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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s commitment towards leveraging the power of football to instil positive change marked a significant milestone today after the Confederation was confirmed as the latest member of the United Nations’ (UN) Football for the Goals (FFTG) initiative.
As the most populous Continent and home to two-thirds of the world’s youth in Asia, this collaboration will see the AFC play an integral part in advocating for and implementing policies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It is an opportunity to build on the AFC’s influential reach and to work together with its Member Associations (MAs), Regional Associations (RAs), the larger Asian community, as well as the United Nations, as agents of change by aligning messaging, strategies, and operations with the SDGs.
“Football has the unique ability to unite people from all backgrounds. It is a powerful force and as guardians of the game, we have the duty and responsibility to channel that power to institute transformative and positive change,” said AFC President and Patron of the AFC Dream Asia Foundation, Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.
“The AFC’s Vision and Mission is to empower and strengthen communities across the Continent and, over the years, we have continued to play a leadership role through the breakthrough programmes under the AFC Dream Asia Foundation.
“The AFC is delighted to be the newest FFTG member and we commend the UN for believing in the ability of football to enhance communities and drive sustainable, long-term and meaningful change,” added the AFC President.
“For Football for the Goals to have real impact, it is important to reach as wide an audience and membership as possible,” said Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division, United Nations Department of Global Communications. “With the AFC joining as our 50th official member, we have taken a significant step forward toward achieving meaningful change and advancing the SDGs. We warmly welcome the AFC and its strong commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.
Joining FFTG further augments the ground-breaking AFC Social Responsibility Strategy 2023-2027 launched earlier this month, which provides the AFC’s MAs and RAs with a comprehensive and inclusive blueprint to embark on stronger, more effective and transformative initiatives.
Anchored to the values of ‘Excellence, Unity, Inspire and Protect’, the strategy has been designed to reflect the SDGs to ensure programmes are aligned with global best practices.
