Foundations

Sport for Development and Peace

"Sport can play a role in improving the lives of individuals, not only individuals, I might add, but whole communities. I am convinced that the time is right to build on that understanding, to encourage governments, develop agencies and communities to think how sport can be included more systematically in the plans to help children, particularly those living in the midst of poverty, disease, and conflict." Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General

In accordance with the endorsement that sport for development and peace has received from the international community and within the UN system, UNDP recognizes and supports the value of sport for development and peace.

UNDP’s current frame of action is placed in the context of the 2005 International Year of Sport and Physical Education (IYSPE 2005), UNDP’s chairmanship of the Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group (SDP IWG), and programming activities at the country-office level.  UNDP's immediate actions and objectives focus on programme development and partnership building for sport for development and peace; collection of best practices in sports programming; and the engagement of sport as a tool for advocacy and communication on the MDGs.