UNESCO and the University of Tehran on Monday celebrated the 5th International Day of Sport for Development and Peace to highlight the importance of investment in physical activities for the present and future generations.
At a ceremony at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education of the University of Tehran, Alexander Schischlik, chief of the Youth and Sports section at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, underscored Iran’s achievements in sports and physical education, particularly for people with disabilities, Mehr News Agency reported.
He said Iran should share its experience and best practices with other countries. “Iran benefits from a very rich sporting history in the main international disciplines, and also has an invaluable heritage of traditional sports” he noted.
Esther Kuisch-Laroche, director of the UNESCO cluster office in Tehran, said that sport is a very powerful tool to strengthen social ties and networks, and to promote the ideals of fraternity, solidarity, non-violence and justice.
“Sports also play a significant role as a promoter of social integration and economic development in different cultural and political contexts” she added.
UNESCO as the UN’s leading agency for physical education and sport provides assistance and guidance services for governments, NGOs and experts to debate the evolving challenges of physical education and sport.
The organization also offers expertise in the design and implementation of development programs in the domain of sport and plays the secretariat role for the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport.
Since 1952, UNESCO has been working actively to promote the power and cross-cutting potential of sports and to facilitate access to physical education in both formal and non-formal settings.
In 2013, the UN General Assembly proclaimed April 6 as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, to celebrate the contribution of sports and physical activity to education, human development, healthy lifestyles and a peaceful world.
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