Address by
Mr David Winiger
On behalf of
Mr. Adolf Ogi
Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General
on Sport for Development and Peace
Under-Secretary-General
Former President of Switzerland
“Sport as a Tool for
Development and Peace”
Asian Forum on Sports Innovation
Jakarta, Indonesia
30 July 2007
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to address you here today at the Asian Forum on Sports Innovation on behalf of Mr. Adolf Ogi, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, and to share with you some thoughts on how sport can be used as a tool for development and peace while helping us achieve the objectives of the United Nations.
At this International Seminar on Professional and Grassroots Sports and Development and Corporate Social Responsibility in Asia, two branches are addressed, that of professional sports dynamics and sport at the grassroots level. By bringing together such diverse partners we can appreciate the scope of overlap and how it is from the grassroots level that so many of the world’s best professional athletes have arisen, particularly in football; yet the knowledge and expertise of those employed in professional sports is of immense value for the correct conduct and full realisation of the benefits of sport at the grassroots level.
The challenges our world faces are greater than they have ever been. Wars and conflicts are a prominent reality, poverty as well as diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria still affect human development throughout the world. In the quest for solutions to prevailing problems, sport has been identified as an innovative instrument. Sport, as an international language, can build bridges between people, help overcome cultural differences and spread an atmosphere of tolerance. As Albert Einstein correctly said: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”. The new and innovative thinking comprises sport as an integral part of a holistic approach to development and peace and, as such, is increasingly gaining importance on local, national and international agendas. Although the sports world is far from perfect, sport is being used to develop a sense of community and common purpose. Sport is about humanity, and together, with sport and through sport, a better world can be created.
Sport for Development and Peace
In recent years, non-governmental (NGO) and governmental development organizations have become increasingly receptive to incorporating sporting programmes into development activities. Often such programmes have been and continue to be conducted in partnership with United Nations agencies, Governments and sports federations and organizations. A number of international NGOs and governmental development organizations have played a key role in the practical implementation of sporting programmes. As a core group of similar entities, these organizations, through identification of needs in various countries around the world and the financing and organization of projects and initiatives, have made a major contribution to the advancement of the objectives of the United Nations.
Sport has proven it can be instrumental and the driving force in creating positive developmental change whereby all actors work together, bringing their various skills into play. Numerous initiatives are undertaken globally whereby sport has been used as a tool to challenge social stigmas and traditional thinking contributing to individual and community development.
Development plus sport: Predominantly involving development organizations, Governments, sports ministries and NGOs, sport is used as an instrument to achieve specific development goals such as the MDGs. In some instances, these programmes are integrated into broader development programmes.
Sport plus development: Typically, Governments, sports ministries and actors from the world of sport initiate these programmes. The aim is to promote sport and physical education in schools and consider sport as a value in itself. Deliberately or not they can contribute to development through the formation of community structures, the promotion of income and the provision of infrastructures.
Sport and the Millennium Development Goals
In the year 2000, at the Millennium Summit in New York, the leaders of 189 countries of the world agreed to implement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. These goals were to:
1. Reduce extreme poverty and hunger;
2. Achieve universal primary education;
3. Empower women and promote gender equality;
4. Reduce child mortality;
5. Improve maternal health;
6. Combat HIV/Aids and other diseases such as malaria;
7. Ensure environmental sustainability;
8. Develop a global partnership for development.
Much has been achieved in progress towards enhanced acceptance and utilization of sport as a tool to assist in the achievement of the development goals, particularly the MDGs. In a United Nations inter-agency effort, we explored the possibilities for the United Nations system to help governments and civil society achieve the MDGs by implementing sports-related development and peace promotion projects. Together with the former UNICEF Executive Director, Ms. Carol Bellamy, we published a United Nations inter-agency report in 2003, exploring the value of Sport for Development and Peace entitled “Towards Achieving the Millennium Development Goals”. This report came to the conclusion that well-designed sport-based initiatives are practical and cost-effective tools to achieve objectives in development and peace. Hence, the report calls upon United Nations agencies to:
· Develop a strategic approach within the United Nations to foster Sport for Development and Peace partnerships;
· Mainstream sport into the work of the United Nations;
· Incorporate sport in United Nations coordination mechanisms to better integrate sport into United Nations strategic planning instruments; and
· Look for ways to use sport for communication and social mobilization purposes.
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a number of resolutions on sport as a means to promote education, health, development and peace including resolution 58/5, proclaiming 2005 as the International Year of Sport and Physical Education; resolution 59/10; and resolution 60/9. The Outcome Document of the World Summit at United Nations Headquarters in September 2005, agreed on by the largest-ever gathering of Heads of State and Government, highlighted the role of sport, stating:
“We underline that sports can foster peace and development and can contribute to an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding, and we encourage discussions in the General Assembly for proposals leading to a Sport and Development Plan of Action.”
The General Assembly followed up by unanimously adopting a landmark resolution on 3 November 2005 to build on the momentum generated by IYSPE 2005. On 3 November 2006, at the 61st Session of the General Assembly, resolution 61/10 was adopted which acknowledged that:
“Sport and physical education can present opportunities for solidarity and cooperation in order to promote tolerance, a culture of peace, social and gender equality, adequate response to the special needs of persons with disabilities, intercultural dialogue, social cohesion and harmony”.
Also on 3 November 2006, the Secretary-General presented an Action Plan on Sport for Development and Peace in report 61/373. The Action Plan encourages the United Nations and its partners to move from awareness to greater implementation and action and urges all stakeholders to integrate Sport for Development and Peace in the development agenda at every level.
Such resolutions and reports by the General Assembly are evidence of the rising importance of sport and development on the international agenda and represent a clear signal from Governments in recognition of the unique role of sport in the promotion of education, health, development and peace.
International Year of Sport and Physical Education 2005
Despite our limited financial and institutional means, the International Year of Sport and Physical Education (IYSPE 2005) can be considered a success. During IYSPE 2005, a growing network of Governments, organizations, groups and individuals around the world were made aware of sport and physical education’s vital role in contributing to education, health, development and peace. Particular achievements during IYSPE 2005 included:
1. 122 out of 192 United Nations Member States were active with 70 Member States establishing National Committees or National Focal Points.
2. Commemorative IYSPE 2005 activities were reported by:
a. 16 United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies;
b. 28 sports organizations;
c. 33 governmental and non-governmental agencies;
The majority of activities have continued into 2006, reflecting sustainability of initiatives and increasing acceptance of the power and potential of sport as a development tool.
3. 20 international and over 18 regional conferences were organized during the year, connecting the role of sport with the issues of development, health, culture, environment, peace, gender and education.
4. The Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group (SDP IWG), a four-year policy initiative that strives to develop policy recommendations on incorporating sport as a tool for development and peace, was launched as part of IYSPE 2005.
5. Thousands of international and local projects, using sport and physical education as tools for education, health, development and peace have been initiated.
6. Actors which were not involved prior to the year are now involved.
7. Millions of people have been sensitized to our goals and objectives.
IYSPE 2005 has been a launching pad. The United Nations has proved it has the ability to help Governments and communities harness the positive aspects of sport and channel them in a coordinated way. The Year illustrated the role of sport and physical education for a quality education with mandatory physical education recognized in a number of countries as a universal pillar to foster education, health and personal development. Sport and physical education have been recognized for the important role they play in improving public health; and sport as a universal language has been found to bridge social, religious, racial and gender divides, hence contributing to lasting peace.
Despite the benefits for society through sports programmes, specific difficulties and obstacles encountered have been identified. In our continuing efforts to implement Sport for Development and Peace initiatives, it is important to:
1. Recognize sport for all and physical education as national priorities. One major inconsistency we have encountered is the fact that on one hand there is consensus about the important role sport can play regarding the resolution of social and health problems such as obesity, discrimination, marginalization and gender inequalities; yet, on the other hand, sport is being accorded reduced budgetary allowances, or in the worst case, is being entirely cut out of policies and budgets. The most obvious example is the simultaneous growth in acknowledgement of the value of physical education/school sport in improving health, holistic development and social inclusion and its marginalization within the educational systems of many countries.
2. Implement sustainable sports programmes to address social problems. We know that specific issues such as the increasing problem of obesity and a general lack of movement in large parts of the populations of many countries are identified and can be partly resolved by using sport as a tool to improve health, promote holistic development, peace and national harmony. But the implementation of adequate and sustainable programmes and campaigns necessitates community ownership and the allocation of adequate resources not solely to elite sport but rather to community sports activities.
3. Use sport as a vehicle for combating discrimination, achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Sport can provide a basis to develop the participation of all sectors of society, including the disabled, women and girls, the impoverished, the aged, and other marginalized individuals and communities, in sport at all levels.
4. Coordinate sport for development and peace programmes and policies using an agreed institutional framework. The international community, including the United Nations, has identified the need for a structure within which to govern and coordinate programmes and policies related to sport. The Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, the Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group (SDP IWG), inter-governmental organizations, national sports committees and various platforms contribute to the institutional framework necessary to enable coherent policy and the implementation of successful programmes.
5. Enhance global "Sport for Development and Peace" coordination. Stronger collaboration and coordinated strategies for partnerships are needed between governments, sports organizations, the private sector and NGOs on the local, regional, national and international levels. This is a precondition for agreements to help countries gain expertise and share experiences in order to work against regional imbalances in sport programmes and policies. Sports organizations must be encouraged to promote professionalism in sport instruction and to help countries increase participation in sport.
Particular obstacles encountered in implementing sport for all policies and programmes include:
1. A lack of adequate resources, and in some cases competition among stakeholders for limited funding;
2. Insufficient monitoring and evaluation to gauge the effectiveness of programmes;
3. A lack of awareness of the positive benefits of sport to encourage greater public participation;
4. The increasing costs of participating in sport and excessive focus on sport for the talented;
5. Regional imbalances in sport programmes; and
6. In schools, a lack of capacity among teachers and principals to introduce effective physical education curricula, and a lack sports and physical education infrastructure.
Examples of Sport for Development and Peace Initiatives
There are numerous examples of the successful use of sport as a tool for development. At the beginning of 2006, I visited the project “Active Youth in Action” initiated by SCORE (Sports Coaches’ OutReach), a South African NGO using sport as medium of development. I could see how young people learn and practice fundamental social skills while playing and having fun. Another promising project I visited in Port Elisabeth is lead by the Roger Federer Foundation and the NGO IMBEWU and contributes to the personal development of children and social development.
In Colombia, sport is being used to attract young boys and girls away from the streets to healthier sports activities. These activities allow for a first step towards a more formal education as well as towards a nutritional supervision. The National Sports and Recreation Institute (INDER) hires professional coaches to teach sports skills to the children after their school hours in the poorest neighborhoods of Medellín. The participating children are also regularly met by health care and nutritional specialists and receive additional care when required. In the neighborhoods, where this integrated programme is implemented, the crime rates have dramatically dropped and economic development is booming.
Within the UN system, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has realised what sport can do to assist refugees with the healing process of their losses and emotional scars. In Uganda or Kenya for example, sport allows refugees from Somalia, Rwanda, Sudan and other countries to have fun together, to play and to communicate, even if they do not speak the same language. Sport helps refugees, especially young ones in the often secluded environment of camps, to remain healthy, busy, and it allows adult refugees to learn coaching skills and to regain self-esteem. UNHCR works together with the NGO Right To Play to bring sport to the refugee camps all over the world. After three years of a programme conducted by external personnel, the refugees will be able to take over the sports training programme and ensure ownership and sustainability.
Right To Play together with the Peres Center for Peace develops common sports classes for Palestinian and Israeli girls and boys. Right To Play has also started coach training projects for young refugees in Ramallah and Jericho together with UNRWA and the UNDP assistance programme for the Palestinian People.
Next Steps
With the adoption on 3 November 2006, by the United Nations General Assembly, of the report of the Secretary-General and Plan of Action on Sport for Development and Peace, the international community has been provided a framework within which to move forward Sport for Development and Peace initiatives. The Plan of Action is an important next step in advancing Sport for Development and Peace within the United Nations system and by all stakeholders. It encourages stakeholders across a broad spectrum to expand their activities and increase their cooperation. The Plan of Action particularly encourages private sector sports companies and sports industry organizations to address social and environmental impacts of operations and across supply chains.
One of the main objectives of the Special Adviser is to persuade governments everywhere in the world, but especially in developing and least developed countries, to maintain the momentum created by IYSPE 2005. Challenges must be identified, barriers removed through continued international advocacy and stepping up the momentum. To successfully do this, governments should follow through on their commitments made during IYSPE 2005.
Active outreach and advocacy efforts to secure sport’s place on the development agendas must continue with greater vigour and determination. This is the strategic challenge to be addressed with urgency at high-level regional and international forums, including the African Union, NEPAD, the G-8, and the World Economic Forum. We need to use these platforms to reach out to new governments, sharing with them what we have learned about sport as an effective low-cost tool for development. By mainstreaming sport into development strategies, including the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, and by integrating the principles of sustainable development into policies concerning sport and physical education, governments are using a truly unique potential to promote health, education, development and peace. The value of sport as a tool to strengthen national unity and solidarity among regions and population groups, and its peace building potential needs to be further explored by the United Nations Member States and agencies.
We must maintain the momentum begun and increase our efforts to make this world a better place through sport.