The recommendations include a call on the UN to include access to sport and physical education as an indicator in its human development indexes; a call for common evaluation tools to monitor the impact of sport on social and economic development; and a call on UN Member States to cooperate with, and abide by, the Olympic Truce.
“The recommendations agreed upon today are the latest in a series of steps we have taken with the UN to promote peace and development through sport in proactive, concrete ways,” IOC President Jacques Rogge said Wednesday. “It is not a question of whether sport contributes to the betterment of society; we are all in agreement that it does. The real question is how to make it contribute in more impactful, tangible ways.”
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon also addressed the Forum, which was attended by more than 350 experts from over 100 countries.
“Sport has become a world language, a common denominator that breaks down all the walls, all the barriers,” said Secretary-General Ban. “It is a worldwide industry whose practices can have a widespread impact. Most of all, it is a powerful tool for progress and development.”
The International Forum on Sport for Peace and Development is just one of many examples of the IOC and UN working together. By using sport as a tool, the IOC and its UN partners implement various activities around the globe in fields such as humanitarian assistance, peace-building, education, gender equality, the environment and the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The International Forum on Sport, Peace and Development brings together various experts from the world of sport and development, including representatives from national governments, aid organisations and universities. This year, speakers included Hungarian President and IOC Member Pál Schmitt, UK Minister for Sport and the Olympic Games Hugh Robertson, Chairman of the IOC’s International Relations Commission Mario Pescante, and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke.
