IOC President Highlights Sport's Role in Advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals at Paris 2024
"Allow me to extend my warm congratulations on the adoption of the Pact for the Future. I especially appreciate the acknowledgment of sport’s significant role as both a facilitator and a catalyst in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The recent Paris 2024 Olympic Games provide a powerful example of how the IOC is contributing to the SDGs through the medium of sport," remarked the IOC President during the plenary session.
"We are eager to continue and enhance this contribution within the framework of the Pact for the Future, as it beautifully aligns with our Olympic motto: Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together," President Bach added.
The Pact for the Future includes several references to sport, particularly in Action 11 of the 56 Actions, where UN Member States pledge to "protect and promote culture and sport as essential aspects of sustainable development." The document states: "We recognize that both culture and sport provide individuals and communities with a sense of identity and foster social unity. Furthermore, we acknowledge that sport supports individual and community health and well-being, thus serving as an important component of sustainable development."
The UN Member States further affirm: "We commit to ensuring that culture and sport contribute to a more effective, inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development. We aim to integrate these into economic, social, and environmental policies and strategies while ensuring adequate public investment in their protection and promotion."
Sport is also highlighted in the Declaration on Future Generations, part of the Pact for the Future, with UN Member States pledging to "invest in accessible, safe, inclusive, and equitable quality education for all, including physical education and sport, while fostering lifelong learning opportunities, technical and vocational training, and digital literacy. This commitment promotes intergenerational knowledge and skill transfer, enhancing the prospects of future generations."
The inclusion of sport in the Pact for the Future marks another key step in the IOC's collaboration with the UN, where the IOC holds Permanent Observer status. This partnership reached a historic milestone in 2015 when the UN officially recognized sport as a critical enabler of sustainable development in its Agenda 2030.
During his speech at the Summit of the Future on Sunday, the IOC President noted: "The IOC views peace as the most fundamental of the SDGs. This is why we are thrilled and proud that, despite global tensions, we could unite athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team (in Paris)."
Reflecting on the recent achievements of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, he continued, "Before the Games, these athletes collectively advocated for peace. During the competition, they engaged in fierce rivalry while coexisting peacefully in the Olympic Village. They shared meals, experiences, and emotions, demonstrating mutual respect—without any incidents or discrimination, even among those from nations in conflict. Through their actions, they embodied a culture of peace, illustrating the harmony possible when we embrace the Olympic spirit of coexistence."
"We are eager to continue and enhance this contribution within the framework of the Pact for the Future, as it beautifully aligns with our Olympic motto: Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together," President Bach added.
The Pact for the Future includes several references to sport, particularly in Action 11 of the 56 Actions, where UN Member States pledge to "protect and promote culture and sport as essential aspects of sustainable development." The document states: "We recognize that both culture and sport provide individuals and communities with a sense of identity and foster social unity. Furthermore, we acknowledge that sport supports individual and community health and well-being, thus serving as an important component of sustainable development."
The UN Member States further affirm: "We commit to ensuring that culture and sport contribute to a more effective, inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development. We aim to integrate these into economic, social, and environmental policies and strategies while ensuring adequate public investment in their protection and promotion."
Sport is also highlighted in the Declaration on Future Generations, part of the Pact for the Future, with UN Member States pledging to "invest in accessible, safe, inclusive, and equitable quality education for all, including physical education and sport, while fostering lifelong learning opportunities, technical and vocational training, and digital literacy. This commitment promotes intergenerational knowledge and skill transfer, enhancing the prospects of future generations."
The inclusion of sport in the Pact for the Future marks another key step in the IOC's collaboration with the UN, where the IOC holds Permanent Observer status. This partnership reached a historic milestone in 2015 when the UN officially recognized sport as a critical enabler of sustainable development in its Agenda 2030.
During his speech at the Summit of the Future on Sunday, the IOC President noted: "The IOC views peace as the most fundamental of the SDGs. This is why we are thrilled and proud that, despite global tensions, we could unite athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team (in Paris)."
Reflecting on the recent achievements of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, he continued, "Before the Games, these athletes collectively advocated for peace. During the competition, they engaged in fierce rivalry while coexisting peacefully in the Olympic Village. They shared meals, experiences, and emotions, demonstrating mutual respect—without any incidents or discrimination, even among those from nations in conflict. Through their actions, they embodied a culture of peace, illustrating the harmony possible when we embrace the Olympic spirit of coexistence."
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