United Nations

UN chief presents funds from benefit football match for children in conflict

13 May 2009 - Weeks after the final whistle had blown on a United Nations fundraising football match, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today scored the winning goal by passing a cheque for $11,000 to children who have suffered the ravages of war in Sierra Leone.

Last month Ambassadors Heraldo Muñoz of Chile and Christian Wenaweser of Liechtenstein led out two teams of UN diplomats, who kitted up to raise money and awareness for an organization founded on the basis of Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stipulates that every child has the right to play.





Play31 provides children in countries torn apart by armed conflict with the basic necessity for play a football in the belief that the game has the unifying power to create peaceful societies.

The Secretary-General commended Jakob Lund, who founded Play31, at an event at UN Headquarters in New York where he handed over the funds raised, noting that there have been many examples where soccer and sports in general have created a very important atmosphere politically conducive to reconciliation.

He commented that it was appropriate that he played defense, and sometimes goalie, in the match since, as Secretary-General, one of his main jobs is to defend defenceless people and speak for the voiceless people.