Webb receives UN recognition for active support of Protect the Goal

In his acceptance speech Webb emphasised the responsibility the confederation felt to use the scale of its events to communicate an important social message.

“We felt we could use the power of our sport to reach out to youth with a message of awareness. Gold Cup 2013, our biggest tournament, conveyed UNAIDS’ message to 500,000 fans and more than 60 million viewers.”

The 2013 Protect the Goal Special Award for the Diaspora was made at the 4th Pan-African Youth Leadership Summit. The theme of the current summit concerns youth unemployment in the post-2015 development agenda of the United Nations.

Last April CONCACAF and UNAIDS signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together in the AIDS response, particularly among young people. The commitment was to raise awareness through all of CONCACAF’s regional competitions in support of the UNAIDS Protect the Goal campaign.

This included the display of campaign banners and a pledge read by the captains of each of the participating teams before the games throughout all its tournaments.

“CONCACAF feels privileged to partner with the United Nations in the framework of our social responsibility initiatives, to reach out to millions of young people with prevention messages towards a healthier society,” said Webb.

“This beautiful sport is filled with passion, and passion is the starting point of all achievement. It’s the energy that fuels our dreams. The dream that we can be something bigger than ourselves. That the currents of change can build a bigger wave with the power to act in support of a healthier and more conscious society,” added Webb.

Senior Adviser to UNAIDS, Dr. Djibril Diallo, said Webb’s efforts “have demonstrated the highest commitment to this vision of creating a better world through sport.”

Globally, an estimated 4.6 million young people 15 to 24 years of age are living with HIV. About 2,300 young people are infected with HIV each day. This means that 100 people get infected each day. One person per minute.

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