UNRCCA CO-ORGANIZES REGIONAL ROUNDTABLE ON SECURITY OF MAJOR SPORT EVENTS AND PROMOTION OF SPORT AS A TOOL TO PREVENT VIOLENT EXTREMISM

2 Jun 2021

UNRCCA CO-ORGANIZES REGIONAL ROUNDTABLE ON SECURITY OF MAJOR SPORT EVENTS AND PROMOTION OF SPORT AS A TOOL TO PREVENT VIOLENT EXTREMISM

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan

On 1 June, the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) in partnership with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) organized a regional roundtable on supporting the protection of major sport events from terrorist attacks and the use of sport as a tool to prevent violent extremism in Central Asia.

The roundtable was organized within the UN Global Program for the Safety of Major Sports Events and the Promotion of Sport and its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism and  in the context of the joint UNRCCA and UNOCT-UNCCT project "Towards the Implementation of the Joint Plan of Action for the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia".

30 participants, representing law enforcement structures, Ministries of Sport and other relevant state institutions of all five Central Asian states, took part in the roundtable. They were acquainted with the latest UN efforts in the area of counter-terrorism and sport, with particular focus on the UN Global Programme, which includes technical assistance in security planning of sport events, capacity building and a global network of national and regional focal points. Participants also had an opportunity to share information and best practices regarding country specific activities and initiatives to promote sport and relevant security measures, such as contingency and emergency-response plans for terrorist attacks.

It was a common understanding that sport plays a crucial role in the promotion of diversity, tolerance and healthy competition. It also contributes to the empowerment of youth and women. Taking this into consideration participants expressed a strong will to cooperate further with the UN to promote sport while ensuring security.