Delivered by: Ms. Aysha Almenhali
UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION
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Mr. President,
At the outset, I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report. which contained valuable information and constructive recommendations aiming at advancing our collective efforts in harnessing sport as an effective tool in advancing sustainable development and peace. Today, we are not only focusing on sport as a tool to respond to current challenges,, but rather it is an investment to build stronger and more cohesive societies in the long term.
Mr. President,
The UAE’s vision is based on its firm belief that sport is not only a physical and recreational activity, but rather it is a comprehensive system that contributes to building cohesive and prosperous societies, improving the physical and mental health of society members, and enables us to promote relations between peoples.
We underline the importance of the principles of the Charter for the Future, particularly those calling for integrating sports in various areas of development. In this regard, my country commends the UN efforts and important initiatives aiming at harnessing sport as a tool to promote development and peace.
In this context, allow me to focus on the following four main points, which we believe will have a significant impact on strengthening the role of sport in development and peace:
First, we emphasize the importance of supporting the role of women and girls in sports as a prerequisite for achieving social inclusiveness and accelerating sustainable development. It is also an important tool to achieve equality and promote equal opportunities of full engagement in society. In this context, the UAE Women’s Sports Federation has made great strides in enabling women and girls to reach their highest levels of efficiency, acquire athletic skills, and raise their competitiveness. This included enabling women to chair some sports federations, and participate in many women’s programs and tournaments.
Second, sport plays a pivotal role in promoting climate action, particularly in raising environmental awareness, and supporting the efforts aimed to reduce the repercussions of climate change.
In the UAE, sports have been employed as an effective tool to promote sustainability in various sporting events and facilities. To this end, the UAE adopted innovative technologies, such as using solar panels in stadiums, and using LED technology in the Yas Circuit, the world’s leading hub for motorsports, to illuminate the racing track, which contributed to reducing carbon emissions. In addition, several environmental solutions were adopted, including rationalizing the use of natural resources in stadiums and sports tracks, relying on recycled materials, implementing an innovative waste management and water conservation systems, and deploying composting devices in sporting events locations.
These initiatives have proven their ability to raise environmental awareness among the public, and promote sustainability practices in sports, and thus contributing to efforts to preserve the environment and protect our planet for future generations.
Third, we underscore the pivotal role of sports as a preventive mechanism to protect societies from crime, violence, and extremism, and promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Engaging youth, including persons with disabilities, or as they are called in my country “people of determination”, in sports-based development initiatives, can help addressing the root causes of conflict and building resilience in fighting intolerance and extremism.
Fourth, the protection of athletes and sports facilities must remain a top priority, especially in light of the escalating wars and armed conflicts in many parts of the world. The situation in Palestine is a manifest example of this tragedy, where Palestinian athletes and sports facilities continue to suffer from Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and other areas of the occupied Palestinian territories. Since October 7, about 400 Palestinian athletes have lost their lives, and many sports facilities have been destroyed, leading to a serious deterioration in sports in Palestine.
These developments highlight the urgent need for the international community to shoulder its responsibility to provide protection to athletes like other civilians in armed conflicts in accordance with international humanitarian law, and provide them with a safe environment to practice their sporting activities, away from wars and armed conflicts.
Mr. President,
In conclusion, the UAE affirms its continued commitment to strengthening the role of sports diplomacy in achieving sustainable development goals and peacebuilding. We stand ready to cooperate with all Member States in order to achieve a sustainable future through sports.
Thank you, Mr. President.