Your Excellency Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly,
Ms. Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC,
Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour to be with you today to reflect on the power of sport to transform lives and build a safer, more sustainable world.
Sport¡¯s power to prevent crime and foster sustainable development is rooted in its potential for empowerment, its capacity for healing and its ability to inspire hope.
When we leverage the empowering and inspiring abilities of sport to support young people, the potential for crime prevention is amplified.
Sport can teach youth life skills such as problem-solving. It instils discipline, resilience, and teamwork. It can provide a haven for at-risk youth, diverting them from the grips of crime and violence.
But tapping the transformative power of sport within our crime prevention strategies will require us to respond to a unique set of challenges.
First, we need a stronger evidence base. With clear data demonstrating positive impacts on specific risks and protective factors, we can better secure funding and promote widespread adoption.
Second, we need tailored approaches. At-risk youth come from diverse backgrounds with varying needs and vulnerabilities. Successful programmes must align with the specific cultural context and individual circumstances of the targeted population.
Third, sustainable funding. We have to move these programmes from a reliance on grants and philanthropic support. We must explore innovative funding models that tie funding to measurable outcomes, incentivizing effective programmes.
Fourth, collaboration. For sport to play its part, law enforcement, education, social services, and sports organizations must work together seamlessly. This means breaking down silos, sharing information, and developing integrated strategies that leverage the strengths of each sector.
So, how do we move forward?
We must invest in comprehensive research and evaluation frameworks, share best practices, and create partnerships that leverage the power of sport. The 51³Ô¹Ï Action Plan on Sports for Development and Peace speaks to this need. By measuring outcomes such as reducing repeat offenses, improved mental health, and increased social integration, we can build a compelling case for sport-based interventions.
Co-design is key. We need deep community engagement and design processes that involve youth, families, and community leaders.
And we need platforms for collaboration, where stakeholders can share knowledge, align goals, and coordinate resources.
Finally, for sport to prevent crime, it must be crime free. We must ensure its credibility. This requires strong governance structures, ethical codes of conduct, and robust anti-corruption measures.
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Together, we can unlock the full potential of sport as a catalyst for crime prevention, youth empowerment, and the building of safer, more just societies.
In line with our mandates on youth development and sport for development and peace, UN DESA will continue to support implementation of the UN Action Plan on Sport and the World Programme of Action on Youth. Together these two frameworks can help support thought leadership, analysis and capacity-building that help us address these challenges head on.
Sport should not be relegated to the sidelines in our efforts to achieve peace and prosperity, we must make it a part of our starting lineup.
I look forward to the interactive debate.
Thank you.