UAE government signs agreement with IESF to promote tolerance in esports

The UAE Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence has signed an agreement with world esports governing body, the International Esports Federation (IESF), to create an IESF Global Commission of Tolerance and Coexistence in Esports.

The agreement was signed virtually on Tuesday, July 14, between Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister for Tolerance and Coexistence, and Vlad Marinescu, president of the IESF.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Shakhbout Al Nahayan, vice president of the IESF and president of Emirates Esports also attended the online signing ceremony.

IESF and @uaetolerance establish the first-ever Tolerance Commission for Esports.

Esports community will be tied stronger promoting peace, tolerance and harmonious coexistence.#IESF #Esports #UAE #Tolerance

Read More >> https://t.co/vxG5TiPxVW pic.twitter.com/H7w66WoqYz

— IESF (@IeSF_Master) July 14, 2020

The IESF Global Commission of Tolerance and Coexistence in Esports will develop a working group that will engage all stakeholders, athletes, gamers, teams, publishers, parents, schools and governing federations and develop a strategy to promote the message of tolerance.

“It is my hope that by working together, the Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence and the IESF will create an online culture that recognises that while we may be connected virtually, we are interacting with fellow human beings,” said Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan.

The IESF is a non-profit organisation founded in 2008 and is composed of more than 70 member national federations across the world.

Read: UAE-linked esports governing body IESF signs agreement with Asian counterpart

Meanwhile, Vlad Marinescu, added: “IESF has always worked hard to promote the true spirit of esports beyond race, gender, religion and cultural barriers. The IESF Global Commission of Tolerance and Coexistence in Esports, over the coming months, will develop a working group that will engage with all stakeholders, athletes, gamers, teams, publishers, parents, schools and governing federations, as part of its consultative process on the many issues and develop a key strategy that will promote the message of tolerance. I wish to emphasize that this is for all the community to be engaged with and not just our existing membership.”

There are estimated to be close to 2.5 billion gamers worldwide, with 300 million gamers present within the Middle East alone.