The United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP), based in Geneva and supported by a Liaison Office in New York, provides the entry point to the United Nations system with regard to Sport for Development and Peace, bringing the worlds of sport and development closer together.
The Office assists the Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace in his worldwide activities as an advocate, facilitator and representative of sports’ social impact in a development context.
Recognizing the importance of sustaining momentum around the development potential of sport, UNOSDP performs the following duties:
ADVOCACY & GUIDANCE:
Through conferences, reports, official resolutions, media outreach, public relations and networking, UNOSDP assists the Special Adviser in raising awareness about the use of physical activity, sport and play as powerful tools in the advancement of development and peace objectives, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with the aim of encouraging the mainstreaming and replication of initiatives that truly make a difference. UNOSDP also provides guidance and assistance to those who currently engage or would like to engage in harnessing the potential of sport as a force for good.
FACILITATION & COORDINATION
Emphasising dialogue, knowledge-sharing and partnerships, UNOSDP serves as a facilitator, encouraging cross-cutting and interdisciplinary exchanges between all stakeholders interested in using sport as a tool for education, health, development and peace. In the lead-up to and during major global sports events, UNOSDP works on fostering UN-wide coordination and representation. In relation to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008 for instance, UNOSDP was instrumental in collecting and disseminating information on the projects undertaken by the UN system at headquarters level as well as in China. For both events, the Special Adviser was designated to represent the UN Secretary-General and to head the UN delegation.
In addition, the UNOSDP also serves as the official secretariat for the Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group (SDP IWG), an inter-governmental policy initiative whose aim is to promote the integration of Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) policy recommendations into the national and international development strategies of national governments.
UEFA's 2010 Monaco Charity Award
In August 2010, UNOSDP was honoured with the 2010 Monaco Charity Award by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The € 1 million award was agreed to be spent funding five Sport for Development and Peace projects touching on five thematic areas (Gender, Peace, Health, Education and Disability) in five geographical regions over four years (2011-2015).
Partnership is at the very core of the model chosen by UNOSDP for disbursing the funds. The process began late 2010 with the initial invitations going out to around ninety selected UN agencies and NGOs to submit an application. In the end, only five highly deserving projects were selected, namely:
the implementation of sporting, educational, training and cultural activities (along with the provision of sporting and IT equipment) in a brand new multi-sports Youth Centre in Gatumba, Burundi, in the border region with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The project is a unique joint venture carried between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Government of Burundi, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the National Olympic Committee of Burundi;
a project in the Gaza Strip, designed by the Berlin-based Office for Psychosocial Issues (OPSI) and supported by the German Foreign Ministry and UNRWA to train coaches and peer leaders to offer socio-psychological support to school children by using two newly built sports grounds;
a project by the Tajikistan National Taekwondo Federation, with support from UN WOMEN, which will aim to strengthen the access for girls to sport and aim to promote women’s rights in Tajikistan;
a project coordinated by the NGO BlazeSports aimed at increasing and enhancing inclusive disability sport and physical activity opportunities for people with disabilities in Haiti;
and a programme by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in Ukraine, which will use the social and educational potential of football to empower disadvantaged youth in the most affected regions of the country.
Youth Leadership Camp
The 2012 UNOSDP Youth Leadership Camp (YLC) is the first camp held under the auspices of Mr. Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace. It is part of his broader Youth Leadership Program and brings together 30 youth from developing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Palestinian Territory who are currently working with grassroots Sport for Development and Peace projects for a 10-day camp. The camp takes place in the world renowned Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar and is organised by UNOSDP in collaboration with Right to Play as a major knowledge partner as well as other partner organizations.
Score the Goals Comic Book
On 24 January 2011, Spanish and Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas and UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace Wilfried Lemke officially launched in Geneva the comic book “Score the Goals – Teaming Up to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals”. The 32-page educational book features 10 football stars who become shipwrecked on an island with a group of ordinary people. The group is finally rescued thanks to their teamwork, their resourcefulness and their faculty to address key challenges such as discrimination, environmental degradation and sickness.
The UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) led the project, in collaboration with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), and the Stop TB Partnership.
‘Sport for a Better World’ Fundraising Gala Dinner
On 23 November 2009, a fundraising gala dinner in Dubai raised more than USD 900,000 for Sport for Development and Peace projects, in particular for children and youth in the Palestinian territories. The event was hosted by HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, United Nations Messenger of Peace and President of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), and Mr. Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace.
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Since its creation in 2001, UNOSDP has played an active role in facilitating the longstanding and manifold relations between the United Nations system and the Olympic movement. UNOSDP and the International Olympic Committee collaborate on many fronts, at the international level, including the organization of joint events. At the present time, 15 UN system organizations have established agreements with the IOC. In October 2009, the Lausanne-based organization was granted Permanent Observer Status to the UN General Assembly. |
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On 18 November 2011, the United Nations and the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) signed a two-year partnership agreement seeking to support the attainment and awareness of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as well as to further harness the power of volleyball to bring about positive social change worldwide. The partnership was signed at the Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo on the sidelines of the FIVB Women's World Cup 2011 by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke, and FIVB President, Jizhong Wei. A large part of the partnership consists in raising awareness of UN actions, themes, values and campaigns at FIVB tournaments and in the framework of the “FIVB Heroes” campaign. Joint promotional measures include perimeter boards, videos, media and players’ engagement, media packs and guides. The cooperation will also be realized through the implementation of joint development and humanitarian projects, in collaboration with the national Volleyball federations in countries where FIVB tournaments will be staged, as well as with relevant UN organizations. |
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In August 2010, UNOSDP was honoured with the 2010 Monaco Charity Award by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The € 1 million award was agreed to be spent funding five Sport for Development and Peace projects touching on five thematic areas (Gender, Peace, Health, Education and Disability) in five geographical regions over four years (2011-2015). |
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In April 2010 was announced in Dubai a five-year partnership between the United Nations and SportAccord, the umbrella organisation grouping together 104 International Sports Federations and Organisations. International Sport Federations and Organisations have the potential to play a crucial role in international development and peace-building. By harnessing the transformative power of their respective disciplines, they can become efficient agents to help realize the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). |
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Since late 2009, the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) and the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) have been collaborating with Peace and Sport, a neutral and apolitical organization based in Monaco, under the High Patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco. The three entities have agreed to work together to promote the role of sport in achieving sustainable peace and development, especially in countries emerging from conflicts. In December 2008, Mr. Lemke joined the group of prominent figures who have been appointed as Peace and Sport Ambassadors. |
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Since 2005 and the signing of an Agreement during the UN International Year of Sport and Physical Education (IYSPE 2005), UNOSDP has collaborated with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on harnessing the power of adaptive sport to foster the inclusion and well-being of persons living with disabilities. On 15 November 2010, Wilfried Lemke received in Berlin the “Bobby” – a German media award bestowed by the Federal Association of Counselling for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities – for his engagement and support for people with disabilities worldwide. The two organizations also partner in advocating for the ratification and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention, which entered into force in May 2008, aims at fighting against stigmatization and discrimination, and strengthening the rights of the world’s estimated 650 million persons with disabilities, including their right “to participate on an equal basis with others in recreational, leisure and sporting activities” (Article 30). |
2nd International Forum on Sport, Peace and Development, 10-11 May 2011, Geneva (Switzerland)
The second edition of the International Forum on Sport, Peace and Development took place at the UN headquarters in Geneva and was attended by more than 350 experts from over 100 countries. Jointly organised by the UN Office on Sport for Peace and Development (UNOSDP) and International Olympic Committee (IOC), the two-day forum brought together various experts from the world of sport and development, including representatives from national governments, the UN system, aid organisations and universities. Speakers included UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Hungarian President and IOC Member Pál Schmitt, UK Minister for Sport and the Olympic Games Hugh Robertson, and IOC President Jacques Rogge.
UN-IOC Forum, 21-22 May 2010, Lausanne (Switzerland)
On 21 and 22 May 2010 was held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne the first joint forum between the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The event, titled “The Importance of Partnership”, co-organized by UNOSDP and the IOC’s Department of International Cooperation and Development, brought together sporting officials and UN representatives in order to strengthen cooperation in the field of development and peace promotion through sport.
Forum on Productive Youth Development through Sport in Africa, 16-18 June 2009, Nairobi (Kenya)
From 16-18 June 2009, a Forum on “Productive Youth Development through Sport in Africa” gathered more than 50 experienced practitioners and experts at the United Nations Office in Nairobi. The Forum addressed questions concerning the role sport can play to help disadvantaged youth to become more socially responsible, and how actors interested in sport's potential can better share resources and ideas. The event was a joint initiative of the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) and the Jacobs Foundation, in collaboration with the Swiss Academy for Development (SAD) and the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA).
Meetings of the Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group (SDP IWG)
In its capacity as Secretariat of the SDP IWG, UNOSDP has organized several meetings and events of the Group. For more details, please visit our dedicated page.
- UNOSDP and IOC (2011), Report of the 2nd International Forum on Sport, Peace and Development, Geneva
- UNOSDP (2011), Achieving the Objectives of the United Nations through Sport, Geneva
- Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group Publications
- UNOSDP (2009), Games of the XXIX Olympiad and the XIII Paralympic Games in Beijing: The UN System in Action, Geneva
Find out more on our Publications page.
United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP)
Villa La Pelouse, Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0) 22 917 27 14
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 07 12
Email: please use the online form
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Geneva (UNOSDP) - On Saturday 25 February 2012, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke, will jointly – together with the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge – visit community sports projects in Lusaka, Zambia. They will be accompanied by other high-ranked IOC and Zambian Government officials. 
Geneva (UNOSDP) – Wilfried Lemke, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, was in attendance last week at the closing of the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOGs) in Innsbruck, Austria. Tomorrow, he will travel to Belgium where he will give a lecture at the European Parliament and participate in a ceremony commemorating the Christmas Truce football game during WWI. 
Doha/Geneva (UNOSDP) – The inaugural ‘UNOSDP Youth Leadership Camp’ concluded yesterday in Doha after eleven days of intense learning. Twenty-nine young people from nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Palestinian Territory enhanced their leadership skills on how to use sport to address pressing social issues affecting their underprivileged communities. At the end of the camp, all felt empowered and have new plans for their future and that of their peers. 
UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke, today kicked off a 10-day leadership camp for underprivileged youth from nine countries in Sub–Saharan Africa and the Palestinian Territory. Taking place in Doha, the ‘UNOSDP 2012 Youth Leadership Camp’ serves as a pilot project to empower 30 young participants to deliver sport-based social programmes and invoke greater change in their communities. 
Hamburg (UNDP) - With a final score of 5-4, UNDP won the 2011 Match Against Poverty against HSV in Hamburg, Germany, on 13 December, 2011 before more than 24,000 spectators. The match was broadcast live in more than 25 countries. 
Bujumbura/Geneva (UNDP/UNOSDP) – As part of his ongoing three‐nation African visit, UN Special Adviser Wilfried Lemke today visited a brand new Youth Sport Centre in Gatumba, Burundi, in the border region with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The project is one of the five initiatives selected by the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) as beneficiaries of the one million euro Award received from UEFA in Monaco last year. 
Seoul (UNAIDS) – Iconic Korean football star, Myung-Bo Hong, was appointed as a UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador during a press conference held at Yonsei University in Seoul. In this capacity, Myung-Bo Hong will raise awareness on HIV prevention among young people and help break down the barriers of stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV, particularly within the Republic of Korea and across Asia. 
Doha, Qatar (UNOSDP) – The ITTF Qatar ‘Peace and Sport’ Cup was the site for “Ping Pong Diplomacy version 2.0" as ten National Associations paired up for doubles play in the aim of building friendship and engaging peace.
Tokyo (UNOSDP) – The United Nations (UN) and the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) today signed a two-year partnership agreement seeking to support the attainment and awareness of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as well as to further harness the power of volleyball to bring about positive social change worldwide.
Berlin (UNOSDP) – Wilfried Lemke, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, tonight was awarded the 2011 ‘Berliner Friedensuhr’ (‘Berlin Peace Clock’) by the Berlin committee for UNESCO. Mr. Lemke was honoured on behalf of the UN for his unwavering commitment at the service of the world organization to mobilizing the power of sport to bring about international understanding and integration, and to combat pov...
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