Director General of the UN Office at Geneva, Michael Moller, and Executive Director of the United States President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, Holli Richmond addressed at the opening session as keynote speakers. They underlined the urgency of taking necessary measures to ensure the security and integrity of sport against all threats sport is facing nowadays.
The opening session was followed by the First Panel on “Walking the Talk: Working Together for Real Integrity in Sport” where the Secretary General Ambassador Ramil Hasan attended as a pannelist. The Panel was moderated by the former Minister of Sport of the United Kingdom, Richard Caborn.
Pannelists from governments of countries, as well as international and intergovernmental organizations discussed ways to strengthen international cooperation and global leadership to gain back the reputation of sport, which has been tarnished by successive scandals.
In his speech, Secretary General Hasan underlined the role that the Turkic Council can play as an International Organization to contribute to the efforts of SIGA. He explained the significance shown to the field of youth and sports under the Turkic Council. He also talked about the mechanisms of cooperation of the member countries with solid examples. In response to a question, he further elaborated on the future steps to be taken to uphold the SIGA values in Member States and the region.
On the occasion of the opening session, Secretary General Hasan had also the opportunity to get in touch with various counterparts from sporting organizations, governments and international organizations and discussed the role of the Turkic Council in supporting sport safety, security and integrity in its member countries as well as to evaluate the projects and activities of the Turkic Council on youth and sports. He also gave an interview to the press on the pressing needs to secure sport from the threats it faces and the prospective contribution of the Turkic Council on this noble endeavor. In the interview, Secretary General Hasan also talked about the upcoming youth and sports activities of the Turkic Council.
Secretary General Hasan was accompanied by the Project Director Ali Çiviler and Deputy Chief of Protocol Araz Salmanov.
