Sport for Development & Peace
Briefing Sheet: UN Secretary-General Report A/79/289
Key findings, donor engagement points, and calls-to-action from the 2024 UN report on sport as a driver of peace and sustainable development.
📌Executive Summary
- ✓Sport is a cross-cutting enabler of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- ✓Five priority areas: social inclusion, physical activity, gender equality, peacebuilding/crime prevention, and climate action.
- ✓Critical finding: Youth homicides account for 37% of global homicides—sport can address this through life skills training and community programs.
- ✓Calls for stronger partnerships between governments, civil society, and the private sector to maximize impact.
📊Key Statistics
🎯Five Priority Themes
Social Inclusion
Sport reduces barriers for women, girls, youth, older persons, Indigenous Peoples, and persons with disabilities.
Key Finding: Progress in SDP policies strengthening inclusion, but challenges remain: poor accessibility, lack of adapted equipment, insufficient trained staff.
Physical Activity & Education
Prevents non-communicable diseases and promotes health across all age groups through quality physical education.
Key Finding: 1 in 3 adults inactive globally (WHO 2024). Two-thirds of secondary students lack minimum PE hours.
Gender Equality
Advancing women's leadership, equal prize money, and safe sport environments.
Key Finding: 2024 Olympics achieved gender parity among athletes. FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 prize: $150M (up 300% from 2019).
Peacebuilding & Crime Prevention
Sport addresses youth violence through fair play, preventing violent extremism, and fostering safer communities.
Key Finding: Youth homicides = 37% of global homicides. Sport-based life skills training strengthens resilience to violence, crime, and drug use.
Sustainable Communities & Climate
Sport organizations influence millions of fans to take climate action through demonstration and leadership.
Key Finding: 83% of sports fans want their teams to lead environmental initiatives. 260+ signatories in Sports for Climate Action Framework.
⚠️Focus: Sport Addressing Youth Violence
The Problem
- • Youth violence results in numerous deaths, injuries, and disabilities
- • Youth homicides account for 37% of global homicides annually
- • Violence affects victims, families, and entire communities
- • Often starts with hate speech and escalates to violent extremism
How Sport Helps
- • Promotes fair play, teamwork, and conflict resolution
- • Prevents violent extremism through community engagement
- • Creates safe environments that protect vulnerable youth
- • Life skills training: communication, critical thinking, problem-solving
UNODC Line Up, Live Up Program: 43 capacity-building events, 1,200+ coaches trained, 31,000+ young people reached in school and community settings—strengthening resilience to violence, crime, and drug use.
📋Key Recommendations
- 1Integrate sport into national development plans and SDG strategies
- 2Expand access to physical activity and community programs, especially for youth and marginalized groups
- 3Promote gender equality by supporting women's leadership in sport
- 4Leverage sport for peacebuilding, crime prevention, and post-conflict recovery
- 5Align sport initiatives with climate action, including sustainable infrastructure
- 6Mobilize resources to strengthen UN secretariat capacity for sport coordination
💼Donor & Coalition Engagement Points
High Visibility, Low Cost
Sport is a proven high-impact, low-cost tool for global peace diplomacy and sustainable development.
Lasting Legacy
Contributions tied to enduring symbols: Olympic Truce, Milano-Cortina 2026, community resilience programs.
Recognition
Branded donor credits, certificates, coalition endorsements, and participation in milestone events.
Multi-Stakeholder Impact
Join governments, NGOs, athletes, and private sector in coordinated action.
Measurable Outcomes
Use monitoring frameworks like the Truce Index to track and report concrete results.
🚀Suggested Calls-to-Action
Pledge Support
Commit resources to UN-aligned sport initiatives and the Olympic Truce.
Amplify Impact
Sponsor community-level programs that embody SDG values.
Join Coalitions
Partner with UN agencies, NGOs, and foundations to scale outreach.
Celebrate Milestones
Link donor recognition to Milano-Cortina 2026 and US 250th anniversary.
📦Deployment Format
One-Page Briefing
Quick donor review format with key stats and CTAs
Infographic Overlays
Visual mapping of sport's contribution to SDGs
Modular Inserts
Endorsement letters, pledge forms, recognition templates
📚Source Documents
- 📄A/79/289 - Full ReportUN Secretary-General's Report on Sport for Development and Peace (2024)
- 📄Presentation SlidesSecretary-General's Report Presentation to Group of Friends
- 📄UN DESA Sport for Development and PeaceFull menu of reports, resolutions, and resources
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