International Year of Sport and Physical Education
Sport and physical
education play an important role in human development. By their very nature,
sport and physical education are about participation, inclusion and a sense of
belonging. They bring individuals and communities together, highlighting
commonalties and bridging cultural and ethnic divides.
Sport
and physical education provide a forum to learn skills such as discipline,
confidence and leadership and they convey core principles that are important in
a democracy, such as tolerance, cooperation and respect. Sport and physical
education teach the fundamental value of effort and how to manage essential
steps in life such as victory or defeat. At the same time, physical education classes
are often the first ones to be reduced or cancelled in schools in hard economic
times, conflict or under the pressure from other academic fields. Grassroots
sport-based initiatives receive little support from governments.
The
United Nations General Assembly in its Resolution 58/5, entitled "Sport as
a means to promote Education, Health, Development and Peace", recognized
the positive values of sport and physical education and acknowledged the
challenges presented before the world of sport today. This Resolution
proclaimed the year 2005 as the International Year of Sport and Physical
Education (IYSPE 2005), and invited Governments, the United Nations system and
sport organizations to:
·
Include sport and physical
education as a tool in development programmes and policies, including those
contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
·
Work collectively and form
partnerships based on solidarity and cooperation
·
Promote sport and physical
education as a tool for health, education, social and cultural development on
the local and national levels
·
Strengthen collaboration
with civil society actors
Resolution 58/5 encourages Governments, international sports bodies and
sport-related organizations to elaborate and implement partnership initiatives
with the aim of supporting sport-based development projects targeted at the
achievement of the MDGs.
Links
The official IYSPE 2005 website.
An interview with Adolf
Ogi, UN Special Advisor on Sport, in the April 2005 issue of UN Special.
All the International Years proclaimed by the General Assembly.
Stamp catalogue
Netherlands Antilles 24 October
2005
Tunisia
last revised: