Investing in Sports for SDGs

Excellences,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to the Palais des Nations. It is a great pleasure to open today’s high-level discussion. This the first time that the World Investment Forum has joined forces with the International Olympic Committee to dedicate an event to investing in sport for the Sustainable Development Goals.
The SDGs are our blueprint to achieve a better future for all. Their adoption alone, has already had a tremendous impact on the world. And this is because the Global Goals represent a vision of the world in which everyone has a stake, and a role.

With its universal reach and appeal, sport is an important enabler of sustainable development and a key tool to reach the Goals by 2030. Sport, physical activity and play can strengthen governance, empower women, and promote human rights and integrity. To quote Nelson Mandela: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people.”

The power of sport was amply demonstrated at the last Winter Olympic Games, when the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea joined teams in an unparalleled display of goodwill.

The sport and UN communities pursue their shared vision of how best to leverage the power of sport towards the core agenda of the UN by focusing on the SDGs with the Kazan Action Plan as a global framework and, on human rights and women’s empowerment at the core of sustainability.

In the cooperative mechanism, created by the UN Secretary-General and the President of the IOC in 2017, through the joining of their communications efforts, the UN is working together with the IOC in implementing the SDGs through the IOC Sustainability Strategy.

In presenting his report on the contribution of sport to the SDGs to the General Assembly next November, the UN Secretary-General will also present an action plan to advance the role of sport for development and peace.

International Geneva is the operational hub of the UN system and home to most UN policy organizations, encompassing the sports federations along Lake Leman, and connecting with Lausanne, the sports capital of the world and home of the IOC, at the other end of the Lake, and with the policy centres of New York and Paris. Within this institutional landscape, International Geneva has a critical role to play in complementing existing efforts.

Geneva can use its convening power to foster greater cross-sectoral cooperation on sport. We have done just that in convening recently – together with UNESCO, the ILO, UN DESA and the High Commissioner for Refugees – a first gathering of an informal network of focal points for sport across the Geneva-based international organizations.

In April 2019, we plan to host in Geneva a ministerial conference of the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport.

Last April, UN Geneva joined forces with UEFA and organized the “Match for Solidarity.” Together, we raised almost 1 million Swiss francs for children with disabilities. There is a new proposal in the offing for UN Geneva to partner with UEFA and SIGA, the Sports Integrity Global Alliance, to mobilise the power of sport and football in particular, to promote the SDGs.

Yet, one of the most effective ways of advancing towards the SDGs is through closer collaboration with the private sector and increased private-sector investment in sport. As the private sector seeks wider avenues to connect with the public sector on subjects related to the SDGs, the sports area is a multifaceted partner and can serve as a vehicle to actively contribute to development.

The sports industry already attracts large investment flows globally and generates significant employment and economic opportunities. Be it sponsorships or licensing, everything encompasses business.

Yet it is clear that the full potential of sport to contribute to the SDGs has yet to be unleashed. As we seek to build capacity and strategic alliances, we must not allow ourselves to be solely restricted to worn paths.

During today's high-level interactive discussion, I hope your deliberations will focus on concrete policies and initiatives to further promote investment in sport and enhance the contribution of sport and sport-related investment to achieving the SDGs. Sport has great potential to play an increasing role in our advancement of Agenda 2030 and I wish to commend the efforts of our partnership with the International Olympic Committee and their assistance to jointly organize this special session.

Thank you all, and I wish you productive deliberations.