9 December 2022

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Dear Colleagues,

Friends

This Day was born out of the General Assembly’s desire to ensure that “never again” would a person face the horrors of genocide.

And out of the GA’s desire to honor those who continue to suffer because, unfortunately, “never again” has become “again and again”.

Today we also?pay tribute to the people who helped to create, in 1948, the Genocide Convention,?

Adopted in the aftermath of the Holocaust and the Second World War, it was the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly.?

Governments have the primary responsibility to prevent genocide but advocating for the world’s most vulnerable is our collective responsibility.

As was announced, today’s event is dedicated to the role of sports in promoting peace and inclusion.?

Sports have changed a lot since the time of ancient Greece.

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The events have lost their religious dimensions of comparing the human achievements to select the best performance and offer it to God. But still preserved that sport is about coming together to work towards the same goal, and compare the achievements in a peaceful and noble manner in accordance with agreed rules.

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In sports everyone speaks the same language, across boundaries, cultures and religions.?

Sports can develop a sense of understanding and awareness of diversity, it can combat stereotypes and hate speech.

Athletes are among the most influential people in the world – giving a voice to the vulnerable people who don’t have one.

Athletes have been symbols of transformation and inclusion for decades.

My message to the captains and athletes – you are role models for today’s youth. ?

Young people who are most exposed to extremism and radicalism.

Your positive example teaches them rules, discipline and teamwork.

You can educate them as nobody else can.

Sports were born out of respect, devotion, and human virtue. Let us not forget about it.

We still need to do more to integrate a common approach to use sports to fight hate online and offline.

I count on your commitment to advancing that important cause.

Before concluding, I want to acknowledge today’s keynote speaker, Ms. Laura Ellsworth, for her work on the Eradicate Hate Global Summit as well as our moderator, Ms. Michele Rosenthal for her inspiring efforts in this field.

They both stand for the message of Nelson Mandela: “No one is born hating another person. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.”

I thank you.