Secretary-General, Addressing Millennium Goals Round Table, Urges

 

Sporting Community to Build on Growing Ties with United Nations

 

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the Millennium Development Goals Summit Round Table on the Value of Sport as a Development Tool, in New York, today, 20 September:

Thank you for participating in this round table.  Thank you for everything you do to harness the power of sport to inspire positive social change.

We at the United Nations are with you in this work.  We use sport in many of our programmes.  Some of the world’s greatest athletes are helping us to raise awareness on important issues, such as hunger, HIV/AIDS, gender equality, education and environmental care.  This is also why we have an Office on Sport for Development and Peace.

Here at the Millennium Development Goals Summit, we will hear much talk about the need for stronger partnerships in making the Goals a reality.  Sport exemplifies that very spirit:  teamwork; fair play; people collaborating for a common goal.

One such partnership is the very fruitful relationship we have with the Olympic movement.  The International Olympic Committee now has observer status in the General Assembly.  This is an important step in our efforts to educate and engage the public.  I urge the entire sporting community, including the private sector, to build on these expanding contacts with the United Nations.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure and privilege of attending the opening of the FIFA World Cup.  I was impressed by the many initiatives undertaken there in support of the Millennium Development Goals, including the FIFA Football for Hope initiative.  I saw first-hand the power of sport for change.

Recently, UEFA awarded the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace €1 million to use for social change projects using football and sport.  Let us create more and stronger partnerships like these.  I see particular opportunities in a number of areas, especially the work that is being done around major sports events, such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.

Governments are sharing best practices through two important initiatives:  the Sport for Development and Peace Intergovernmental Working Group, and the Group of Friends here in New York.  And more and more sportsmen and women are devoting their talents and visibility to promoting the United Nations goals and values.

Our two Goodwill Ambassadors at this round table, Paul Tergat and Dikembe Mutombo, are stellar examples.  Last week I was privileged to welcome Dominican swimmer Marcos Diaz to New York.  Marcos has swum the Earth’s oceans in a marathon endeavour to raise awareness about the Millennium Development Goals.

Millions of other people are active every day all over the world in grass-roots and sport-for-all projects.  They are using sport to promote democratic values; keeping our youth safe from sexually transmitted diseases; steering them from drug use; taking care of our environment.  Let us support these wonderful people, these powerful initiatives.

The world of sport offers so many opportunities.  So please help us score all eight Millennium Development Goals before the final whistle in 2015.

I wish you a most successful meeting.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record