Dedicating 2005 to sport and physical education: promoting health, peace and development.

The "International Year of Sport and Physical Education", proclaimed for 2005 by the United Nations General Assembly in November 2003, offers a unique opportunity to show the positive values of sport and its vital role in society. These fundamental values, such as respect for rules, opponents, referee decisions and the environment, have much in common with those embodied in the UN Charter.

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Sports are rapidly expanding, and economically the industry remains one of the fastest growing. There is an increasing number of global sporting events that are more diversified and attracting an ever-increasing public.

However, the number of people practising a sport on a regular basis has not increased. Sedentary lifestyles seem to be more common, depriving part of the population of necessary physical activity. This leads to illness, such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases, and causes deficiency in the development of bone and muscular systems, among others.

While physical education is considered indispensable to well-balanced development, mandatory physical education in school and its quality (for example, three hours per week of exercise are mandatory in Switzerland), as well as student competency, are constantly threatened. There are also some who would prefer to have private sports clubs and associations take care of teaching sports, confining intellectual studies to schools.

Moreover, the image of sport suffers from excesses linked to top-class athletics, such as revelations about doping, the role of money, and public violence during sport events. These contradictory trends are a source of concern and deserve to be addressed. To encourage reflection on its role in societies and to promote its positive aspects, the General Assembly on 3 November 2003 adopted resolution 58/5, "Sport as a means to promote education, health, development and peace". Its implementation helps to address more specifically its role in societies as a means to promote well-being and health.

The Year of Sport provides the international community with an opportunity to promote the value of sport as a partner for the achievement of development and peace goals. Overall, it will strive to achieve "a better understanding of the value of sport and physical education for human development and a more systematic use of sport in development programmes".

In 2005, we wish to see sports-based development projects implemented in partnership with the UN system, sports federations, the sporting goods manufacturing industry, athletes and non-governmental organizations. Such projects should be evaluated and presented at the many conferences that will take place throughout the year. At the end of the celebration of the International Year, several publications should make the case for sport in a clear and pragmatic way. We should be in a position to show scientific proof that if used properly and in a supportive framework, sport can effectively assist in education, health, development and peace-building projects.

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An office to assist with the preparation for the International Year was established in Geneva under my leadership. I have also received substantial support from the United Nations Development Programme, which has allowed me to open an office in New York that will be responsible for public information activities, as well as assist with the implementation of sports-based programmes and projects within the United Nations system, in partnership with Governments, civil society and the private sector. The office works closely with the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships, which is providing guidance and support for the Year. UNFIP will continue its efforts to promote sports-related partnerships on the field level and assist in the implementation of sports-based programmes for development and peace, as well as raise the profile of the International Year of Sport and Physical Education.

  "It is vital to defend and promote positive values of sport, so that
sport finds the role it deserves in our societies and creates a passion
among the great majority of people for a regular practice of physical
activity as a source of well-being."

This is part of a series of articles exploring the many facets of partnerships supported by the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP). In the series, some of the UN private sector and foundation partners will convey their views on how partnerships with the United Nations are being built and are achieving impact on the ground.

RELATED ARTICLE: WHAT IS SPORT?

An activity: The UN Inter-agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace has defined sport as comprising all forms of physical activities that allow social interaction and contribute to maintaining good physical and mental health. This includes games, occasional or competitive sports, as well as traditional or indigenous sports. Access to sport and physical activity is recognized as a fundamental right for all, in accordance with article 1 of the 1978 International Charter of Physical Education and Sport of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

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A tool for peace: Although sport is apolitical, it has often helped to restore dialogue when political, cultural or religious tensions arose. Games are a means for communities, people and countries to compete with respect to individuals and the rules involved.

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A means to promote health: It is recognized that physical activity contributes to maintaining both physical and mental health. Carefully choosing an activity suited to individual needs, its frequency and the level of difficulty contributes to making physical activity a tool to promote health and reduce its costs.

A channel of communication: The positive image of famous athletes can become powerful tools to convey messages of tolerance, respect for diversity and peace.

A contribution to development: When we speak of development and sport, it is primarily about the individual's development. Sports can be introduced, often at low cost, as a means of child development in schools and slums to promote integration and fight poverty. Sharing rules and games, as well as teamwork, aim at different objectives according to the social and economic environment. However, sport can contribute to many forms of social, economic and human development. Through public-private partnerships focusing on sport-based development programmes, it is possible to train and teach young people essential skills and encourage youth employment. Big sports events also contribute to economic development and often offer opportunities to initiate long-term projects.

In September 2000, world leaders at the UN Millennium Summit agreed to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)--a set of measurable targets for combating poverty, illiteracy, hunger, lack of education, gender inequality, child and maternal mortality, diseases and environmental degradation. Endorsed by 191 Governments, the MDGs lie at the heart of the global development agenda and create a framework for action for the UN family.

A school of life: Sport plays an important role in reaching the MDGs. It is a school of life. It offers a complete learning experience: overcoming obstacles, accepting the transient nature of victory, working to get results, respecting opponents, decisions of referees and fair play. It also gives confidence and can contribute to social integration, especially for foreigners and the disabled.

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Adolf Ogi, former President of the Swiss Confederation and one of the initiators of the International Year of Sport and Physical Education, was appointed in February 2001 as Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace.

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