Topic: Using Global Sport as an Engine for Development
Country: France
Delegate Name: Luke Schafer
School: Williamston High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All France position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
The world has grown more divided in recent years as conflicts around the globe are impacting relations between nations. One way that countries have been trying to promote global unity is by hosting and participating in global sporting events. Global sport is also a vehicle for developing nations to put themselves on the map by proving to the world that they have the capability to perform on the global stage. Countries such as South Africa, China, and Brazil have hosted large scale sporting events in recent years and the success that they achieved in putting on the event was, in a sense, their coronations as members of the global elite. These sporting events are not without their issues as the crippling price tags associated with them have lead to cuts in other areas such as health care. This was particularly harmful in Brazil when cost overruns in the billions lead to civil unrest when the government had to cut education upgrades in order to provide a successful Olympics.
France is no stranger to hosting large scale sporting events. There are many annual tournaments including the French Open and the Tour de France that occur on French soil. The French people have also hosted multiple Olympics and this summer we hosted the European Cup, a soccer tournament with all the teams in Europe. This event did a spectacular job of unifying Europe even as political unrest associated with the Syrian Migrant crisis and an assertive Russia has shaken the European Union to its core. Hosting the tournament brought many benefits to France. The were many foreign fans that traveled to France and the uptick in tourism brought many economic benefits to the people of France. The tournament also brought an improvement in morale to France. The unity and national pride that our country experienced as the French people got behind the Les Blues was unlike anything that France had ever been a part of and it was particularly important with all the terrorism that had occurred. The ability to put on a massive tournament without any security scares proved to the world that France is safe and that we can handle the terrorist threat. The success of recent French sporting events has lead to more French-hosted sporting events. France will be hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup and the 2019 Women’s World Cup and we hope to host the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. These events will continue to project French expertise and they will also bring employment benefits as these events employ thousands of French workers. France believes that global sport has the potential to help developing and developed nations alike and it will bring economic and social improvements for all.
France supports the use of global sport as a vehicle for development in all countries especially developing nations. France proposes that the UN should financially support any developing that wishes to develop their sporting teams in order to promote unity and and economic stimulation into the economy of the developing nation. South Africa has seen a massive economic return on their 2010 World Cup and France proposes that the UN engage in more aid to countries that need it to support their sports teams. France currently donates $10,000,000,000 in foreign aid much of which goes into developing Africa. Some of this money goes toward sports programs in countries such as Mauritania and these countries are realizing the benefits (economically, socially, physically, and psychologically) that participation in sports creates. France also believes that global sporting events should not be confined to developing countries, the whole world should be able to experience the benefits of global sport. France encourages the countries that have the honor of hosting great events like the Olympics and the World Cup to continue to bring the international community closer together and use global sport to make a positive impact on the world.
