Sports and security
"Sport pushes people to be better, to aim higher and further. It promotes tolerance and gender equality. It strengthens communities, builds resilience and channels natural competitive instincts in a harmonious way. We have a moral obligation to protect and promote sports."
-- Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov in his remarks at the launch of the UN’s Global Programme on Sports and Security.
Background
Sport is more than just a game. It is a unifying force that uplifts communities and promotes social values such as respect, inclusion, and tolerance. Increasingly, the universal language of sport is being harnessed to address the drivers of violent extremism conducive to terrorism. By fostering social cohesion, promoting human rights, and empowering women and young people, sport helps build community resilience to negative influences and advance social inclusion.
Major sporting events bring people together from around the globe, creating moments of celebration that can leave lasting socio-economic legacies for host countries. However, several high-profile events have also been targeted by terrorists seeking to cause mass causalities, spread fear and distrust, and undermine their unifying spirit.
Protecting major sporting events requires complex security measures which often go beyond the capabilities of single government agencies and Member States, requiring close coordination among public authorities, civil society, sports federations and private entities to safeguard these global gatherings and counter terrorist threats effectively.
The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy has called for strengthening the security and protection of sport events and encouraged the involvement of youth in the promotion of a culture of peace and tolerance. It encouraged Member States to develop, as appropriate, an understanding of respect for human dignity, pluralism and diversity, including through sports and physical activities that could prevent and discourage youth’s participation in acts of terrorism, violent extremism conducive to terrorism, violence, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination.
About the programme
UNOCT’s Global Programme on Security of Major Sporting Events and Promotion of Sport and Its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism (“Global Sports Programme”) operates as an innovative, cross-cutting initiative to:
- Support Member States’ in safeguarding Major Sporting Events from terrorist threats
- Leverage the power of sports and its values to strengthen social cohesion and build resilience to violent extremism.
To find out more about the Global Sports Programme’s two workstreams, click the boxes below !
Partnerships, Coordination & Engagement
UNOCT’s Global Sport Programme engages a vibrant community of over 2,300 experts, including 260 National Focal Points (NFPs) from more than 130 Member States, as well as representatives from international and regional organizations, public authorities, sport federations, associations and foundations, civil society, academia, and the private sector. It facilitates study tours, national and regional symposia, online expert briefings and hosts three dedicated online communities on UNOCT’s “” platform.
The Programme fosters effective coordination and collaboration across this diverse network to promote policy engagement and implementation of effective, sustainable, and inclusive measures to secure major sporting events and leverage sport for PVE.
Coordination is ensured across the UN-system to leverage specific and relevant technical expertise as part of an all-of-UN approach, including with the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and across the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact.
The UNOCT Global Sports Programme is made possible thanks to the generous financial contribution of the State of Qatar, People’s Republic of China through the United Nations 色库TV and Development Fund (UNPDF), the Republic of Korea and France, as well as in-kind contributions by the Republic of Indonesia, Italy, the Republic of Kenya and the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS).
Launched in February 2020, the Programme was initially established in partnership with United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), whose contributions helped lay the groundwork for its early implementation.
Human Rights and Gender
The Global Sports Programme harnesses the power of sport to promote human rights, with a strong focus on the promotion of the full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership of women, girls and boys in sport-for-PVE programmes at all levels.
Women and girls are critical changemakers in PVE efforts. In the sports domain, however, gender-based violence and discrimination – such as unequal access to resources, limited representation in decision-making and entrenched societal expectations – often hinder their participation in sport-for-PVE efforts. Additional human rights concerns include discrimination against persons with disabilities, as well as human rights risks related to the planning and hosting of major sporting events, such as workers’ rights, the right to health and education, and freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Through technical assistance, including capacity-building, knowledge-sharing, and awareness-raising, the Programme supports Member States in fulfilling their human rights obligations and encourages private entities to uphold their responsibilities. In doing so, the Programme strengthens good governance and facilitates the role of sport as a force for positive social change.
Events and Activities
Internal Evaluation
The internal evaluation of the Global Programme on Security of Major Sporting Events, and Promotion of Sport and its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism was conducted by UNOCT to assess performance, identify areas for improvement, and draw lessons to inform future programming. The evaluation covered the period January 2023-June 2024 and focused on effectiveness, impact, sustainability, and human rights/gender/Leave No One Behind (LNOB)/disability inclusion. It found that the programme effectively delivered its outputs, fostered partnerships and knowledge sharing, and made progress in incorporating human rights, gender equality and LNOB considerations, while providing a set of recommendations to guide the programme’s new phase.
Useful resources
Photo Gallery
Debriefing on the Paris 2024 Olympics, co-organized with the Permanent Mission of France, commemorating the 5th Anniversary of the Global Sports Programme, March 2025, UNHQ, New York. Photo/UNOCT
UN Global Sports Programme Holds Discussion on Role of Youth in Preventing Violent Extremism through Sport During Counter-Terrorism Week, 23 June 2023, UNHQ, New York. Photo/UNOCT
