International Day of Sports for Development and Peace

Background

Due to its vast reach, unparalleled popularity and foundation of positive values, sport is ideally positioned to contribute towards the United Nations’ objectives for development and peace. To raise awareness of this potential, 6 April was declared as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) by the UN General Assembly. The adoption of this Day signifies the increasing recognition by the UN of the positive influence that sport can have on the advancement of human rights, and social and economic development.

In its Resolution (A/RES/67/296) establishing the Day, the General Assembly

invites States, the United Nations system and, in particular, the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace, relevant international organizations, and international, regional and national sport organisations, civil society including, non-governmental organizations and the private sector, and all other relevant stakeholders to cooperate, observe and raise awareness of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

2025 Theme

Leveling the Playing Field: Sport for Social Inclusion

In the lead up to the Second World Summit for Social Development in 2025, IDSDP 2025 will focus on the theme of ‘Social Inclusion’. This year’s theme aims to challenge stereotypes, promote equal opportunities, and enable inclusive sport for all. It highlights the role of sport as a unifying force that fosters inclusion and more equitable societies, while being a powerful platform for dialogue to tackle prejudices and inspire positive change across the world.

In commemoration of International Day, an event will be hosted at UN Headquarters in New York, in collaboration between the Permanent Mission of the Principality of Monaco, Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Department of Global Communications and UN Women. The event will be an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions on the intersecting issue of sport and social inclusion. Through inspiring conversations, IDSDP strives to raise awareness, celebrate success stories, strengthen partnerships, and advocate for solutions to critical challenges. IDSDP 2025 will serve as a platform to explore solutions on how sport can serve as a tool towards greater social inclusion and progress.

2025 Concept Note

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"Importantly, sport transcends boundaries and promotes tolerance, perseverance, and respect within and between cultures … to promote just, peaceful, and inclusive societies."
- President of the General-Assembly, Mr. Dennis Francis, Remarks at the commemoration of World Football Day, 22 May 2024.

2024 Theme

Sport for the Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies

The 2024 theme, Sport for the Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies, highlighted the power of sport to advance peace, foster inclusion, and support sustainable development. With a focus at United Nations Headquarters on the role of partnerships with leading sporting bodies, the theme emphasized how sport—particularly football as the world’s most popular game—can unite communities, transcend cultural boundaries, and be leveraged through collaboration to deliver positive social and environmental impact in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.

2024 Programme

2023 Theme

Scoring for People and the Planet

Challenges and opportunities in leveraging sport towards the 2030 Agenda were at the heart of a series of United Nations–led initiatives during the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. The social, economic, and environmental dimensions of the SDGs, and sport’s unique contributions to them, were explored through a virtual side event that brought together governments, the private sector, and civil society, organized by the Division for Inclusive Social Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Within the global theme, Scoring for People and the Planet, the in-person event featured a number of Davos-style conversations highlighting the power of football and other sports in advancing the SDGs and human rights, with a focus on three main areas: sustainability and climate action, gender equality, and the fight against racism and hate speech. These initiatives represented an important opportunity to assess the positive contribution of sport in achieving the 2030 Agenda, in the lead-up to the SDG Summit held in September 2023.

2022 Theme

The Role of Sport in Combating Climate Change

The 2022 theme focused on the role of sport in addressing the climate crisis, highlighting actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. It emphasized sport’s unique capacity to demonstrate leadership by taking responsibility for its carbon footprint, advancing climate-neutral pathways, incentivizing action beyond the sporting sector, and raising awareness among its billions of spectators, facilitators, and participants worldwide. With the urgency of climate action intensifying, the theme underscored the importance of strengthening understanding of the sport–climate nexus and communicating policies and concrete actions through sport to help reverse the effects of climate change.

2020 Theme

The Role of Sport in Shaping our Future: Launching into the Decade of Action

Under the theme “The Role of Sport in Shaping our Future: Launching into the Decade of Action,” the proposed event at UN Headquarters aimed to contribute to the UN’s 75th Anniversary Global Conversations by showcasing concrete examples of how sport could drive a more sustainable, inclusive, healthy, and prosperous future. Through Davos-style discussions involving major sporting organizations, the private sector, grassroots initiatives, the esports industry, and youth voices, the event highlighted sport’s capacity to mobilize partnerships and inspire action for people and the planet. The discussions focused on translating commitments into concrete action in support of the Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing innovation, collaboration, and accountability. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the event underscored the role of sport as a catalyst for collective action throughout the Decade of Action leading up to 2030.