New York: The State of Qatar has confirmed its intention to submit a draft resolution under the item Sport for Development and Peace titled “The FIFA World Cup 2022 in the State of Qatar,” at the current session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
This came in the statement made by Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations H E Ambassador Sheikha Alya bint Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly on the item Sport for Peace and Development; Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal.
The State of Qatar is keen that the draft resolution be consistent with peace, sustainable development, and human rights, the three pillars of the United Nations represents, as well as with global recognition of the role and contribution of sport, especially football, in promoting development and peace, the statement stressed.
Qatar stated that the project includes a paragraph welcoming the initiative “Healthy World Cup in 2022 - Creating a Legacy for Sports and Health”. The initiative is a multi-year joint project between Qatar, the World Health Organization (WHO), and FIFA to make the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 a beacon for promoting physical and mental health, and a model for ensuring the health and safety of major sporting events in the future, especially since this will be the first edition of the FIFA World Cup to be held during the COVID-19 pandemic, it explained.
The statement expressed Qatar’s aspiration to start informal consultations on the draft resolution during the second half of next January. The State of Qatar intending to submit the resolution for adoption in the General Assembly on the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, which falls on April 6.
It also expressed its aspiration for the constructive participation of member countries in the process, leading to the adoption of the project by consensus.
The State of Qatar also affirmed its firm belief in the ability of sport, in all forms, to contribute to achieving sustainable development goals. It also affirmed its great interest in sport to achieve the desired goals in the fields of physical and mental health, education, and social integration, promoting the values of peace and understanding among all people. The statement confirmed Qatar’s keenness to invest in the sports field over the past decades as part of its efforts to achieve Qatar National Vision 2030, through building and developing sports facilities and developing infrastructure in accordance with international standards, pointing out that this investment qualified it to host major international sporting events.
The statement expressed Qatar’s pleasure in announcing the countdown to hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022, which will be held for the first time in the Middle East. In this context, the State of Qatar expressed its pride in inaugurating Al Bayt Stadium last week, which is the last of the eight distinguished stadiums that will host the World Cup in less than a year from now.
