{"id":285639,"date":"2025-05-22T11:49:36","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T15:49:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/79\/?p=285639"},"modified":"2025-05-22T11:49:36","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T15:49:36","slug":"pga-remarks-on-opening-ceremony-for-world-football-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/79\/2025\/05\/22\/pga-remarks-on-opening-ceremony-for-world-football-day\/","title":{"rendered":"PGA Remarks on Opening Ceremony for World Football Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remarks by the President of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly,<\/strong><\/p>\n

H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

on Opening Ceremony for World Football Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

(As Delivered)<\/strong><\/p>\n

22 May 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/p>\n

Distinguished Delegates,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It is my distinct pleasure and privilege to join you today for the inaugural commemoration of World Football Day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Marking the centenary of the 1924 Olympic football tournament, the General Assembly adopted resolution 78\/281, selecting 25 May as World Football Day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I commend the Permanent Missions of Bahrain, Libya, and Tajikistan for initiating and advancing the resolution.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In Cameroon, football is a passion, it is more than just a sport,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It is a way of life which has brought communities together for generations.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I therefore applaud today\u2019s initiative, for football has the rare ability to bridge the divides of language, culture and geography.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In times of division and mistrust like the ones we live in, football can act as unifier; bringing out in all of us the spirit of camaraderie and collaboration that is so intrinsic to this sport of football.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dear friends,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Football is not only entertaining; it fosters tolerance, mutual respect and friendship.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

From small villages and townships to sprawling cities; from muddy fields to state-of-the-art stadiums, it is a thread that binds people.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For participants and spectators alike it elicits joy, pride, a sense of belonging and \u2013 if you are lucky \u2013 triumph.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It also teaches respect, compassion, solidarity, and forgiveness.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As the resolution emphasises, football promotes inclusion and participation \u2018without any discrimination.\u2019<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In regions recovering from conflict, it has a healing effect on everybody.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Office on Sport for Development and Peace reports that football programmes have significantly reduced youth violence and boosted civic engagement.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Football can help break down barriers, foster social integration, and encourage dialogue.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Football is not just a game; it is a strategic asset in achieving the United Nations goals of sustainable development, peace and security, and respect for human rights.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As we all celebrate this asset to humanity, we must also ask how we use it better for our goals.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This includes initiatives such as the United Nations\u2019 \u2018Football for the Goals\u2019 initiative, which engages clubs and federations, and aims to transforms football into a global partner for sustainability.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In addition, the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Internationale de Football Association\u2019s Women\u2019s Football Strategy has spurred a 24% increase in female participation since 2019, advancing gender equality.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let us hope this is just the start.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let us harness football\u2019s full potential \u2013 to not only score goals on the field, but to advance the goals of our common humanity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thank You very much.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Media Contacts<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly,\u00a0Tel: +1 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser\/ Social and Digital Media\/Media Relations,\u00a0M: +1 917 3614990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

More Information and Updates\u00a0: Website<\/a><\/u><\/strong>: \u00a0YouTube: <\/a><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0X (Twitter):<\/a><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0Instagram<\/a><\/u><\/strong>: \u00a0LinkedIn: <\/a><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0Photo Repository<\/a><\/u><\/strong>: Bluesky<\/a><\/u><\/strong>; Weekly Highlights<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Resolutions of the 79th Session \u2013 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Remarks by the President of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang\u00a0 on Opening Ceremony for World Football Day (As Delivered) 22 May 2025   \u00a0 Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":373,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81,111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-285639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-speeches","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nPGA Remarks on Opening Ceremony for World Football Day | General Assembly of the United Nations<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/79\/2025\/05\/22\/pga-remarks-on-opening-ceremony-for-world-football-day\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PGA Remarks on Opening Ceremony for World Football Day | General Assembly of the United Nations\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Remarks by the President of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly, H.E. 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