Cairo: Founder and Chairman of the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) Mohammed Hanzab received on Sunday official recognition by the League of Arab States, in honor of his work and achievements in the field of sport for peace and development and the organization's commitment to promote sport values across nations since its inception in 2010.
The recognition was announced during a ceremony organized by the Secretariat General of the League of Arab States on the occasion of the first commemoration of the Arab Sustainability Day launched in the context of Arab efforts to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Plan.
The event, which took place in the headquarters of the League, based in Cairo. The list of the honored personalities also features several Pan-Arab officials and representatives of public and private sectors and civil society.
In his keynote speech at the plenary session, Secretary General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit lauded Hanzab's contributions in protecting values of sport and sport integrity as part of the ICSS's continued efforts in implementing and introducing innovative sport-based initiatives and projects.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanzab praised the launch of the Arab Sustainability Day initiated by the League of Arab States. "This is the right time to bring together pan-Arab efforts to promote infrastructure of sport-based economy and to use sport as a tool to inspire youth across the Arab World," Hanzab said.
Hanzab also affirmed the ICSS's firm commitment to join hands with the League of Arab States to ensure the best use of sport as enabler for social change, prevent violent extremism and achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Plan set by the Arab League.
In his role as the Chairman of the ICSS, Hanzab has endorsed several agreements with governmental, non-governmental, sport organisations and the scientific community all as part of his commitment to fulfilling his mission for the ICSS to be a service to sport and to play a central role in keeping sport safe, secure and fair.
For her part, Director of the Sustainable Development and International Cooperation at the League of Arab States, Nada El Agizy, said honoring the ICSS Chairman reflects the Arab League's keenness to promote the efforts exerted by key peoples and organizations in the Arab region to achieve sustainable development goals.
She said that the ICSS's Save the Dream global initiative should serve as a role model in the Arab world to promote the core values of sport and to empower youth through sport.
"The League of Arab States is looking forward to working closely with the Doha-based ICSS to explore the best means of promoting sustainable development through sport, using sport as a tool to achieve sustainable development and to empower youth across the Arab countries," she added.
El Agizy confirmed that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 achieved tremendous success and left a great legacy that can be built on, noting that the Arab League's Department of Sustainable Development and International Cooperation is looking forward to working more closely with the ICSS in the sports aspect related to sustainable development in order to serve the aspirations of Arab youth and devote a culture to raise awareness of the concepts of sustainability, achieve the UN's goals in this field, and create a supportive Arab climate for the well-being of the Arab peoples.
