UTS and AIMS President Stephan Fox was once again invited to be part of the IOC UNODC Expert Group to develop guidance on preventing juvenile delinquency and reduce (re)offending through sport. The expert group served to develop guidance on how sport and sport-based programmes can effectively be used in the context of secondary and tertiary prevention and community-based programmes to prevent violence and crime and reduce (re)offending amongst young people.
The meeting took place in the context of the joint IOC UNODC programme called SC:ORE (Score against Crime : Outreach Resilience Empowerment of at-risk youth that aims to support multisectoral approaches and partnerships and build further knowledge on evidence-based programming on youth crime prevention through sport, at community level, with a focus on at-risk youth and those in contact with the law, to support social (re)integration and inclusion.
Mr. Fox went in detail on the fundamental principles for peaceful and inclusive societies which are respect, inclusion, equality and fair play which are also the core values in sport. The 2023 agenda for sustainable development acknowledges the contribution of sport to the realisation of development and peace. The International Olympic Committee key strategic road map 2020+5 plays an important part to help strengthen the role of sport as an important enabler of the sustainable development goals. Olympism 365 plays an important part on sport-based policies and programming by helping find communities and making positive social connections, support the effective use of sport in preventing violence and crime and enhance the role of sport and the sports sector in building peaceful and safe communities.
UTS and AIMS President thanked the IOC and the UNODC and stated once again the importance of partnership in order to strengthen the cooperation and finding effective ways and means of integrating sport into youth crime prevention. We must stand together to promote and ensure that sport is and must be a safe place for all.