On Monday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) convened in New York City for a high-level event held at the United Nations (UN) headquarters, encouraging governments, policymakers and global leaders to formally integrate physical activity as a vital element in public policies geared towards sustainable development. With eyes fixed on the upcoming World Summit for Social Development, scheduled for November 2025 in Doha, Qatar, the IOC used the platform to position sport as a powerful, yet often overlooked, driver of progress.

The gathering, titled ‘Advancing Social Inclusion Through Sport: Towards the Second World Summit for Social Development,’ was co-organised by the Permanent Missions of Qatar and Monaco to the UN, in partnership with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). It brought together diplomats, athletes and institutional representatives to explore the role of sport in tackling systemic inequalities and furthering the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Delivering the keynote speech was Colombian journalist and diplomat Luis Alberto Moreno, IOC Member and Permanent Observer to the UN, who made a compelling case for sport as a tool for advancing social cohesion. “Sport alone cannot create development or peace. That is our shared responsibility,” he said. “However, sport can catalyse and support social development and inspire peace.”

Moreno put forward a firm appeal, asking decision-makers to ensure that sport has “a rightful place in the debates of the World Summit for Social Development,” particularly now, when, as he emphasised, it is needed “more than ever.” His message was direct and urgent: sport must not remain a peripheral concern in the architecture of development policy. “We cannot afford to overlook the role of sport in shaping the future of social progress,” he stressed. “If we truly want to build inclusive societies, sport must be a central pillar of our strategies, not an afterthought.”

The day-long reception highlighted a shift in policy thinking across multiple countries, where governments have begun to hierarchise sport-based projects as instruments of social cohesion. At the Sport for Sustainable Development Summit held ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, world leaders and sport sector stakeholders signed pledges to increase investment in sport as a vehicle for sustainable development. Later, at the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS) in Cape Town in February, leading development finance institutions committed to helping governments leverage sport for national progress.

Still, as the South American IOC member pointed out, sport’s full potential in the social sphere remains underused, according to the IOC’s statement. Nevertheless, change is within reach. “There are more opportunities than ever for governments to embrace sport as a low-cost, high-impact tool that can benefit everyone,” Moreno explained.

One of the most resonant parts of Moreno’s address was his reflection on sport’s ability to unify—particularly relevant in a world facing rising tensions and polarisation, from geopolitical unrest to economic protectionism, including the current tariff paradigm initiated by US President Donald Trump. Against this backdrop, the 71-year-old businessman held up the Olympic Games as a living example of peaceful coexistence. “Athletes from the 206 National Olympic Committees, and from the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, competed fiercely against one another, yet lived peacefully together in the Olympic Village. That is not only an inspiring story, it is a lesson for all of us,” he added.

The Paris 2024 Games, he noted, were also a landmark for equality and sustainability. “It was the first Games with full gender parity on the field of play, demonstrating that equality in sport is not just an aspiration, but an achievable reality. Moreover, the event set “new standards for future global competitions and their legacies” through its sustainable and socially responsible practices.

In his remarks, Moreno, also a former Colombian Minister of Economic Development, invoked the UN’s historical embrace of sport as a tool for transformation. He recalled the Political Declaration adopted at the first World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, which already recognised sport as a key facilitator for inclusion and growth.

That same vision now drives the IOC’s Olympism365 strategy, launched under the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 reform framework. The initiative aims to embed Olympic values into everyday life, far beyond the Games, by promoting access to sport, advancing health and wellbeing, and reinforcing the social fabric within communities worldwide. Currently, Olympism365 reaches tens of millions of people through 550 programmes and socially impactful initiatives across 176 countries. Through close collaboration with institutional and community partners, the IOC is working to ensure that sport contributes meaningfully to the building of more inclusive, healthier, and more resilient societies