6 June 2024 - “Today more than ever, we need every tool at our disposal to break cycles of crime and help governments achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” said the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ms. Ghada Waly, in remarks delivered on her behalf.
At the UN General Assembly High-Level Debate on "Crime Prevention and Sustainable Development through Sports", organized by the President of the General Assembly together with UNODC, the Executive Director’s statement noted that instability and vulnerability are fueling crime, with homicide rates multiplying in certain countries.
“Crime grows in the cracks of society’s foundations, feeding on the absence of opportunities and values. And that is where sport comes in.”
The President of the General Assembly, Mr. Dennis Francis, noted that the “world is filled with many complex challenges – from the climate crisis to growing economic inequality and social injustice – making it particularly difficult for youth to navigate, and potentially causing them anxiety and uncertainty.
“In their alienation, they might be tempted – or forced – into wayward paths leading to crime and violence,” he added.
The Executive Director’s statement highlighted how through sports, “we can provide young people with avenues to believe and to achieve,” adding that “sports provide the model for a level playing field, one where anyone of any background can succeed if they aspire and work hard.”
Youth can gain values like teamwork, tolerance, and empathy, while also getting a chance to partake in the numerous opportunities and jobs for youth generated by the global sports industry.
UNODC uses sports to provide positive experiences and support healthy development in young people, helping to prevent crime, violence, and substance use.
In 2023 alone, over 24,000 young people, including more than 11,000 girls, benefited from UNODC’s training. UNODC also worked with sport trainers, coaches, and social workers on life skills training through sports across 27 countries.
The Executive Director’s statement underscored that although “integrating sports in crime prevention yields great results, it also faces great challenges. One such challenge is ensuring sustainable funding for long-term sports programmes, especially in underprivileged communities. If we want to see more impact, we must see more investment, even in these times of tight budgets.”
More data, in order to target interventions and ensure impact, is also necessary.
But perhaps the most crucial challenge emphasized was the need to protect sports from corruption.
Mr. Francis noted that “for sport to prevent crime, it must be crime free. We must ensure its credibility. This requires strong governance structures, ethical codes of conduct, and robust anti-corruption measures.”
“Some estimates place the value of the global sports market at more than 480 billion dollars, making it a target for corrupt actors,” the Executive Director warned in her statement, noting that UNODC has been working with criminal justice authorities and sports organizations in 130 countries to help prevent, detect, investigate, and sanction corruption in sport.
She also noted several UNODC resources, notably a global report on corruption in sport, as well as practical guidance on legislation and investigation, and the development of a study focusing on the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
“As the membership of this United Nations prepares to adopt the Pact for the Future in September, to generate new momentum for multilateralism and the SDGs, now is the time to leverage the full potential of sports,” said the Executive Director in her statement. “Future generations are counting on us, and we must play to win.”
