Geneva, June 27 (QNA) - The Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva, in cooperation with the United Nations Office at Geneva, organized the fourth edition of the Diplomatic Community Football Tournament in Geneva, under the theme: "Sport For Peace, Human Rights, and Development", with the sponsorship of the National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar (NHRC), the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), Qatar National Bank (QNB), and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS). The tournament aimed to harness sport to promote the shared values of cooperation and solidarity, and to highlight football’s capacity as a tool for rapprochement and collaboration.

Eight teams participated in the tournament, representing the regional groups: Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, North and Central America and the Caribbean, South America, the Arab Group, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in addition to a team representing the United Nations Office at Geneva. The event also featured activities dedicated to children held in parallel with the matches.

The tournament concluded with the Asia and Pacific team claiming first place, followed by the Africa team in second place, the North and Central America and the Caribbean team in third, and the GCC team placing fourth.

The 2025 edition of the tournament contributed to showcasing the values of sport and its link to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and its role in promoting the principles of peace, human rights, intercultural dialogue, and mutual understanding. It also strengthened the sense of belonging, solidarity, and community spirit among members of the diplomatic and UN community.

HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah affirmed that this tournament has once again proven the great value of sport in promoting the human principles of equality, fraternity, and solidarity.

Her Excellency expressed hope to maintain the momentum to preserve this initiative as an annual event for many years to come, noting that the primary objective of this sporting event is to celebrate friendship and teamwork and to promote the spirit of fair competition.

Her Excellency highlighted that sport is an effective means of strengthening social bonds, teaching life skills, and consolidating shared values among peoples.

Her Excellency emphasized that this event offers the diplomatic community in Geneva an opportunity to relieve work pressures, showcase talents, and reinforce the concept of sport as a unifying human value.

Her Excellency pointed out that over the past three years, the tournament has succeeded in embodying the enthusiasm of the diplomatic community, achieving its desired goals, and yielding fruitful outcomes.

Her Excellency concluded her remarks by affirming that sport possesses a magical power to change the world, adding that if politics divides us inside closed meeting rooms, sport unites us on open fields, stressing that football always combines entertainment, joy, and human connection, and expressing her gratitude and appreciation to the main sponsors of the fourth edition of the tournament.

For her part, HE Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva Tatiana Valovaya praised the role of the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar in Geneva, expressing her gratitude for the continuous support it provides in various events, especially sporting ones.

Her Excellency stated that this year’s tournament represents a wonderful celebration of sport that serves humanity, development, peace, security, and human rights, pointing to the event’s uniqueness through the participation of teams from around the world, including ambassadors and UN staff.

Her Excellency emphasized that the inclusive and distinctive nature of this initiative reflects the importance of sport as a unifying human value.

For his part, HE Vice-Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari emphasized the important role of sport, particularly football as the world's most popular sport, in establishing peace, international understanding, and fostering mutual respect among people of different cultures.

His Excellency explained that the NHRC, through its sponsorship of the tournament, seeks to make it a platform for human connection, discovering shared values, teaching social skills, overcoming differences, encouraging dialogue, and enhancing cultural life among individuals and communities.

He added that it is unfortunate that there are no explicit provisions in human rights treaties and conventions that protect the right to sport, hoping that this tournament will expand to become a voice calling for the inclusion of the right to sport in international human rights instruments.

His Excellency also praised the significant role played by the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar in Geneva in ensuring the continuity of the tournament, stressing that the diversity of the participating teams is a strength that ensures its sustainability and broad geographic reach.

CEO of QNB Switzerland Ghadeer Abu Hijleh said that QNB team is proud to sponsor this tournament, which aligns with QNB Group’s strong commitment to harnessing the power of sport as a tool to unite people, enrich their lives, and support sustainability.

At Qatar National Bank, she added, they believe that their mission goes beyond traditional banking services. This participation is a great example of how the banking sector can contribute to promoting positive values and communication within the community.”

For his part, President of the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) Mohammed Hanzab affirmed that comprehensive sport security constitutes a fundamental pillar for the future of global sport. He said that ensuring sport security worldwide and at all levels , from grassroots community programs to major tournaments, is no longer a choice but a strategic necessity. Security is the foundation upon which sport’s ability to achieve social and economic transformation is built, he added, as well as its role in education and its function as a soft power capable of building dialogue and understanding among cultures and peoples.

At the conclusion of the tournament, HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah and HE Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva Tatiana Valovaya honored the winning teams and congratulated the players for their outstanding sportsmanship. (QNA)