FIFA and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are due to sign a comprehensive memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Saturday, November 2, 2019 that will see the two organisations join forces to leverage football as a catalyst for social development and healthy lifestyles in the region.
The landmark agreement will be signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and ASEAN Secretary-General Dato’ Lim Jock Hoi during a special ceremony held on the occasion of the organisation’s summit in Bangkok and witnessed by the leaders of all ASEAN countries.
“It gives me great personal satisfaction to announce the signing of this strategic alliance with ASEAN. Since the beginning of my presidency, I’ve had the chance to visit the region on many occasions and each time I was struck by the passion our sport generates among the people. Through the collaboration we are launching, we want to build on this passion and use football as a vector of social development, integration and sporting values across the entire region,” said President Infantino.
“Over the last year, FIFA has engaged in collaborations with a number of key international institutions, such as the G20, the Council of Europe, the African Union, the French Development Agency and several UN agencies. The agreement with ASEAN is testimony once again to FIFA’s new credibility as a trustworthy partner on the international scene,” he added.
“Football, and sport in general, is a strategic means for bringing people together, promoting greater people-to-people connectivity, and making ASEAN even stronger as one community. As mandated by all ten ASEAN Member States, it is my honour to announce ASEAN’s partnership with FIFA, through the signing of this memorandum of understanding,” said Secretary-General Dato’ Lim.
The new MoU covers a broad range of collaboration areas with a strong focus on education, in particular through the implementation of FIFA’s Football for Schools Programme to foster life skills and physical education through football for boys and girls in schools across the Southeast Asian region.
The alliance will also see FIFA and ASEAN collaborate in the implementation of common strategies to promote healthy lifestyles and inclusive participation in football, particularly for women and marginalised communities.
Other key focus areas of the cooperation will be the promotion of child safeguarding in football as well as the advancement of sports integrity by increasing awareness of clean and fair play, the fight against match manipulation and anti-doping.