A/HRC/40/72 52. Responding to questions, Mr. Battaglia said that the Centre for Sport and Human Rights was building its capacity with partners to act as a public good to provide a framework of recommendations for all stakeholders in the world of sport, including on development and peace. Ms. Keim emphasized the importance of adopting indicators, building capacity, and promoting development aid based on human values. She emphasized the importance of Sustainable Development Goal 17 on building partnerships. Ms. Galpin said that sport was key in connecting youth in conflict and post-conflict zones. Mr. Sánchez stated that the return on investment in sport was not always clear, and that indicators could help make the argument that sport was a viable tool for development. He called for support for grass-roots initiatives to promote policy and human rights. I. Youth, children and future generations 53. Youth networks on sports organized this item, based on a quiz game. The panellists were Richard Loat, Vice-Chair of the Commonwealth Youth Sport for Development and Peace Network; Jennifer Macapagal, representative of the UNESCO-coordinated Youth and Sport Task Force; Nevena Vukašinović, representative of European Non-Governmental Sports Organization (ENGSO) Youth; Miki Matheson, member of the International Paralympic Committee’s Education Committee; and Mutaz Essa Barshim, Qatari track and field athlete. 54. The first question discussed was what were the biggest barriers to youth accessing sports. For Ms. Matheson, physical, economic and social barriers were the main factors for persons with disabilities. She expressed concerns about limited infrastructure, poor policy implementation, and overprotection of children with disabilities by their parents. Mr. Barshim noted that education was key to overcoming barriers, as it allowed children to understand that they had the right to participate in sports. Ms. Vukašinović argued that sports should provide safe spaces, shelter for the homeless, heritage for indigenous peoples and places of gathering. Access to information was essential to access to sports. Unilateral coercive measures and religious intolerance were major barriers to sports. Ms. Macapagal highlighted socioeconomic status, rapid, unplanned urbanization, and poor quality of public spaces as barriers to youth accessing sports. Data suggested that non-communicable diseases due to lack of physical activity were an important cause of deaths in the AsiaPacific region. Awareness about physical exercise could be raised among young people at the grass-roots level. 55. The second question discussed was which stakeholders should get more involved in protecting human rights through sports. Ms. Matheson described collaboration between Paralympic sports and ministries of education to promote rights of persons with disabilities and inclusive societies through sports. Mr. Barshim argued that governments and public leaders should promote awareness of human rights through sports, giving the example of a Qatari public holiday that motivated youth to engage with sports. Mr. Loat emphasized that collective action was of paramount importance to achieve policy coherence and operational efficiency. He cited the Centre for Sport and Human Rights as exemplifying good practice, and argued for setting achievable milestones. Ms. Vukašinović called for a cross-sectoral approach and collective responsibility. Businesses should cooperate with humanitarian actors and youth, to provide know-how and other inputs. The United Nations Global Compact’s alliance for Sustainable Development Goals financing was a good step towards collective responsibility. 56. Participants next considered which innovations could contribute to promoting and protecting human rights via sports. Ms. Macapagal highlighted “safe spaces” and their different dimensions. It was important to ensure a guarded environment and quality facilities in order to enable participation. Sports should not cause emotional harm but instead bring about a feeling of belonging and well-being for participants everywhere. Ms. Matheson highlighted new sports and the integration of technology. For example, she recommended recognizing “e-sports” as sports that allowed for the participation of persons with disabilities on the same footing as others. Mr. Barshim also emphasized e-sports, stressing that they facilitated communication and skills worldwide. He mentioned the example of the Aspire Academy, which integrates education and sport. Mr. Loat spoke 15