Representatives of United Nations Member States convened in Doha, Qatar on November 4-6, 2025 at the Second World Summit for Social Development, where they adopted a declaration to deepen sport’s contribution to achieving the UN’s 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.
UN Member States adopt sport declaration
Representatives of United Nations (UN) Member States convened in Doha, Qatar on Nov. 4-6, 2025, at the Second World Summit for Social Development, where they adopted a declaration to deepen sport’s contribution to achieving the UN’s 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was in attendance and actively supported the commitment. The declaration and discussions at the Summit reaffirmed the role of sport as a high-impact solution for education, social integration, health and equality.
IOC President calls for investment in sport
During a side event (a Solution Session) on November 6, titled “Policy Meets the Pitch: Integrating Sport into Social Inclusion Agendas”, IOC President Kirsty Coventry thanked Member States in a video message while also calling for more investment in sport: “I want to thank all Member States for recognizing sport in the Political Declaration – as a tool for inclusion, cohesion and social development. But now we must turn this recognition into investment in sport. Because investing in sport is investing in people – it is investing in potential, in belonging and in hope,” said Coventry. In addition to the IOC, this side event brought together key partners, including the Permanent Mission of the Principality of Monaco, the Permanent Mission of Qatar, the United Nations Department of Global Communications, Peace and Sport, and UN Women. The session focused on how to develop initiatives, policies and financing models to support and scale low-cost, high-impact sport-based interventions to advance social development.
High return on investment in sport programs
“Research shows that every dollar invested in sport-based programs can return five to six dollars’ worth of social value, and sometimes much higher than that. Few other investments deliver such wide and lasting benefits for so little cost,” added President Coventry.
Summit marks 30th anniversary
The Second World Summit for Social Development marked 30 years since the landmark World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, which gave rise to the historic Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development.
