UNITAR Joins the Centre for Sport and Human Rights

17 February 2025, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is proud to announce its membership in the Centre for Sport and Human Rights’ (CSHR) Advisory Council. As the dedicated training arm of the United Nations, UNITAR provides capacity-building and training initiatives, with a strong focus on supporting developing countries and vulnerable communities. Leveraging its expertise in diplomatic training, UNITAR aims to deliver targeted programmes that strengthen leadership skills in sports diplomacy, fostering greater engagement at the intersection of sport and human rights.

By partnering with governments, international organizations, and the private sector, UNITAR seeks to drive meaningful change and create a sustainable impact through sports diplomacy, with a strong focus on advancing human rights and promoting social inclusion. These efforts contribute to achieving global development objectives, including those outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

CSHR and UNITAR have a history of collaboration, including the delivery of a special edition of UNITAR’s Executive Diploma in Sports Diplomacy in 2024.

By joining CSHR’s multi-stakeholder coalition UNITAR brings its expertise and global networks into the sport and human rights universe, offering opportunities to further CSHR’s goals to raise awareness and build capacity on sport and human rights.

Mr. Rabih El-Haddad, Director, Division for Multilateral Diplomacy, UNITAR underscored the importance of joining CHSR:

Joining the Centre for Sport and Human Rights’ Advisory Council marks a pivotal moment for UNITAR as we deepen our commitment to leveraging sport as a powerful platform for human rights and sustainable development. By aligning our efforts with CSHR, we aim to create specialized training programmes that not only address key human rights issues but also contribute directly to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. We are eager to foster innovative, inclusive initiatives and drive tangible impact in the realm of sports and human rights. This partnership is an invaluable opportunity to advance global efforts in creating a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

Ms. Mary Harvey, CEO, CSHR expressed the significance of UNITAR joining:

We are honoured to have UNITAR become the latest intergovernmental agency to join our Advisory Council. Their work is closely aligned with ours in the way they support and enable institutions and individuals to effectively contribute to the SDGs. We have engaged with UNITAR on a number of projects already and look forward to expanding that work with our network of stakeholders throughout sport. UNITAR’s global reach and deep engagement in regions that are so far underrepresented in our work offers many opportunities for further collaboration.