The United Nations General Assembly has welcomed the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar as the first such event to be held in the Middle East.

In a resolution passed on 8 May, it encouraged the relevant authorities to exert every effort to ensure that the 2022 tournament leaves a lasting legacy for peace and development in the region.

The General Assembly also emphasised that sport has an important role to play in the promotion of peace and development, respect for human rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, in particular football, given its universal popularity.

The assembly expressed its support for the launch of “Healthy 2022 World Cup — Creating Legacy for Sport and Health”, a multi-year collaboration among the International Federation of Association Football, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Qatar. This aims to make the 2022 World Cup a beacon for the promotion of healthy lives, physical and mental health and psychosocial well-being.

The World Cup is scheduled to be held from 21 November to 18 December 2022.