Sports and security
"Sport is a fundamental and true human value. A strong vaccine against any kind of criminal disease. We have a moral obligation to protect and promote sports."
-- Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov in his remarks at the launch of the UN’s Global Programme on Sports and Security.
Background
Sport has the power to unite people and uplift communities. It promotes respect, inclusion, and equality and can empower women and youth, helping to combat all forms of discrimination. Major sporting events can promote positive values, attain a large popularity and leave a thriving socio-economic legacy in host countries. However, they can also be threatened by terrorist organizations not only for the opportunity to cause massive incidents, but for representing what terrorists aim to destroy.
The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy has called for strengthening the security and protection of sport events and encouraged the involvement of youth in the promotion of a culture of peace and tolerance. It encouraged Member States to develop, as appropriate, an understanding of respect for human dignity, pluralism and diversity, including through sports and physical activities that could prevent and discourage youth’s participation in acts of terrorism, violent extremism conducive to terrorism, violence, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination.
Since 2020, UNOCT has been dedicated to supporting Member States in protecting major sporting events as a good of humanity and leveraging the power of sports to strengthen social cohesion and build resilience to negative influences.
About the programme
The Global Programme on the Security of Major Sporting Events and the use of Sport Values to Prevent Violent Extremism seeks to:
- Increase Member States’ awareness of terrorism-related threats against vulnerable targets in the context of Major Sporting Events and their ability to protect them as a common good of humanity
- Leverage the power of sports and its values to strengthen social cohesion and build resilience to violent extremism.
The Global Sports Programme provides policy guidance and technical assistance for the security of major sporting events, and supports national and local-level sports-based initiatives to prevent violent extremism. It aims to promote diversity and gender equality in sporting contexts, and facilitates coordination and expertise globally.
The Programme is led by UNOCT and co-implemented by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), in close consultation with the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) and INTERPOL. It serves as a platform for hundreds of national policymakers and practitioners from Ministries of Social Affairs, Physical Education, Sport/Youth, Internal Affairs, Intelligence, and Public Safety nominated by Member States for direct engagement with programmatic activities. Regional meetings with these representatives take place regularly, and several international and regional organizations, continental and national sports federations, civil society, and private entities interact through UNOCT’s Connect&Learn” platform.
The Programme has been generously funded by the State of Qatar, the United Nations Peace and Development Fund (People’s Republic of China) and the Republic of Korea.
Statements
Statement of Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov about Sport, development and peace:
- At the Group of Friends on Sport for Development and Peace
- At the High-Level Event Promoting the Power of Sport to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism
- At the launch of the UNOCT Global Programme on Security of Major Sporting Events, and Promotion of Sport and its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism (PVE)
Photo Gallery
2023 CT Week Side Event
