Cairo, 27 May 2016 -  A group of 22 top Egyptian athletes pledged to promote world peace and advance the new and universal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) during a sports event co-organized by the United Nations in Egypt, the International Organization for Migration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports at the Gezira Youth Centre in Cairo on Friday, June 3rd.
Participating athletes issued a declaration vowing to advocate for the goals and principles of the UN Charter, emphasizing the unique convening power of sport as a crosscutting tool for integration.

Ambassador Mohamed Kazem of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that sports are not only a tool for entertainment, recreation and fair competition among individuals and peoples, but “they are also a major linchpin in the health and prevention system, and are among elements of sustainable development.”

At the ceremony, Mr Ahmed Hassan, Egypt’s international footballer who currently holds the men's all-time record with 184 caps, read out a declaration by the athletes vowed to “pursue an international order based on justice, equality in sovereignty, mutual respect, and human dignity for all.”

Messages of support for the SDGs were delivered by the attending athletes.  Mr Tamer Bagato, an ex-famous football player in one of Egypt’s national football teams, Al Ahly, highlighted the importance of ensuring the access of migrants and refugees to education, health care and work opportunities. He also highlighted the contributions of migrants to economic growth in countries of origin and countries of destination through exchanging new ideas, fuelling innovation and contributing resources through taxes and remittances. 

The event’s programme kicked off with a friendly squash game between two Squash World Champions, Ali Farag and Nouran Gohar. 

“It is inconceivable to aim for development in the absence of real peace, genuine justice as well as effective, transparent and accountable institutions at all levels. Sport is one of the important tools in promoting national unity and solidarity among different regions and groups of the population,” highlighted Gohar in her statement to the media.

The event also included two friendly football games, one between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs team and the UN family in Egypt, while the second featured two teams of some of Egypt’s best veteran footballers against each other. There was also a martial arts performance by children organized by UNICEF.

The event was organized to mark the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace in Egypt, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013. Officially taking place on April 6, the International Day represents the recognition of the positive influence that sport can have on the advancement of human rights, social and economic development. Sport has a unique power to attract, mobilize and inspire. It is about inclusion and citizenship. It stands for human values such as respect for the opponent, acceptance of binding rules, teamwork and fairness, all of which are principles which are also contained in the Charter of the United Nations.

For further information, please contact Amr Taha IOM Egypt Head of Office at IOM Egypt, Tel: +202-27365140, Email: iomegypt@iom.int.