New York, 7th June – the 3rd International Forum on Sport for Peace and Development took place at the UN headquarters in New York from 5th to 6th June 2013. Hosted at the UN Building for the first time and jointly organised by the IOC and the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP), with the cooperation of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the event assessed the successes and challenges of past initiatives and looked at how to pave the way for future concerted action in these fields.

The Forum, this year’s theme for which is “Creating a Common Vision”, opened with the International Olympic Committee honouring United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the Olympic Order.

The award was in recognition of the UN Secretary-General’s strong personal commitment to use sport as a tool for social change, a concept brought to life through various joint IOC-UN projects at community level. It was also under Mr Ban that the IOC received UN observer status in 2009.

The UN Secretary-General and IOC President Jacques Rogge both gave addresses. Among the key note speakers, IOC Member Mario Pescante, Permanent Observer for the International Olympic Committee to the UN.

President Rogge recalled that “the relationship between the IOC and the UN goes back many years,” adding that, “these organisations have two very different roles in society, but we share some core values.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon instead pointed out how “the link between sport, peace and development grows stronger by the year. It can be traced back in history to the original Olympic Truce, which guaranteed safe passage to athletes and other travellers attending the ancient Games. It is found in the bidding requirements for modern Olympic host cities, which are asked to provide a durable social and environmental legacy. And it is evident throughout the United Nations system, which has embraced sport as a valuable vehicle for reaching our peace and development objectives. The International Olympic Committee is a key partner.”

The two leaders also initiated the start of work on a permanent sports exhibition in the UN building. The exhibition will enable visitors from all over the world to better understand the role of sport in human development and the promotion of peace.

By using sport as a tool, the IOC and its partners implement various activities across the globe in fields such as humanitarian assistance, peace-building, education, gender equality, the environment and the fight against HIV/AIDS, thereby contributing to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals.

On occasion of the Forum, the IOC International Relations Commission led by Mario Pescante, who is also EOC Honorary President, also met in New York.

One of the outcomes of the Forum will be a declaration by all participants that will provide a roadmap in this area for the next two years.