Sports
Anfa, UNDP join hands
All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nepal have signed a partnership agreement for the promotion and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nepal through football, one of the world’s most popular sports.All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nepal have signed a partnership agreement for the promotion and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nepal through football, one of the world’s most popular sports.
The SDGs are a universal agreement to end poverty in all its dimensions and craft an equal, just and secure world by 2030. Under the partnership, UNDP and Anfa will collaborate to undertake joint initiatives to raise awareness on the SDGs and mobilise relevant stakeholders and advocate for their contribution to the achievement of the Goals.
The partnership will also explore ways to promote and maximize the contribution of sports, especially football to sustainable development in Nepal. “We are pleased to enter into a partnership with Anfa,” said UNDP Nepal Country Director Renaud Meyer after signing the agreement. “Sport has proven to be one of the most powerful and efficient means for promoting peace and development objectives the world over. In Nepal, through this partnership, we look forward to reaching out, empowering and engaging the sports fans, especially the youth across the country in scoring more meaningful Goals for Nepal and the entire planet,” said Meyer in a statement.
“The United Nations recognises sport as an enabler of sustainable development in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contribution it makes to the empowerment of women and of young people,” the UNDP press release said. “For the same reason, sports institutions are recognised as key partners in advancing the Global Goals. In Nepal, football has long been a popular game that empowers and connects people across cultures and geography.”
“Our partnership with UNDP is for a noble cause, which will further maximize the contribution of the sports sector, especially football, to the sustainable development of the country,” said Anfa president Karma Tsering Sherpa. As part of the deal, Anfa will start internalising the SDGs into its programme and activities to make them their own and implement concrete measures to create a positive, long-lasting contribution. The process will start with the upcoming A Division League which will adopt the SDGs as a central theme/message of the games.