International Day of Sport
for Development and Peace
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Celebrated on 6 April, the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is an opportunity to showcase the role of sport to drive social change and community development, and to foster peace and understanding.
The IDSDP provides a moment to showcase how athletes and the whole Olympic Movement actively contribute to a peaceful, healthier, more equal, inclusive and sustainable society through sport, 365 days a year.
The most visible evidence of this commitment is the Olympic Games themselves, which bring together athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team. The Olympic Games have always been critical in sparking real change in a world divided by conflict and ideological differences.
“At the Olympic Games, the athletes set aside all the differences that divide the world,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in his video message for IDSDP. “They compete fiercely against each other, while living peacefully together under one roof in the Olympic Village. This makes the Olympic Games such a powerful symbol of peace.”
Whilst athletes regularly leverage their unique position to give back to their communities, it is through the collective effort of the IOC and all stakeholders of the Olympic Movement – National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Federations (IFs), commercial partners, etc. – that sport fulfils its role and has a positive societal impact.
Beyond the Games, the opportunity to boost impact through collective action is reflected in the IOC’s Olympism365 strategy, which is designed to connect people with the Olympic values, everywhere, every day, while strengthening the role of sport as an important enabler for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This strategy recognises the importance of bringing together societal actors in different fields to work towards a common goal. It seeks to use the convening role of the IOC and the Olympic Movement to build partnerships with the most relevant organisations to actively contribute to sustainable development, peace and positive societal impact.
“Sport is the low-cost, high-impact tool to support all countries – big or small, rich or poor – to build together a more peaceful, healthier, more equal and more sustainable world for everyone – 365 days a year. On this International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, please join us as we call on everyone around the world: Give peace a chance!" said the IOC President Thomas Bach.
The origin of the IDSDP
Creating a historical link to the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, 6 April was declared the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2013, and has been celebrated each year since 2014.
The IOC, in its capacity as Permanent Observer to the UN, proposed and supported this initiative, as it values its potential to recognise sports organisations’ role in and contribution to social change and human development. More specifically, it is an opportunity for the IOC to highlight how athletes and the Olympic Movement use sport to foster peace, reconciliation and development, and underline the power of the Olympic Games to promote tolerance and solidarity among the participants, fans and people all over the world.
Sport as a universal tool for development
In 2015, in a historic moment for sport and the Olympic Movement, sport was officially recognised as an “important enabler” of sustainable development and included in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, the IDSDP provides a notable platform to advocate more investment in sport, related infrastructure and quality physical education for youth among governments.
Read the full text of the UN Resolution here
Using sport to promote development and peace has been at the core of the IOC’s mission since its creation in 1894. Pierre de Coubertin, the IOC’s founder, was explicit in his desire to use Olympism as a means to promote harmony among individuals and nations, at all levels from casual practice to competitive sport.
Olympism365
Olympism365 ensures that sport continues to impact people’s lives and actively contributes to a healthier, more equal, inclusive, peaceful and sustainable society, 365 days a year. It acts as a catalyst, bringing together the right funding and delivery partners and contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.