Urban Youth and Sport for Development

The potential of sport as a tool for development is being harnessed by a range of organizations across the world. The United Nations (2003) has argued that “well-designed sport-based initiatives are practical and cost-effective tools to achieve objectives in development and peace”. However, they also note that “the potential of sport as a tool for development and peace has yet to be fully realized”. This has been among the major driving forces for United Nations agencies to encourage and support governments in the adoption and implementation of the Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group’s policy recommendations. The aim of this report is to assess which ways UN-Habitat can contribute to the sport for development field, with a special emphasis on urban youth in the Global South. The specific objectives of the project have been threefold: 1. To develop an inventory of different sport for development initiatives implemented in urban areas in the Global South 2. To map existing sport for development networks and analyze the impact of these networks on urban youth development 3. To assess the potential of international children and youth football tournaments for urban youth development in the Global South.