World Cup can boost fight against racism, says UN human rights chief
2 April 2010 9:29 am

The
following statement has been issued by the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights, Navi Pillay, to mark the International Day for the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March 2010) :

The
following statement has been issued by the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights, Navi Pillay, to mark the International Day for the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March 2010) :

"The
forthcoming Football World Cup in South Africa provides an opportunity
both to take a fresh look at the issue of racism in sport, and to
enhance sport's tremendous potential to undermine racism, xenophobia and
similar forms of intolerance in wider society. 

"The symbolism
of the 2010 World Cup taking place for the first time ever in an African
state, and specifically in the country which was for so many years a
byword for institutionalized racism, is important. It is also a factor
in the choice of this year's sports-related theme for the International
Day for the Elimination against Discrimination, the date of which – 21
March – marks the anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre, when dozens
of peaceful demonstrators, protesting against the 'pass laws' of the
apartheid regime were killed by the South African police.  

"Racism
within sport remains a problem in many countries and many sports, and I
urge sports administrators everywhere to follow the example of two of
the world's top football authorities, FIFA and UEFA, in devising serious
campaigns to eradicate it from sport at all local, national and
international levels.

Please read rest of statement here.