UNDP’s Match Against Poverty 2011 – Zinedine Zidane
UNDP’s Match Against Poverty 2011 – Zinedine Zidane
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Football superstar Didier Drogba has joined a star-studded array of 30 international active and retired players who will take part in Tuesday’s Match Against Poverty, hosted by German team Hamburger Sport-Verein (HSV) in Hamburg, to raise awareness and funds for the Horn of Africa famine relief effort.
The players have been brought together by Ronaldo, Zinédine Zidane and Drogba in their roles as Goodwill Ambassadors for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and include, among others, Luís Figo, Pavel Nedvěd, Serginho and Christian Karembeu.
The Match will take place at HSV’s Imtech Arena from 19:05 local time.
“I am honoured to support the people going through drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, and I encourage everyone to pull together to end this crisis,” said Drogba, who joins the friendly match for the first time. “I am also thrilled to be with Ronaldo, Zidane and all the other players to make a difference in the fight against poverty.”
Earlier this year, more than 13 million people were left in need by famine, drought, conflict and high food prices. The UN and other partners are working in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia to increase access to water, food, markets and health services.
While relief efforts have saved thousands of lives, the situation throughout Somalia in particular, remains critical. Four million people are still in crisis, and 250,000 face famine.
The annual Match Against Poverty, now in its 9th edition, promotes action on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – eight internationally-agreed goals which seek to end extreme poverty worldwide by 2015. It will be broadcast live on more than 20 national and international television networks.
Two thirds of the match proceeds will go towards the UN’s efforts to address the ongoing food crisis, while HSV will donate the remaining funds towards diverse community development projects focused on sports, youth, education and protection of the environment, and corporate social responsibility among its sponsors and partners.
The Match is supported by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
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About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Since 1966, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been partnering with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of live for everyone. UNDP works in four main areas: poverty reduction and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); democratic governance; crisis prevention and recovery; environment and sustainable development.
UNDP is the United Nations’ global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 177 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners.
World leaders have pledged to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including the overarching goal of cutting poverty in half by 2015. UNDP’s network links and coordinates global and national efforts to reach these Goals.
Our focus is helping countries build and share solutions to the challenges of:
- Fighting poverty
- Building democratic societies
- Preventing crisis, enabling recovery
- Protecting the environment
- Halting & reversing HIV/AIDS
- Empowering women
- Growing national capacity
UNDP helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights, capacity development and the empowerment of women.
More at: www.undp.org
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> United Nations (UN).
The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN: membership totals 192 countries.
When States become Members of the United Nations, they agree to accept the obligations of the UN Charter, an international treaty that sets out basic principles of international relations. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes:
- to maintain international peace and security;
- to develop friendly relations among nations;
- to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights;
- and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
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* The above story is adapted from materials provided by United Nations (UN)
** More information at United Nations (UN)
