The United Nations General Assembly recently adopted a Resolution on sport entitled "Sport as a means to promote education, health, development and peace”. It is the first time in its history that the UN recognises the autonomy of the International Olympic Committee et sport.

The Resolution highlights "the importance of continuing to reduce barriers to participation in sport events, particularly for participants from developing countries", and recognises "that major international sport events should be organized in the spirit of peace, mutual understanding, friendship, tolerance and inadmissibility of discrimination of any kind and that the unifying and conciliative nature of such events should be respected, as recognized by fundamental principle 6 of the Olympic Charter."

IOC President Thomas Bach said in a letter addressed to the Presidents of all the IOC Recognised Sports Federations, which includes FAI: "This adoption is the culmination of dialogue and engagement following my address to the UN General Assembly in November 2013, where I emphasised the need for the autonomy of sports, saying: "Sport is truly the only area of human existence which has achieved universal law. But to apply this universal law worldwide, sport has to enjoy responsible autonomy. Politics must respect this sporting autonomy".

"For you, as the President of an International Federation, this is a very powerful message. I urge you to use this resolution as a reference point for your National Federations in their strive for autonomy and the development of sport on the national level."

The Resolution can be read online.

(photo credit: IOC/Richard Juilliart)