Together with experts from different fields, BSWW president talked about how Sport can help fight against violence
Beach Soccer World Wide president and UNAOC’s Advisor for Sport Joan Cusco took part in the virtual International Expert Group meeting on Sports Values for Preventing Violent Extremism that the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), taking place between 21st and 23rd of September.
Representatives from governments, international and regional organizations, sport bodies, academia and civil society organizations shared their experiences and discussed actionable good practices of sports-based interventions aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE) that can inspire the inclusion and further acknowledgment of sports within national and regional PCVE action plans.
The project entitled “United Nations Global Programme on the Security of Major Sporting Events, and Promotion of Sport and its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism” is co-implemented by the United Nations office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS).
The meeting had panelists such as Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), HH Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General, Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, 2022 FIFA World Cup, Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, High Representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), Mr. José Mourinho, Head Coach, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, Edgar Davids, founder of Parc des Reves and former international footballer, and many other International Federation presidents and top-notch clubs executives.
In his speech, Joan Cusco, who is working with UNAOC’s #OneHumanity campaign, talked about how “everybody’s contribution is key to progress in the fight against violence. The efforts being made by big clubs and entities such as LaLiga, Real Madrid, NBA, FC Barcelona and many others are really priceless, but we all need to think that there is no small voice in it, and every single one of us within the world of sport can add our significant bid. Everybody is necessary in this“.
