United Nations - General Assembly adopts resolution on sport presented by Monaco

H.E. Ms Isabelle Picco, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the UN © DR

A draft resolution entitled Sport as an enabler of sustainable development was presented by H.E. Ms Isabelle Picco, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the United Nations, at the General Assembly on 1 December. The resolution was adopted by consensus and co-sponsored by 95 member states.

H.E. Ms Isabelle Picco noted in her speech that the resolution recognised the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sport, including the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the socio-economic consequences and the effects on physical and mental health.

Member States are encouraged to include sport and physical activity in their post-COVID-19 recovery plans and their national sustainable development strategies, reflecting the Joint Declaration by 118 Member States in June 2020, co-drafted by Monaco and Qatar.

At the national level, the Ambassador reiterated the importance of unimpeded access to sport, the particularly acute need for solidarity in the current context, the contribution of digital technology and the central role played by sporting movements and associations, citing the digital app developed by the Peace and Sport association as an example.