Olympic legend Edwin Moses backs UN report on how sport can help
The post-pandemic recovery
London, July 15, 2021 - With eight days to go to the start of the Olympic Games, sports legend Edwin Moses, on behalf of the Laureus World Sports Academy, has called on world leaders to embrace United Nations recommendations on how sport can be used to help recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Last year the UN invited Laureus Sport for Good to contribute to a report by the UN Secretary General to the UN General Assembly on what role sport could play in healing society in the aftermath of covid-19.
Moses, Chairman of Laureus Sport for Good and a double Olympic gold medallist, said: “Laureus was proud to play a part contributing to the UN Secretary General’s report, but now that everyone is watching top sport again - both in sports venues and on TV - it is a good time for us all to remember that there is still a large section of society that desperately needs our support. Sport can play an important part in helping to rebuild society and support those who have lived through the trauma of the pandemic on top of already challenging circumstances.”
“Sport can play an important part in helping to rebuild society and support those who have lived through the trauma of the pandemic on top of already challenging circumstances.”
- EDWIN MOSES, CHAIRMAN OF SPORT FOR GOOD
Laureus, which was created in 2000, supported more than 250 community sports programmes around the world involving over 270,000 young participants in 2020. Alongside that direct impact, the Laureus Sport for Good Annual Review 2020, published this week, recounts Laureus’ involvement in the creation of the UN plan: ‘Sport: a global accelerator of peace and sustainable development for all’, which was submitted to the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly in September, as part of Laureus’ overall commitment to sharing the knowledge and expertise of the Sport for Development sector.
Daniela Bas, Director, Division for Inclusive Social Development, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs said: “Laureus was a valued contributor to the report of the United Nations Secretary General. We welcome the contribution of the Sport for Development sector. We believe that sport can play a critical role in doing so and encourage all to explore it as a cost-effective way to drive genuine social change.
“Laureus was a valued contributor to the report of the United Nations Secretary General. We believe that sport can play a critical role in doing so and encourage all to explore it as a cost-effective way to drive genuine social change."
The UN report, submitted as a result of General Assembly resolution 73/24, reviews progress towards implementation of the United Nations Action Plan on Sport for Development and Peace, drawing on input received from member states and other stakeholders.
The report highlights the important role of physical activity and sport in mitigating the impact of the pandemic on health and well-being.
Dr Morten Schmidt, Laureus Global Director of Programmes and Grants, said: “Our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals is at the heart of our activities, so we were more than happy to input into this report when we were asked. Our role and experience from more than 20 years in Sport for Development, working closely with hundreds of programmes across the world, is a unique basis from which to contribute to the UN.
“Nelson Mandela, our first Patron, said ‘Sport has the power to change the world’ which has been our raison d’etre and I live in hope that, working with the UN, we can make that come true in these particularly challenging circumstances.”
The Sustainable Development Goals not only underpin and give direction to all the work we do at Laureus and through our partners, but are the shared aspirations to where we want to be in the year 2030 in key areas of social, economic and environmental development. Every Sport for Good programme addresses at least one of the six goals which Laureus supports: health; education; women & girls; employability; inclusive society; and peaceful society.
Among the UN agencies that Laureus is working with are the UN Office on Drug and Crime (peaceful societies), UNICEF (education, safeguarding), UN Alliance of Civilizations (peaceful and inclusive societies), and the Division for Inclusive Social Development at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (responsible for the report).
In each field, Laureus is able to bring extensive experience and insight from its more than 250 programmes all over the world, helping the agencies involved find informed, practical solutions.
Using this reservoir of knowledge, among the suggestions offered by Laureus to the Division of Inclusive Social Development in the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs were:
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Most Sport for Development organisations are small and community-based, and depend upon the creative ideas and strong personal commitments of staff and volunteers. Few were prepared for a shock the magnitude of Covid-19. It is critical to support the efforts of such small organisations if they are to continue their crucial contribution.
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New funding is needed to enable Sport for Development organisations to continue reaching out and to support them through the crisis and beyond, as is being done, for example, by the Sport for Good Response Fund, launched by Laureus and partner organisations in 2020.
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Sport for Development organisations are used to delivering sports-based activities face to face in sports facilities, playgrounds and other open spaces. Few were prepared to deliver in different ways. Providing advisory and technical support for the development of new ways of engaging will be important in helping young people.
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As Covid-19 is a global challenge, it is not necessary for everyone to learn everything from scratch; parts of the world are already demonstrating how to work under certain conditions. Facilitating peer learning, such as the online global, regional and national forums allow organisations to learn from each other and feel less isolated in addressing challenges.
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Every athlete has a personal story of facing challenges. Many have millions of followers on social media and their platforms can be used to reach out to children and young people and to provide an additional layer of continuity in the way programmes deliver to their participants.
