President Bach, who also chairs the IOC’s Olympic Refugee Foundation, presented the Joint Sports Pledge on behalf of more than 100 organisations, including more than 40 National Olympic Committees and International Federations, as well as governments, refugee-led organisations, UN agencies and civil society. Organizations and representatives of the private sector and beyond.
Speaking at the event, the IOC President said: “Sport is much more than just a physical activity. Sports are empowering. Sport is health. Sports are about inclusion. Sport is respect. Sport is solidarity. Sport is belonging. Sport is peace.
“This is what brings our alliance together: the belief in the power of sport as a force for good in the world. With so many wars and conflicts displacing millions of people on a scale we have never seen before, this power of sport has never been more important.” “Sport is a low-cost, high-impact tool, especially for displaced youth, to find belonging; to empower them; to rebuild their lives and shape their future.”
He added: “The message of our pledge is clear: sport supports displaced people around the world. Above all, this is a team effort. Everyone can and must play their part. The inclusion of sport in refugee response frameworks, in national action plan budgets, and in long-term development strategies has never been more urgent. That’s why today I’m extending the hand of the Sports for Refugees Alliance to all of you. Let us join hands and work together for and with refugees.”
President Bach’s appearance at the Forum was followed by the presentation of the high-level parallel event entitled “Breaking Barriers: Realizing the Potential of Sport for Inclusion and Protection”, in which the head of delegation of the Paris 2024 Refugee Olympic Team, Masoumeh Alizadeh, and Rio 2016 participated. Swimming of the Tokyo Refugee Olympic Team contributed 2020, Yusra Mardini, making contributions.
The event delved into the work of participating entities and was co-hosted by the Government of Colombia and the Sport for Refugees Alliance participants: Olympic Refugee Foundation, SCourt Foundation, and UNHCR. The audience also heard from representatives of the governments of France, Zimbabwe and Colombia, as well as more than 20 other committed organizations.
The IOC President also took the opportunity to outline the specific commitments of the IOC and the Olympic Refugee Foundation, which include investing US$15 million to:
- Supporting refugee athletes and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, which for the first time will be led by a refugee as Head of Delegation at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
- Promote positive media narratives about refugees through the global visibility of the Olympic Games, reaching an audience in the billions.
- Promoting the mental health and psychosocial well-being of young refugees through sport.
- Advocate for broad support for refugees by building multi-stakeholder coalitions.
The high-level parallel event was closed by Gillian Triggs, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection at UNHCR, who said: “I would like to take a minute to remind us why we are here in particular, which is the Global Refugee Forum, which was established “on the principles of the Global Compact on Refugees – which is an absolutely revolutionary document that the General Assembly approved in 2018. And what it does is take two very simple ideas. The first is that the responsibility for refugees and displaced persons falls on all of us.
“But the other thing is that this responsibility is shared, shared by the entire community. Those are the aspirations, and it is quite clear that each one of you fully understands that sport is one of the most powerful tools to ensure this level of inclusion.” “.
Pledging to ensure refugees thrive through sport
The Multi-Stakeholder Pledge on Sport for Refugee Inclusion and Protection (“Sports Pledge”) sets out the role that sport can play in improving the lives of refugees, including through sports programmes, policy change, skills development, and communication and advocacy efforts. This pledge has been developed by a dedicated multi-stakeholder group working in and through sport, and with the guidance of the organizers of the Sport for Refugees Alliance.
The commitments made as part of the pledge are as diverse as the donor entities, and include financial, technical and material support, as well as policy commitments and those creating opportunities for resettlement and complementary pathways.
Through this pledge, entities commit to mobilizing resources, expertise and networks to enhance access and opportunities through sport for displaced people and their host communities, and contribute to more inclusive and cohesive societies.
As the world grapples with the challenges of displaced populations, the President of the International Olympic Committee has emerged as a leading advocate for the inclusion of refugees in the global sports community. With the upcoming Global Refugee Forum on the horizon, the President is spearheading efforts to rally the sporting world in support of displaced people. Through the IOC’s commitment to using sports as a tool for social change, the President is set to bring together athletes, sports organizations, and governing bodies to harness the power of sports in providing opportunities and hope for refugees. This bold and impactful initiative marks a significant step towards leveraging the unifying power of sports to address one of the most pressing humanitarian issues of our time.