“Sport plays an important role in society. It encourages individuals to take on challenges, build strong relationships and strive with others towards shared goals,” declared Mr. Ban in his remarks to the high level event at UN Headquarters on ‘United Action Towards Sustainable Development for All Through Sport.’

Emphasizing that sport can help keep kids in school, promote leadership skills and healthy lifestyles, and empower marginalized people, and that in times of conflict and unrest, sport can help provide victims with space to heal and grow, he said such qualities could assist the UN in negotiating a sustainability agenda that would succeed the landmark Millennium Development Goals, which wrap up at the end of 2015.

Available at: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=50593#.VTC8e9Kqqko