Week of Action 2026 and Call for Inputs: Beyond the Game: Sport for Refugee Protection and Solutions

View submission form and submit your input →

The 2026 Week of Action takes place alongside the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention and ongoing Global Dialogues on how we can better respond to displacement.

There are two ways you can get involved:

1.      Contribute to our call for inputs – to be published on sportanddev.org and feed into Global Dialogues.
2.      Join webinars and workshops during the Week of Action from October 11-17.

Why is this important now?

With rising conflicts, growing polarisation, drastic cuts in global aid and threats to multilateralism and democracy, the 2026 Week of Action comes at a critical time.

While the number of people forced to flee fell for the first time in a decade in 2025, there are still close to 42 million refugees globally and 69 million people displaced within their own country due to conflict or violence (Global Trends Report 2025).  

The Week of Action will contribute to the ongoing work of the Sport for Refugees Coalition (SfRC) with over 170 member organisations and UNHCR's future Agenda for Protection and Solutions.

A) Contribute to our call for inputs

Access to sport is a right outlined in the UNESCO International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport and the role of sport is recognized in the 2030 Agenda and the Global Compact for Refugees. The Global Refugee Forum Multi-stakeholder pledge on Sport for inclusion and protection seeks to leverage sport to support refugees. 

sportanddev and the SfRC are launching a call for inputs on how sport can better serve refugees under three Areas of Action from the adopted 10 Areas of Action to guide global dialogues.

We welcome submissions from a range of stakeholders. Insights will inform inputs of the SfRC at the High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection and Solutions (December 7–8, 2026) in Geneva and preparations and milestone updates for the Global Refugee Forum 2027.

1. Partnerships for Protection (Action 5 in the 10 Areas of Action)

Strengthen partnerships for protection with States, forcibly displaced and stateless persons and all relevant actors, to identify opportunities, solutions and key protection risks.

Guiding questions

• How can policymakers use sport to protect displaced people at local, national, regional and global levels?
• Which actors are most critical to strengthening protection in your context? And in sport?
• How has sport changed the lives of displaced people? What can we learn from this?

2. Strengthening inclusive national systems and fostering refugee self-reliance (Action 7)

Refugees can become self-reliant and participate in host societies through greater freedoms and stronger inclusion in national systems and improved enjoyment of enabling rights.

Guiding questions

• What are the main barriers for refugees accessing opportunities and services? How does this play out in and through sport?
• How can sport enable displaced populations to become more independent and engaged? What are the ways it can benefit host communities as well?
• What reforms are needed within sports policies and programmes to help refugees access decent work, workplace protection and build sustainable livelihoods?

3. Promoting the meaningful participation of displaced and stateless people (Action 10)

This focuses on refugee leadership, decision-making power, governance, accountability, and support to refugee-led organizations.

• How are refugees, stateless persons and their organizations involved in policies and decisions affecting their lives? What role can sport play?
• How can the refugee response benefit from greater refugee leadership and decision-making? How is this relevant with sport? ‘Nothing about us without us’.
• How can actors using sport change the game for the displaced? What are the risks?

The guiding questions above are just suggestions – you are welcome to provide inputs from any angle as long as the main focus is on any (or all) of the three areas of action listed above.

How do I submit an input?

View submission form in:

English →
Français → 
← العربية
Español →

Deadline: 18 October 2026

All relevant contributions will be published and credited on the sportanddev website and highlighted during The Week of Action on Sport and Refugees from 11-17 October 2026.

Questions? Email [email protected] with any queries.

B) Join an online workshop

From Participation to Power: Advancing Partnerships, Inclusion & Refugee Leadership Through Sport
Date: Tuesday 13 October 2026: 15h00-16h30 CEST (UTC+2) | Register here

This webinar aims to foster shared learning and exchange on how sport can contribute to partnerships for protection, refugee inclusion and self-reliance, and meaningful participation and leadership. Participants will reflect on the challenges and needs faced by displaced communities, explore why these Areas of Action matter, and learn from practical examples that demonstrate how sport can help advance protection and solutions. The discussion will also highlight promising approaches, opportunities and gaps across the sport sector. Importantly, the key questions, challenges and recommendations identified during the webinar will serve as the foundation for the subsequent workshops, helping participants deepen the discussion and co-develop concrete ideas and recommendations ahead of the High Commissioner's Dialogue.

From Power to Action: Co-Creating Recommendations for Protection and Solutions Through Sport
Date: Thursday 15 October, 9h00-10h30 CEST (UTC+2) (morning session) | Register here
Date: Thursday 15 October, 16h00-17h30 CEST (UTC+2) (afternoon session) | Register here

(The same workshop is organised at two different times to cater for different time zones and regions.)

This workshop aims to bring participants together around the key areas of action identified:

1. Partnerships for Protection
2. Inclusive national systems and refugee self-reliance
3. Meaningful participation of displaced and stateless people

Participants will share experiences and perspectives on the areas of action within their specific context and formulate recommendations to be taken to the High Commissioner’s Dialogue.

About the Sport for Refugees Coalition

Established at the first Global Refugee Forum in 2019, the SfRC is co-convened by UNHCR, the Olympic Refuge Foundation, and Soccer Without Borders, bringing together over 170 entities. Find the list of coalition members or contact [email protected] to join.

sportanddev has a long-standing partnership with the SfRC that aims to share information, tools and resources for using, and advocating for, sport to support refugees and displaced communities. This included a dedicated website section on Sport and Refugees on sportanddev.org, regular updates, and an annual Week of Action on Sport and Refugees.

Image credits: © UNHCR/Shawkat Alharfoush