“Several players, one goal”

Ambassador Farani Azevêdo
Mr. Tomaz Viana
Dear Colleagues
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the opening of this exhibition. I would like to express my appreciation to the Permanent Mission of Brazil for its initiative and for organizing this event. The creation of this mural, by graffiti artist Toz and young people from vulnerable communities in Brazil, is a perfect example of how sport can be a force for unity. And football can be not just a theme for artistic creation, but also a tool for social change.

Around the world, the United Nations and its partners support the promotion of sports, life skills and common values. Right here in Geneva, the Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke, keeps these issues high on the UN agenda. Teamwork. Fair play. Respect for your opponent. Honouring the rules of the game. These are all necessary in sports. But they are also essential to relations between people and countries.

That is why the United Nations has programmes that bring people from different communities together to play sports. Our peacekeepers organize friendly football matches in places like Cyprus. The UN runs a project called Basketball without Borders, where students meet and learn that they may come from different backgrounds but they share the same dreams for the future.

Sporting events help us raise awareness about human rights, the environment and our fight against poverty. They also help promote gender equality. At the Olympic Games female athletes compete on the world stage alongside their male counterparts – at the highest level. At the London Games last year, women were represented in all participating national teams for the first time, making up a record 45% of all athletes. This was an important achievement, and I hope that at the next Games, the 50% record will be set!

Dear Colleagues:

The promotion of human rights and universal values is part of our mission. That is why I applaud the efforts of the Permanent Mission of Brazil for bringing these issues to the forefront.
And for promoting the links between sport and peace and development - not just in their own country, but for the international community in Geneva as well.

Thank you very much.