resolution recognizes the Kazan Action Plan endorsed by UNESCO in 2017 and the sport policy monitoring framework it sets.

I would like to highlight the relevance of this instrument, in that it offers a global vision of universal access to sport, physical education and physical activity and describes in concrete terms how they can contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals and targets.

An essential educational tool, we must continue to work to make sport an integral part of school curricula in all our countries.

Access to sport is particularly important for girls and people with disabilities and must be ensured without hindrance. I would like to commend the work of the United Nations system and its partners, on 3rd December, as we celebrate the International Day of Disabled Persons.

Many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds have been able, through sport, to pursue higher education and obtain opportunities that would not otherwise have been available to them. Private sector-sponsored post-school programs that enable young people from marginalized communities to avoid being embroiled in wrongdoing should also be commended.

As noted in the Declaration of the Third High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, last September, regular physical activity should continue to be promoted to promote healthy lifestyles, since it helps fight against cardiovascular diseases and obesity.

Its benefits are such that physical activity is now also part of medical treatment, including for the fight against cancer, because it allows patients to better withstand heavy treatments.

This convergence of efforts by different sectors of society, state institutions, private sector, medical institutions, is encouraging.

Partnerships are the keystone of better use of sport for the promotion and achievement of sustainable development goals.

Our delegation is therefore particularly pleased with the events that it has been able to promote during the past year, in collaboration with many Missions and Organizations, on the sidelines of the Commission for the Social Development, the Commission on the Status of Women, as well as on the occasion of the celebration of the International Sports Day, the High Level Political Forum or concomitantly with the Football World Cup.

Mister President,

The rich collaboration of the Missions of Tunisia and Monaco, co-chairs of the Group of Friends on Sport, has grown this year with the opening of the Group to any interested Member State. We have focused on providing a space for interaction and exchange with United Nations entities. The strong mobilization at our monthly meetings demonstrates the power of sport as a factor of sustainable development.

We are particularly proud that the resolution we are about to adopt is geared towards the future we want and highlights the synergies between sport and the 2030 Agenda.

I cannot conclude without expressing my friendly gratitude to my Tunisian counterpart, Ambassador Mohamed Khaled Khiari, an accomplished sportsman, with whom I had the honor and pleasure of co-chairing the Group of Friends of Sport in during the past six years.