Children swim in a local recreation centre, El Salvador.
Sport has been increasingly recognized and used as a low-cost and high-impact tool in humanitarian, development and peace-building efforts.
Photo:©UNICEF/UN0156174/Martinez

Sport has the power to align our passion, energy and enthusiasm around a collective cause. And that is precisely when hope can be nurtured and trust can be regained. It is in our collective interest to harness the tremendous power of sport to help build a better and more sustainable future for all."


- UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed

IDSDP 2024: Sport for the Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), which takes place annually on 6 April, presents an opportunity to recognize the positive role sport and physical activity play in communities and in people’s lives across the globe.

The global theme for 2024 is “Sport for the Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies”.

In observance of the International Day, on April 4 an event at UN Headquarters in New York will focus on how prominent sporting bodies engage in partnerships to make positive impacts for people and the environments in which they operate. It will bring together members of the international sporting community - including members of the United Nations Football for the Goals initiative - to share best practices, discuss challenges, and explore collaborative opportunities to drive positive social change and contribute to global efforts towards sustainable development and peace.

The United Nations has long recognized the power and universality of sport, using it to unite individuals and groups through supporting sport for development efforts, participating in events from the global to the grassroots level, and developing its own sports-related campaigns and initiatives.

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."

Live Streaming 2024 Event

The power of sport values

a climber amidst beautiful mountains

Sports can play a key role in bringing people together and championing climate action. Read more about youth in action here.

Related observances

Sport and Sustainable Development

Sport has proven to be a cost-effective and flexible tool in promoting peace and development objectives. In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sport’s role for social progress is further acknowledged: "Sport is also an important enabler of sustainable development. We recognize the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to the empowerment of women and of young people, individuals and communities as well as to health, education and social inclusion objectives."

 

Football for the Goals

Football for the Goals  (FFTG) is a United Nations membership-based initiative that provides a platform for the global football community to engage with and advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is an opportunity to build on football’s powerful and influential reach and for football organizations to work together to become agents of change by aligning messaging, strategies and operations with the aspirations of the SDGs.

This initiative inspires and guides the world of football - from grassroots clubs and NGOs to professional leagues and international confederations -  to build on existing sustainability approaches and to implement SDG-related strategies that lead to behavioural change. Members also use their visibility and outreach power to raise the profile of the SDGs through amplification and advocacy.

Read the full  press release from the 6 July 2022 launch or visit Football for the Goals (FFTG). For a full list of members, please visit the Members page. For a full list of members, please visit the Members page.

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.