The event preceded the launch of a series of initiatives which include, inter alia, the development of a guide for policymakers, a training handbook, a global campaign and a grant-awarding mechanism for local civil society organisations (CSOs) working on sports-based prevention of violent extremism (PVE).
The virtual high-level meeting featured discussions between senior United Nations Officials, Member States and international organisations representatives, policymakers, and sports personalities committed to the fight against violent extremism.
The event was followed by a technical level International Expert Group Meeting where representatives from governments, international and regional organisations, sport bodies, academia and CSOs shared experiences and discussed actionable good practices of sports-based interventions aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism that can inspire the inclusion and further acknowledgment of sports within national and regional action (PCVE) action plans.
On this occasion, HE the Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, aAmbassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, said that the State of Qatar is proud to host the 2022 World Cup for the first time in the Middle East and the Arab world, adding that Qatar consider the World Cup as an opportunity for Qatar and the region to stimulate social development and build a better future for next generations.
Her Excellency added that it is more important than ever to support sports and physical activities, as sport should be included in the recovery plans after the (Covid-19) pandemic and within the national strategies for sustainable development, because it is an essential factor in mitigating the impact of the pandemic on health and people and has an important impact in the restoration of normal life activities.
The President of the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) and founder of “Save the Dream” programme, Mohamed bin Hanzab, said that sport positively affects the lives of millions of people every day, and major sporting events and sports in general contain unique tools that stimulate positive change.
He added that he is confident that following this high-level meeting, and with further work, participants will all be able to come up with consistent mechanisms that will be effectively used in sport-related policymaking to combat violent extremism.
He added that this will be an important step, and participants must continue to work together and maintain the pace of commitment to international co-operation and multi-sectoral partnerships within the framework of the United Nations agenda, in order to promote the use of sport as an effective tool to address the main causes of violent extremism, and as a soft force that has the ability to inculcate the values of tolerance and coexistence, and create opportunities for targeted and most vulnerable communities.
For his part, Deputy Permanent Representative of the People’s
Republic of China to the United Nations ambassador Geng Shuang, commended the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office for organising the high-level meeting to discuss important issues to promote sport and its values as a tool for prevention and combating violent extremism.
He pointed out that sport is a beacon for social development and human progress, and there is no doubt that it is of great importance to promote sports values that lead to peace, tolerance and respect, which maintain gender equality, stability, understanding, and eradicate the causes of terrorism and extremist ideologies from their roots.