(As delivered)

 

 

Statement by Ambassador Yoshifumi Okamura

Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations

 

Agenda Item 12: Sport for development and peace:

Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal

 

United Nations General Assembly

26 October 2015

 

 

Mr. President,

 

            Sports have the power to nurture dreams and bring hope to people. Sports have the power to change the world, and even the future of mankind. A high respect, therefore, must be accorded to sports.

 

 

            In the spirit of peace, the international community should once again join together to adopt the General Assembly resolution on the “Olympic truce”, which has been adopted every two years since 1993.

 

 

            As various UN documents indicate, this resolution has become an expression of mankind's desire to build a world based on the rules of fair competition, peace, humanity, and reconciliation, which Japan deeply respects and firmly supports.

 

 

            Japan appreciates the initiative and leadership of Brazil, which will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year, in submitting this year’s resolution.

            As a co-sponsor, Japan strongly supports the resolution. We firmly believe that next year’s games, to be hosted in Rio de Janeiro, will realize the resolution’s ideals and objectives.

 

 

Mr. President,

 

            Japan will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.

 

            It is our great pleasure to set a stage for the international community to behold the magnificent performances of top athletes from all over the world. We will also have the privilege of welcoming many diverse guests to our country from every corner of the world. Japan is determined to do our best to make this occasion a great success.

 

 

Mr. President,

 

            It is Japan’s desire that the Tokyo 2020 Games should realize the following three ideals: first; Achieving Personal Best, second; Unity in Diversity and third; Connecting to Tomorrow.

 

 

            Achieving Personal Best means that the Tokyo 2020 Games aim to deliver an event where every athlete can realize his or her greatest athletic performance and achieve his or her personal best.

 

 

            Unity in Diversity means accepting and respecting differences in race, color, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion,  birth, level of ability or other status in order that, peace may be maintained and society may continue to develop and flourish.

            The Tokyo 2020 Games will foster a welcoming environment and raise awareness of unity in diversity among the citizens of the world.

 

 

            And last but not least, there is Connecting to Tomorrow.

            The Tokyo 1964 Games completely transformed Japan, enhanced Japanese people's awareness of the outside world and helped bring about the rapid growth of Japan's economy.

            The 2020 Games will enable Japan to promote constructive changes throughout the world and leave a positive legacy for future generations.

 

Mr. President,

 

            In the lead up to 2020, the Japanese government is steadily implementing various programs under our plan “Sport for tomorrow”, which is targeted toward over 10 million people in more than 100 countries.

            Specifically, we intend to concentrate on the improvement of sports facilities, cooperation in sport curricula design, and human resource development.

 

            Japan will continue to making efforts to promote the field of sports in collaboration with the United Nations Office of Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP), other UN bodies, the Member States and NGOs, so that the 2020 Tokyo Games will inspire people around the world and leave positive legacies in Japan and in the world.

 

I thank you, Mr. President.