UEFA and the United Nations Office at Geneva Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Join Forces on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Match for Solidarity

UEFA and the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) today concluded a Memorandum of Understanding at the House of European Football in Nyon, signed by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva Tatiana Valovaya.

Having jointly staged the successful ‘Match for Solidarity’ in 2018, UEFA and UNOG will organise another edition of the star-studded charity match in Geneva in 2022. The game will again provide vital support to the UEFA Foundation for Children projects helping to protect children in Europe and across the world.

The Memorandum of Understanding further establishes a formal institutional partnership between the two organisations and outlines concrete activities to harness football’s capacity to promote sustainable development and peace. A core objective of the agreement is to highlight and promote football’s contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

For UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, the Memorandum of Understanding and strong partnership with UNOG “is a testament to the values that our organisations share and promote, such as respect for human rights and dignity, democracy, non-discrimination, diversity and inclusion, solidarity and sustainability. Football has a unique power to bring people together and drive positive social change.

“In partnership with the United Nations, UEFA is committed to contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and to raising awareness, including among national football associations, on how football can play an active role,” he said.

UNOG Director-General Tatiana Valovaya said: “I am delighted to strengthen our ties with UEFA, especially during a time that urgently needs collaboration and synergies. Sport is an important enabler of sustainable development and working together with UEFA will help us to rally people around important causes and prompt them to action. We are looking forward to organising together again the next Match for Solidarity and working on concrete activities that will help promote peace, rights and well-being for everyone.”

The full Memorandum of Understanding can be accessed here.

M21.001E