High-Level Event of the Global Programme on Security of Major Sporting Events, and Promotion of Sport and its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism

DOHA, QATAR, September 19, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Sports have historically played a significant role in the dissemination of positive values throughout the world and across civilizations and cultures, particularly for youth. Sport is a powerful vector to facilitate integration, promote gender equality, encourage youth empowerment and support efforts aimed at preventing and countering violent-extremism and radicalization.

With this vision in mind and within the framework of the “United Nations Global Programme on the Security of Major Sporting Events, and Promotion of Sport and its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism”, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) has convened a High-Level Meeting on the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) through Sports, in partnership with the co-implementing partners of the programme, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS). The workstream of the project dedicated to Security of Major Sporting Events was launched on 3 February 2020.

The virtual high-level meeting featured discussions between senior United Nations officials, Member States and international organizations representatives, policymakers, and sports personalities committed to the fight against violent extremism. The event will be followed by a technical-level International Expert Group Meeting on 21-23 September 2020 where representatives from governments, international and regional organizations, sport bodies, academia and civil society organizations will share experiences and discuss actionable good practices of sport-based interventions aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE) that can inspire the inclusion and further acknowledgment of sports within national and regional PCVE action plans.

The event precedes the launch of a series of initiatives such as the development of a guide for policymakers, a training handbook and a global campaign, which will bring together globally renowned athletes and youth in a joint effort to PCVE. The campaign, which is currently being developed, should gain significant exposure during upcoming major sporting events, including the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In addition, the project will launch a grant-awarding mechanism for local civil society organizations working on sports-based prevention of violent extremism (PVE) at the grassroots level in selected countries of Africa and the Middle East.

The project is supported by the State of Qatar, the United Nations Peace and Development Fund (People’s Republic of China) and the Republic of Korea.

Nadeesha Rathnayake
International Centre for Sport Security
+974 4430 8000
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