Geneva, Switzerland (UNOSDP) – July 1, 2015: With just two days left until the Opening Ceremony of the 28th Summer Universiade, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace Wilfried Lemke departs to Gwangju, Republic of Korea, to attend the event and discuss further cooperation of his office with the Korean partners.
The only multi-sport event that connects athletes at both academic and athletic levels, the Universiade will bring together student-athletes from 170 nations for 12 days of competition in a true spirit of friendship and sportsmanship.
In 2012, an agreement with the Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee marked the first ever collaboration of the UN Office of Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) with a major sport event. Its aim was to support the attainment and awareness of the UN Millennium Development Goals, as well as to promote dialogue and understanding on the Korea Peninsula through sport.
The cooperation resulted in a number of youth-oriented projects and provided a solid platform for inter-Korean and international exchange. For three years in a row, the city of Gwangju hosted the UNOSDP Youth Leadership Camps (YLC)and staged three editions of highly successful EPICS Forum, which have formed a significant part of the Universiade’s legacy and outreach programme. In 2013, both the YLC and the Forum were attended by the participants of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
With the 2018 Winter Olympic Games approaching, hosted by Pyeongchang, these reconciliation and development efforts can be taken even further. A possible collaboration between the UNOSDP, the South Korean Gangwon Province where the future Olympic capital is located, and the Pyeongchang 2018 Organizing Committee will be discussed during Special Adviser’s upcoming mission to Gwangju.
As part of the mission, Wilfried Lemke will also attend the Opening Ceremony of the Universiade, visit the Athletes Village and give a lecture to a group of aspiring sport journalists participating in U-Media Young Reporters’ Programme.
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