Geneva, 23 July 2018 – With just three days to go until the SIGA Sport Integrity Forum takes place, on Thursday, 26 July, at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, the UNOG Director General, Michael Møller, has committed to harnessing the power of sport and has outlined its significant role in the work of the UN.
In the run up to this week’s Sport Integrity Forum and prior to the opening address he will give at the Forum, the Director General has spoken about the indispensable need to “play by the rules”.
“Sport is a powerful tool to promote peace and achieve development objectives. Sport is about integrity, tolerance and respect. It teaches perseverance, teamwork and fair play. It is open to everyone and empowers women and young people. It facilitates mutual understanding across generations and geographies, uniting the people of the world. These characteristics of sport are a reflection of the universal values of the United Nations that transcend cultural and social backgrounds, languages and religions. This is why the United Nations is committed to harnessing the power of sport.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes sport as “an important enabler of sustainable development.” In this spirit, the efforts of the SIGA Sport Integrity Forum IV in Geneva, to highlight the unparalleled ability of sport to support peace, foster innovation and drive development are to be welcomed. By exploring the importance of integrity, the Forum will promote insights that are relevant beyond sport: respect for integrity – a universal commitment to “play by the rules of the game” – is indispensable to establish trust in the multilateral order and support the success of the United Nations. It is a vital precondition for achieving a better and more peaceful world.”
Director General, Michael Møller will be joined by SIGA CEO, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros. Following the opening session, Holli Richmond, Executive Director of the United States President’s Council on Sport, Fitness and Nutrition will present a keynote speech which will be followed by panels and discussions featuring some of the leading voices from the fields of sport, business and government who will come together to address the issues adversely affecting the sports industry.
Topics will include the following:
- Walking The Talk: Working Together for Real Integrity in Sport
- Good Money, Bad Money: Financial Integrity On and Off the Sporting Arena
- Pushing for Long-Overdue Reform: The Role of Global Business in Restoring Integrity in Sport
- Diversity in Sport: From Soundbite to Reality. Now!
- Sports Betting Integrity USA: The Post PASPA Era
- The Power of Sport Beyond The Field of Play: The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Franco Frattini, SIGA Chairman, said: “It is encouraging to see Sport Integrity at the top of the international agenda. The significant role of sport as a force for good and enabler of social and economic development, as well as a tool for peace and well-being, is widely acknowledged today. SIGA and our members are leading the way for Sport Integrity.
The engagement and support of the United Nations is a positive and welcome development for all those who fight for a clean sport. On behalf of all of us, I want to thank the United Nations, and, in particular, the Director General, Michael Møller, for hosting our Sport Integrity Forum and General Assembly in such a symbolic venue. This marks the confirmation of a very positive collaboration.”
Additional names confirmed:
- David Luna, President and CEO, Luna Global Networks / former Senior Director, United States Department of State
- Giovanni Di Cola, Special Adviser, Office of the Deputy Director General, International Labour Organisation
- Laurent Vidal, Professor of Law, Sorbonne University
Speakers already announced:
- Affy Sheikh, Head of Starlizard Integrity Services
- Akaash Maharaj, CEO, Global Organisation of Parliamentarians against Corruption
- Arun Kang, CEO, Sporting Equals
- Becky Harris, Chairwoman, Nevada Gaming Control Board
- Ben Rutherford, Senior Legal Counsel and Integrity Unit Manager, World Rugby
- Bernardine Fernz, Head of Infrastructure, Open Contracting Partnership
- Claudius Schäfer, CEO, Swiss Football League
- Daniel Haddad, Group Director, Strategy and Commercial Consulting, Octagon
- Densign White, CEO, IMMAF
- Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, CEO, SIGA
- Emma McClarkin, Member of the European Parliament
- Fernando Paes Afonso, CEO, A Nossa Aposta
- Gianni Merlo, President, AIPS
- Helen Grant, Member of the House of Commons, UK’s Parliament / Former UK Minister of Sport
- Holli Richmond, Executive Director, United States President’s Council on Sport, Fitness and Nutrition
- João Paulo Almeida, Director General, National Olympic Committee of Portugal
- Karen Webb-Moss, Group Chief Operating Officer, ICSS
- Katharina Weghmann, Executive Director, EY
- Katie Simmonds, General Counsel & Senior Director, Global Partnerships, SIGA
- Ling-Ling Nie, Chief Compliance Officer and Assistant General Counsel, Panasonic
- Lisa Delpy Neirotti, Director, M.S. in Sport Management, Associate Professor of Sport Management, George Washington University
- Lord John Stevens, Chairman of the Ethics Committee, SIGA
- Michael Møller, Director General, United Nations Office at Geneva
- Michael Robichaud, Senior Vice President of Global Sponsorships, Mastercard
- Michelle Ford-Eriksson MBE, Olympic Gold Medallist
- Mohammed Hanzab, Chairman and Group CEO, ICSS
- Paul Nicholson, Founder and CEO, Inside World Football
- Ramil Hasan, Secretary General, Turkic Council
- Richard Carbon, Former Minister of Sport, UK
- Sefton Perry, Head of Intelligence Center Analytics, UEFA
- Stephen Lyle, Head of Sport, Channel 4
The SIGA General Assembly will take place the following day, on 27th July 2018, also at the Palais des Nations.
To request a press accreditation, please visit https://reg.unog.ch/event/26001/.
The full agenda for the SIGA Sport Integrity Forum IV can be found on www.siga-sport.net
To contact SIGA, please email: comms@siga-sport.com