OFC Social Responsibility team attends first FIFA Safeguarding Summit in Zurich!

FIFA’s inaugural Safeguarding Summit was held at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland at the end of last month, with OFC’s Head of Social Responsibility and OFC’s Legacy Manager joining alongside 200 attendees.

Safeguarding Officers from across FIFA’s Member Associations and Confederations, experts and representatives were present at the event which showcased the work of the FIFA Guardians programme and its commitment to raising safeguarding standards in the world of football.

OFC Legacy Manager, Ali Osborne highlights that it was extremely valuable to learn from the expertise and experiences of those focused on ensuring the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ was safe and inclusive for all.

“We are heartened to engage in this vital work and look forward to championing further development and reach of the FIFA Guardians programme and supporting the increasing safeguarding initiatives and activity emerging in our region. This is true legacy!” said Osborne.

Osborne had the opportunity to present on a panel alongside Confederation of African Football (CAF), the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

She highlighted the support and collaboration OFC has had with FIFA this year, in part due to hosting the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in OFC’s region – in particular, working with the FIFA Women’s World Cup Safeguarding Manager to deliver workshops across multiple OFC work streams.

The shared learnings, expertise and collaboration alongside committed FIFA safeguarding colleagues have proven invaluable to OFC’s safeguarding journey this year.

OFC has implemented safeguarding regulations at all competitions, all 11 OFC Member Associations (MA) now have a safeguarding focal point and the organisation has established the Regional Safeguarding Working Group, which provides OFC MA Safeguarding Leads with a platform to engage in ongoing capacity building.

Osborne also Discussed and celebrated the influence of the FIFA Guardians programme which helps to provide consistency in the training and messaging available across the OFC organisation and MA’s.

Notably, 111 graduates from 70 FIFA MA’s received their FIFA Guardians Diploma at the Safeguarding Summit.

Amongst the recipients was Tonga’s Head of Social Responsibility and Just Play programme manager, Palu Uhatahi Tu’amoheloa.

The FIFA Safeguarding Summit was an opportunity for OFC to reflect on the significant safeguarding progress being made in contributing to an inclusive Oceania

OFC is working toward a future that is safe, equal and accessible for everyone. Our goals are to develop structures and practices that help to minimise risk (prevent abuse) and strengthen mechanisms for responding effectively when abuse occurs.

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