UNESCO has joined, as a Founding member, the Sport for Development Coalition, an initiative spearheaded by the Agence Française de Développent (AFD) and several other development banks, including GIZ the West African Development Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Association of National and Development Finance Institutions of the member countries of the Islamic Development Bank (ADFIMI) and the Latin American Association of Development Finance Institutions, as well as organizations of the sport ecosystem including the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees.
The goal of the Coalition will be to mobilize resources for sports projects, leveraging its impact and capacity to foster development and inclusion. UNESCO’s joining reflects its leading role in the UN system in the sports field, with their hosting of the World Conference of Ministers of Sport; the Kazan Action Plan, and the Antidoping Convention. UNESCO will provide advice and expertise on sport for development standards, policies, and tools, and will also develop concrete programs. Coordinated by the AFD, the members of the Coalition will establish a task force to determine a common vision, objectives, and an action plan.
This is a major initiative in the sports world especially during the current challenging context worldwide. The Coalition’s first deliverable is the sportencommun platform, an interface that brings together the demand and supply side of the sport for development initiatives with measurable impact, especially for vulnerable communities.
“The Coalition is timely as sports can help us heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, providing support to the many communities that have been touched, particularly youth and women. Sports will not only help to restore health and resilience but also to build more cohesive and peaceful societies by disseminating the values of sports, such as empathy, respect, discipline, fair game, and team building,” said Ms. Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences.
The Sport for Development Coalition was launched on the occasion of the Finance in Common Summit that gathered for the first time some 450 national, regional, and international public development banks.
Original source: UNESCO
