DOHA, April 8, 2022 - The Generation Amazing Foundation, a Qatar 2022 legacy programme, and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) have taken part in a series of events marking the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP). A number of panels were organised throughout the day alongside the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the UN in Geneva and several UN bodies including the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA).

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), which takes place annually on 6 April, recognizes the positive role sport and physical activity play in communities and people’s lives across the globe.

Generation Amazing organised a panel with some of the world’s leading humanitarian organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Nasser Al Khori, Generation Amazing Programmes Director spoke of the work Qatar 2022 is engaging in to use football to drive social change.

“At Generation Amazing, we believe in the power of sport as a truly global and transformative tool that advances sustainable development and provides youth with unique opportunities to better their lives,” said Al Khori.

He added: “Our sports development initiatives have a global reach through our partners in over 35 countries. Amongst these are capacity-building workshops through the Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies in Argentina, Iraq, Myanmar and Uganda, which use a hybrid curriculum co-created by IFRC and Generation Amazing.”

Also speaking at the event was WFUNA Secretary-General Bonian Golmohammadi: “As a civil society movement for the United Nations, sport plays an important part in our work, and we feel fortunate to have the opportunity to co-host this panel with Generation Amazing and the Permanent Mission of Qatar.”

Eng. Bodour Al Meer, the SC’s Sustainability Director, participated in a panel on The Role of Sport in Combating the Climate Change, featuring signatories of the UN Climate Action Framework. During the event, Al Meer spoke about the commitment made by Qatar 2022 to host an environmentally sustainable event.

“The SC recognised the issue of climate change from the very beginning, so we’ve worked hard to ensure that we consider the potential environmental of the tournament in every aspect of our work, including in the design of our stadiums. Learnings from comprehensive studies, high standards and international best practices have been applied across everything we do. In that way, we have designed our stadiums to be ready for the future,” said Eng. Al Meer.

“By being responsible champions and doing the right thing through our mitigation and offset programmes, and working with stakeholders in the country and around the world, we have set new benchmarks for the organization of sustainable mega sporting events,” added Eng. Al Meer.

“The State of Qatar’s increasing visibility in sports is part of a strategic vision. We have made sport one of our strategic tools for achieving the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030. We recognize this publically with a national holiday on the second Tuesday of February each year, National Sports Day, with the main aim of promoting a healthy lifestyle for all in Qatar,” said Juhara Al-Suwaidi, Deputy Permanent Representative and Chargé d'affaires of the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva.

“As we begin the countdown to the opening match of the FIFA World Cup in Doha on 21 November of this year, we look forward to a tournament that will provide unforgettable moments to all participants and achieve the goals for which this game was established, as well as go down in history as one of the most successful World Cup finals ever.”

Read the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Sustainability Strategy. Click here to learn more about the Generation Amazing Foundation. For the latest updates, follow @GA4Good on Twitter and Instagram.