IOC President to deliver speech at UN General Assembly with sport set to be included in Sustainable Development Goals

The Summit will adopt the post-2015 Development Agenda on 25 September. Three days of debate about the realisation of these goals by world leaders will follow. Among the speakers will be dozens of heads of state and government and other world leaders, including Pope Francis.

In the final outcome document, sport is mentioned as “an important enabler of sustainable development.” The declaration highlights what sport can contribute to achieve some of the most important of these like peace, health and education. The post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will include for the first time recognition of sport’s important contribution to global sustainable development.

“This is another acknowledgement of the important role of sport in society, one of the major issues of Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement,” said President Bach. “It shows that with Olympic Agenda 2020 we are aligned with the United Nations post-2015 Development Agenda. This new agenda specifically acknowledges the important role that sport plays promoting healthy lifestyles, education and social inclusion. It recognises the benefits of sport for all and its ability to empower women and young people.”

Accompanying President Bach will be four-time Olympian and IOC Member Angela Ruggiero. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked all delegations to include one representative aged 30 or under in their official delegations to acknowledge the enthusiasm, interest and involvement of young people in formulating the post-2015 Development Agenda.

There will be a bilateral meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon where the two leaders will speak about the Sustainable Development Goals and the contribution of sport in their realisation, as well as about other aspects of cooperation between the IOC and the UN.

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