At the UN headquarters in New York, on 23 August 2013, the UN General Assembly declared 6 April as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) – a decision that represented a historic step in recognizing the transformative power of sport and its great potential in advancing positive social change.
This day is commemorated globally each year by international, regional, national sport and development organizations to honour the role that sport plays in society, whether by encouraging healthier lifestyles, making sport more widely accessible or using it as a vehicle for development in areas made vulnerable by conflict, poverty and inequality.
The two first editions of IDSDP were celebrated all over the world by a diversity of actors involved in using the benefits of sport to connect people to a wide range of development and reconciliation efforts.
For more information:
- on the projects held in 2018
- on the projects held in 2017
- on the projects held in 2016
- on the projects held in 2015
- on the projects held in 2014
Get more information on International Day of Sport for Development and Peace:
- on the IOC website
- on the United Nations website (read Mr. Ban Ki Moon’s message)
From the high plateaus of Kenya to the banks of the Thames, sport is a source of inspiration and motivation for young people. I encourage more people to develop sports projects for peace around the world.
Trough rules, sport puts all participants on an equal footing, and because of this, sport is able to transcend differences. It is an answer to violence and social exclusion.
