By IRNA,
Tehran : The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called on world nations Thursday to renew their efforts to combat discrimination in all its forms during the 2010 Football World Cup.
She made the call on the verge of the upcoming Football World Cup which is to kick off on June 11, the UN Information Center (UNIC) in Tehran reported.
Releasing a statement, Pillay referred to the next World Cup as an “opportune occasion to reflect on the fact that sport is meant to foster social cohesion, bring different cultures together in a celebration of healthy competition, and to overcome the diffidence and even contempt that all too often divide countries and communities in the political and social arenas.”
She welcomed choosing South Africa as the host of the major event saying, “The choice of South Africa, a country that renounced the institutionalized racism of Apartheid, as the host venue of the 2010 World Cup provides both a perfect opportunity and a platform to renew our efforts to combat discrimination in all its forms.
“As a victim of racism and a sports fan, I urge all who play or simply watch sport to use the World Cup as a catalyst to call for global action against intolerance and racism. These are scourges that affect countless women, men and children around the world and that must be challenged at every turn.”
She further urged both players and fans of the sport to combat fear, intolerance and xenophobia “with diametrically opposed values of fair play and cooperation that are so central to team sports such as football.”
The World Cup is perhaps the highest expression of football’s ability to join millions of people from all regions of the world in a common and joyous pursuit, said the official.
She stressed that the World Cup would allow all nations “to connect with others whose different history, culture and traditions we might otherwise never be exposed to.”
Pillay also warned against “racism and other manifestations of intolerance that poison sport–particularly football- that undermine its positive message and that bring it into disrepute.”
Noting that national football authorities everywhere must back their strong rhetoric with serious and consistent disincentives, Pillay said, “Manifestations of racism or intolerance in or around the stadiums during the World Cup should be swiftly addressed and the perpetrators isolated.
“The clear message of the World Cup must be that there is no place for racism and intolerance in sport,” she stressed.
Referring to the leading role played by successful sport men and women for “young minds,” the UN official stressed, “In every society, successful sports men and women are role models whose behavior is closely scrutinized and even emulated. Young minds are especially influenced by both positive and negative messages received from those they respect, particularly their sports heroes.”
“The real winners of this year’s World Cup will be those who celebrate and uphold both in words and in deeds its values of fair play, honest competition, respect and tolerance both on and off the field. Let’s kick discrimination off the field. Let’s tackle exclusion. Let’s put racism offside,” Pillay stressed.