Tolerance and Fair Play

The United Nations can make its voice heard on the power of sport in promoting both peace and development, a senior UN official said Monday, urging participants at a special Headquarters event to "bring out our inner sports fans," and harness sport as a force for positive change.

"Fair play, tolerance and team spirit - sports have a unique potential to help develop and reinforce positive life skills and values, and expand prospects, Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime ( UNODC)," told a Headquarters event on 'Crime Prevention and Sustainable Development through Sport.'

He underscored that sports offer a practical, cost-effective means to help prevent violence and crime, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs), adopted by world leaders in 2015 as a blueprint to achieve a healthy planet where people can live free of poverty and hunger by 2030.

"This event is a wonderful opportunity to further advance awareness of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and its vital message," he continued. "Let us take this chance to engage with sports champions and young men and women around the world. Working together, we can harness sport as a force for positive change."

The Executive Director highlighted the importance of major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games and the World Cup, saying they "have the power to inspire and build bridges."

"We must take these events as golden opportunities to raise awareness, to promote tolerance and respect, and advance efforts towards peace and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," he asserted.