The State of Qatar has been pursuing a policy of using sports to promote sustainable development and peace at home and abroad. The State has, over the years, undertaken a number of initiatives to integrate sports in its development plans. Over the past decade, Qatar has invested heavily in sports, building and developing world-class sports facilities and infrastructure, enabling it to host a number of international sports event.
It is in this context that the country intends 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.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly, H E Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed Saif Al Thani, Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the UN, said Qatar is keen that the draft resolution be consistent with peace, sustainable development, and human rights, the three pillars 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 draft resolution will welcome the “Healthy World Cup in 2022 -- Creating Legacy for Sport and Health” initiative, a multi-year collaboration between Qatar, WHO and FIFA to make the 2022 world cup a beacon for physical and mental health promotion, and also a model for ensuring future mega sport events are healthy and safe. It’s a significant effort given that the tournament will be the first football world cup to be held amid a pandemic, which has claimed millions of lives and taken a heavy toll on mental health of millions of people.
Qatar said it wanted to start informal consultations on the draft resolution in January and formally submit it to the UNGA on International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on April 6.
Through this resolution, Qatar is taking lead in employing sport to achieve goals of physical and mental health, education, social integration, and promotion of peace and understanding among all people. The resolution is coming at the right time as the world and sports emerge from the pandemic for the first ever football world cup in the Middle East. The resolution also reaffirms Qatar’s belief in the ability of sport, in all forms, to contribute to achieving sustainable development goals.
