On the 28th October 2006, the Samoa United Nations Country Team together
with members from the government, corporate, donor, NGOs and media community
in Samoa celebrated the United Nations Day 2006 through promoting the MDGs through sports events
As part of our celebrations, the UN:
1) Published a Special Commemorative UN supplement
2) Held a UN sports and MDGs Day on Saturday 28th October at Tuanaimato Soccer grounds to promote the role of sports in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Organisations working towards the South Pacific Games in 2007 such as the South Pacific Games Authority (SPGA), the ANZ, Samoatel, Samoa Soccer Federation along with key development partners in government and aid development agencies in Samoa will participate along with a team from the media; and
3) Promoted widely in the media and through the government Public Service Commission circula, the application process for the recruitment of young Samoan professionals to the United Nations Junior Professionals Officers
Programme (JPO).
OFFICE OF THE UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR
PRESS RELEASE
“Utilising the power of Sports for Development and the MDGs”
UN DAY 24 October and SPORTS AND MDGs DAY, 28 October 2006
Today, the 24 October 2006 is the United Nations Day when the 192 Member Countries/states celebrate 61 years since the formation of the United Nations in 1945.
As part of our celebrations, the UN are:
1) Publishing a Special Commemorative UN supplement in the local newspapers throughout this week;
2) Holding a UN sports and MDGs Day on Saturday 28th October at Tuanaimato Soccer grounds to promote the role of sports in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Organisations working towards the South Pacific Games in 2007 such as the South Pacific Games Authority (SPGA), the ANZ, Samoatel, Samoa Soccer Federation along with key development partners in government and aid development agencies in Samoa will participate along with a team from the media; and
3) We are promoting widely in the media and through the government Public Service Commission circula, the application process for the recruitment of young Samoan professionals to the United Nations Junior Professionals Officers Programme (JPO).
Utilising the power of Sports for Development and the MDGs
The potential of sports to effectively convey messages and influence behaviour has been increasingly recongnised in recent years. In November 2003, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 58/5 entitled “Sports as a means to promote Education, Health, Development and Peace” where it recognised the power of port to contribute to human development. This year as part of the lead up to the South Pacific Games in Samoa in 2007 and in support of the Government of Samoa hosting the SPG event, to celebrate UN day, the UN will focus on the promotion of the role of sports in development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) based in Samoa will co-host with the Samoa Football (Soccer) Federation a UN Sports and MDGs Day where the vast potential of sports for development will be highligthed. The UN Sports and MDGs Day will promote the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s), which among other things aims to reduce hunger and poverty, achive universal primary education, improve health specifically improving child and maternal health standards among Samoan mothers and ensure sustainable use of our environment by the year 2015. The participants at the UN Sports and MDGs Day will be from local sports organizations, government institutions, donor organizations and representatives from the commerce and media in Samoa. Each team will adopt a Millennium Development Goal to promote on the day and hopefully as part of our development partnership afterwards.
A range of fun and sporting activities will be played through-out the day, which will reflect the common values and principles that the UN shares with the global, regional and national sports family, focusing on co-operation and teamwork, fighting spirit and fair play, determination and creative skills, confidence building and physical education - all important features in human development. The UNCT and the Government of Samoa place great importance on supporting and encouraging Samoans to lead healthy and active lifestyles, especially through the joint youth T.A.L.A.V.O.U. Programme who will also be participating on the day.
The UN Sports and Development Day starts at 10.00am at the J.S. Blatter Sports Fields in Tuinamato, with welcome remarks by the UN Resident Coordinator in charge and President of the Samoa Football Federation before a junior soccer match will open the sports and MDGs day. The sports events will include soccer matches, tug-of-war, obstacle race, sack race and other fun activities such as bouncy castle for the kids. The teams will participate in all four sports events and the total score of all activities will decide the winner of the UN Sports and MDGs/Development Day including the winner of fair play. The day will finish with a barbeque held from 6.00pm at the grandstand at the J.S. Blatter Sports Fields in Tuinamato.
Contact: For further information, please contact Jane Ishiguro jane.ishiguro@undp.org , Mads Nielsen mads.nielsen@undp.org; and James Elsie james@unesco.org.ws