Dear friends,

I am delighted to join Sepp Blatter [FIFA President] here today. And I am pleased to welcome all of you to the United Nations for this event, at which we dedicate the 2002 World Cup to the world's children.

After the tragic and troubling events of the past few months, this dedication is a welcome symbol of hope.

Sport is a wonderful way of bringing people together and of mobilizing them to embrace causes bigger than themselves. Football, in particular, brings out a special passion and creates special bonds among the millions of people who play, view and love the game.

That is especially true of young people. Indeed, football could be called a universal language for millions of young people throughout the world.

We are here today because we want to marry that language with the words of hope contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child -- in particular the right of children to play.

Far too many children do not have the means or the support to play and enjoy themselves, to learn healthy ways to compete and exercise their spirits as well as their bodies. We must ensure that they are guaranteed that right, wherever they may live; and that conflict, poverty and disease do not deprive them of it.

I am delighted that the United Nations' alliance with FIFA, first launched on these grounds two years ago, has paved the way for the dedication to children of the 2002 World Cup, with UNICEF as the main partner.

This will benefit young people in a number of ways: by building awareness of the rights of children as expressed in the Convention of the Rights of the Child; by attracting support for campaigns to promote health and education; by launching projects and programmes on the ground to make sports more accessible to more children; and by opening doors to yet more partnerships, with national sports associations and with the private sector.

In this way, our partnership will help send a message to the world to say "yes" for children everywhere, and "yes" to the right of children to play. Surely, there could be no better message to send, loud and clear, to an audience of one billion football lovers who will view the World Cup next year. Thank you very much. *****