Following a roundtable discussion during the Salt Lake City Olympics in February 2002, the Secretary-General invited his Special Adviser then Mr. Ogi and Ms. Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF, to co-chair a United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace. The Task Force was constituted in November 2002 and handed its report to the Secretary-General at the end of March 2003.
This report analyses in detail the potential contribution that sport can make towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It provides an overview of the growing role that sport activities are playing in many United Nations’ programmes and crystallizes the lessons learned. It also includes recommendations aimed at maximizing and mainstreaming the use of sport.
Participating UN bodies were:
United Nations Specialized agencies
ILO
UNESCO
WHO
United Nations Programmes and Funds
UNICEF
UNDP
UNHCR
UNEP
UNV
UNODC
UNAIDS
Secretariat of the Task Force
Right To Play (NGO)
The NGO "Right To Play" has made staff and means available in support of the Task Force.
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The mission of the Task Force was to encourage a more coherent approach to the use of sport-related initiatives in the pursuit of United Nations development goals, particularly at the community level. The Task Force also aimed to promote the use of sport as a recognized tool in development policy.
Recommendations of the Task Force report:
- Sport should be better integrated into the development agenda.
- Sport should be incorporated as a useful tool in programmes for development and peace.
- Sport-based initiatives should be included in the country programmes of United Nations agencies, where appropriate and according to locally assessed needs.
- Sport for development and peace programmes need greater attention and resources by governments and the United Nations system.
- Communications-based activities using sport should focus on well-targeted advocacy and social mobilization, particularly at national and local levels.
A final recommendation of the Task Force is that the most effective way to implement programmes that use sport for development and peace is through partnerships. |
