Olympism365 Summit day one: first concrete commitments made for a sustainable future through sport

04 June 2025 – The Olympism365 Summit: Sport for a Better World, hosted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, wrapped up its first day of meetings with the announcement of two key commitments to enhance the impact of sport for development programmes around the world. These announcements were made after a productive day of dialogue and discussion, placing a strong focus on collaboration and innovative solutions to advance sustainable development through sport.

The IOC first signed an agreement with the China Institute of Sport Science (CISS), which will deliver community sport and physical activity programmes in 21 Sport and Health Community Centres across seven provinces in China. This is aligned with the Sport and Health Cooperation Initiative developed as part of the technical cooperation between the IOC and the World Health Organization (WHO), currently active in five other countries with the support of global health NGO PATH.

A new collaboration was also established between the IOC and the Istituto per il Credito Sportivo e Culturale S.p.A. (ICSC), the world’s only dedicated financing institution for sport, based in Italy. The cooperation will focus on financing for community sports infrastructure and sports participation projects, and see collaboration on evaluating the impact of sports investment.

The power of collective action

Following IOC President Thomas Bach’s opening address, the day kicked off with a plenary session entitled: “Building a Better World Through Sport – Together”.

In light of profound global challenges and uncertainty, speakers highlighted the need for stakeholders across all sectors to unite in order to reinforce the role of safe, inclusive sport and Olympism as key drivers of sustainable development.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director General, reminded the audience of the crucial role of sport in the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

“The current global situation calls for strong leadership,” said Dr Tedros. “70 per cent of deaths every year come from non-communicable diseases. Our target should be focusing on health promotion and the business of prevention. And that is why health and sport work together.”

Calling for a robust framework to build on the ambitious commitments made during the first Sport for Sustainable Development (#Sport4SD) Summit held in Paris on the eve of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Rémy Rioux, CEO of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), said: “In times of high pressure, we have to join forces to protect this treasure – the sports agenda. We need a new anchor and framework that will ensure nobody is left behind – we need a universal effort to mobilise public and private effort and investment like never before.”

Also addressing the audience, Laura Chinchilla, IOC Member and 46^th President of Costa Rica, and Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, highlighted the importance of identifying new opportunities and collaboration models to leverage sport effectively in the pursuit of sustainable development.

“Sport has the unique power to serve nations and individuals, fostering union and resilience across boundaries,” Chinchilla said. “And if we want people and communities to fall in love with sport, policies must be tangible, impactful and inclusive.”

“Sport is the best tool we have to bridge divides across people and communities,” said Micallef. “We must work together to unlock the power and potential that sport offers us.

“With youth, sport is crucial in education. To provide young people with the tools to thrive, build leadership skills and bridge the divide, we have to work with young people across Europe; this is where sport can play a key role,” he added.

Robert Golob, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, emphasised the power of collaboration between governments and the Olympic Movement to enhance the impact of sport. “Sport is the best investment we can make to strengthen the fabric of society,” the Prime Minister said. “What truly unites us in sport is the Olympic spirit.”

The morning concluded with a series of themed sessions addressing sport’s role in tackling a number of issues, including education and employment; health, equality and inclusion; peace and safe communities; and safeguarding.

Global challenges, local solutions: adapting to a rapidly changing world

The second plenary session of the day was entitled “Global Challenges, Local Solutions: The Role of Sport and Olympism as an Enabler of Sustainable Development in a Rapidly Changing World”.

The changing role of athletes, as advocates and enablers of local solutions, was emphasised as a key contribution to the session’s objective of modelling future trends.

“I strongly believe that we all – athletes, organisations, governments and private partners – should take sport seriously as a tool for development,” said basketball legend and Olympic medallist Pau Gasol, an IOC Member and IOC Athletes’ Commission member and the founder of the Gasol Foundation. “Let’s invest in sport not just as entertainment, but as a force for equity, health and peace.”

“The current refugee crisis can be seen as a big challenge – but I sincerely believe sport can be part of the solution,” stressed Masomah Ali Zada, a member of the Refugee Olympic Team at Tokyo 2020 and Chef de Mission of the Refugee Olympic Team at Paris 2024. “That’s why we need to make sure access is continuous and policies are inclusive – to make sure we can use the full potential of sport.”

Other speakers included Stacy Janiak, Deputy CEO of Deloitte Global; the Hon. Olivia Grange CD MP, Jamaican Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport; and Antonella Baldino, CEO of the Istituto per il Credito Sportivo e Culturale.

All reiterated the urgent need to invest in sport in order to advance sustainable development.

“We cannot underestimate the power of public and private partnership to fuel sports as a catalyst for sustainable development,” said Janiak.

“Sport and Olympism bring some critical perspective to sustainable development that other sectors cannot create,” said Grange. “The challenges are global, but the solutions are local.”

“At Istituto per il Credito Sportivo e Culturale, we are able to mobilise financial resources when and where they are most needed, and to implement impact measurement,” said Baldino. “It is not merely investing; it is investing in our future through sport.”

The final themed sessions of the day saw participants join together to explore sustainable models and strategies for maximising the long-term progress of sport for development initiatives. Themes covered included leveraging AI and digitalisation to drive sport and social impact; prioritising environmentally sustainable sport and development; supporting displaced communities so that they can thrive through sport; scaling impact in safeguarding; and financing sport and sustainable development at scale.

Continuing momentum into day two and beyond

The Olympism365 Summit continues tomorrow (Thursday 5 June) with participants committed to furthering collaborative efforts, confirming concrete action and agreeing a pathway forward to continue to build a better world through sport, now and into the future. To join day two, watch the livestream at: Olympism365 Summit: Sport for a Better World.