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“The main goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.” Fundamental Principles of Olympism, Olympic Charter.

IOC President Thomas Bach frequently reminds us that “sport is much more just a physical activity; sport improves health and prevents, even cures, the ailments of modern civilisation. It is also an educational tool which promotes cognitive development, teaches you how to behave in society and helps to bring communities together.”  

For several years now, the IOC has been contributing to the movement that uses sport as a tool for development. To this end, it works with its partners, which include many UN agencies as well as governmental and nongovernmental bodies, on various joint projects.

The United Nations has long acknowledged sport’s contribution to development and peace. The cooperation between the IOC and the UN has played a key role in the recognition of sport as a means of promoting international development objectives. 2015 saw a historic moment for the Olympic and sports movement, when sport was officially mentioned as an “important partner” for sustainable development within the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development .

In line with Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement adopted unanimously in December 2014, the IOC firmly believes in the power of sport to contribute to the achievement of 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations for 2030:

• Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages (SDG 3)
• Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning (SDG 4)
• Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls (SDG 5)
• Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all (SDG 8)
• Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable (SDG11)
• Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG 12)
• Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (SDG 13)
• Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources, and sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss (SDG 14 & 15)
• Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies (SDG 16)
• Revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development (SDG 17)

The IOC’s increased involvement in sport for development was illustrated recently by the launch of the Olympic Refuge Foundation. 

In close cooperation with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR), the Foundation will support projects around the world to create safe and accessible basic sports facilities and offer sports activities to disadvantaged populations. The projects, which will use sport as a source of social, physical and emotional well-being, will adopt a community-based approach.

In this section, we have compiled a series of official and university publications to help you better understand and learn more about this multifaceted topic. We encourage you to take a look at the useful links provided, where you will find a wealth of information.